Skip to main content

Article: Deborah Conway Returns to QLD // QPAC


Australian music icon, Deborah Conway AM returns to Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) this April, in Songs from the Book of Life, a unique theatrical experience together with her partner and collaborator, Willy Zygier, based on her recently released memoir Book of Life.

Songs from the Book of Life sees Conway and Zygier explore their four-decade-long musical careers, charting a course through the pair’s own stories of youth, rebellion, falling in love, ageing, money, and music – revealing behind the scenes details about one of the most powerful women to rock the Australian music industry. As part of a national tour, including sold-out Sydney Festival performances, Songs from the Book of Life comes to QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre for two nights only on 12 and 13 April 2024.

Songs from the Book of Life has been hailed as a tour-de-force, told with unflinching honesty, and humour and an expression of the irrepressible desire to ‘let it all hang out”.  Featuring original music and theatrical storytelling, this masterwork is directed by Michael Kantor and choreographed by Stephanie Lake, with set design by Chloe Greaves, video design by Nick Roux, lighting design by Stephen Hawker and sound engineering by Siiri Metsar.

Conway explained that Songs from the Book of Life is a distillation of her memoir, rendered as a theatrical, musical piece of storytelling, utilising movement, lighting and sets to convey a life story.  “We have constructed what we hope is an entertaining, revealing evening of theatre for our audiences. The many who have seen it already have responded with laughter, tears and standing ovations,” she said. 

“We love performing to audiences in the Sunshine State and cannot wait to bring this show for the first time to the Cremorne Theatre later this year. “QPAC has been a significant supporter across my career, and we are delighted to be back inside its hallowed spaces.”  QPAC Chief Executive, John Kotzas said it was always a pleasure to welcome back the formidable Conway and Zygier. We’ve presented these popular and talented artists many times over the years, with their last performance at QPAC in 2019.  We know that Queensland audiences will be thrilled at the opportunity to delve into this powerhouse music duo’s life and career in this acclaimed show,” said Mr Kotzas. 

Conway and Zygier’s concerts at QPAC include the sold-out 25 h Anniversary tour of String of Pearls in 2016, coinciding with the release of their album Everybody’s Begging and the EPIC tour in 2019 celebrating the 25 th anniversary of Bitch Epic and launch of the pair’s tenth album, The Words of Men. Conway has also featured in many festival events and touring shows at QPAC including WOW (Women of the World) Australia, Queensland Musical Festival, Broad and the 2021 Apia Good Times Tour.

Don’t miss tickets to this intimate and captivating show featuring two Australian music legends for two nights only on 12 and 13 April. Tickets at qpac.com.au or phone 136 246.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Haunting - Tugun Theatre Company

Written by Jake Goodall There is nothing better than heading to the theatre on a cold & rainy night to watch a gothic play about a haunting, and Tugun Theatre's recent production of The Haunting proved there is still a space for horror ghost plays in the world.  Based on the Charles Dickens Novel (and adapted by Hugh Janes), the story follows a young book dealer, David Filde, when he is employed by a former associate of his uncle to catalog a private library, he finds an incredible array of rare and antiquated books. But as a series of strange and unexplained events conspire to keep Filde from his work, he realises that if he is to convince his skeptical employer that the mysterious phenomena he is experiencing are real, they must journey together to the very edge of terror, and beyond. This reviewer was lucky to see the West End hit production The Women in Black recently at the Playhouse, QPAC which set the bar for horror ghost stories, and with the resources available to them...

Review: Medea - Queensland Theatre

Written by Grace Wilson From little things, big things grow. It’s a saying that is so Australian and so rooted in our culture. It inspires and it gives hope. Everyone knows of this saying and the song attached to it, but never have we experienced a situation where this saying comes to mind. That is until  Queensland Theatre’s production of Medea by Anne-Louise Sarks and Kate Mulvaney, directed by Daniel Evans. This adaptation of this famous Greek tragedy focuses on the perspective of the two sons of Jason and Medea. In the original myth, we see little to no actual story from these two young boys - so to see an adaptation from a frankly inaccessible storyline in the traditional drama was a bold and incredibly smart choice. To truly appreciate the way the playwrights took this traditional myth and flipped it on its head, a knowledge of the actual myth was required because the subtleties of references could easily be missed. The play ranged from blatant acknowledgments of the traditio...

Review: Freshblood Festival - Vena Cava

Written By Thor Morrison Upcoming creatives need a place to experiment, to prosper, to explore, and even to sometimes miss the mark. It is essential that spaces that allow this to happen exist, especially in a world obsessed with perfectionism. The Freshblood Festival is an annual event run by QUT Student Theatre Company Vena Cava, focused on young writers and performers, and it does just that. It provides a space for the new and upcoming creatives of Brisbane and surrounds to experiment, have fun, and create really exciting performances. Held at BackDock Arts in Fortitude Valley, and running over two consecutive weekends, it is a massive endeavour Vena Cava have given themselves. 14 independent shows, two play readings, and 8 music acts ensure that Freshblood has something for everyone to enjoy, and shows the variety and scale of the Festival itself. Drama Dispatch was able to attend most of the second weekend, seeing a total of seven shows and a play reading, and was greatly impresse...