'All the world’s a stage' is one of the most famous lines in the history of performance, but for one man, it’s reality.
Paul Osuch made a life in theatres around the world, shaping his craft until the gum trees released their siren call, bidding him back to the golden streets of sun-blessed Brisbane. When the lovely lady resisted his attempts to establish a traditional theatre, Osuch had a much bolder idea – bring the arts to the streets. Thus. . . Anywhere Festival was born.
“I'd been overseas for years in London, as a director and playwright, in numerous non-traditional spaces,” Artistic Director and CEO Osuch tells tales of origin. “I came back to Brisbane in 2010, and tried to set up a theatre for about 10 months. Then I went, why am I trying to set up another La Boite?”
“Most of the year in Brisbane, the weather is pretty good, so I considered not being in a structured environment. Then there were three things – can we insure it, will acts want to do it and will traditionally conservative Brisbane audiences get into it?”
“Artists I was working with years before were looking for opportunities, so it came down to audience stigma. The first festival we did was the flood year, raining January to April. In May, when the festival was due to start, it stopped raining and we had a fantastic festival, which has been the pattern every year since,” Osuch remarks casually, as if near disaster was never truly a consideration.
Fifteen years later, Anywhere returns for another bountiful year full of performances as quirky and unconventional as the spaces they’re performed in. Osuch muses on the philosophy of bringing art to the masses in such an accessible format.
“I've seen some amazing performances in actual theatres, like Kenneth Branagh, Helen Mirren and David Tennant. But the thing that I really love and I find people connect to, is this idea of being invited into a space with a sense of community. Maybe it’s a space they've driven by, or collected a coffee from, with other locals.”
'Airtight'
“Now with the price of fuel, instead of having to worry about all those costs, why not just wander on down somewhere in your own suburb? We find people make all these connections with other people that they didn't realise live quite near them, while also getting to experience a great show and a new space.”
From the early days to now, finding locations for the festival’s performances has been a complex point of enjoyment for Osuch.
“Every year is completely different. People say, ‘Oh yeah, we've got a house. We'd be happy to host a band,’ and we’re really flexible. We don’t have the pressure points of a 20,000-person festival in one place. We have people that have worked with us before and we listen when artists say they want to perform somewhere, like an old abandoned paint factory.”
Osuch remarks on some of his favourite locations, however you get the feeling each of the festival’s spaces hold their own unique charm.
“We actually created our festival hub at an old Taubmans paint factory in Yeronga. It’s such a unique location with warehouses and external spaces. This year, we’ve got 37 performances there over 3 days. It’s been a real audience favourite.”
“I also love concerts in people's houses and backyards. It’s such a different experience being welcomed into someone's home and meeting their neighbours. The shows at the Planetarium are also incredible. This is the fourth year K Mak and Angel Strings have come back. K Mak just did Edinburgh Fringe and they did a stupid number of performances, 3 performances a day, somewhere around 90 total.”
Most of the 2026 festival’s shows are new, so what can be expected is hard to define. Osuch, however, already has a few sticking in the back of his mind to check out.
'Mythical Creatures'
“Definitely ‘Airtight’. I've spoken with the writer Indiah Morris, who has won many awards. I'm really excited for her to perform again. ‘Airtight’ is a piece of theatre about a Tupperware party and there’s only ten tickets per show, so it’s as if you're actually going to a Tupperware party which all goes wrong.”
“'Smile: The Story Of Charlie Chaplin' is another fantastic show at New Tricks Gin Distillery in Albion, along with 'Wine Mum Anthems' which is fun for everyone. Euphoric Flow’s 'Mythical Creatures' out at North Shore is a really immersive work as well.”
Having been in so many spaces and witnessed so many shows, Osuch remarks on a memorable moment that deeply moved him, proving true performance can really be anywhere with an audience and an artist.
“I think back to one year where I went to Anje West’s 'Record Parlour' in her house. She always sings songs that mean something to her, and she did a Suzanne Vega song that I’d only ever heard Vega do years before. It had been a tough end to the festival and I was a little fragile. West’s performance was absolutely spine-tingling.”
As the festival traverses substations and warehouses to libraries and wine cellars, Osuch speaks of the greatest lessons he’s learnt.
“People talk about community as a big thing, but I’ve realised community is lots of little things. I can go to a show with 30 people and that’s a little community of connected people. It’s those connections that make it really magical. Live performance in particular has those intangible connections you make that you couldn't plan for.”
As the visionary looks to the future, he sees an ever-expanding stage, the potential for opportunity exciting his beating heart yet.
“We're really happy that this is our first year of a new four-year agreement with Arts Queensland and three more years with Brisbane City Council. We talk about making Brisbane the stage and we want to broaden that and see where that can go. Even more broadly, we’re talking about plans for Anywhere to become a national festival and see how different pieces are able to connect. I’m excited for the next few years,” he says, with an ever-present twinkle in his eye.
Anywhere Festival Brisbane is on from 1-31 May.
