Ross Balbuziente

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Shake & Stir Theatre Co have announced tickets are now on sale for the world premiere season of the stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved James and the Giant Peach in the Playhouse from 30 March to 7 April.

The prestigious Matilda Awards, Queensland's premier awards for performing arts, honours 2022's brightest and boldest artists across a range of new and refreshed categories.

Fourteen, the inspirational true story of growing up gay in central Queensland, has been transformed into a powerful must-see theatre production presented by shake & stir theatre co, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Brisbane Festival.

shake & stirs' The Twits is sure to nourish all of the senses. Both a visual and aural feast, you and your child do not want to miss this remarkable new piece of theatre for young people.

One of Roald Dahl's most loved tales, guaranteed to delight and disgust in equal measures, is set to hit Queensland Performing Arts Centre's (QPAC) Cremorne Theatre stage these school holidays from 1-14 April 2022. 

Queensland audiences are in for some much-needed joy this year as the award-winning stage spectacle - Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol returns to Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). The production will reopen the Lyric Theatre, from 16 to 24 December 2020 with tickets on sale from 9.00am Friday 30 October.

Nominees Announced For 2019 Matilda Awards

Roald Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings in place of the traditionally ever after. These re-imaginings have been subject to much controversy, with themes like gambling, cannibalism, guns and dynamite... Themes that team at shake & stir have not shied away from, in their electrifying stage adaptation of Dahl's Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts.

No one outfoxes a fox. shake & stir give a new life to Roald Dahl's classic children's book in this new production. For those that aren't familiar with the book, the story revolves around Mr Fox and how he outwits his farmer neighbours to steal their food from right under their noses.

Roald Dahl's much-loved Fantastic Mr Fox will leap off the page and onto the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Playhouse stage from 11 - 20 April 2019 in another thrilling new production presented by shake & stir theatre co and QPAC.

A brand new stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol opens its world premiere season on today 7 December at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), kicking off a strictly limited two-week season.

Roald Dahl's much-loved book George's Marvellous Medicine will be brought to life at Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse from 25 - 29 September as part of a national tour. Dahl's classic tale bounds off the page and onto the stage in a spectacular live show for all ages.

Brisbane audiences are in for a Christmas treat this year with a brand new theatre production of Charles Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol coming to the Playhouse at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) from 7 to 16 December 2018.

"I'm going shopping in the village,' George's mother said to George on Saturday morning. 'So be a good boy and don't get up to mischief. This was a silly thing to say to a small boy at any time. It immediately made him wonder what sort of mischief he might get up to". Throughout his years, Dahl had held a profound respect for doctors and especially those who pioneered new treatments and hence, dedicated his book to 'doctors everywhere'. Some may argue that this book is a precursor for our modern times, with numerous new advancements in scientific remedies being referred to as a magic, just like George's potion. Shake & stir theatre company have created a kid's paradise on stage, with just five actors and a spectacular creative team. The piece is a modern adaptation of Roald Dahl's book of the same name and follows the misadventures of eight-year-old George Kranky in attempting to make a medicine that transforms his Grandma into a nice person. In this potion, George adds everything he can get his hands including shoe polish, engine oil and toothpaste, boils it and gives it to his Grandma, who grows the size of the set. In a recent interview, director Ross Balbuziente claimed that 'the book was one of [his] favourites growing up as a kid and his passion is reflected in the quality of the work on stage and in his direction of his actors. Nick Skubij played such a believable mischievous eight-year-old boy, that it's hard for me to believe that he could be capable of playing such a powerhouse villain like Dracula, who I've been delighted to have seen him play both times the production came to Brisbane. From the gestures, to the facial expressions, to his changes in tone...you could tell that Skubij had committed hours of research to the role, to bring such truth to his portrayal. Leon Cain's depiction of Grandma was perhaps not as dark as Dahl intended, but on old grouch nonetheless who to me, read as a satire on adult-kind's often unrealistic expectations from children. Nelle Lee and Tim Dashwood played George's parents and added much humour for both the children and especially the adults. They were both buzzing on stage with energy and it was a joy to watch them interact with each other. However, the star of the show, was Johnny Balbuziente as Nugget, whose physicality was seamless. Consequently, it was very sad to see George's mother (Nelle Lee) swallow him up whole when the marvellous medicine had transformed him into a chicken nugget. Moreover, John McInTosh's set design is very clever and probably the most versatile set design I have ever seen. It's construed of a plethora of jumbled shelves representing George's farmhouse, crammed with an assortment of items associated with domestic life. Attached to the shelves was a series of moving panels, large enough for the actors in weave in and out of as they seamlessly transitioned from room to room, and quite often climbed on top of it as well. It was like an enormous jungle gym and all the kids (and adults) in the audience were yearning to play on it. Jason Glenwright's lighting design features a kaleidoscope of colours, with the walls of the set being decorated with an array of lights which flicker on and off throughout the performance, especially throughout the hilarious banter on stage. It further aids to create the magical atmosphere of Dahl's picturesque world on stage. 55 minutes in this Dahlian world is enough to fill up with enough colour and imagination to last a lifetime. Rating: 5 stars George's Marvellous Medicine Directed by Ross Balbuziente Performed by shake & stir theatre company Cremorne Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Running until 5th September 2018 Tickets: https://www.qpac.com.au/event/george_marvellous_medicine_18/

Following its sold-out run at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in 2016, shake and stir theatre co's stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's family favourite George's Marvellous Medicine returns to the Cremorne Theatre from 21 August to 5 September 2018, with new performances added due to popular demand.

Following its sold-out run at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in 2016, shake and stir theatre co's stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's family favourite George's Marvellous Medicine returns to the Cremorne Theatre from 21 August to 5 September 2018, with new performances added due to popular demand.

Roald Dahl's much-loved book George's Marvellous Medicine will be brought to life at Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse from 25 - 29 September as part of a national tour. Dahl's classic tale bounds off the page and onto the stage in a spectacular live show for all ages.

This is the real thing, offering some seriously scary Gothic horror.

Following a wildly successful world premiere run two years ago, shake & stir theatre co is haunting the Cremorne Theatre at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) again with an encore season of Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece Dracula from 15 August to 2 September 2017.

Bram Stoker's Late Victorian Gothic Horror novel comes to life in Shake and Stir's terrifyingly wonderful adaptation of DRACULA.