Anywhere Reviews
Read reviews from Anywhere Reviewers as well as links to other online publications giving you the heads up on what to see at Anywhere Festival.
Every year Anywhere Festival invites writers and performance lovers to write reviews of performances at the festival.We ask people to bring their own perspective and to tell us what we think - we're know you don't want to hear that everything is brilliant... unless of course it is.
Reviews start with the most recent and you can go back through Anywhere Festival reviews of our Brisbane festival, Sunshine Coast Festival, Noosa Festival, Moreton Bay festival and everything else.
Review (Scenestr): The Tragic Tale Of Dr Faustus
Review of The Tragic Tale of Dr Faustus by Clea-marie Thorne for Scenestr
Review (Blue Curtains Brisbane): The Tragic Tale of Dr Faustus
An attempt at poetic introduction seems appropriate for a work such as Sepulchre Serenade’s The Tragic Tale of Dr Faustus, which is so richly layered in mullti artistry.
Review (Blue Curtains Brisbane): Theatre for Dummies: A Post-Apunkalyptic Play
Review by Meredith Walker Art is a language, we are told in the initial scene of Theatre for Dummies: A Post-Apunkalyptic Play, as part of a pacey monologue from its…
Review (Catherine Lawrence): The Ladysinger’s Record Parlour (Vol. 2)
The Ladysinger’s Record Parlour (Vol. 2) features a talented, highly-professional and collaborative team—and I am sure that everyone attending each of the four shows will have had a wonderful experience.
Review (Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane): She Works Hard For (No) Money | Backyard Flamingo
Review (Nothing Ever Happens in Brisbane): She Works Hard For (No) Money | Backyard Flamingo
Review (Stage Door Podcast): She Works Hard For (No) Money
Bridie Middleton She Works Hard for (No) Money is a satirical collection of scenes that calls out the work behind the work, the kind of labour that people are never…
Review (Catherine Lawrence): Clutter
Catherine Lawrence’s latest review recommends another Anywhere Festival Brisbane gem… “My latest hot tip for the 2025 Anywhere Festival is to make a beeline for the Raven Hotel to see…
Review (Georgia Haupt): Smoke and Mirrors
Review and photography by Georgia Haupt Step into The Fox’s Tail strip club, but leave your expectations at the door. Smoke and Mirrors subverts audience assumptions from the opening moments,…
Review (Catherine Lawrence): Sacred Sonic
“Angel Strings is a talented strong quartet of professionally trained musicians with national and international experience (Laura Thompson, Hayden Burton, Katie Sillar and Kathryn McKee).The quartet’s repertoire extends across classical, jazz,…
Review (Georgia Haupt): The Bear Truth
Review and photography by Georgia Haupt Me n U Theatre Company transforms the viral “man or bear” question into a powerful piece of Australian theatre that refuses to let audiences…
Review (Catherine Lawrence): Primitives (staged reading)
Primitives is definitely more a preview than mere staged reading. Expect surreal moments, some dark humour, entrails… and a final twist that will give you plenty to talk about over a post-show beverage
Review: Painting Melody
Soulful vocals and soft acoustics create a sepia-tone canvas that is at once a performance, a curation, and a lyrical composition.
Review: Identity
Review and photography by Georgia Haupt Identity by D.I.V.E Theatre Collective exemplifies the transformative power of Anywhere Festival, pulling audiences from the traditional theatre settings into an immersive journey where…
Review: Confessions of a Funeral Singer
Review and photographs by Georgia Haupt Confessions of a Funeral Singer delivers an unexpectedly heartwarming exploration of life’s most profound moments. Performers Leah and Narelle, accompanied by Jamie Clark on…
Review: Too Twisted
Catherine Lawrence congratulates the students, teachers, and families on an impressive demonstration of the skills of talented That’s Dance and Acrobatics’ performers. For more about this 2025 Anywhere Festival Moreton…
Review: Murder At The Bowlo
If you get the opportunity to catch the final two Improv Queensland shows in the 2025 Anywhere Festival I strongly recommend getting a group together and going along for the…
Review: Jaws For Kids!
