Written by Robert Harling, the timeless tale of Steel Magnolias comes alive under the direction of Lee Lewis featuring an extraordinary ensemble led by Lisa McCune (Blue Heelers, Sea Petrol, The 39 Steps), Belinda Giblin (Home & Away, Amadeus, Doubt), Debra Lawrance (Home & Away, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child AU and UK, A Christmas Carol), Mandy Bishop (Wharf Revue, Blue Heelers), Jessica Redmayne (Home & Away, 800 Words, The Great Gatsby) and Lotte Beckett (Julia, The Election Monologues).

Step inside Truvy’s beauty salon, the heart of a small Southern town, where local women share their joys, struggles and a little neighbourly gossip. From weddings and babies to divorces and funerals, they face life’s highs and lows with humour, courage and impeccably styled hair. When tragedy strikes, it’s in these familiar walls that they find comfort, support and the unbreakable bonds of friendship that carry them through.

Bursting with sass, warmth and Southern charm, Steel Magnolias delivers laughter, love and unforgettable heart.

Steel Magnolias
30 April – 10 May 2026
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is finally coming to QPAC! Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance.

This “smart, laugh out loud funny” (Daily Telegraph) show features a string of pop classics including “Young Hearts Run Free”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “You’re So Vain”. Coming to Australia for the first time, five fearless women bring Austen’s world of love, class and chaos to life with heart, humour and unstoppable energy in this modern take on one of the world’s most adapted pieces of literature.

Pride & Prejudice (Sort Of)
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
30th September – 11th October 2026
www.qpac.com.au

Welcome to The Jazz Age: a fever dream of dizzying excess where love, lies and liquor are in hot supply. Late to this glittering party arrives Nick Carraway, a blow-in from the mid-West, who’s immediately drawn to the enigmatic playboy next door: Jay Gatsby.

Every Saturday night New York’s Flappers, Freeloaders and Pleasure Seekers swill from Gatsby’s generosity while rumours swirl about their mysterious host. Is he a racketeer? A mobster? A bootlegger? A saint? Nick soon discovers the forlorn Gatsby is a man who has everything he wants – except the only woman he’s ever loved … Daisy.

Considered one of the greatest novels ever written, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary masterpiece comes roaring to the stage in a stylish and scintillating adaptation where dreams shimmer then shatter, hearts beat achingly out of time and everyone’s chasing their own green light.

Queensland Theatre Company and our nationally-acclaimed homegrown heroes Shake & Stir Theatre Co spirit you away to that elusive gin-soaked Summer of 1922, where love and longing is served on the rocks. From the creative teams that brought you Pride & Prejudice, Frankenstein, A Christmas Carol and GRIMM, alongside a cast of rising stars, this Gatsby is shaken, not stirred.

The Great Gatsby
12 Februray – 8 March
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
www.queenslandtheatre.com.au

Long before Hollywood, this sizzling legal drama from the masterful Aaron Sorkin dominated Broadway, and now court is in session in the Playhouse for QPAC’s 40th Birthday celebrations. One misfit US Marine is dead, two others stand accused of killing him, and the whole corps is on trial as a team of young military lawyers uncover a sinister conspiracy in this gripping judicial thriller.

Inspired by actual events at Guantanamo Bay in 1986, this “brilliant, intelligent, cutting, shivering and even nasty script” (The Independent) sparkles with the signature quickfire repartee of Sorkin’s screen hits The West Wing, The Newsroom and The Social Network.

Turning a spotlight on the toxic internal culture of the United States military, A Few Good Men interrogates the idea that instilling unquestioning loyalty in a soldier has dark and terrible consequences, and that patriotism is the virtue of the vicious. Helmed by three-time Matilda Award-winning director Daniel Evans, a cast of rising stars go head-to-head with a swathe of stage legends in this courtroom tour-de-force.

Can you handle the truth?

A Few Good Men
22 November – 7 December 2025
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
www.queenslandtheatre.com.au

Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance.

This “smart, laugh out loud funny” (Daily Telegraph) show features a string of pop classics including ‘Young Hearts Run Free’, ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ and ‘You’re So Vain’.

Coming to Australia for the first time, five fearless women bring Austen’s world of love, class and chaos to life with heart, humour and unstoppable energy in this modern take on one of the world’s most adapted pieces of literature.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE* (*sort of)
Melbourne – Athenaeum Theatre, from 18th June 2026
Sydney – Sydney Opera House from 16th July 2026
Wollongong – Merrigong Theatre Company from 2nd September 2026
Canberra – Canberra Theatre Centre from 16th September 2026
Brisbane – Playhouse, QPAC from 30th September 2026
www.facebook.com/woodwardproductions/

Join F1 legends Mika Häkkinen & David Coulthard for a night of high-octane entertainment – a conversation exploring their storied, turbulent time at the pinnacle of motorsport, the current state of play in Formula One, the electrifying 2025 season, and their predictions for 2026 – all underscored by their endless banter

The illustrious duo drove as rivals and then most famously as teammates in McLaren Formula 1 to the 1998 FIA Formula One World Constructors Championship, with a partnership as brilliant and consistent as it was volatile, and hostile.

