The recently announced Brisbane run of Cirque Adrenaline was not the only thing fated to be present in the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) Summer line-up. QPAC have announced that from January 6th until January 17th, they will have five different shows performed in their halls. Although the age demographics may vary from show to show, the “SummerSet” program sets out to provide a line up of family friendly entertainment during the school holiday period.
Audiences will have an opportunity to watch wildlife TV presenter, adventurer, naturalist and writer Steve Backshall live on the Playhouse stage from January 7th to 9th. During these three days, he will be presenting a live version of the children’s show Deadly 60. Suitable for children aged 8+ Steve will share his experiences of getting up close with some of the world’s deadliest creatures. This show is being presented by QPAC, Andrew Kay and Phil Bathols.
Also returning to QPAC is the Helpmann Award winning children’s production Carnival of the Animals, which was produced by Circa and QPAC’s Out of the Box Festival. This follows the productions debut during the 2014 youth-oriented Out of the Box Festival. Inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’ celebrated salute to feathers, fur and fins, Circa’s acrobats seek to bring the classical music suite to life for a whole new generation of circus, music and animal lovers. This production will be performed at the Playhouse theatre from January 9th to 13th.
Children are also invited to meet the tea-guzzling tiger from The Tiger Who Came to Tea, which based on the original book by Judith Kerr has been adapted for the stage. The Tiger Who Came to Tea is an live theatre experience packed with oodles of magic, sing-along songs and clumsy chaos. It is set to be the final show in the Playhouse theatre line-up, running from January 14th to 17th. This production is being presented by QPAC and Andrew Kay in association with Nick Brooke and Kenny Wax.
The final production during QPAC’s SummerSet program comes from shake and stir theatre co, who some may recognise from their production of Dracula back in August. From January 6th to 17th, they will be performing a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine in the Cremorne Theatre. Even though I may not be the target demographic for the SummerSet program, having grown up reading all of Roald Dahl’s works, I am sorely tempted to purchase a ticket to see this production for myself. Shake & stir theatre co will also be running a three day workshop for children aged 7-12, with more information available HERE.
This is in addition to Cirque Adrenaline, with more information on that show available HERE.
The SummerSet program does not mean that QPAC will be entirely overrun by children’s programs during the month of January. The Lyric Theatre will still be playing host to Les Misérables, with Cats set to begin on January 29 2016. Following January 17, there will be a variety of other shows on offer including Ballet Theatre of Queensland’s Aladdin, Dawn French – Thirty Million Minutes and Flamenco Fire’s Viva Sevilla.
More information and ticket purchase information for all the above mentioned shows can be found via the QPAC website.
