Brisbane's cultural magnetic pull is getting stronger every year. As a long-standing arts partner to many not-for-profit arts and cultural organisations, we've been onboard to see our city's art scene attract exclusive global artists, performances and exhibitions creating a don't-miss-this vibe that travellers from around Australia and the globe flock here for. More importantly, we've watched our Brisbane-based art community elevate their practice to the world stage, marvelled at their increased commitment to connect Queensland's regions with their programs and deliver phenomenal cultural development to our city that our community loves.
Every year, our arts partners deliver a bigger and bolder season of thought-provoking, world-changing and deliciously fun events and we're proud to support their full theatres, teeming galleries and creative ideas.
We'll be in the audience showing our support, will you?
Summer events guide: December 2023 - February 2024
Making Place: 100 Views of Brisbane
Museum of Brisbane
Open daily
Place, in Brisbane, is not a static thing. We are at a crucial point in Brisbane’s urban development, with extreme changes to the city predicted over the next decade. With the city we know shifting so rapidly, this is the ideal moment to ask—what makes a place? Which sites are significant for individuals and communities and why? Are the landmarks we recognise as characterising the city today the same landmarks we’ll see in the future? And can memories make a place? With these questions front of mind, Making Place presents more than 100 historical and contemporary depictions of the Brisbane region from Museum of Brisbane’s Collections.
Focus Shift
Museum of Brisbane
Open daily
Focus Shift showcases Museum of Brisbane Collection works that celebrate Brisbane from completely different perspectives, reflecting the dynamism of our encounters with the city. A selection of panoramas depict an intriguing Brisbane and track its growth from a modest town nestled in the river’s curves to the bustling metropolis we know today. Alongside these works, local artist Carl Warner shifts our focus to the micro aspects of the city through closeups of one of Brisbane’s most iconic structures, the Story Bridge.
Perspectives of Brisbane
Museum of Brisbane
Open daily
Perspectives of Brisbane offers a captivating insight into the people, events and changing landscape that is our city. The evolving life of Brisbane, its history and its culture, is revealed through stories, photographs and film. The place we now call Brisbane has a rich history going back 65,000 years and beyond. Situated on Traditional Lands, it remains home to some of the world’s oldest living cultures. Since European settlement began in the 1820s with the Moreton Bay penal colony, Brisbane has experienced conflict, growth, innovation and celebration.
Today, Greater Brisbane is home to more than 2.5 million people from diverse backgrounds. The city continues to transform, its cultural landscape shaped by the ongoing care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, waves of migration and powerful social change. Museum of Brisbane respectfully acknowledges ‘Warunghu’, Aunty Raelene Baker, for her insight, conversation and participation in writing the text presented in this exhibition.
Rearranged: Art of the Flower
Museum of Brisbane, Level 3, City Hall
Available until 11 August 2024
Still life takes on new life in this celebration of the art of the flower. Brisbane has a strong culture of artists using floral imagery to tell stories of this place. In a space reminiscent of a quintessential Queenslander house, Rearranged: Art of the Flower invites visitors to stroll through a lush collection of paintings, textiles, sculptures, ceramics and new media.
Commonly associated with domestic settings and still life compositions, flowers continue to be reimagined and evoke contemporary concerns. Rearranged beholds the beauty of this ever-popular subject and looks beyond to explore notions of place, memory and history. The exhibition illuminates diverse perspectives, always acknowledging that flowers have long been cared for by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as an integral part of Country.
Vertigo Brisbane
Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
Available Thursday - Sunday
Step over the edge where gastronomic excellence meets heart pounding adrenaline.
Experience the first vertical restaurant as you dangle from the precipice of Brisbane Powerhouse. Push your limits. Dine on the edge.
Your exclusive locally sourced Vertigo menu includes a two-course meal from fine dining restaurant Bar Alto and a matching wine to be enjoyed while you’re suspended from the edge of Brisbane Powerhouse.
Fairy Tales
Gallery of Modern Art, South Bank
2 December 2023 - 28 April 2024
Fairy tales from across the world have held our fascination for centuries and visual storytellers draw on these narratives to entrance, delight and disconcert audiences.
Bringing together painting, sculpture, film, costumes, and more, this exclusive-to-Brisbane exhibition highlights the archetypal figures we know so well – wicked witches, stalwart princes and princesses, and magical animals, both fierce and friendly.
Exclusive to Brisbane, tickets go on sale mid-2023.
Departure
Museum of Brisbane
Available until 7 June 2024
An evolving installation of community kites and recollections.