Jaws: For Kids! is highly recommended as a really entertaining show for adults and kids. You will come away with a raft of ‘fun facts’(ting) about the importance of sharks,…
Review: The Amazing Bubble Show
Magic Glen’s Amazing Bubble Show is a kid-friendly 45-minute event that is exactly what you’d expect from the title… and a little bit more. By the end of the set…
Review: Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar
Catherine Lawrence is very impressed at the professionalism and meticulousness of the creatives and performers of this ‘art experience’ show, concluding expect excellent musical skills ‘clever costuming, fantastical makeup, and…
Review: Bawdy Tales & Critical Fails
Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter meets Wrestlemania meets The Princess Bride meets four pilgrims in a pub who eventually meet (unfortunately for Cecil), a horny dragon.
Review: The Garage Band
Catherine Lawrence congratulates some ‘late bloomers’ (that’s a direct quote from the show) who are living out their dream, and enjoying playing and performing in the Munslow/Hossack Productions’ show, The…
2024 Anywhere Awards announced!
The 2024 Anywhere Awards for live performance anywhere were revealed Saturday 9 November!
Review: Melancholipedia presented by Ludus Performance
Review by Kathy M. 4 August 2024 at 7.30 pm at Paint Factory Unfortunately, I attended the last performance of Melancholipedia as part of the 2024 Anywhere Festival so you’ve…
Review: The Ladysinger’s Parlour (Vol. 1)
In the style of the ever-popular Australian Modern ‘at home’ events, The Ladysinger’s Record Parlour (Vol. 1) was presented in the ‘parlour’ of a Fairfield home—a space that was cleverly…
Review: Eat Her Out
Eat Her Out is a two woman show, written by and starring Aoife Kissane and Georgia Thomas. The show is a humorous, barbed commentary on queer life under a cost…
Review: 2004 Slumber Party
Catherine Lawrence congratulates Darcie Rae Boatswain and the Glitter Martini crew, on another strong addition to their menu. Pjs, UGGs, audience participation galore… plus artistic hula, fabulous pole dance, impressive…
Review: Stark Raven Mad
Stark Raven Mad took my family (three generations) on a fantastical poetry journey this morning, at On The Boards Theatre in Tingalpa.
Review: Abba Girls Tribute Show
Sadly, Abba’s Agnetha and Frida were not available to perform outside a Yeronga warehouse on Friday night. Which was a not a problem for a very enthusiastic audience, as the…
Learn to re-wild your mind with Wild Vacancies-Urban Nature Adventure presented by Sally Guildford
Dr Gemma Regan Re-wilding urban areas back to their original natural state is the in-thing. Now you can learn how to re-wild yourself in the urban environment of Yeronga behind…
Review: IKEA Wars
Kieran Bullock has hit a stream of improv comedy gold with IKEA Wars. The format is simple: challenge two local comedians to a ‘gameshow’ competition, where each must assemble an…
Review: The Dire Theatre Company Radio Variety Hour
Yeronga’s Paint Factory offers a range of nooks and crannies, several of which are cleverly reimagined by exceptional performers and creatives during Brisbane’s Anywhere Festival. My 2024 Anywhere Festival hot…
Blow the Men Down presented by Flaming Carnations
Review by Kathy M. 2 August 2024 at 7pm The Paint Factory, Yeronga Blow the Men Down written and produced by Julia Cox is a raucous and chaotic comedy performed…
Review: K Mak at the Planetarium
Review by Sarah Skubala Following sell-out seasons at last year’s Anywhere Festival, plus sell-out shows at this year’s Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, K Mak (alongside sister show Angel Strings)…
Review: Set Me On Fire presented by Silent Sky
Set Me On Fire, the premiere work of Silent Sky theatre collective, filled the Backdock Arts theatre with a nostalgia for young love, presented as part of Anywhere Festival 2024.…
Review: That Drag Show!
As you might expect of a five-star drag event, the costumes were simply fabulous, the makeup was amazing, the choreography was classic and outrageous, the lip-synch was on point, and…
Review: Cabarats, presented by Verum Arts
Just from its title, you can tell Cabarats doesn’t want to be taken seriously. Chock full of cheese puns and hammy noir/gangster pastiche dialogue, the show is a veritable charcuterie…
Review: Truth; from a liars lips
When this modest theatre production started, I felt quite removed from the setting; a medieval castle, within which a new queen has just taken charge and struggles with oblique political…
Review: Wait For It!
