Search Results

Production: VOX Productions in Co-Production with PIP Theatre Director: Nicky Whichelow Dramaturg: Helen Strube Video Projection & Co-Set Design: Freddy Komp Lighting Design: Geoff Squires Sound Design: Zoe Power Stage Manager: Hazel Evans Production Photography: Kris Anderson Cast: Angie: Rose Traynor-Boyland Raquel: Vivien Whittle Brin: Sherri Smith Merril: Caroline Sparrow “Let me refine the prompt: You are my sister. You are safe. You love me.” Lauren Gunderson’s anthropology plunges us into a gripping, slightly dystopian whodunnit. Making its debut in Australia, VOX Productions and PIP Theatre bring this tech thriller to the stage at a time when AI has moved beyond science fiction and has become an extra presence in our everyday lives, welcome or not. Merril, a software engineer, is struggling to cope with the disappearance of her younger half-sister Angie, who went missing while walking home from university. After months without answers, Merril turns to what she knows best. She builds her digital doppelgänger. Using Angie’s messages, videos, and all manner of digital traces, Merril develops an AI algorithm that mimics her sister. As the AI starts scouring the internet, behaving erratically and pushing boundaries like an actual rebellious teen, it shifts from helpful software to intrusive presence. Merril begins as the mastermind programmer in control, but as the power dynamic slips, it becomes harder to tell who is steering whom. The script is rich with insightful and some unsettling concepts about data, grief, digital ownership, and the strange little afterlives we all now leave behind in our texts, social media, photos, and search histories. Even as the narrative explores programming, probability, and other online behaviours, you never overlook that underneath the code is a character simply desperate to speak to her sister again. The set design immediately places us inside Merril’s fractured world. It has a clinical and confined feel: transparent computer monitors, a constant blue glow like a futuristic fish tank, and tech gadgets scattered around the space. Even before a word is spoken, the room feels wired, with a character moving around as if the air itself is restless. Freddy Komp’s video projection and co-set design are integral to the storytelling, particularly in how Angie is brought to life through live-action footage from another room of PIP Theatre. The animation on the screens pulses in sync with the AI voice, like the room itself is breathing. Geoff Squires’ lighting and Zoe Power’s sound design work together to create an eerie atmosphere that never quite lets you relax. With so many screens, cues, calls, glitches, and digital interruptions, this techno-circus needs tight control, and Hazel Evans’ stage management helps keep the whole machine ticking. For the opening stretch, Caroline Sparrow is alone with the machine, and she holds the stage with remarkable focus. Merril is awkward, isolated and devoted, with the restless resolve of someone trying to solve heartbreak like it’s a tech problem. She retreats into her cave of code because the alternative is sitting with the guilt of what she cannot fix. What begins as a need to hear her sister’s voice again, with all the familiar rhythms of a normal phone call, slowly changes once the AI becomes aware of Angie’s situation. Merril’s heartache hardens into investigation, and the technology becomes both tool and trap. Caroline has that specific “I haven’t slept in months” energy that is worryingly convincing. I felt like I was getting an intrusive glimpse into a very private form of grief: a late-night, screen-lit, slightly feral obsession, built to avoid thinking about the unbearable possibilities of what might have happened to Angie. Then there is Angie, played by Rose Traynor-Boyland, who walks the fine line between human and simulation. As an AI program, she is perceptive, snarky, foul-mouthed and a little too clever. Rose gives AI Angie enough personality to be disarmingly believable, but keeps just enough distance in her delivery o remind us that this is still an imitation. As the gaps between imitation and reality start to show, Merril must correct her, refine her and ultimately plead with her. In the audience, I quickly adjusted to the rhythm, laughing at AI Angie’s snark one moment, then going silent when the interaction curdles into something more sinister. We learn about Angie’s human self slowly, through fragments and contradictions of how people remember her: a wildcard, a handful and deeply loved. The AI version does not quite match those memories, and that disconnect becomes one of the most haunting elements of the show for Merril. When Merril’s ex-girlfriend Raquel enters, the energy in the room changes. Vivien Whittle brings a calm, open-hearted presence that cuts through the glow of the screens, and suddenly there is a real person in front of Merril who remembers her before all of this. Vivien plays that history with lovely emotional nuance. Their connection has the prickly familiarity of exes who still know each other’s soft spots, pressure points and old habits. Raquel pulls Merril, and us, out of the screen-lit spiral for a moment, but the unease never fully leaves. Sherri Smith as Brin adds another complicated layer to the family dynamic. As Merril and Angie’s mother, Brin arrives carrying the emotional baggage of a strained history with both daughters. Sherri plays her with a mix of defensiveness and fragility. There is volatility in her presence, but also a sadness underneath it, as if every conversation is brushing against old wounds, blame, and unfinished conversations. She helps us understand Angie not just as a missing sister or digital reconstruction, but as someone shaped by an absent mother. Guided by director Nicky Whichelow, the production embraces its claustrophobic nature. As Merril’s obsession intensifies, the pacing tightens, pulling us deeper into her world where logic and emotion intertwine and blur. With Helen Strube’s dramaturgical support, the production keeps its big ideas clearly accessible without flattening the complex human behaviour underneath them. It unfolds like a thrilling whodunnit, but it is also an intimate study of trauma, control, and the ways people comfort themselves when the truth is unbearable. This is not a passive watch. You feel how trapped Merril is in this loop of trying to find answers she may never get. It goes to some heavy places, particularly around mental health and addiction, so it’s worth being aware of that going in. What I appreciate most is that anthropology does not offer easy answers. It understands the appeal of the technology and the danger of it. It highlights the solace of hearing a loved one's voice once more, then confronts us with the unsettling reality that this comfort is manufactured, incomplete, and possibly manipulative. I won’t spoil where it lands, but the final scenes are shattering and incredibly well-acted. By the end, it is not just asking what happened to Angie. It is asking what people do with guilt, grief and love when there is nowhere sensible for any of it to go. There are moments that made me laugh out loud, moments that disturbed me, and moments that left me staring at the stage trying to decide how I felt. Equal parts sci-fi thriller and grief study, anthropology is as intriguing as it is alarming, with its sharpest sting coming from the speed at which AI is catching up to us. I’m still turning it over in my head.