As Artists in Residence at Museum of Brisbane (MoB) for BrisAsia Stories, Christine Ko and Louis Lim will extend upon their ongoing project Departure. In this iteration of the project, Christine and Louis will lead a series of informal conversations and workshops with various members from Brisbane migrant communities. Participants will be encouraged to share their stories of migration and create paper kites using photographs from their family archives.
Artist in Residence: Hiromi Tango
Museum of Brisbane
Available until 11 August 2024
花弁 Hanabira (Gentle Petal) is a community-led project that will transform Adelaide Street Pavilion into a vibrant sanctuary, inspiring healing and social connection.
Communities from across Brisbane and visitors alike will be invited to create beautiful blooms and buds inspired by flowers found in Meanjin/Brisbane from upcycled textiles and local materials. Visitors are encouraged to participate in facilitated workshops, or simply drop-in and engage in self-guided activities.
As the seasons change, the handmade flowers will be added to the walls of the gallery, creating an abundant garden reflecting community engagement.
We respectfully acknowledge Warunghu, Aunty Raelene Baker’s insight, conversation and participation in developing this project. We thank Molly Green for her commitment, generosity and contribution. Hiromi would also like to personally thank Professor David Craik, Wendy Mansell and The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) for their ongoing support.
MoB’s Artist in Residence program is supported by Tim Fairfax AC.
Autumn events guide: March - May 2024
Opera Gala: A Celebration of Puccini
Concert Hall, QPAC
Friday 8 March, 1:30pm
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience all of the highlights of Puccini’s operas in one epic gala, under the baton of Giordano Bellincampi.
Passion on the brink of madness, Puccini’s tragic Madama Butterfly flutters with scandal. Glitz and glamour abound in La Bohème, as the ecstasy of love meets the winter of 1930s Bohemia.
Tosca, Puccini’s sensual melodrama, is a bloodstained tale of love among political intrigue. Featuring soprano Sae-Kyung Rim, tenor Kang Wang, and baritone Phillip Rhodes, you’ll be enthralled by the intimacy of Puccini’s arias, and the powerful forces of love, longing and drama that echo through each and every note.
With a rich tapestry of orchestral accompaniment supporting every moment, this is a breathtaking occasion not to be missed!
Casino Royale Bond, James Bond - Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Friday 15 March, 7:30pm
For the first time ever, audiences will be able to experience Bond on the big screen accompanied by the power of Queensland Symphony Orchestra performing composer David Arnold's thrilling musical score live and in sync to the picture.
Casino Royale marks Daniel Craig's first appearance as the legendary MI6 operative, earning him high marks with fans and critics alike. Directed by Martin Campbell, Casino Royale brings us Bond at the start of his career, having just earned 00 status and his licence to kill, and pits him against the ruthless terrorist financier known as Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen).
From the jungles of Madagascar to the white sand beaches of the Bahamas, Bond's pursuit of Le Chiffre leads to a showdown in a highstakes poker game at the luxurious Casino Royale in Montenegro, and ultimately to a jaw-dropping finale on the Grand Canal in Venice.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Saturday 16 March, 1:30pm & 7:30pm
Get ready to embark on the penultimate leg of Harry’s journey as Warner Bros. and CineConcerts bring to the screen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Harry, Ron and Hermione face their latest set of challenges and foes both new and old as the seventh film comes to Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, projected on a giant screen and accompanied by our musicians.
Relive every harrowing moment with a live movie experience you’ll never forget.
THREE: Macindoe / McCartney / Large
Brisbane Powerhouse
20 - 23 March 2024
Evocative, visceral, invigorating – Australasian Dance Collective’s THREE returns in 2024 with a new triple bill showcasing three bold choreographic voices in a nexus of sound and performance.
THREE will feature new creations from celebrated Australian choreographers, Alisdair Macindoe and Jenni Large alongside the Brisbane premiere of Amber McCartney’s highly acclaimed solo work Tiny Infinite Deaths. Witness the stunning versatility of the ADC company artists through these boundary-pushing new creations.
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Queensland Symphony Orchestra
QSO Studio, South Bank
22 & 23 March 2024
When a couple gets hitched in a movie, it’s usually to a soundtrack of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, however he initially wrote it for a play – Shakespeare’s much-loved A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
It’s the icing on the cake of this piece, which also boasts a glimmering fairy march and some tranquil night music. Before you check in to this honeymoon suite though, you’ll hear Beethoven’s Symphony No.8 – a playful work that shows off the composer’s wit and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your heart.
