Created by Sarah Goodes and Glenn Moorhouse. Directed by Sarah Goodes. Presented by Brisbane Festival in association with Brisbane Powerhouse. Powerhouse Theatre, 19 – 21 September, 2025
Chrissy Amphlett was never the kind of artist who could be confined neatly between stage wings. To capture her spirit requires something equally uncontainable, messy, eclectic, playful, and defiant. Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett, co-created by Sheridan Harbridge and Sarah Goodes, succeeds in doing exactly that. This new cabaret is not a straight biographical retelling, nor is it a jukebox concert.
Written and Directed by Ben Graetz. Presented by Brisbane Festival in association with Brisbane Powerhouse. Powerhouse Theatre. 18 – 20 September, 2025
TINA — A Tropical Love Story, written, directed, produced, and performed by Ben Graetz (aka Miss Ellaneous), is a heartfelt, high-energy blend of cabaret, drag, storytelling, and music that pays tribute not only to the indomitable Tina Turner but to the communities and personal histories she has inspired.
By Stephen Page and Alana Valentine. Queen’s Wharf. Brisbane Festival. 18-21 September 2025
Created and directed by Brisbane-born Stephen Page, Baleen Moondjan premiered in February 2024 at the Adelaide Festival as Stephen’s first major piece since working with Bangarra Dance Theatre as artistic director for more than 30 years. It is a fascinating theatre experience, as the dance and song takes place inside giant whale bones (a fabulous set design by Jacob Nash) to reinforce and celebrate the Indigenous Baleen Whale totems of Page’s mother’s Moondjan heritage from Minjerribah/Stradbroke Island.
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Watch This. Directors: Melanie Hillman and Dean Drieberg. Music Director and Arranger: Dr Trevor Jones. Stage Manager: Ella Thompson. Design: Rob Sowinski. Sound Design: Tomas Strode. Lighting Assistant: Jacques Cooney Adlard. Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda VIC. 18 – 27 September 2025
Any audience of Stephen Sondheim’s work needs to be prepared for carriage to ecstatic heights or uncovering of their emotional wreckage. The performers are challenged with gut clenching technical demands to deliver enormous numbers of words, emotional truths, unusual cadences and harmonies and still somehow manage to breathe. Watch This is a repertory company which focusses on Sondheim’s legacy, and they demonstrated they are well up for making the most of his work and uncovering new insights and delights in a flowing revue.
By Meg McDonald. Theatre Works. Explosives Factory, Inkerman Street, St Kilda. 17 – 23 September 2025
A twenty-something woman, Riley (Georgia McGinness) goes back to the country town she came from – just as her life is coming together... Her twin sister Mia has died, leaving behind a four-year-old son – and an empty house. In a supermarket queue, Riley is startled when an old schoolmate, Kieran, mistakes her for Mia... And Riley doesn’t correct him. Which makes us wonder about Mia...
Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez. Book By Jennifer Lee. Based on the Disney film written by Jennifer Lee and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Blackbox Theatre Co. Directed by Lachlan Hansen and Temiya Knight. Choreography by Bernita Moore. Princess Theatre, Launceston. Sept 18-21, 2025
The Central Coast, NSW, has a long history of supporting youth theatre. Consequently, the standard is exceptionally high. And about 20 years ago, it could be argued that some of the junior productions were equal to or better than the seniors.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. St Peter’s Cathedral, King William Rd, North Adelaide. Sept 18 & 19, 2025
Even the rain could not deter a sold-out audience attending St Peter’s Cathedral to experience Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s latest concert Remember: Sacred and Profane featuring two legendary composers Richard Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Book, music and lyrics by Laura Murphy, based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shake & Stir Theatre Co. Playhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). Brisbane Festival. 19 September to 5 October 2025
After premiering The Lovers with Bell Shakespeare Company at the Sydney Opera House in 2022, Laura Murphy (Zombie! The Musical, The Dismissal: An Extremely Serious Musical Comedy) has teamed up with Brisbane’s Shake & Stir Theatre Co to bring some ‘Love and Pop and Shakespeare’ to Brisbane Festival.
By Suzie Miller. National Theatre Live / Sharmill Films. Screening in select Australian cinemas from September 25, 2025
What do you do when you are a highly respected Judge in the legal profession and suddenly have to face the moral dilemma of being the mother of an accused rapist?
This theme is brilliantly explored in the latest filmed production National Theatre Live: Inter Alia.
By Gita Bezard. Terrapin Puppet Theatre. The Events Centre, Caloundra, Qld. 17 September 2025, and touring.
The Paper Escaper – written by Gita Bezard (The Last Great Hunt) and directed by Sam Routledge and Davina Wright – invites the audience to immerse themselves in a world where imagination knows no bounds. Expect the unexpected as you become captivated by the magical book illustrator and his transformation from bad guy to ally.
