La Boite holds a unique place in the hearts and minds of artists and audiences in Brisbane. For the past nine decades La Boite has represented the adventurous and alternative. There has always been a strong focus on the development of new work and artists, and next year is no different.
Todd MacDonald, CEO & Artistic Director of La Boite housed in the Roundhouse Theatre, Australia’s only purpose built theatre-in-the-round, has just announced his first season in 2016;
“This year we push the boundaries of form by collaborating with some extraordinary partners to stretch theatrical, physical, and musical boundaries. We play with contemporary circus, opera, classical text, the theatrical, and with extraordinary international talents,” he said.
Following the critical success of La Boite’s recent co-production with Brisbane Festival on the new Australian work Prize Fighter the 2016 program features three co-productions. The first is a collaboration with Brisbane based contemporary circus company Circa in the world premiere of When One Door Closes, 6 – 23 April.
La Boite’s second collaboration is with the State Theatre Company of South Australia to produce Straight White Men written by Korean American Young Jean Lee, 27 July – 13 August.
The final co-production will be with Opera Queensland and Brisbane Festival on the adults-only Snow White, 3 –24 September.
La Boite will present a contemporary corruption fuelled take on Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of King Richard III directed by Artist-in-Residence, Daniel Evans, from 21 May – 11 June. The final show of the year is the American classic A Streetcar Named Desire by Pulitzer Prize winning Tennessee Williams, 15 October – 12 November.
MacDonald noted “Theatre has the capacity to embrace difference in so many ways. I hope that this varied menu will enliven and inspire our existing audiences and draw new audiences to share in the La Boite experience – the experience and magic of live performance in our unique Roundhouse Theatre.”
Eric Scott
For more of Eric Scott’s writings on theatre, check out Absolute Theatre
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television