Article: Disney Off Ice - Observatory Theatre

The rumours are true...He's back! From the makers of big, bold and ambitious productions Observatory Theatre comes the highly anticipated Disney Off Ice, an absurd lampoon that imagines the infamous urban legend of Walt Disney's cryonic freezing.

After decades frozen in the cryonic tank, Disney is feeling refreshed and ready to make his mark in the new world. But times have changed. The theme parks are gone. And it’s not such a small world after all. Now, he finds himself the property of a media conglomerate and at the heel of a strict publicist determined to set him straight. Welcome to the future, Disney!

"The show is a rollercoaster ride through a hyper-futuristic world" says director Lachlan Driscoll (Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Turquoise Elephant). Written by Oliver Gough (Playlab Theatre Incubator, La Boite Assembly), the show promises to be a fast paced, hilarious and startling time. "The fascinating figure of Uncle Walt and the legacy that he left brings forth a number of ideas that are urgent in our current times," Driscoll says, "The meaning of happiness and success today, the cost of living, and our pursuit for connection in a disconnected world."

Disney Off Ice was commissioned by Observatory Theatre through the Telescope New Writing initiative, which supports writers to explore "pie in the sky" ideas and to write stories that they may have been putting off or not encouraged to create yet. "Oliver has created magic with Disney Off Ice," says Driscoll, "It really is unlike anything I have read or seen on stage before."

Disney Off Ice plays a limited season this August 16 to September 1 at Studio1 in Yeerongpilly. Don't miss out, BOOK NOW!

Comments

Review: Footloose: The Musical // Phoenix Ensemble

Dig those dancing shoes out of the closet as Footloose has come to town! Set in the southwest of America, this toe-tapping musical produced by Phoenix Ensemble is sure to raise the roof and have you smiling ear to ear! Following the story of Ren and his mother as they move from Chicago to a small farming town, he is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. But what he is not prepared for is the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher, who is determined to exercise control over the town's youth. When the Reverend's rebellious daughter sets her sights on Ren, her roughneck boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation, with many of the locals eager to believe the worst about the new kid. The heartfelt story that emerges pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. Footloose is Directed and Choreographed by Isabelle Quayle (with assistance fro...

Review: The Norman Mailer Anecdote - Queensland Theatre (Door 3)

Written by Grace Wilson The Norman Mailer Anecdote, produced by Big Scary Animal kicked off Queensland Theatre’s Door 3 program with hard-hitting questions, complex narratives, and well-rounded performances. The Door 3 program, new to Queensland Theatre in 2024, gives space for emerging artists to create and perform pitched work with support and space contributed by Queensland Theatre. For a premiere program of this size, it was a waiting game to see how high the bar would be set, and Big Scary Animal set the precedent for Door 3 works to come. The Norman Mailer Anecdote by Anthony Mullins explores ideas of sexual assault and the relationships that come apart in times of crisis. The work itself was confronting - it tackled these ideas through a lens of upper middle-class Australia, specifically Brisbane, and used both the lens of legal terminology and creative writing to create a wide scope when approaching the program. The cast itself was intimate and connected - standout p...

The SpongeBob Musical // Phoenix Ensemble

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?! Great ready for pure chaos as you descend to the sea floor in Phoenix Ensemble’s fantastic quirky musical for the whole family: The SpongeBob Musical! The stakes are high as SpongeBob & all of Bikini Bottom face total annihilation with the impending rupture of Mount Doom, the volcano. Chaos erupts and lives hang in the balance. And just when all hope seems lost the most unexpected hero rises up and takes centre stage proving that optimism really can save the world! The set design by Justin Tubb-Hearne is ingenious from top to bottom! The creative use of pool noodles to signify sea anemones is a stroke of genius. Hanging about the stage are tons of intriguing items that resemble the sea floor such as boots, car rims, rope and many other things. A great tie into the environment showing that trash and litter reaches the seafloor. The shining star of the set is the volcano top, utilising chains and caution tape the audience feels like they...

Drama Dispatch

Search This Blog