August 20. Day 233. For lovers and dreamers and me

Yve Blake goes all Fan Girl

I'm relatively sure that when Queensland Theatre artistic director Sam Strong was putting together the 2019 season his inspiration did not come from Kermit the Frog. And yet that's where my mind went at the launch at Rydges Hotel tonight. Specifically, the song Rainbow Connection was in my head.
"Some day we'll find it, the rainbow connection for lovers and dreamers and me".
The fact that the slogan for the season is "A Season of Dreamers" probably formed the (rainbow) connection in my brain. But it wasn't just that. When Sam took to the podium to announce the season he talked about a uniting theme of optimism even when the situation is not sunshine and rainbows.  It is a season about lovers in its own way. Fangirls by Yve Blake is about "A poorly understood force of nature" the teenage girl and just how far that girl will go in the pursuit of love, the unrequited love of the boy band lead singer.

Joanna Murray-Smith brings out my inner fan girl

Storm Boy, based on the beloved novel of the same name, is a story about a boy and pelicans. As every Australian of my generation knows it about love loss and letting go. It's bring a large case of Kleenex stuff.
And Joanna Murray-Smith's L'Appartment takes an Aussie couple of the city of love Paris to reconnect three years after the birth of twins. Joanna is one of Australia's smartest play writers and I can't wait to see what she achieves on her directorial debut.
We'll also see City of Gold which author Meyne Wyatt told the crowd would "piss some people off". Excellent. We love a bit of political incendiary. Throw in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, one of the greatest plays of all time, Hydra, a true love story about the writing of My Brother Jack  and a modern adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone and you really do have a season full of possibilities and excitement. I love it. Yes, Sam Strong has programmed a 2019 season for lovers, for dreamers and me....
You can hear Oliver and I discuss the 2019 season here.

Jason Klarwein will direct Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller's towering classic

Queensland Theatre's Artistic Director Sam Strong ... a dreamer

Meyne Wyatt promises to "Piss some people off"

Ursula Yovich a writer and star of Barbara and the Camp Dogs a play described as "A rock'n'roll family reunion that will break your heart and fill it with songs"

Travis Dowling who will direct the final show of the season Antigone