Events

“Whoever said you can’t fool an honest man wasn’t one…”

Brisbane Arts Theatre is proud to present ‘Making Money’ – the first of their two Sir Terry Pratchett shows in 2021.

The Royal Bank is facing a crisis, and it’s time for a change of management. The job certainly comes with a few problems. The chief cashier is more than likely a vampire, there’s something unknown in the cellar, and it seems that the Royal Mint is running at a loss (and people want to know where the money has gone!). A lot of people undoubtedly want Moist von Lipwig dead – but that’s nothing new for the former con-man turned Postmaster General and now the owner of the bank’s… chairman.

Once On This Island is the sweeping, bewitching tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Unbeknownst to Ti Moune, the mighty gods who preside over the island make a bet: which is stronger, love or death – the stakes being Ti Moune’s life.

​Join us for an enchanting musical fairytale with a powerful emotional charge. Once On This Island is an inspiring celebration of hope and love.

Based on the iconic 1980’s movie of the same name, ‘The Breakfast Club’ follows five students from different backgrounds sharing a Saturday detention together. They begin their stay in detention with preconceived notions about one another based on their stereotyped cliques. What they come to discover is they have more in common than they previously thought and not everyone is how they seem on the outside.

Each one is (cue voice-overs) a brain and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal…

Adapted for the stage by Drew Jarvis, with direction by Michelle Allan.

Please Note: This event contains strong themes and language that may offend. 

‘The Importance of Being Wasted’ is Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners with a twist… of lime, vodka (and maybe a dash of dirty bathtub moonshine), shaken, stirred and served well and truly on the rocks.

This intoxicating take on The Importance of Being Earnest will see half the cast get half-cut before delivering Wilde’s famously wordy witticisms.

Each performance will feature a different combination of trollied thespians trying to keep it together with the help of their sober fellow performers.

Get into high spirits as Act React puts the lit into literature with this Drunk Classic.

‘Mental Illness Is Not A Crime’ is a one-hour immersive, interactive, and live art performance of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian responses) experiences. With body painting, letter writing, hair brushing, as well as interaction with textures, foods, and scents, and ending with guided meditation, the show is an extension of a previous show with Vulcana Circus and Ruckus Brisbane.

Inspired by artists Carolee Schneeman and Marina Abramovic, ‘Mental Illness Is Not A Crime’ aims to break down barriers between our mental and physical selves, and allow us to reconnect with others through immersion and touch.

Are you guilty of noting that you’ll “talk about this offline”? Have you ever voiced concern that “we shouldn’t overcook this”? If so, your attendance is required at ‘A Very Important Meeting with Big Fork Theatre, where office discussions will be explored, embraced and lampooned.

Find yourself in the midst of an improvised fortnightly Branch Meeting that showcases the mundanity, buzzword usage and absurdity that is modern office life. Allow your new colleagues to be inspired by your own offers and suggestions, but be careful not to end up taking any action items.

Corporate ladder-climbers – take a seat at the front to get some face-time with the boss. Shy interns – feel free to lurk in the back seats. Can everybody see the screen? Those of you who have dialled in, can you hear me? Might need to take yourselves off mute.

‘Starter Boyfriend’ is a playful and whacky two-hander showing at Arcana, Mooroka as part of the Anywhere Festival.

Join Ryann and Charlie on their first date – which just happens to include puppets, sourdough starter, dancing and plenty of new discoveries. From first times to watersports, they’re figuring it all out together in this cheeky, light-hearted story about finding your truth through love and community.

Presented with thanks to Visible Ink Youth Space, Arcana and our wonderful community of queer peers, friends and allies.

A 100% legitimate psychic and medium so rare she is almost well-done, ‘The Great Grandiosa’ is ready to offer you spiritual succour, fortune-telling and wisdom from the Other Worlds.

‘The Great Grandiosa’ and her Acolytes will interpolate your mindscapes, and get their palms all up in your faces (Covid-safely, of course).

Delve into your deepest darkest self with the help of the Divine Diva of Delphian Derring-Do!

Probe your inner paradoxes with the Priestess of Profound Psychic Prognostications!

Quell your soul’s questions with the Quasi-Queen of Quantum Alchemy!

Pay no attention to recent complaints to ScamWatch and the police! Cross her palm with silver, and you might get comedy gold.

Parents… Teenagers. Will they ever be able to have an honest conversation?

A celebration of growing up, ‘Talking to Brick Walls’ by Claire Christian playfully exposes just how divided parents and teenagers have become. Portrayed with breathtaking authenticity, each scene is a story within itself, woven together to create a tapestry of lived experience, humour and connection.

Lovers on the highway, chased down by their past.

Cole and Sky, a young couple, are driving in a classic Aussie car from the coast into the guts of the country. Cole’s father is ill and Sky is due a holiday after climbing the corporate ladder.

They set out with unbridled enthusiasm for the road ahead; swept up in romantic dreaming and poetic ruminations amid the boundless plains. They knit new narratives for themselves; give themselves new names and identities in sync with their seemingly unanimous versions of utopia. Their newfound freedom is underscored by a long-forgotten mix tape buried deep in the glovebox, but out of the static following the final song comes a blast from the past.

Equal parts  ‘Mad Max’, ‘Evil Angels’ and ‘ Wolf Creek’, ‘Horizon’ keeps who we are in the rear-view mirror, whilst asking what it is we can see in the heat-distorted bitumen ahead?

Lend us your ears and let your imagination run wild, it’s the most fun you’ll have with a group of strangers in the dark.

The lights go down, but they don’t come back up. Immerse yourself in a completely improvised audio-only experience, as the cast create and explore hilarious worlds, characters and scenes while completely in the dark.

Combining Big Fork Theatre’s beloved comedy style and the exciting and surreal theatre of the mind, In the Dark transports the audience through their imagination using voice, sound effects and soundscapes created on the fly by some of Brisbane’s most talented improvisers. Combined with the ambience of the Spring Hill Reservoir, this show is unlike any other you will hear!

Event and Accessibility Information: 

Please note, this show takes place with the audience and cast completely in the dark. As such, it may not be suitable for all people. The show is down a flight of stairs. The performance itself is purely audio so is accessible to blind and visually impaired people.

“It’s a simple equation of good versus bad…”

Rising from the ashes of our 2020 season, the Queensland debut of ‘Our House’ is ready to kick down your door!

When young Camden lad, Joe Casey, arrives at a crossroads on his 16th birthday, the ghost of his father allows the two alternatives to play out. Through the music of ska-pop giants of the 1980s, Madness, this unique musical explores themes of love, growing up, responsibility and dealing with the loss of the people that shape our lives.

Brought to you by the team who staged ‘Avenue Q’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘The Boy From Oz’, ‘Our House’ is the must-see musical of 2021.