The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the

Queensland Cultural Centre The Queensland Cultural Centre (QCC) is a heritage-listed cultural center, cultural centre on Grey Street in South Brisbane, Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the South Bank, Queensland, South Bank precinct locate ...

and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England. The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...

precinct. Opened in 1985, it includes the Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall, Playhouse and Cremorne Theatre.

History

QPAC was designed by local architect Robin Gibson in the mid-1970s, after State Cabinet formally recognised in 1972 the need for a new Queensland Art Gallery and a new major performing arts centre, in addition to a new location for the

Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum Kurilpa is the state museum of Queensland, funded by the government, and dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museu ...

and State Library. It was opened by the

Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwa ...

in 1985. Although originally opened as the Queensland Performing Arts Complex, after years of resisting the popular mis-naming of the building, it was officially changed to the “Queensland Performing Arts Centre” and all signage was altered to match. Opening with only 3 stages, the Lyric Theatre, the Concert Hall and the Cremorne Theatre, the Centre was designed with expansion in mind. In 1998 the Playhouse was opened, ending the original extension plans. A fifth and final theatre (seating 1500–1700) was announced in late May 2018 with a budget of $125 million. It was under construction . In 2017, QPAC hosted more than 1.3 million visitors to more than 1,200 performances.

Programming

Each year QPAC hosts over 1,200 performances across its four theatres and outdoor spaces. The centre's versatile venues accommodate a wide variety of performance including dance, musicals, theatre, opera, comedy and contemporary and classical music concerts featuring leading Queensland, Australian and international actors, dancers, musicians, artists and companies. In addition, QPAC co-produces and invests in some of Australia's most innovative and successful shows and free outdoor programs. In recent years, QPAC has presented some of the world's leading artists and companies in the QPAC International Series including

Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...

in 2020,

Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest Ballet company, ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it ca ...

in 2019, La Scala Theatre Ballet in 2018,

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...

in 2017,

in 2013, Hamburg Ballet,

Hamburg State Opera The Hamburg State Opera (in German: ) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''Generalmusikdirektor'' ...

and Hamburg Philharmonic in 2012 and

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...

in 2014. QPAC produces the Out of the Box Festival for children 8 years and under, and Clancestry program, as part of the QPAC First Nations Program which recognises the significant role First Nations Peoples have contributed and continue to contribute to Queensland’s historical, creative and cultural landscapes. QPAC is the performance home for Queensland's leading performing arts companies – Queensland Ballet, Queensland Theatre Company,

Opera Queensland Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in ...

Queensland Youth Orchestras Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO) is one of the state's organisations for orchestral training and performance and is based at the Old Museum building in Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Australia, officially ...

and

Queensland Symphony Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra in the state of Queensland. The orchestra is based in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's building in South Bank. The Orchestra is funded by private corporations, the ...

. In addition, QPAC regularly hosts many of Australia's leading performing arts companies including

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...

, Sydney Dance Company, Australian Chamber Orchestra and

Bangarra Dance Theatre Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance company focused on contemporary dance. It was founded by African American dancer and choreographer Carole Y. Johnson, Gumbaynggirr man Rob Bryant, and South African-bor ...

Performance spaces

*The Lyric Theatre is a

proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...

theatre and is the largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000. It is Brisbane's main venue for

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

s. *The Concert Hall is the second largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 1,600 (1,800 if the choir balcony seats are used). It is Brisbane's main venue for orchestral performances although it is also used for comedy performances, graduation ceremonies, awards presentations and even rock concerts. The venue features a 6,566 pipe Klais

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

which was built in 1986. Due to the overwhelming demand placed on the entire venue for traditional theatrical performances, in 2014 a creative solution was achieved by the addition of a removable proscenium arch and stage mechanisms for the Concert Hall increasing the type of performances possible in this theatre. *The Playhouse is a

theatre and is the third largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 850. The venue was constructed in 1997 and its premiere production was ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

'', with

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. Known for often playing eccentric roles on both stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Geoffrey Rush, numerous accolades, including an Academy Aw ...

in the title role of Figaro, in September 1998. *The Cremorne Theatre is the fourth largest venue in QPAC with a maximum seating capacity of 277. It is a reconfigurable performance space with six configurations (proscenium,

theatre in the round Theatre-in-the-round, also known as arena theatre or central staging, is a theatrical stage configuration in which the audience surrounds the performance area on all sides. Historically rooted in ancient Greece and Rome performance practices, ...

, concert, cabaret, cinema or flat floor).Description with photos of the Cremorne Theatre on the company's website
Retrieved 7 November 2010 Its name has been taken from an earlier venue in the vicinity, the Cremorne Theatre. Located at the entrance to the Cremorne Theatre is the Tony Gould Gallery; it features changing exhibits related to the performing arts, including theatre, opera, ballet, dance, costumes and scenery. The exhibits are organised by the QPAC Museum. *The Fifth Theatre In May 2018, the Queensland Government and QPAC announced funding had been secured for The New Performing Arts Venue to be located on the Playhouse Green, adjacent to the current complex. The new theatre was projected to be completed by late 2022, and planned to seat a minimum of 1,500 patrons.

Associated organisations

Groups with programs at QPAC include: *

* Queensland Ballet * Queensland Theatre Company * Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra *Queensland Pops Orchestra *

* Australian Chamber Orchestra * Australian Brandenburg Orchestra * Oscar Theatre Company * Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra *The QPAC ChoirDescription of the Choir on the company's website
Retrieved 7 November 2010

References

External links

QPAC official websiteQPAC panorama photosQPAC photos and soundQPAC informationQPAC Museum

Lyric Theatre at QPAC
– performances at the theatre (incomplete listing)
Cremorne Theatre at QPAC
– performances at the theatre (incomplete listing)
Playhouse at QPAC
– performances at the theatre (incomplete listing)
Cultural Centre Busway Station map
– includes showing position of QPAC {{Authority control Tourist attractions in Brisbane Theatres in Brisbane Culture of Brisbane Theatres completed in 1985 Brutalist architecture in Australia Performing arts centres in Australia Concert halls in Australia Philip Cox buildings Queensland Cultural Centre 1985 establishments in Australia South Brisbane, Queensland