Queer arts festival MELT returns to the Brisbane Powerhouse this year, extending an open invitation to one and all to come and celebrate works inspired and created by Brisbane’s vibrant LGBTI+ community.
The festival runs from the 17th to the 27th of May, and is jam packed with theatre, dance, improv, and art.
To get you started on this A+ lineup of events, we’ve selected six must-do nights out over the run of the festival – you can view the full programme over at the Brisbane Powerhouse website!
Like Mariah
JD Enterprises in partnership with Brisbane Powerhouse
The spirit of the diva is alive and well! Join singer and cabaret star Josh Daveta as he celebrates the career of the one, the only Mariah Carey.
When: 17th-19th May
More info and tickets here.
For one night only, Camerata, Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, will be teaming up with a selection of stunning guest vocalists to turn 70s, 80s, and 90s love duets on their heads. The songs of Kylie and Jason, Dolly and Kenny, Barbra and Neil, and more, will be reclaimed for LGBTI+ couples, offering a night of music, memories, and love.
When: 19th May
More info and tickets here.
Robert Webb and Benjamin Law: How Not To Be A Boy
Rules for being a man: don’t cry, love sport, play rough, drink beer, don’t talk about feelings.
Comedian and actor Robert Webb, best known for Peep Show and That Mitchell and Webb Look, will sit down with Brisbane writer Benjamin Law to explore the nature of masculinity, told through the lens of Webb’s own life. Dissecting some of the absurd expectations put upon men and boys, How Not To Be A Boy discovers that sometimes you aren’t Luke Skywalker in the story of your life – sometimes you’re Darth Vader.
When: 19th May
More info and tickets here.
It’s time to test the limits of masculinity and decency with Briefs’ iconic brand of circus, drag, burlesque, and comedy. Expect stunning aerial acrobatics, sensual stripteases, biting social commentary, and plenty of colourful language!
When: 23rd – 26th May, 1st – 2nd June
More info and tickets here.
BARE
Presented by Understudy Productions in partnership with Brisbane Powerhouse
A contemporary pop rock LGBTI+ musical, BARE follows a group of high school students grappling with their sexuality at a Catholic boarding school. As the teens put on a production of Romeo & Juliet, tensions flare, with Peter and Jason – young and in love – fighting to balance their fledgling relationship with the need to repress their feelings both at home and at school.
More than twenty of Brisbane’s best and brightest young musical theatre talents are set to star in this energetic production, with Jenny Woodward as Peter’s mother, Claire.
When: 24th May – 2nd June
More info and tickets here.
One of MELT’s showstoppers, the MELT Beauty Pageant will crown the year’s most gorgeous drag queen, drag king, or trans beauty. It’s a real life Drag Race!
Contestants will battle their way through three categories – Graceful Glamourzons, Tremendous Talent, and Costume with a Message – hoping to impress an all-star judging panel and host Tina Bikki.
When: 18th May
More info and tickets here.
Be sure to check out the rest of the programme, and while you’re waiting for the shows to begin, take the time to explore the artworks on display for the MELT Portrait Prize and MELT Visual Art. Both exhibitions are located with the Brisbane Powerhouse and are free to visit for the duration of the festival.
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