Virag Dombay - Page 8

Co-created, written and performed by Virag Dombay, Gabby Fitzgerald, Zac Lawrence and Lachlan Driscoll, Handle with Care is a new conceptual work set to tread the boards of the Brisbane independent theatre scene at the end of this month.

Hello, Gaz Rhumbo! is a new absurdist comedy presented by Lightning Bolt Creative and written by Willem Whitfield, who also stars in the titular role, that made its debut at Backdock Arts on Saturday. It followed its protagonist's journey from life to death (literally), exploring themes of the innocence, sexuality and the uncertainty of life. For those that know me personally, know that I love absurdism and as a theatre-maker myself, I love to delve into its waters whenever I can. It's a form of theatre that's hard to do and when creating a new work that resides within that genre, it's often easier to flop then to soar. Knowing that, I applaud Whitfield and his company for delving into such uncharted waters. Their work didn't flop, but it also didn't soar.

An interview with Brisbane artist Rebel Lyons

Last night, QPAC's Lyric Theatre transformed into our favourite green ogre's swamp and it is quite the spectacle. And the musical spares no expense with only the most dazzling costumes, set and puppets. Whilst I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I'd be laughing and cheering through a mask at the theatre, it was worth it to be immersed in such a world of colour, hope and love. From Fiona getting her own fairytale ending, to Farquad re-uniting with his long-lost father, to the Pinocchio finally accepting himself for who he was... the musical has it all.

It's not everyday that you get to go to the opening night of a debut Queensland production at QPAC, featuring a creative team and cast made of Queenslanders. So that in itself, was a quite a wonderful feeling. With an original story by Joe Brumm, set by Rockhampton born designer, Jonathon Oxlade and new music by Joff Bush, this brand-new play of the worldwide tv hit sensation of the same name is all that I imagine a child's definition of heaven would look like. There's multiple dance parties, a very thorough game of hide and seek, there's glowing balloons and there's been bubbles.

For many of us, Love Actually plays a fundamental role in our Christmas Celebrations. Whether it's listening to its iconic playlist as you make Christmas lunch or watching it every third or second day until Christmas.

INTERVIEW | Charlie Gehrman and Zoe Jeffrey, creatives on the UQ Law Revue 2020: Law Actually

Next up on my Brisbane local artists segment are multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary artists, Kristian Santic and James Elliott, who've recently combined forces to create The Time Travel Cafe. Kristian is an interdisciplinary performance artist and director specialising in the forms of Theatre, Dance, and Circus with a strong curiosity for experimental and hybrid work. His collaborative nature and holistic training style yields collage-like performances that are heavily influenced by the utilization of diverse modes of expressions: live projection, community interaction/sustainability, large-scale spectacle, installation, and cinematography. Kristian's experience extends across production, creative consultancy, choreography, dramaturgy, film, and workshop facilitation. Kristian is a strong believer that the role of art is to heal and serve the community and it's collective consciousness.

A review of Love/Hate Actually

ALL-STAR ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN LEAD CAST CONFIRMED FOR SHREK THE MUSICAL AT QPAC

Check out our interview with a local Brisbane artist!

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Brisbane Premiere of 2.20AM by award-winning playwright Rebecca Lister at Ad Astra.

It's NUMBER TEN and if you've been holding off, this is the year to perform anywhere you want!

This weekend I had the absolute pleasure of going to see 4MBS and Brisbane Shakespeare Festival's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the amphitheatre at Roma Street Parklands. Looking around the crowd before the show started, it was so lovely to see so many families and small children residing in the seating banks, eagerly waiting for the magic and the mayhem to unfold onstage. I cannot express how much I love it when I see parents supporting their children's education in the arts.

Next up on my local artists interview segment is Cal Harris, one of the performers in Head First Acrobat's production of Circus 'Cision as a part of the Wynnum Fringe Festival.

Next up on my local artists interview segment is director, producer, playwright, dancer and actor Liam Burke.

Next up on my local artists segment I will be interviewing three independent theatre companies and collectives who have been working with Dead Puppet Society on professional developments as a part a professional development program called THE DPS Lab. First up was the Naughty Corner Collective, then came The Fizzy Rascals and now it's time for Minola Theatre. Minola Theatre is a collaboration between Kat Dekker, a director, creative facilitator and Queensland Theatre Associate Teaching Artist, and Bianca Butler Reynolds, a writer, performer and academic who holds a PhD in playwriting and Jungian psychology from QUT. Minola Theatre was founded by Kat and Bianca in 2019 as a home for 'timeless stories told for now', with a focus on empowered female voices and locally relevant narratives. Minola Theatre has produced five successful productions to date, with two more works currently in development. More information about the company and creatives can be found at minolatheatre.com.au. Here's what they had to say...

Next up on my local artists segment I will be interviewing three independent theatre companies and collectives who have been working with Dead Puppet Society on professional developments as a part a professional development program called THE DPS Lab. First up was the Naughty Corner Collective and next up are the Fizzy Rascals, a group of experimental theatre makers interested in pushing the boundaries of form and visual aesthetic. Their core team consists of four members: Jennifer Bagg, Fiona MacDonald, Mark McDonald and Linnea Tengroth. Working collaboratively to devise works with a focus on movement and striking images, we believe in striving for a universal language in storytelling. Our works are handmade with vigour and passion, accumulating skills with each new process and striving for big images. We bring expertise in areas such as devising, physical theatre, acting and directing. Currently we are pursuing an interdisciplinary practice, exploring ways of incorporating the language of film, puppetry and dance into live performance. Here's what they had to say...

Next up on our local artists segment is the Naughty Corner Collective. The Naughty Corner is a Brisbane based theatre collective founded in 2017 by local creatives Bianca Bality, Jess Bunz, Claire McFadyen and Joe Wilson that is dedicated to creating independent contemporary works that are visceral, provocative and which explore the intricacies of human relationships, and the choices and situations that connect and bind our communities. Through heightened design elements and investigative storytelling, The Naughty Corner explores what it is to be human through works that uncover the underbelly of the ordinary. I was very fortunate to be able to sit down with them and have a chat about their creative journey with the DPS Academy, a professional development opportunity for emerging artists working in the form of visual theatre. Here's what they had to say...