What’s happening?
Queensland Theatre Company and Shake & Stir Theatre Co are bringing a bold stage reimagining of The Great Gatsby to Queensland this February.
The production premieres at Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre from 5 to 6 February, before moving to QPAC’s Playhouse from 12 February to 8 March. It marks the first collaboration between Queensland’s state theatre company and Shake & Stir.
Set in New York during the summer of 1922, the story follows narrator Nick Carraway and the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, whose fixation on former lover Daisy Buchanan drives the drama.
Why it matters
This production opens QTC’s Season 2026 and continues a strong commitment to regional premieres.
Acting Minister for the Arts Tim Nicholls said the Toowoomba opening reflects a focus on statewide access to major productions.
“The Crisafulli Government’s investment in these celebrated companies underpins our 10-year strategy for arts and culture, Queensland’s Time to Shine,” he said.
“This exciting theatrical collaboration will provide important employment opportunities for the state’s creative workforce and contribute to Queensland’s reputation as an outstanding cultural tourism destination.”
Local impact
The Empire Theatre hosts the premiere, continuing its growing partnership with Queensland Theatre Company.
Empire CEO Giuliana Bonel said the venue’s history makes it a natural fit.
“For more than 100 years, The Empire has entertained audiences and built a cultural legacy,” she said.
“Regional Queensland embraces great stories told well, and we look forward to continuing this creative partnership.”
By the numbers
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The Toowoomba season runs for two days, from 5 to 6 February, before the Brisbane season begins on 12 February.
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The QPAC season spans nearly four weeks, closing on 8 March at the Playhouse Theatre.
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Each performance runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an interval, with tickets starting from $64.
Zoom in
QTC Artistic Director Daniel Evans co-directs the production with Shake & Stir Co-Artistic Director Nick Skubij.
“This season is about giving audiences something big, heart-filled, warm and generous,” Evans said.
“The Great Gatsby is something of a mirage, it shifts and changes with each reading and retelling.”
Shake & Stir co-founder Nelle Lee said respect for the original text was central to the adaptation.
“When we are bringing something from page to stage, we want to do it with respect,” she said.
“We’re talking big characters and bigger dreams and we’re excited to give it a new life.”
Zoom out
The 2026 collaboration marks 20 years of Shake & Stir adapting literary classics, with past works spanning Shakespeare and Frankenstein.
The production also aligns with the Empire Theatre’s history, which opened as a picture house shortly after Fitzgerald’s novel was released in 1925.
What to look for next?
Following the Toowoomba premiere and you can book HERE, the production opens in Brisbane at QPAC’s Playhouse from 12 February, with performances running until 8 March.
🎟 Giveaway
We’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a double pass to The Great Gatsby at The Empire Theatre.
Thanks to The Empire, we’re giving readers the chance to win 1 x double pass to Queensland Theatre Company and Shake & Stir Theatre Co’s bold reimagining of The Great Gatsby.
The production hits The Empire Theatre, Toowoomba, on Thursday 5 February, bringing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic story to life in a high-glamour tale of excess and heartbreak.
How to enter:
Head to our Instagram or Facebook giveaway post and follow the entry steps.
The winner will be contacted directly.
