Wolfgang’s Magical Musical Circus is a stunning display of daredevil acrobatic artistry set to the dramatic tunes of Mozart, making it a wonderful way to introduce children to the composer’s music. The family friendly show with an energetic circus twist starts slowly with a lonely birthday girl (Kathryn O’Keeffe) conjuring up Mozart (real-life husband Paul…
Based on the 1975 classic film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, a cheeky Camelot spoof on the legendary King Arthur’s quest to find the elusive treasure, the musical Spamalot is a pretty silly show. But silly is not as easy to do as it might seem. Thankfully, Spamalot sees Brisbane Arts Theatre giving audiences nothing…
Even before the QPAC curtain raises on Chicago, its experience is evocative, with a black derby hanging on the back of a black downstage chair, as signpost to the show’s indelible choreographic style and Fosse-esque attention-to-detail. The story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery (as its opening lines impart) is set in…
Sophocles’ Antigone is more than two thousand years old, yet as a story with conflict at its heart, it is still relevant today as Queensland Theatre’s epic season finale, written by Merlynn Tong, illustrates. While there is a clear 2019 resonance to Antigone’s (Jessica Tovey) passionate activist rebellion and rejection of authority, the Greek tragedy…
There is a chill in the air of the Cremorne Theatre as Jane Eyre begins. It’s an affair that befits the terror of Charlotte Bronte’s sophisticated 1847 novel (originally published under the male pseudonym Currer Bell), represented in the stage’s steely blue aesthetic. Not only does it capture the miserable dampness of the northern English…
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical begins with a ‘Sunshine State of Mind’ Porpoise Spit burst of hyper colour and brashly bright lighting that sets the tone for the joy of its satirical stage experience. What follows is an explosion of high energy, full of colour and movement to brighten any adult day. The affectionate stage realisation…
Just as all families are unique, it’s safe to say that all have their own individual issues and, accordingly, suburban family life has long been fodder for theatrical works. In the case of From Darkness Steven Oliver’s take comes with humour but so much more; the darkly funny drama is, at its core, about bigger…
Fangirls begins with a couple of criminals on the run. The scene is one of 14-year-old smart, scholarship-girl Edna’s (Yve Blake, who is also responsible for the world premiere musical comedy’s book, musical and lyrics) imagining; she is the Beyoncé of fan fiction according to her online friend Saltypringl (James Majoos), specifically that written in…
When The Little Red Theatre Company first bought Lady Beatle to La Boite, the show soon became one of my favourites of 2017. And from the moment Naomi Price bursts forth with “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” it’s clear the tradition will continue with its return to Brisbane. Her appropriate dress of military-style jacket,…
Colin Thiele’s cherished 1964 novel Storm Boy is part of Australian folklore. The poignant story is of 11-year-old Mike, the titular Storm Boy (Conor Lowe) – named after being seen wandering the Coorong dunes during a dangerous storm – and his gruff reclusive hermit father, ‘Hideaway’ Tom (John Batchelor). Their lives are altered when Storm…