Rossini’s feel-good Overture portrays the ridiculous bedroom events from his comic opera about lovers, the ideal way to kick off this delightful concert.
Messiah An Easter Passion
Concert Hall, QPAC
Thursday 28 March, 7:30pm
A triumph of the baroque period, Handel’s Messiah is one of the world’s most loved masterpieces. This tale of redemption, passion and resurrection has travelled centuries. The power of the human voice erupts in exultations of rapturous joy and reaches a pinnacle of glory with the famous ‘Hallelujah chorus.’
Under the baton of choral specialist Brett Weymark, four dazzling soloists and Brisbane Chamber Choir will breathe life into this timeless work of reverence. In the beautiful surrounds of the QPAC Concert Hall, this stirring performance will bring renewed peace and moments of reflection to your Easter.
Closer
Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite
4 - 20 April 2024
After 24 years, Closer, a cult classic by Patrick Marber returns to the La Boite stage to get under the audience’s skin once again.
Artistic Director Courtney Stewart will direct an all-star Queensland cast in this critically acclaimed work that blends classical tragedy, comedy, and melodrama in a contemporary and relatable setting.
37
Billie Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre
11 April - 4 May
The Cuttaway Currawongs are the laughing stock of their small coastal town. They’ve spent so long at the bottom of the footy ladder they’re basically rusted-on. But some WD-40 arrives in the form of Jayma and Sonny — two Marngrook cousins named after the Aboriginal game that inspired AFL. It’s not long before the team realises that these two have what it takes to help them capture the flag for the first time in, well, forever… but turns out not everyone’s a fan.
Set within the era of Adam Goodes’ war-cry — and named after the number he immortalised — 37 is a loud, brash match between top dogs and underdogs that packs some serious bite. Featuring an ensemble of 10 performers, this highly-physical production is a little sweary and very sweaty.
Noongar Director Isaac Drandic and Trawlwoolway pakana Playwright Nathan Maynard, the brilliant duo behind At What Cost?, return to kick another goal with this production that features breakout star Ngali Shaw.
Triumphant Tchaikovsky Vibrant Orchestral Colours
12 & 13 April 2024
Concert Hall, QPAC
The lyrical clarinet opens Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 – and it’s a melody you’ll be whistling for days after the concert. The rest of the instruments soon join in and before you know it, our entire Orchestra is performing at full throttle. Just wait for their electrifying finale!
British conductor Andrew Gourley won’t succumb to the drama – he’ll create it, arms drawing romantic melodies from the strings, spine arching towards the commotion. Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem begins at the other end of the energy spectrum, and your heart will beat with our lowest instruments before this music takes a haunting turn.
Serious concertgoers won’t want to miss this performance – and if you’re looking to kick off your classical music journey, this is a spectacular way to start.
Brisbane Bel Canto
Various locations
20 - 27 April 2024
A new festival for the Brisbane stage! In 2024, Opera Queensland is launching Brisbane Bel Canto.
With headliner Jessica Pratt, this new festival uses the rich and popular repertoire of Italian opera from the middle of the 19th century as a springboard into a celebration of song in all its many forms.
Lucia Di Lammermoor
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane
20 & 27 April 2924
Superstar soprano, Jessica Pratt, brings her internationally renowned performance of Lucia to Brisbane audiences for the first time. Joined by her long-time collaborator and master of bel canto repertoire Richard Mills conducting the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Opera Queensland Chorus.
From the tragic tale of romantic obsession in Sir Walter Scott’s novel, The Bride of Lammermoor, Donizetti created a compelling portrait of a woman whose passion knows no limits, culminating in Lucia’s famous ‘Mad Scene’. This evocative concert production, directed by Patrick Nolan, beautifully embraces the intensely dramatic and imaginative score, promising to be one of the musical events of the year.
Jessica Pratt In Concert
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane
24 April 2024
Jessica Pratt celebrates the music of Vincenzo Bellini for a special one-night-only concert of spectacular highlights from the bel canto repertoire. Joined by beloved tenors Carlos Bárcenas and Rosario La Spina with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Richard Mills.
The program showcases work exploring the heroes and heroines from the bel canto canon that will delight opera lovers and reveal a richly layered world of song for those new to the genre.
Expect a repertoire that includes works from Norma, including the famous “Casta diva” aria, I Puritani and the rarely performed Beatrice di Tenda.
Brisbane Comedy Festival
Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
26 April - 26 May 20024
Get ready for lots of LOLs and a good time as Brisbane Comedy Festival returns with the world’s best and brightest comedians from Friday 26 April to Sunday 26 May 2024.