Discover how, in retirement, “The Flying Finn” and “DC” have seen their longstanding rivalry evolve into an enduring friendship – forged on the racetrack and strengthened through mutual respect.

Don’t miss this unique chance to see these fierce rivals, close friends, and F1 legends as you’ve never seen them before.

Mika Häkkinen & David Coulthard – F1 Legends
3 Mar 2026, 7:30pm
Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au

Every love story needs a little fertiliser! 

The cult Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical Little Shop of Horrors is back – bigger, bolder, and hungrier than ever!

Step inside Mushnik’s flower shop on Skid Row, in this black comedy musical, where down-on-his-luck Seymour discovers a strange and unusual plant with a taste for more than just plant food. Meet Audrey II – the foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore with a killer personality that’s ready to take over the stage (and the world).

Featuring irresistible hits like “Suddenly Seymour”, “Feed Me (Git It)” and “Dentist!”, this gleefully gory musical blends 60s pop, doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll with outrageous comedy, camp charm and jaw-dropping puppetry.

Directed by Alister Smith (Bring It On, Cruel Intentions, The Wedding Singer) with music supervision by David Young (Frozen), musical direction by Heidi Loveland (Carrie: The Musical), set design by Penny Challen and choreography by Dan Venz, this revival promises everything fans love about Little Shop of Horrors – deranged dentists, larger-than-life plants and an unforgettable night of musical mayhem.

Don’t miss the chance to experience this new version of a smash-hit musical, up close in the intimacy of QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre this summer.

Little Shop of Horrors
From 3 January 2026
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au

Setting aside the dubious ethics behind the premise and the absolutely outdated idea that a woman needs validation from a man to be accepted by the world, Pretty Woman The Musical raises the question: Is it still possible to have fun hanging out with a singing billionaire and a lady of the night? Well, the answer to that question is, sort of.

The redemption of this musical comes via the excellent singing voices of the cast and the staging and blocking of the large ensemble. The energy level was high, as was the physical prowess of the dancers. The sound was augmented by the impact of a live band located at a higher audience level than sequestered down in a pit.

The pedigree of the creative minds behind the production is also stellar, with two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell providing creative direction and Grammy winners Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance providing the musical score. The cast, which includes Samantha Jade, Ben Hall, Michelle Brasier, Tim Omaji and Douglas Hansell, also contributes with fine voices and strong stage presence.

Regardless of the highly questionable ethos of the nineties era rom coms and films of that period in general, adapting the Pretty Woman story to the stage is handled with a modicum of taste and a downplay of the tawdry aspects that could derail things for a modern audience. See it and enjoy it for what it is and can provide, a slick time out on the town.

Pretty Woman: The Musical is currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane until 23 November 2025!
Rob Hudson
www.prettywomanthemusical.com.au

Defying the thought that the theatre can occasionally lack vim and vigor, The 39 Steps blasts that adage to bits. The almost manic level of energy on stage keeps the audience on their toes and fully engaged with plentiful amounts of laughter. 

Based oh so loosely on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, this production features just four cast members, who between them play a dizzying number of roles. Sometimes these characters are delivered in such quick succession you have to really hustle to keep up.

The cast features TV stars Lisa McCune (Blue Heelers) and Ian Stenlake (Stingers) and those masters of vocal and physical comedy The Umbilical Brothers – David Collins and Shane Dundas. Together the create a maelstrom of humorist energy. This would be one tired cast at the show’s conclusion.

Feeling very British in its comedic ethos and timing as well as dipping into that countries penchant for sound effects hilarity, The 39 Steps crackles with comic intensity. The play is currently on at the QPAC Playhouse for a limited run until the 19th October.
Rob Hudson

The 39 Steps
7-19 October 2025
Playhouse, QPAC
www.qpac.com.au

Head to Hollywood with the dazzling stage adaptation of one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time – Pretty Woman: The Musical! 

Bursting with glamour, charm and all the iconic moments you know and love, this joyous musical hit will premiere at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre this October.

Featuring direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Hairspray), an electrifying original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69”, “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, this sensation brings a Hollywood classic to life like never before.

Vivian and Edward are unlikely soulmates who overcome all odds to find each other – and themselves. Brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood, and Broadway, Pretty Woman: The Musical is a guaranteed big night out that will lift your spirits and light up your heart.

Pretty Woman: The Musical
From 5 October 2025
Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane
www.prettywomanthemusical.com.au