The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct.
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 and State Library. It was opened by the Duke of Kent in 1985.
Programming
Each year QPAC hosts around 1,000 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 The Royal Ballet in 2017, Bolshoi Ballet in 2013, Hamburg Ballet, Hamburg State Opera and Hamburg Philharmonic in 2012 and American Ballet Theatre in 2014.
QPAC produces the Out of the Box festival for children 8 years and under, and Clancestry, a festival celebrating the arts and cultural practices of the world's first nations peoples. QPAC is the performance home for Queensland's leading performing arts companies – Queensland Ballet, Queensland Theatre Company, Opera Queensland, Queensland Youth Orchestras and Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In addition, QPAC regularly hosts many of Australia's leading performing arts companies including The Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, Australian Chamber Orchestra and Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Performance spaces
The Lyric Theatre is a proscenium theatre and is the largest venue in QPAC, with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000. It is Brisbane's main venue for musicals, operas and ballets.
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 and awards presentations. The venue features a 6,566 pipe Klaisorgan which was built in 1986.
The Playhouse is a proscenium 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, with Geoffrey Rush in the title role of Figaro, in September 1998.
The Cremorne Theatre is the fourth largest venue in QPAC with a capacity of 200 to 300 depending on its configuration. It is a reconfigurable performance space with six configurations (proscenium, theatre in the round, concert, cabaret, cinema or flat floor). 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.
Name Capacity Main performances
Lyric Theatre 2,000 Musical, Opera, Ballet
Concert Hall 1,600–1,800 Orchestra
Playhouse 850 Theatre, Ballet
Cremorne Theatre 200–300 Theatre, Comedy, Cabaret
Associated organisations
Groups with programs at QPAC include:
Opera Queensland
Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Queensland Ballet
Queensland Theatre Company
Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra
Queensland Pops Orchestra
The Australian Ballet
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Oscar Theatre Company
Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra
The QPAC Choir
From: Date retrieved: 14 January 2018 14:29 UTC
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