With more than 130 acts including festival favourites and fresh new faces in a diverse program of more than 300 events, you're sure to find something that tickles your fancy!
Stabat Mater
Conservatorium Theatre, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
26 April 2024
Rossini’s poignant masterpiece Stabat Mater stands as a testament to the composer’s genius. This beautiful work conveys profound grief and hope through its exquisite melodies, lush harmonies, and the composer’s signature bel canto style, elevating it beyond traditional liturgical music.
The 13th-century Latin hymn lamenting the Virgin Mary’s sorrow at Jesus’ crucifixion has been a constant and inexhaustible inspiration for the world’s greatest artists, painters, sculptors, poets, and above all – composers. Working with an ensemble of four of Australia’s leading soloists, Richard Mills conducts the Queensland Conservatorium Orchestra and a 60-voice chorus of vocal students.
Chamber Players 1
QSO Studio, South Bank
Sunday 28 April 3pm
Astor Piazzolla himself would have been pleasantly surprised to hear his Tango Suite performed not on guitar – but on four bassoons!
This fascinating and unusual quartet offers a new spin on his Argentinian classic. Our musicians will also play you a couple of string duos from Haydn (a delightful one) and Sibelius (a sentimental one). Then you’ll be hiking up the mountains of Europe in Strauss’ Alpine Fantasy – here performed through another unique quartet configuration.
You’ll have to come along to hear which bellowing brass instrument we have in store for you this time!
My Homeland Journey Through Bohemia
Concert Hall, QPAC
Friday 3 May 7.30pm
The pleasures of a crisp mountain breeze and a rippling river are bundled into Má vlast, Smetana’s picturesque homage to his Bohemian homeland. Through six sensational movements, you will travel to Prague and beyond with Czech conductor Tomáš Netopil as your tour guide.
A curious harp melody invites you to gaze upon a magnificent castle that has towered over the city since the Middle Ages. Next you’ll take a daredevil ride down the rapids of the Czech Republic’s longest river, our musicians depicting moonlit mermaids and rural weddings along the way.
This performance will have you battling legendary knights and warriors one minute, and dancing to the music of a countryside festival the next. Smetana found it all in his backyard, and now Queensland Symphony Orchestra is bringing it to yours. Every note from this fun and heartfelt work will spark a bright new picture in your mind, making this concert truly unforgettable.
BPO Metro Series #1: Shostakovich 9
Old Museum Concert Hall, Bowen Hills
Saturday 4 May, 7:30PM
BPO’s first concert of 2024 sees Bernstein and Shostakovich juxtaposed against contemporary composers for a program that will offer something for everyone.
Opening with Linda Robbin Coleman’s For A Beautiful Land, this symphonic ode to Coleman’s homeland of America is filled with the rhapsodic celebration of nature. On The Waterfront is Bernstein at his finest; originally written as a film score, the melodies flow from one searing emotional extreme to the next.
The boisterous Elevator Music by Australian composer Graeme Koehne begins the second half, with the tongue-in-cheek title concealing a delightful pastiche of jazz, film music and Latin influence impossible to not dance to.
Conductor David Law ends the program with the Shostakovich Symphony No. 9. Often referred to as his “Classic” symphony, the work is both light-hearted and wonderfully clear in its approach—with an almost Haydn-like simplicity contrasted with a sense of humour in orchestration.
QLD Music Trails' Southern Trail 2024: Opera At Jimbour
Jimbour House, 86 Jimbour Station Rd, Jimbour East
10 - 12 May 2024
Experience the grandeur of opera along The Southern Trail from 10 - 12 May, as Opera at Jimbour graces the historic Jimbour House with its most expansive and enchanting program to date. Be mesmerised by performances from prestigious ensembles from Opera Queensland, Ensemble Q and Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.
Enjoy the captivating Garden Soiree on the Eastern Lawn, the refined chamber music within the vintage plane Hangar, immerse yourself in intimate recitals within the opulent Drawing Room, indulge in the elegance of the Mother's Day High Tea and partake in exclusive tours through the famed halls of Jimbour House. Delight in the flavours of local gastronomy, peruse crafts by talented artisans and toast to the occasion with bubbly beverages at the Jimbour markets.
Mozart's Mass 150 Years of St Stephen's Cathedral
10 & 11 May 2024
The Cathedral of St Stephen
This is Mozart at the height of his compositional genius. Grandeur, opulence, and the soul-striking power of a choir in sacred unity. His Mass in C Minor is a transcendent work, darkly divine.
lthough fragments of the work were performed during Mozart’s lifetime, this mysterious work remained unfinished at his death. In this special performance, we will be joined by four sublime soloists and Brisbane Chamber Choir to present the complete and reconstructed work, in all of its glory.