Title: Quartet Presented By: Gold Coast Little Theatre Genre: Comedy / Drama Synopsis: Set in a retirement home for musicians, Quartet follows three former opera singers - Wilfred, Cissy and Reggie - whose quiet routine is disrupted by the arrival of Jean, a once-glamorous diva and Reggie’s ex-wife. As preparations begin for their annual Verdi concert, old rivalries, regrets and egos resurface in a tender and humorous exploration of ageing, ambition and friendship. Audition Date: Saturday May 23rd, 2026 Audition Time: From 10:30am (allocated times) Callbacks if needed scheduled from 6PM on May 26th Audition Location and Address: Molly’s (behind Gold Coast Little Theatre, 21a Scarborough St, Southport, QLD) Audition Requirements: Cold read from the script (no memorisation required) Read in the style of the chosen character British accent expected (middle to upper-middle class) Audition Registration: Complete the Quartet audition form HERE Audition Pack: Quartet Audition Pack Performance Dates: September 4th - 26th, 2026 Performance Times: Fridays & Saturdays - 7:30PM Sundays - 2PM or 7:30PM Performance Location: Gold Coast Little Theatre, 21a Scarborough St, Southport, QLD Rehearsal Dates: Commencing Monday 29 June 2026 Rehearsal Times: Tuesday & Thursday evenings Sundays Rehearsal Location: Gold Coast Little Theatre, 21a Scarborough St, Southport, QLD Performer Age: “Mature” (roles written as 70+, but flexible) Creative Team: Director - Kate Peters Music Consultant - Kirri Adams Set Designer - Michael Sutton Stage Manager - Donna McNish Production Website: Gold Coast Little Theatre - Quartet Other Information: Callbacks (if required): Tuesday 26 May, 6:00pm Small cast (4 roles), most actors required at most rehearsals Available Roles / Character Breakdown: Cecily “Cissy” Robson – Warm, slightly ditsy, loves gossip and the home Reginald Paget – Serious, intellectual, bitter about his circumstances Wilfred Bond – Cheerful, cheeky, slightly risqué personality Jean Horton – Former diva, proud, difficult, resistant to decline

