What’s happening?
Queensland Theatre Company (QTC) has announced its Season 2026 program, themed All Feeling. No Filter. The new season marks the first programmed by QTC’s new Artistic Director, Daniel Evans, and promises a year filled with raw emotion, humanity and creative collaboration.
Season 2026 features eight mainstage productions across Queensland, including four at QTC’s Bille Brown Theatre, three at QPAC’s Playhouse, one at Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre and one at QPAC’s new Glasshouse Theatre. Coinciding with the launch, QTC also reaffirmed its full name, Queensland Theatre Company, to recognise the collaborative community of artists and supporters behind it.
The 2026 season opens with an opulent reimagining of The Great Gatsby, which will make its Queensland debut at The Empire Theatre in Toowoomba from 5–6 February before transferring to Brisbane’s QPAC Playhouse from 12 February to 8 March. This adaptation, created in partnership with the independent Shake & Stir Theatre Company, promises to immerse audiences in the glamorous and turbulent world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age novel.
Other highlights include Torch the Place, a debut play by Queensland-raised writer Benjamin Law, running from 10–29 March at the Bille Brown Theatre; The Sapphires, directed by former Artistic Director Wesley Enoch, running 28 April–24 May; Pride & Prejudice, returning from 10–26 July at QPAC’s Playhouse; Do Not Go Gentle, Strong is the New Pretty, Small Mouth Sounds, and a grand finale staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods in November at QPAC’s Glasshouse Theatre.
Why it matters
Season 2026 marks a major milestone for QTC as it embraces new creative leadership while continuing to champion storytelling that reflects Queensland’s identity. Daniel Evans said, “Season 2026 invites you to sit in your ‘big feelings’, not only to entertain and inspire, but hold you as you experience the full gamut of human emotion.”
“This is a season that takes bold risks, we’re reimagining classics, setting the agenda with unmissable premieres and collaborating on ambitious and heart-thumping productions,” Evans said. “I am deeply proud to present my first season as Artistic Director, with a season that’s conceived as a declaration and offered as a gift. Every work is programmed as an event in its own right.”
Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek MP commended the program, saying, “Queensland Theatre Company, one of our great storytellers, is delivering a 2026 season of work set to delight, inspire and connect artists, audiences and communities from across Queensland and beyond.”
“The Crisafulli Government proudly supports QTC to deliver on the priorities of Queensland’s Time to Shine: 10-year strategy for arts and culture by sharing our stories, creating and presenting high quality theatre for all Queenslanders, and providing career pathways and employment for Queensland artists and arts workers,” he said.
QTC Chief Executive Criena Gehrke said, “Season 2026 exemplifies what makes Queensland Theatre Company unique: a place where world-class performances meet a distinctly Queensland spirit. This season is daring and dazzling, grounded in humanity and diversity to present a true reflection of the community we serve.”
By the numbers
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Eight mainstage productions across the 2026 program, staged in Brisbane and Toowoomba.
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Three major collaborations with Opera Queensland, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Shake & Stir Theatre Company.
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Two regional performances in Toowoomba, including the debut of The Great Gatsby at The Empire Theatre.
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Up to 20% ticket savings available through season packages, with tickets on sale from 8 October 2025.
Zoom in
The Empire Theatre in Toowoomba will play a key role in the 2026 season launch, hosting The Great Gatsby ahead of its Brisbane run. This event highlights QTC’s continued commitment to engaging regional audiences. The lavish reimagining of Fitzgerald’s classic novel will transport audiences into the world of the Jazz Age with flappers, bootleggers and heartbreak.
Minister Langbroek said the move reaffirms QTC’s dedication to reaching regional communities, adding, “I commend the Company’s commitment to again open its season with stellar live theatre performances in Toowoomba.”
Zoom out
Beyond its mainstage lineup, QTC’s 2026 program amplifies emerging voices, supports First Nations storytelling, and builds creative pathways for young artists. Under the guidance of Head of First Nations Theatre, Isaac Drandić, new works will be developed in Gimuy (Cairns), including Forgotten Songlines and Biw a Githalay (The Crab and The Mangrove Tree).
Drandić said, “In bringing our stories to the stage, we continue to communicate our ideas, share our knowledge with a wider audience and shine a spotlight on the narratives and issues that are truly important.”
The Education and Young People program will also expand to include technical and production skills, culminating in a student-led performance of Matthew Whittet’s School Dance.
Local impact
Toowoomba audiences will experience the state’s premier theatre season first, with The Great Gatsby debuting at The Empire Theatre. The move reinforces regional engagement and celebrates the region’s growing role in Queensland’s performing arts scene.
What to look for next
Keep an eye out—The Toowoomba Minute will soon be giving readers a chance to win tickets to The Great Gatsby at The Empire Theatre. Stay tuned for our upcoming giveaway announcement.