The concert opens with Lili Boulanger’s Psalm 24, which sparkles with a joyous prayer to the earth, the enduring sanctity of these pieces will touch your soul. This is unmissable music on a majestic scale.
Medea
Billie Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre
11 May - 8 June 2024
10-year-old Jasper and 12-year-old Leon are like most brothers you know. They fight. They laugh. They play games. Their bedroom is their fortress: home to Cornelius (their goldfish), watched over by Hercules (their teddy bear) and adorned with a ceiling of glow-in-the-dark stars.
But today something feels different. Their door is locked shut. Their parents’ shouting is getting louder. And, unbeknownst to them, at some point in the next hour, their iconic fate will ensure they enter mythology as two of the most tragic siblings of all time.
Told entirely from the perspective of Medea’s young sons, this internationally celebrated version of the Ancient Greek tragedy by Kate Mulvany (Jasper Jones) and Anne-Louise Sarks, is directed by the incomparable Daniel Evans (Drizzle Boy, The Almighty Sometimes).
Tender, surprising and bittersweet: this is a reimagining of history’s most misunderstood mother in an unforgettable pressure-cooker performance that is not to be missed.
Festival of Outback Opera
Various locations – Winton & Longreach
14 - 20 May 2024
Join music lovers from around Australia and the world who make the annual pilgrimage to the Outback to indulge in big voices and big skies blended in beautiful harmony.
This is the Festival of Outback Opera.
Unlike any other music event you have experienced. Your destination delivers a series of outdoor concerts in iconic locations set on a backdrop of insta-worthy sunsets and scenery on a grand scale. Frock up for the Gala or join us in the pub for a casual singalong. Gather with us under the night skies for Dark Sky Serenade or enjoy an afternoon of beautiful singing and fine dining at the Long Lunch.
With a flexible itinerary, the program allows you to immerse yourself for a long weekend or completely give in to a full week of activities. This is song and scenery on a grand scale. And while the space is vast, the feeling is intimate, leaving you with a smile on your face and a swag of new friendships.
It’s an experience the city cannot match. Start making your plans today. As with previous years, the festival will sell out quickly.
Blue
Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite
16 May - 1 June 2024
Blue, a tender and exquisite monologue written and performed by Logie Award-winner, Thomas Weatherall (also known as Malakai from Heartbreak High), makes its Queensland debut at La Boite in 2024, following its premiere season at Belvoir as part of Sydney Festival 2023.
Blue is a “very personal fiction”, drawn from Weatherall’s experiences as a teenager and young adult, finding his place in the world and overcoming an onslaught of emotional circumstances.
Symphony Fantastic Love Lust and Madness
Concert Hall, QPAC
17 & 18 May 2024
Death has never sounded more alive than in Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, where a violin charms skeletons from their graves so they can dance until the break of dawn. Then, allow yourself to be lured to the depths of a crazed composer’s mind in Symphonie Fantastique.
Our Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici will energise the orchestra with Berlioz’s evocative cocktail of opium and desire and actor Eugene Gilfedder will set a nightmarish scene. Between these killer works you’ll hear Ravel’s Tzigane, rapsodie de concert, as Hungarian violinist József Lendvay will hold you in the clutches of this spellbinding solo infused with a gypsy spirit.
Camerata & Karin Schaupp: Serenade
Wednesday, 22 May 2024, 7:30pm
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane
Featuring Australian guitar virtuoso, Karin Schaupp, “one of the world’s most accomplished classically trained guitarists” (Sydney Morning Herald) this performance showcases two exquisite pieces of music for guitar and strings.
Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, usually for solo piano, will be performed here in a delightful new arrangement for guitar and strings. You’ll hear some of Mendelssohn’s most favourite tunes in this lyrical music, imbued with feeling – music in its most pure and simple form.
Winter events guide: June - August 2024
Cost of Living
Billie Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre
15 June - 13 July 2024
Former-carer turned Playwright Martyna Majok won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this play in 2018 and it’s easy to see why. This is a beautifully rendered story about our need to care (or be cared for) no matter the distance that age, race, and disability might place between us.
