Black Box, a new musical by Queenslander Paul Hodge, is set to have its world premiere at the Cremorne Theatre at QPAC next week, seeking to provide a very unique experience compared to virtually every other musical that graces the QPAC stages. The musical tells the story of David Warren, the Australian inventor who created the black box flight recorder which comes standard on virtually every aircraft across the globe.
Driven by the death of his father in an unexplained plane crash when he was eight, BLACK BOX follows David as he fights for an invention that could record the final moments of a flight before it crashes – the black box. His obsession around this invention places his career, marriage and mind at risk. It’s a show about memory, and how we hold onto, and let go of, those we love.
Although there are only every two performers physically on-stage, those being Helen Dallimore and Michael Cormack, audience members will each wear a pair of headphones which allow them to be totally immersed in a 360-degree binaural soundscape. If you have ever played a horror video game, many of these in the last decade or so have taken advantage of this technology, and it is really immersive, and is also pitched as a first for a musical production to feature. The idea behind the audio is that the technique employs two microphones positioned to mimic human ears, creating a three-dimensional auditory sensation that places the listener directly within the recorded scene.
Behind the scenes, creative Paul Hodge has enlisted a group of over 30 Queenslanders to contribute their voices to the musical – one of these being X Factor winner and Eurovision runner-up Dami Im, who has recorded a song for the musical titled A New Era, with confirmation it will also be available at a later date as a single. Other performers involved in the production include Bernard Curry, Hugh Parker, Bryan Probets, Liz Buchanan and Taylah Jones.
It’s so wonderful to be working with Paul Hodge, a fellow UQ Music programme Alumni on this new Australian musical that is premiering in our home state. I love the song A New Era and am thrilled that it will not only feature in the production, but I will also be releasing it as a single.
Dami Im
Black Box will be performed at the Cremorne Theatre in QPAC from 10 May 2024 until 19 May 2024 inclusive – with tickets available from $69.90 – available via the QPAC Website or by calling their box office team on 136 246.
