Ten Plays to See in 2016
Madeleine Dale | On 25, Jan 2016
The dust has well and truly settled on 2016, meaning the time has definitely come to plan the year ahead – specifically, which shows you’ll be attending. We’ve picked our top ten to help get you started.
Snow White
La Boite’s last collaboration with Brisbane Festival resulted in Prize Fighter, the best play of their season. So, it’s tremendously exciting to see these two powerhouses reunite for an adults-only, musically-charged production of Snow White. With Suzie Miller writing, Lindy Hume directing, Zulya Kamalova composing and Sarah Winter designing, this three-way team up between La Boite, Opera Q and Brisbane Festival is going to be unmissable.
When 3rd – 24th Sept, 2016
Where Roundhouse Theatre
Titanic: The Movie, The Play
The comic geniuses over at Act/React are at it again. Following the hilarious success of Speed: The Movie, The Play, they’ve found another film that absolutely defies being turned into an interactive comedy: Titanic. Promising “Hollywood-ish†special effects, Celine Dion and a revenge seeking iceberg, this show will drag you out of your comfort zone and into the most fun you’ve ever had at the theatre. Ship-building has already commenced at Act/React HQ, so get in quick before the lifeboats fill up.
When 2nd – 19th Mar, 2016
Where Brisbane Powerhouse
Titanic: The Movie, The Play
Wuthering Heights
shake & stir are celebrating their tenth anniversary by reviving some of their most popular works, including last year’s much-lauded Wuthering Heights. This company have proved time and time again that they are masters of adaption, pulling gorgeous, electric shows out of dense and often dusty classics. Wuthering Heights is heading off on a national tour before returning to QPAC for a very limited run – so if you missed this superb take on Brönte’s gothic classic last time, don’t make the same mistake twice.
When 12th – 19th June, 2016
Where Cremone Theatre, QPAC
Little Shop of Horrors
It’s an undisputed fact that Brisbane loves a musical. While there are a few blockbusters heading to the Lyric this year, perhaps 2016 is the right time to broaden the old palate and head off to the slighter weirder cult classic Little Shop of Horrors. It’s got all sorts of things The Sound Of Music hasn’t, like man-eating plants and master puppet makers. With an excellent line-up and a “unique vision†for the Broadway show, Luckiest Productions and Tinderbox Productions should make your toes tap, and your gardening slightly more terrifying.
When From 1st June, 2016
Where The Playhouse, QPAC
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Othello
While not technically a Brisbane production, Bell Shakespeare’s Othello will be touring nationally, so if it doesn’t come directly to you, chances are it will come very close to you. With the towering Ray Chong Nee in the title role and the play reimagined for contemporary Australia, this Othello will be well worth any day trip.
When 8th Jul – 4th Dec, 2016
Where Touring nationally
St Mary’s In Exile
Another Klarwein-directed play, St Mary’s in Exile tells a story very close to home. In 2009, Father Peter Kennedy was ousted from St Mary’s church in South Brisbane, causing great controversy within the city’s Catholic community. St Mary’s in Exile imagines a meeting between Father Peter and a mysterious homeless visitor, on the night he is preparing to leave. Playwright David Burton is a writer of considerable talent and sensitivity, perfectly suited to this story of a community behind a church and of an unorthodox, humanitarian holy man.
When 27th Aug – 25th Sept, 2016
Where Billie Brown Studio
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Straight White Men
Young Jean Lee’s “deliciously bent†sit-com made the New York Times Top Ten list in 2014, so its Australian premiere at La Boite is something of an event. Straight White Men explores cultural privilege, and the lives of those who hold it, as the widowed Ed welcomes his three sons home for Christmas. It also bears all the hallmarks of being the type of play La Boite does best – tight, character driven theatre that allows this company’s flare for intimate storytelling to shine.
When 27th July – 13th Aug, 2016
Where Roundhouse Theatre
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Much Ado About Nothing
In a nice balance to the bleakness of Othello, Queensland Theatre Company are staging some Shakespearian comedy. Christen O’Leary, Hugh Parker, Tama Matheson, Bryan Probets and Ellen Bailey make up the cast, with Jason Klarwein stepping off stage to direct and The Australian Voices’ Gordon Hamilton on vocals. This show is packed with Brisbane’s favourite creatives and promises to be a quintessential production of the Bard’s best.
When 23rd April – 15th May, 2016
Where The Playhouse, QPAC
Much Ado About Nothing
Guards, Guards
One for the Pratchett fans! The Brisbane Arts Theatre is well known for doing a lot with a little – and their yearly staging of Discworld’s sprawling, fantastical stories is just one reason why. Guards, Guards is the best of the Disc, featuring multiple dragons, secret societies and civic bureaucracy. The joy of having a dedicated Pratchett theatre should not be understated, and this show promises to be a fun one indeed.
When 8th Oct – 12th Nov, 2016
Where Brisbane Arts Theatre
The Government Inspector
It’s good to get into the habit of seeing at least one QUT student production per year. They’re excellent places to talent-spot and they’re exceptionally good value. The Government Inspector showcases mistaken identity, organised chaos, more bureaucracy and QUT’s third years in their last student foray before bursting onto the theatre scene proper. With heavyweight designer Bill Haycock and ex-La Boite Artistic Director David Bell on board, Nikolai Gogol’s satire of corruption and self-deception should be given a top-of-the-line treatment.
When 10th – 15th Aug, 2016
Where Gardens Theatre
Image Credit:Â La Boite, Act/React, QPAC and Queensland Theatre Company Official Websites.