Drama Dispatch

Written by Jake Goodall Get ready for a night of high octane dancing extravaganza as Burn the Floor enters the Villa! Opening at the Brisbane Powerhouse for a short 3 day season before continuing on their National Australian Tour, this is the dance show of the year that you don't want to miss! Presented by Dance Partner Productions, Burn the Floor is on it's 25th anniversary tour hosted by Human Nature's Phil Burton. This Australian based production has seen many different iterations over the past 25 years from local and regional towns to Broadway and West End productions, proving that the story of dance is a lifelong commitment.  Directed by Peta Roby, and choreographed by Jorja Freeman, Alberto Faccio, Robbie Kmetoni, if you could think of a style of dance this production had it included. As always with Burn The Floor, ballroom is the featuring genre and boy do the production cast prove their talent in this tight 90-minute show. The movement is fluid and each dancer gets ...

Written by Grace Wilson The best kind of theatre is theatre that makes people question, reflect and consider how uncomfortable questions encourage people to act and change. There are not many theatre pieces out there that can make an audience consider whether to laugh or cringe, smile or grimace. However, The Reaction Theory’s ‘Scenes From a Yellow Peril’, as a part of Queensland Theatre’s Door 3 program, masterfully manipulates the uncomfortable with the comedic, the angry with the heartfelt, and asks the audience if uncomfortable questions are worth the discoveries that come with them. ‘Scenes From A Yellow Peril’ by Chinese-New Zealand writer and poet, Nathan Joe, can truly be described as poetry on stage, a turbulent experience of communication and heightened emotions. The audience is exposed to complexities and challenges of BIPOC communities across the world in a way that does not fit the traditional theatre mould. There is no way to predict what Joe writes next; each scene chops...

Written by Jake Goodall There’s something utterly liberating about cruising down the boundless roads of outback Australia, leaving behind the weight of daily worries and embracing the open expanse, except when there are secrets brewing. Playlab's recent revival of their 2021 hit, Horizon , captures this exhilarating sense of escape with breathtaking brilliance. In this compelling 90-minute journey, we follow Cole and Sky as they embark on a road trip deep into the heart of Australia. Sky, weary of the monotony of corporate life, and Cole, grappling with his father’s illness, find their newfound freedom punctuated by a forgotten mixtape tucked away in the glove box. But as secrets begin to seep from the confines of their vehicle, the vast Australian bush turns eerily menacing, and the road trip games that once brought joy now feel hollow. Written by Maxine Mellor, Horizon is a high-octane exploration of the Australian political landscape, pushing the audience to confront their own ...

Written by Jake Goodall Join Bangarra Dance Theatre as we embark on a mesmerizing journey that showcases the importance of our environment and the urgent need to preserve it. Waru - Journey of the Small Turtle, is a captivating production that delights children and adults alike, set in the vibrant heart of Brisbane City. Under the star-illuminated skies of the Torres Strait, a green turtle named Migi returns to the beach where she was born. The nesting season has begun, and the island eagerly anticipates the arrival of a new generation of hatchlings. This touching tale, directed by the visionary Stephen Page, seamlessly weaves together themes of nature, heritage, and the profound impact of environmental conservation. Page’s direction brings out the best in the performers, creating a story that is both engaging and evocative. The show not only entertains but also educates, instilling a sense of responsibility and appreciation for the environment in the younger generation. By immersing c...

  Written by Jake Goodall Dearest Gentle Reader, Pride and Prejudice hath made its way to Brisbane, but not in the way you might expect. This isn't your typical high-society affair. The cast and crew present the classic tale in an entirely new light, featuring a different cast member getting inebriated Every. Single. Night! Adapted by the ingenious Matthew Semple, this version of Pride and Prejudice isn't for the faint of heart or for your grandparents. Laden with crude jokes, coarse language, and uproarious hilarity, Semple had the audience laughing from start to finish! Combined with Dash Kruck's masterful direction, this production is a match made in comedic heaven. Kruck leaned into the farcical nature of the script, perfecting the tone for this unique adaptation. The performers' blocking was meticulously calculated and impressive, especially with the use of a thrust stage that ensured the audience felt intimately connected to the characters—a challenging feat execu...

Written By Grace Wilson It’s not often you get to witness a work that changes a theatrical landscape. Sometimes we see new and bright ideas come to life but with relatively little to no impact on the way we have seen theatre for centuries. We are almost used to seeing the spark fizzle, to see conversations die away - but this co production between Queensland Theatre and Sydney Theatre Compan of Cost of Living has turned the spark into full flame. Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living asks us what is the bottom line of love, and whether love is truly something that transcends boundaries, whether they be physical or emotional? The work itself is sharp, witty, and evocative - it uses dialogue and conversation in real time to ask these hard-hitting questions about love and our ability to love, without preaching to the choir. The story itself follows a crossroad of characters: John, a PhD student with cerebral palsy, and his new young carer, Jess, and Eddie, an older trucker who is caring for his ...

  Written by Jake Goodall Merrily We Roll Along is a Steven Sondheim classic that is currently playing on the Broadway stage in New York. This revival features a stunning 21-strong cast and full musical orchestra, so when Ad Astra decided to bring this massive production to the intimate setting of their theatre we were sceptical. However, Ad Astra proved that you don't need a massive cast or band to produce these musicals in Australia, just an extremely talented production team and cast! Merrily We Roll Along follows the successful career of Broadway composer turned Hollywood producer Franklin Shepard backward in time. Throughout the show, during which time regresses from 1976 to 1957, we learn how Frank accomplished this - with the help of his best friends Charley (who writes the books and lyrics) and Mary (who is a writer in her own right and is always around for support and guidance). The trio of friends are inspired to become big players in American musical theatre and book wri...

Written by Jake Goodall Taking control of a one-man show is no easy feat. The ability to captivate an audience for a full 80 minutes is a rare talent, one that cannot be taught. La Boite's latest production, Blue, features award-winning actor Thomas Weatherall at the helm, and it is clear that they could not have made a better choice. Blue tells the story of Mark, a young man navigating life after moving out of his family home for the first time. His mother begins writing him letters to stay connected and offer gentle support. However, one letter delivers devastating news, setting Mark on a path of introspection. Alone in his apartment on a seemingly ordinary morning, Mark must grapple with his young life's trajectory, the day's demands, his studies, and the fragile nature of existence Written by Thomas Weatherall, who also stars in the production, Blue is a profoundly personal and meaningful narrative. Weatherall exposes his soul to the audience without reservat...

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...

Written by Jake Goodall Everyone has heard of the Black Box, the in flight data and voice recorder that can detail failures in airplane mechanics in crashes, however did you know that it was invented right here in Australia! In this compelling biographical musical, the audience bares witness to the trials and tribulations of David Warren's life as the inventor of the black box.  This brand new musical follows the true story of David Warren, the first inventor of the Black Box flight recorder. Driven by the death of his father in an unexplained plane crash when he was eight, Black Box follows David as he fights for an invention that could record the final moments of a flight before it crashes – the black box. His obsession around this invention places his career, marriage and mind at risk. It’s a show about memory, and how we hold onto, and let go of, those we love. Written by Paul Hodge, this innovative musical showcases the importance of Australian manufacturing and the value of ...