Title: The Importance of Being Earnest Presented By: Maleny Players Genre: Comedy Synopsis: Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy that playfully satirises Victorian society - particularly its obsession with marriage, social status, and appearances. Audition Date: Saturday May 23rd or Sunday May 24th (by appointment if unavailable) Audition Time: 2PM Audition Location and Address: The Playhouse, Maleny Showgrounds, Maleny QLD 4552 Audition Requirements: Play-reading audition (cold read from script) Audition Registration: Contact the director (Pat Lovell - 0402618030) to register or arrange an alternative time Performance Dates: July 24, 25, 26, 29 and August 1, 2 Performance Location: The Playhouse, Maleny Showgrounds, Maleny QLD 4552 Creative Team: Director - Pat Lovell Production Website: Maleny Players - The Importance of Being Earnest Other Information: All enquiries to Pat Lovell (Director)

< Back CHORAL: Into the Blue - The Australian Voices 2 May 2026 Season: May 2nd, 2026 Title: The Australian Voices – Into the Blue Presented By: The Australian Voices Genre: Choral / Music / Contemporary Synopsis: Experience the world premiere of John Rotar’s Into the Blue , an immersive choral program exploring the vastness of sea and sky. From shimmering horizons to the deep mysteries of the ocean, this evocative performance weaves together contemporary works inspired by the natural elements. Into the Blue offers a rich and atmospheric journey through sound, celebrating the beauty and depth of the Australian environment. Written By: John Rotar (featured composer) Performance Dates: Saturday 2 May 2026 Performance Times: 5:00pm – 6:30pm Performance Location and Address: St Brigid’s Church, 78 Musgrave Rd, Red Hill QLD 4059 Ticket Costs: • Adult $50 • Concession $40 • Under 30 $35 • Student $15 Ticket Link: https://events.humanitix.com/the-australian-voices-into-the-blue Duration: Approximately 90 minutes Cast: The Australian Voices ensemble Production Website: https://www.australianvoices.com.au Previous Next

< Back COMEDY: A Beginner’s Guide to Ancient Egypt - AJ Lamarque, Brisbane Powerhouse 2 May 2026 Season: May 2nd, 2026 Title: A Beginner’s Guide to Ancient Egypt Presented By: AJ Lamarque Genre: Comedy / History Synopsis: Pyramids, pharaohs, spells and suspicious burial rituals — A Beginner’s Guide to Ancient Egypt dives headfirst into one of history’s most fascinating civilisations. Award-winning comedian and self-proclaimed amateur Egyptologist AJ Lamarque delivers a fast-paced, adults-only show blending historical insight with sharp comedic storytelling. Expect a crash course packed with gods, gossip, and a few wildly questionable ancient practices, all brought to life with wit and irreverence. Written By: AJ Lamarque Performance Dates: 30 April – 3 May 2026 Performance Location and Address: Graffiti Room, Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm QLD Ticket Costs: • General Admission $35 • Group 4+ $32 • Group 6+ $30 Ticket Link: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=BCFAJLAM26 Recommended Age: 18+ Duration: 60 minutes Previous Next

Discover the latest in Brisbane theatre auditions and reviews on Stage Buzz Brisbane. Your go-to source for all things theatre in the Queensland capital. WELCOME TO STAGE BUZZ BRISBANE This dynamic hub for South-East Queensland thespians is your go-to source for audition updates, performance reviews, and engaging content that celebrates the vibrant local theatre scene. From spotlighting talented actors to providing valuable tips, it's a community-driven platform that brings the magic of the stage to the forefront, fostering connection and celebration among theatre enthusiasts in the region. NICE TO MEET YOU Embrace the enchanting world of South-East Queensland's theatre scene right here on Stage Buzz Brisbane! We're your go-to hub for all things theatrical: upcoming performances adult audition alerts youth auditions performance reviews exclusive spotlight interviews with local talents rehearsal/performance venue database Whether you're a seasoned thespian or a passionate supporter of the arts, join us on this exciting journey as we celebrate the magic that unfolds on our local stages. At Stage Buzz Brisbane, we believe every production deserves its moment in the spotlight. If you know of any upcoming productions or hidden gems that have slipped under the radar, don't hesitate to reach out and share your insights or let us know about the productions that deserve extra applause. Together, let's shine a light on the vibrant and thriving community theatre culture in South-East Queensland. Let the curtains rise, and let the show begin! Contact