In a coup for Brisbane Festival, Theatre Republic is thrilled to welcome two world, three Australian and seven Queensland premieres to its 2017 program at its hub at QUT's Creative Industries Precinct in September.
Each year, Brisbane Festival handpicks a selection of independent productions to be showcased at the Festival’s Theatre Republic hub, held at the Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove.
"The 2017 program features an eclectic mix of politics and identity, love and sexuality with a strong female presence across performers and themes," Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold said.
"It's a tantalizing feast of laughter, sadness, interaction and discovery."
Program highlights include Hawa (Hatch Theatrics) from Singapore - a touching story of a woman who is tasked with overseeing the funeral of her girlfriend, and I Just Came to Say Goodbye from Brisbane’s The Good Room - the anticipated ‘forgiveness’ chapter of the company’s planned trilogy of original works, following the 2014 Brisbane Festival hit I Want to Know What Love Is and the groundbreaking I Should’ve Drunk More Champagne.
Theatre Republic, and Brisbane Festival as a whole, offers a range of real world experiences for students who engage in internships, as volunteers, in behind-the-scenes experiences and as audience members.
Designed by QUT Creative Industries alumnus Sarah Winter, Theatre Republic will be a space for discovery, creativity, engagement and joy, inviting the public to contribute to the space and interact with artists, activities and their surroundings during their stay.
Using organic materials such as wood and plants, coloured glass, creative lighting and playing on space and perspective through design, Theatre Republic will transform QUT’s The Block into a bright and lively hub with a bar offering food and drinks by Zen Catering, seating and interactive events and activities from 6pm daily.
"The Theatre Republic site evolves each year and offers a wonderful opportunity for our students and staff to engage with the Festival and for Festival goers to experience this part of the QUT campus," QUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Coaldrake said.
"With its focus on independent productions, the Theatre Republic program this year again includes some shows created by companies or featuring performers who graduated from QUT. We’re excited that these shows are part of the outstanding program of local, national and international events at the Brisbane Festival this year," he said.
From the 14 programmed productions, three are led by Brisbane companies, putting the river city on the map for its creative exports, including theatre luminaries The Good Room (I Just Came to Say Goodbye) and renowned local artists Helen Cassidy (Erotic Intelligence for Dummies), and Andrew Cory and Leon Cain of Dog Spoon (Two Guys in a Box).
Brisbane Festival’s Theatre Republic opens September 12 to 30, 2017, at the QUT Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove.
Media contacts:
- QUT Media, media@qut.edu.au
- P4 Group (Brisbane Festival), natalie@p4.com.au
