2026 Season
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Scenes From the Climate Era
Written by David Finnigan| Directed by …
A mosaic of snapshots capturing how it feels to live through this historical planetary transformation. At the turn of the 2020s, the climate movement abruptly shifted into a new phase.
Governments and businesses suddenly escalated their climate commitments, while fossil fuel lobbyists swapped out denial for greenwashing tactics.
New activist movements initiated a wave of direct action – property destruction, rent strikes and attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure.
In science journals and academic conferences, radical solutions were debated and tested which would have been unthinkable just a decade ago.
And everywhere, extreme weather and climate impacts hit harder and faster than expected. We’ve already hit major tipping points which have pushed us past a point of no return.
Through a series of 66 vignettes, Scenes from the Climate Era maps some of the strange and unfamiliar contours of this new world we find ourselves in.
A Night Of FUN!
Pandaemonium (is a Place on Earth):
Written by Abel Taylor | Directed by Theodore Earles
Satan has a message for you! God is not dead, and He is hellbent on making your so-called sacred present history!
In Pandaemonium , Satan flocks to Earth to forewarn the mortals of the imminent End of Days, as sanctioned by God, who is disillusioned with the human race as of late. Who can blame him?
It falls on the shoulders of best friends River and Lana to convince God to stop the Apocalypse before it's too late - or before the start of fourth period.
Some parameters are given; they have one hour to come up with the argument to save all of humanity, they have been granted access to time machines, and it's best if they make it snappy. Hey, no probs!
That’s One Damn Sexy Ape:
Written by Gavin Roach | Directed by Hannah Page
Bubo is a proud, strong and stoic gorilla. He is the pride of the Zoo. Its main attraction. Visitors come in waves to gaze upon his majesty and mystique.
But when a series of chilling events tarnish his unblemished reputation, drastic measures must be used to win back the public’s favour.
With a sultry new ad campaign and a cast of over-the-top characters, hilarity ensues as Bubo is pushed and pulled into an arena, he is not only ill-equipped for, but one that he never imagined he would shine so brightly in.
Prehistoric
Written by Marcel Dorney | Directed by Tim Bell & Tate Newman
Celebrating the controversial legacy of late-1970s Brisbane with iconoclastic humour, Prehistoric is playful, self-aware, and passionate as four young people come together to form a punk band against the backdrop of the Bjelke-Petersen administration – a very different place from the Brisbane of current day.
Prehistoric will be running from the 15th to the 18th of October at Pip Theatre
Playground Festival 2025
Written by UTC Community
UTC’s Annual Short Play Writing Festival, rebranded as the ‘Playground Festival’ is a festival dedicated to our communities aspiring playwrights.
Aptly named, the festival's emphasis on short plays aligns seamlessly with the concept of playfulness, encouraging creatives to take risks, challenge norms, and traverse the unexplored aspects of themselves and their work.
Bringing together dozens of creatives, It becomes a metaphorical playground where creativity knows no bounds, and innovative ideas are given the freedom to grow and roam.
It's an annual rendezvous where the serious business of storytelling melds harmoniously with the sheer delight of artistic play, resulting in an unforgettable and vibrant theatrical experience.
Playground Festival ran from 26th to the 28th of September at UQ’s Geoffrey Rush Drama Studio