Drawing on her lived experience, Majok introduces us to four seemingly disconnected characters whose lives are at a crossroads. There’s John — a wealthy successful PhD student with cerebral palsy — who hires the secretive Jess to be his new carer. And then there’s Eddie, an unemployed truck driver, desperately trying to reconcile with his ex-wife Ani, who’s been left quadriplegic after a car accident.
Told with deft humour and enormous heart, the Australian premiere of this highly-lauded work is directed by Priscilla Jackman (The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race) and Dan Daw, also appearing as John, with icon Philip Quast as Eddie, and Kate Hood as Ani.
POTUS, Or Behind Every Great Dumb**s are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive
Billie Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre
27 July - 24 August 2024
If you think you’re having a bad day, you should talk to the current administration of the White House. Assembled behind a fictitious — but very recognisable — President of the United States (POTUS) is a crack team of highly competent women who are dealing with a highly incompetent boss.
When the world’s most powerful man makes a foul-mouthed four-letter faux pas in front of every major news outlet — and several foreign dignitaries — the expletive lights the fuse on an explosive 24 hours in the Oval Office. Throw in some misplaced hallucinogenic drugs, a sex scandal and an assassination attempt, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll make it to clock-off.
In the spirit of Wag the Dog and VEEP, POTUS is a femme-fuelled political farce that earned three Tony nominations in 2022. Here, in its Australian premiere, POTUS is powered by a star-spangled all-female ensemble, including Amy Ingram (Family Values).
Spring events guide: September - November 2024
Camerata, Lou Bennett & Lior: Ngapa William Cooper
Saturday, 7 September 2024, 7pm
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane
Not to be missed! Following their moving creation, Compassion, Lior and Nigel Westlake have teamed up with Lou Bennett to create Ngapa William Cooper, the extraordinarily powerful story of Yorta Yorta man, Uncle William Cooper.
Ngapa William Cooper was born out of a rich collaboration between composer Nigel Westlake, singer-songwriter Lior, and performer and academic Dr Lou Bennett AM. In this very special, completely unconducted, world premiere arrangement for chamber orchestra, Camerata and Lior once again join forces, this time with Lou Bennett, for this moving and heartfelt performance.
Dear Brother
Billie Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre
7 - 28 September 2024
Young men from different corners of Queensland blow into the big smoke burning with unbridled energy, desire and confusion. Each of them filled with the need to escape, to make something of their lives, to defy the hand that life has dealt them. An individual ignition has driven them all to Brisbane but something else — something ancestral — will bring them together.
Caught between adolescence and adulthood, these young fellas will converge and wrestle with themselves, each other, their ghosts and a deep-etched sense of duty to Country. Together they’ll lay themselves bare and bond as brothers over what it means to be a young Aboriginal man in 2024.
This high energy work, presented by Queensland Theatre and BlakDance as part of Brisbane Festival, is all about giving today’s young Murri men a voice, one that challenges the narrative around public perceptions of Aboriginal masculinity.
Using dance, music and poetry, this form-defying work features Girramay and Kalkadoon man Tibian Wyles and Djabuganjdji man Lenny Donahue in a tour-de-force performance that is as physical as it is heartfelt.
Fancy Long Legs
Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite
12 - 22 September 2024
Fancy Long Legs is a brand-new glittery and vibrant musical adventure for children, based on a new picture book by international tinsel and craft icon, Rachel Burke.
This uplifting story takes a wholesome and relatable look at neurodivergence, offering a playful and glitter-covered adventure of acceptance, staying true to yourself, and finding friends who love you and celebrate your differences.
Camerata & Davide Monti: Baroque Labyrinth
Wednesday, 13 November 2024, 7pm
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane
Baroque violin virtuoso, Davide Monti, who thrilled audiences with the 2018 Camerata smash hit, Viva Vivaldi, team ups with Camerata to uncover a labyrinth of bold, adventurous baroque music.
Baroque Labyrinth sees the long-awaited return of one of Camerata’s favourite collaborators, the Italian Baroque violinist, Davide Monti. A much sought after director, soloist and chamber musician, Davide’s playing possesses incredible freshness, where “all appears extraordinarily spontaneous and organic”. His prize-winning recordings include his Vivaldi’s Four Seasons which has been reviewed as “definitely one of the best versions of the decade”.
Yoga Play
Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite
7 - 23 November 2024
A sharp comedy that interrogates what it takes to find your authenticity in a world determined to sell enlightenment.
The uproarious exploration of cultural appropriation, exploitation, consumerism, fat shaming and yoga pants at any cost is written by US playwright Dipika Guha and plays at La Boite as part of its Australian premiere season, directed by internationally renowned director Mina Morita.