A year of world-class entertainment awaits at Redland Performing Arts Centre (RPAC), with their 2018 programme featuring over 40 great shows and events.
More than 400,000 people have enjoyed a wide range of shows at the venue since it opened in 2008, from local community and national theatre performances, to international touring productions.
This year's programme offers a smorgasbord of music, comedy, drama, circus and acrobatics, family theatre and so much more.
The music portion of the season starts with the powerhouse tenors of Tenori performing a selection of timeless opera, musical theatre, jazz and swing music backed by a three-piece band. Over a decade of harmonising and performing together has made the trio of David Kidd, Andrew Pryor and Craig Atkinson into a vocal force to be reckoned with. They bring their unique sense of fun and sophistication to songs like 'You Raise Me Up', 'I Still Call Australia Home' and 'New York, New York'.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra – Image © David Kelly
The magnificent Queensland Symphony Orchestra returns with a captivating playlist of 'Musical Fairytales', an 'The Voice' winner Luke Kennedy will give an unmissable concert performance with 'From Johnny To Jack' about the making of Australian Icon John Farnham.
Acoustic Guitar Spectacular is also back for 2018, with two new inspirational guitarists set to accompany Michael Fix. The lap steel guitar gets a spotlight mention when international ensemble Elision perform 'The Wreck Of Former Boundaries'. Husband-and-wife team Frankie J Holden and Michelle Pettigrove take their relationship to the stage, sharing with audiences their favourite songs and stories in 'How Sweet It Is'.
To finish off RPAC's music series, Ensemble Trivium will bring together Brisbane's most virtuosic classical an jazz musicians for a diverse and colourful repertoire of new and original compositions in 'Locally Sourced'.
Get ready to laugh with comedy that hits the funnybone like a drunk hits the bottle. While we don't recommend poking fun at women going through menopause, we do encourage you to see 'Menopause The Musical – Women On Fire!' for a hilarious look at all things menopausal. The ladies of Babushka Cabaret are also back, appearing as three princesses who want to tell you a very grown-up bedtime story in their new show 'Happily Ever After'. Definitely NOT Disney-approved, so it's worth a watch. Finally, walk through the A-Z of operatic occupational hazards with the tongue-in-cheek 'Death By Soprano'.
Babushka – Image © Joel Devereux
If it's drama you want, witness Bell Shakespeare's production of 'Julius Caesar' or get a glimpse into the lives of the first stage actresses in April De Angelis' 'Playhouse Creatures'.
Hannie Rayson presents her award-wining play 'Hotel Sorrento' and the Indelability Arts ensemble stages their new production 'Love Me'.
Can't forget the kiddies. The 2018 season brings Tony Wilson's rhythm-and-rhyme book 'The Cow Tripped Over The Moon' to hilarious life in 'Yo Diddle Diddle', and this year also heralds the return of beloved children's classic 'The Gruffalo' to the RPAC stage. Also on offer is the chance to climb 'The 78-Story Treehouse', take a gulp of 'George's Marvellous Medicine' and take a trip 'Around The World In 80 Days'.
Circa's 'Humans' – Image © Sarah Walker
Meanwhile, kids of all ages will enjoy the high-flying antics and acrobats of 'Humans' by Circa and Flipside Circus' 'Wasteland'. There's also the 'Beast Camp' Krump intensive workshops and battle nights for those who like to be part of the fun.
RPAC also proudly hosts a number of Indigenous and multicultural events again this year, including a free NAIDOC Week concert headlined by 'X-Factor' winner Isaiah Firebrace, Balka Bitni as part of the Quandamooka Festival and RPAC's first-ever Polish Festival PolArt 2018, which is the largest festival of its kind outside of Poland.
