Anywhere Theatre Festival Kicks Off in Brisbane
The Anywhere Theatre Festival has kicked off for its 2014 Brisbane season.
The idea behind the festival is to bring exciting, passionate and engaging theatre to anywhere but a traditional theatre space and since its inception in 2010, the festival has substantially developed. From bars to restaurants, design studios to sheds, hair salons to gardens; the quirky settings for performances bring a fresh vibe of entertainment to the city and are becoming more and more obscure!
Often overshadowed by the arts culture of other Australian states, the Anywhere Theatre Festival is proof that there is a niche for indie arts in Brisbane. The 2013 season saw fifty productions developed and performed by local artists bringing a new scene to the city. Past festivals have shown an increase in attendance by non-theatre patrons, and the festival’s structure is a fantastic platform for bringing accessible art to a local crowd.
The 2014 season is jam-packed with high calibre entertainment amongst the inner-city suburbs. West End is always a popular choice for productions, and this year is no different. The Bearded Lady is a popular venue this year, housing the following performances; Ruin; Drunk Shakespeare; Delirious, Ridiculous and Out of This World!; Wild Expectations; and Pub Choir.
Last year, thirty-nine of the fifty productions were premieres; meaning Brisbane audiences are seeing groundbreaking new theatre before shows get picked up interstate and globally (Melbourne, Edinburgh etc.). A premiere show to look out for this year is Get Lucky by Grey Matter Collective; a crude but hearty and relatable comedy about a guy who can’t get it up. Performed in a converted design studio in West End, drinks are available, followed by a DJ set after the show.
Some popular performances from 2013 are also making a welcome return. Quirky and lively The Travelling Sisters Wig Out sold out last year and will be back at Fil-A- Kids Bolous Hair salon in Paddington (anywhere, remember!).
The range of genres on offer means there is plenty of diversity to suit anyone’s theatrical taste. From psychological thrillers, dramas, comedies, cabarets, musicals, and physical theatre; there is very little left out in the festival. Some interesting genres in this year’s festival include an interactive puppetry piece Forgotten Fables and an operatic event Renaissance: The Best of Baroque.
Kids aren’t forgotten either and will love comedies such as Wumblebutt (Sporadic Entertainment) and Clown Stories (The Marracas).
Affordable, intimate and unpretentious, Anywhere Theatre Festival runs until May 18. For more information, visit the website and search for your particular tastes by date, suburb or genre at anywherefest.com.