A cult Brisbane favourite is hitting a major milestone, with 'Speed: The Movie, The Play' clocking up its 300th performance as part of the 2026 Brisbane Comedy Festival.
The high-energy, delightfully lo-fi production from Act React has built a loyal following since debuting at the festival in 2015.
A loving parody of the 1994 action classic 'Speed', the show recreates the film’s bus-bound chaos with a twist – it all unfolds on a real vintage bus, with the audience cast as the hostages.
Over the past decade, the production has toured extensively, popping up at festivals in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Townsville. Along the way, it has sold around 9,000 tickets, with this Brisbane season expected to push it past the 10,000 mark.
'Speed: The Movie, The Play' celebrating 250 shows in Perth.
For producer and co-creator Natalie Bochenski, returning to Brisbane Powerhouse to celebrate the milestone feels particularly special.
“This show wouldn’t exist without the support of Brisbane Powerhouse and the audiences of the Brisbane Comedy Festival,” she says. “It continues to be discovered by people who love the idea of jumping on our heritage bus and helping Keanu save the day.”
The show’s origin story is almost as improbable as the plot it parodies. Bochenski and fellow creators Dan Beeston and Gregory Rowbotham initially dreamed up the idea of staging the film on a real bus, but assumed finding the right vehicle would be impossible. Days later, a chance encounter at Teneriffe Festival led them to the Queensland Omnibus and Coach Society, and a beautifully preserved 1970 Leyland Panther bus.
'Speed: The Movie, The Play' in Brisbane.
“Once we knew we could get a bus, our fate was sealed,” Bochenski says. “We had to write the show.”
That same bus, resplendent in vintage Brisbane City Council orange-and-white livery, remains the star of the production. With just 40 audience members per show, the experience is as intimate as it is chaotic.
Recent seasons suggest the appetite for this unique theatrical ride remains strong. A sold-out run at Perth Fringe World earlier this year saw more than 1,700 people climb aboard.
Part homage, part parody, and entirely unhinged, 'Speed: The Movie, The Play' has proven itself to be the little bus show that could.
'Speed: The Movie, The Play' is on at Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival) from 26 March-19 April.
