From regency romance to calamitous cowgirls – Queensland Theatre’s 2025 season program packs a punch
Queensland Theatre chief exectutive Criena Gehrke calls the upcoming season a theatrical love letter to audiences old and new.“Queensland sits at the epicentre of our 2025 Season, from the stories we tell, to the artists on the stage, to the creative forces working behind the scenes and critically, to the people in our audiences who trust us to inspire, excite and delight them,” she says. “We are so proud to present a season that includes two world premieres – Dear Son and Malacañang Made Us – alongside bold new work, reimagined classics, blockbusters and globally resonant events adapted for the stage.“Whether you are a Queensland Theatre veteran or inspired to join us for the first time, we know you’ll fall in love with the 2025 Season.”
The season begins with a sumptuous retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, premiering at Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre (February 13) before playing QPAC’s Playhouse (February 20 to March 9). Co-directors Bridget Boyle and Daniel Evans bring a Bridgerton-inspired take on literature’s original romantic comedy, adapated by Patrick White Award-winners Wendy Mocke and Lewis Treston.
Then, from March 22 to April 17, the Bille Brown Theatre will transform into an old-time Western saloon for a rollicking, raucous revival of musical hit Calamity Jane, directed by Richard Carroll and starring Queensland’s first lady of song and stage, Naomi Price (Drizzle Boy, Ladies in Black) as the titular Calamity.
From May 28 to June 21, Double Gold Logie-winner Georgie Parker (Home and Away) and Glenn Hazeldine (Colin From Accounts) reunite to trade barbs and banter in David Williamson’s gleeful two-hander about accidental attraction – Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica – 15 years after they starred in its world premiere.
Come winter, the versatile Bille Brown Theatre will set the stage for the world premiere of the heartfelt ensemble piece Dear Son (June 28 to July 19). Directed by Queensland Theatre’s Head of First Nations Theatre, Isaac Drandic, who crafted the work with John Harvey, the page-to-stage adaptation of Thomas Mayo’s titular book embodies the handwritten and heartfelt letters of 12 Indigenous men to their sons, including missives from Stan Grant, Troy Cassar-Daley and Charlie King.
Justine Clarke steps into the shoes of Australia’s first female Prime Minister in the critically acclaimed Julia, at QPAC’s Playhouse from August 16–30. Written by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by Helpmann Award-winner Sarah Goodes, this box office hit expertly blurs the lines between fact and fiction as it re-examines Julia Gillard’s seminal 2012 speech to Parliament.
The remarkable true tale of a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee family ripped away from their adoptive Biloela home, which captured the nation’s headlines and hearts, is told with compassion and care by Brisbane theatremakers, Belloo Creative, in Back to Bilo, at Bille Brown Theatre from September 3–13.
Jordan Shea’s Queensland Premier’s Drama Award-winning play, Malacañang Made Us, will make its world premiere at Bille Brown Theatre from October 18 to November 1. The epic play begins with the fall of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and unfurls over decades, countries, generations and ideologies, drawing on O’Shea’s lived experiences and talented insight.
The season ends with Aaron Sorkin’s cinematic courtroom drama A Few Good Men, at QPAC’s Playhouse (November 22 to December 7). Directed by Daniel Evans, this razor-sharp play sees a cast of rising stars going head-to-head with a swathe of stage legends in a theatrical tour-de-force.
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Queensland Theatre’s 2025 season will also be championing new voices, new works and new audiences across the state. The Creative in Cairns initiative celebrates stories from the state’s northern reaches that connect people to Country. The company is also championing new works that reflect richness and diversity through its First Nations Development Program and design-focused Professional Development Program for Key Creatives.
To view the full program and to purchase Season Ticket packages, you can visit the Queensland Theatre website.
This article was written in partnership with our friends at Queensland Theatre.