Nowhere else is Brisbane's cultural diversity more evident than through the experience of its thriving arts and cultural scene, and the range of entertainment on offer is wide. Queensland Performing Arts Centre (tel: (07) 3840 7444; website: www.qpac.com.au) on the South Bank, is a world class venue with a choice of several auditoriums and theatres, and the city's venue of choice for musicals, plays, ballets, operas and pop concerts.
Music: Big pop concerts take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, also on the South Bank (tel: (07) 3308 3000/63; website: www.bcec.com.au).
Theatre: Brisbane has a number of community theatres, the biggest of which is Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace (tel: (07) 3369 2344; website: www.artstheatre.com.au). The ‘Arts', as it is affectionately called, allows members of the community to be involved in all areas of production, from lighting or costume design to acting and directing. It has been a training ground for many performers (among them Geoffrey Rush) who have gone on to professional careers. The Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm (tel: (07) 3358 8600; website: www.brisbanepowerhouse.org), on the banks of the river, is one of Brisbane's landmark arts centres, presenting cutting-edge local, national and international performances of drama, music, cabaret and comedy. La Boite is an alternative theatre company that performs at the Roundhouse Theatre, 6-8 Musk Avenue in Kelvin Grove (tel: (07) 3007 8600; website: www.laboite.com.au). The Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre, 1 Parkland Boulevard (tel: (07) 3006 4545; website: www.romastreetparkland.com), a recently refurbished open air venue in a subtropical garden, sometimes hosts musical and theatrical performances.
Film: There are several mainstream cinemas on the Queen Street Mall, including Greater Union (tel: (07) 3027 9999; website: www.greaterunion.com.au). The Schonell, on Union Road at the University of Queensland (tel: (07) 3377 2229; website: www.schonell.com.au), opened in 1970 and is Brisbane's original independent arthouse cinema, as well as an intimate venue for small scale theatre productions. It screens a good range of foreign language films and alternative, quality mainstream movies. The Cement Box Theatre is also on site. There are outdoor cinema screenings in summer at the Powerhouse at New Farm Park, 119 Lamington Street (website: www.moonlight.com.au) and sometimes on the South Bank too.
Music: Big pop concerts take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, also on the South Bank (tel: (07) 3308 3000/63; website: www.bcec.com.au).
Theatre: Brisbane has a number of community theatres, the biggest of which is Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace (tel: (07) 3369 2344; website: www.artstheatre.com.au). The ‘Arts', as it is affectionately called, allows members of the community to be involved in all areas of production, from lighting or costume design to acting and directing. It has been a training ground for many performers (among them Geoffrey Rush) who have gone on to professional careers. The Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm (tel: (07) 3358 8600; website: www.brisbanepowerhouse.org), on the banks of the river, is one of Brisbane's landmark arts centres, presenting cutting-edge local, national and international performances of drama, music, cabaret and comedy. La Boite is an alternative theatre company that performs at the Roundhouse Theatre, 6-8 Musk Avenue in Kelvin Grove (tel: (07) 3007 8600; website: www.laboite.com.au). The Roma Street Parkland Amphitheatre, 1 Parkland Boulevard (tel: (07) 3006 4545; website: www.romastreetparkland.com), a recently refurbished open air venue in a subtropical garden, sometimes hosts musical and theatrical performances.
Film: There are several mainstream cinemas on the Queen Street Mall, including Greater Union (tel: (07) 3027 9999; website: www.greaterunion.com.au). The Schonell, on Union Road at the University of Queensland (tel: (07) 3377 2229; website: www.schonell.com.au), opened in 1970 and is Brisbane's original independent arthouse cinema, as well as an intimate venue for small scale theatre productions. It screens a good range of foreign language films and alternative, quality mainstream movies. The Cement Box Theatre is also on site. There are outdoor cinema screenings in summer at the Powerhouse at New Farm Park, 119 Lamington Street (website: www.moonlight.com.au) and sometimes on the South Bank too.