Queensland Theatre's Quality Time podcast

Love will transcend – Boy Swallows Universe

Trent Dalton’s BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE is the blockbuster Brisbane story with a heart of gold. Not only has Eli Bell’s tale of love, hope and resilience resonated with countless readers, it also inspired the creative team working tirelessly to open such an ambitious production during a global pandemic. On this episode of the Quality Time podcast, Lee Lewis is joined by director Sam Strong and cast members Michala Banas and Tom Yaxley to hear all about their journey getting this beloved story to the stage.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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1 in 3 women – Prima Facie

In a patriarchal justice system where it’s her word against his, Suzie Miller’s award-winning Prima Facie is a rapid-fire, one-woman tour de force indictment of the legal system. Joining director, Lee Lewis in the studio today is Sheridan Harbridge who has embraced the enormous role of Tessa, in her acclaimed portrayal of a ruthless defense lawyer at the top of her game who finds herself on the other side of the bar. We hope you enjoy this lively chat between two passionate performance makers.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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Adapting for the stage - Boy Swallows Universe

Not every great book makes for a great play. What works on the page may not translate into the theatricality of a stage adaptation. But when that lightning does strike — and it’s a best-selling book based on the author’s own life — well, you can only imagine the pressure that sits with the playwright, to not only do right by the author, but also the audiences flocking to see the play. Today, Lee Lewis catches up with Tim McGarry to delve into his adaption of Trent Dalton’s beloved Boy Swallows Universe.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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Write what you want – Queensland Premier’s Drama Award

There’s nothing like a new Australian play to capture the current voice of our country. A story can find its way to our stage through many paths, but perhaps one of the most direct and exciting ways is through the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award. Celebrating 20 years in 2021, this Award discovers, develops and produces outstanding Australian plays. It’s the only playwriting prize in the country that guarantees a premiere season of the work. Joining Lee Lewis in the studio today are previous winners Daniel Evans and Steve Pirie to discuss their experiences with the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, and their suggestions for playwrights considering entering their scripts this year.

You can learn more about the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award here.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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The huge umbrella term ‘Asian Australian’ – White Pearl

Our recent season of White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King held a mirror to the complexities of pan-Asian experiences. We’d like to keep this conversation going, so in this episode of the podcast, our producer of new work Shari Irwin is joined by guest artists, Ngoc Phan, Merlynn Tong, and Vaishnavi Suryaprakash to share their experiences as Asian women working in the Australian arts industry.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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Raising daughters – Taming of the Shrew

Single fathers raising daughters is a feature in many of Shakespeare’s plays. It reflected the unfortunate reality that many women died in child birth. It also helped drive narratives stemming from these fathers being unsure of how to tackle the challenge of parenting their daughters in a society that wasn’t built to support such relationships, or that offered women much in the way of opportunity. On this episode of the Quality Time podcast, Lee Lewis is joined by John McNeil and Claudia Ware to discuss the father/daughter relationships in Taming of the Shrew.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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It's complicated! – Taming of the Shrew

There is nothing easy about performing Shakespeare. Throw in COVIDSafe auditions, directorial requests to learn flamenco and a 400 year old script that walks the line of gender politics, and you’ve got an experience for our Taming of the Shrew actors that was nothing less than complicated! Today Lee Lewis is joined by Taming of the Shrew cast members Ellen, Leon and Patrick to discuss how they’ve not only faced these challenges but embraced them.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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How to renew the Shrew – Taming of the Shrew

Audiences adore a classic play, and the king of the classics is undoubtedly Shakespeare. His plays continue to be performed around the world, for over 400 years. So, in 2021, why does Taming of the Shrew still matter? What can this work say to audiences of our era? And how does a director make it more entertaining than ever? Lee Lewis sits down with Damien Ryan on the Quality Time podcast to find out.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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Future proofing theatres – Daniel Madison

New theatres are an exciting rarity and must be carefully designed to meet the needs of both artists and audiences alike. Comfy theatre seats are an absolute must-have. A loading bay that’s actually big enough for sets is also vital. In this episode of Quality Time, Lee Lewis catches up with our Technical Manager Daniel Madison to discuss his role in future proofing the Bille Brown Theatre during its construction in 2018. Enjoy!

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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Magic of maintenance – Nathalie Ryner

Would your favourite shirt hold up after being worn for rigorous exercise, splashed with blood, ripped off and washed every day for a month? In this episode of the Quality Time podcast Lee Lewis is joined by our Costume Supervisor Nathalie Ryner to discuss the magic of maintenance.

Sound Design by The Podcast Boss
Theme music by Wil Hughes

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