Review by Katrina Couzens It’s amazing how much you can laugh in just over an hour when you’re in the hands of three clowns (and a very timid broom). It’s…
Review: Somnium
Somnium is the perfect title for choreographer Kelsey Dell’s compelling new work, that is ‘inspired by states of dreaming and the imaginings of our unconscious minds.’ If you are looking…
Review: As Told by the Boys Who Fed Me Apples at Trinity Hall
Review by Sarah Skubala (Theatre Travels) As Told by the Boys Who Fed Me Apples is the Queensland independent premiere produced, directed and designed by Lachlan Driscoll, and performed as…
Destructive Nature by Handlight Productions
Review by Kathy M. 26 July 2024 at 5 pm at House Conspiracy, West End Always curious to see something different, learn about an emerging artist, have a new experience…
Review: Aerialicious UP LATE
I love circus, and particularly aerials, so it probably won’t surprise you to hear that the show I’ve been most excited for this Anywhere was Aerialicious UP LATE, a burlesque…
Review: Whatevfur
Whatevfur; a dog-themed improvisational comedy show held outdoors at Raymond park in Kangaroo Point on Saturday 27th July, was a happy collection of pawful puns, terrier-ific (over) acting, and doggy…
Review: Aiden Schofield, Magician
It’s been a while since I’ve watched a magic show. Aiden Schofield, who played Arcana’s stage in Moorooka on Friday evening (26 July), was a solid meat-and-potatoes reintroduction to the…
Review: That Drag Show
Joy. Absolute joy is the summary I’d give for That Drag Show on Friday night (26th July) at Arcana, Moorooka. Neither I, nor the friend I went with, had been…
Review: As Told By The Boys That Fed Me Apples
How better to tell the story of the 136,000 Australian horses sent to the First World War, than through the experiences of three of the ‘boys’ who fed apples to…
Review: Spooky Dog and the Teen-Age Gang Mysteries
Review by Kath M on the 24 July 2024 at 7pm performance. Evilcorp Horror Maze and Bar, Fortitude Valley Presented by Drama Merchant Who doesn’t have a memory of watching…
Review: Set Me On Fire
Set Me On Fire opened Wednesday night (24th July) at Backdock Arts in Fortitude Valley. It’s a heartfelt drama about the breakdown of a relationship, but a lack of detail…
Review: A Journey to Euphoria
Euphoria can be defined as intense feelings of excitement, well-being, and happiness—where activities such as exercise, laughter, or dancing can induce a state of euphoria. Which means that a great…
Review: Whistling Past the Graveyard at South Brisbane Cemetery (Theatre Travels)
Review by Sarah Skubala Anywhere Festival is back for its 13th year and boasts 60 productions at 35 locations around Brisbane. As its name suggests, Anywhere Festival is a fringe festival where any…
Review LOVE JUNKIE presented by Sarah Walton
Review by Kathy M. Sunday 21 July at 5 pm Raven Cellar Bar Sarah Walton’s one-woman comedy show felt like being with a bunch of girlfriends sharing stories about the…
REVIEW – The Ukulele Man – The Story of GEORGE FORMBY by Marcel Cole
Review by Kathy M. Sunday 21 July 2024 at 2 pm Raven Cellar Bar I must admit I knew nothing of George Formby or Marcel Cole but was pleasantly surprised…
Review: Heaven on Earth
Heaven on Earth is not what you might expect based on the programme blurb. The bubbly language, the tags–Comedy, Music, Dance, and Theatre–and even Melissa Elvira Billington’s stage name, Foxy…
Introducing Anywhere Reviewer Karlo Bran
From Karlo: Hey all, I am pleased to be part of the Anywhere Festival reviewers team in 2024. A little bit about me, I am the lead tutor at simpleenglish.com.au…
Review: Chaos Theory by Aaron Ducker
Aaron Duckers “Chaos Theory” performance in the Anywhere Festival was an hour long show that took the audience on a journey into the theory that every tiny gesture, movement and…