Our Story

Our Beginnings

In the early 1960s the Australian Elizabethan Trust announced its plans for each state to have its own drama company, which they thought would be much better than having just one company to cover the whole nation.

The School of Arts (2009)
L-R Andrew Legg, Sophia Emberson-Bain,
Bille Brown and Christine Amor

A few years later in Queensland, the State Government Insurance Office (SGIO) announced a decision to include a theatre-auditorium in its new multi-stored office complex. News of this reached Cabinet level, and came under the notice of the newly-formed Department of Cultural Activities. The Hon. Mr AR Fletcher MLA was then Minister for Education and Cultural Activities and Mr Arthur Creedy was Director of Cultural Activities. Both men played a vital role in the formation and incorporation of Queensland Theatre Company.

On February 1969, the Board of Queensland Theatre Company was appointed, headed by Sir David Muir CMG. Twelve weeks later, on 26 June 1969 the Board announced its inaugural production, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, by Peter Shaffer.

Pending the appointment of an Artistic Director, the Board invited Bryan Nason to be guest director. The play was presented with a semi-professional cast at the SGIO theatre from 1 – 18 October 1969 with around 8,000 people attending.

There are a large number of people who attended The Royal Hunt of the Sun - or even starred in it - who are still coming to Queensland Theatre Company productions today. Some of our audience members have seen every single play Queensland Theatre Company has performed since 1969 – incredible!

The search for an Artistic Director

The Board advertised across Australia, Great Britain and USA for the position of Artistic Director. On 8 August 1969 it announced the Appointment of Alan Edwards as Artistic Director. He took up the post on 17 November that same year.

As Alan has said about the time, "My earliest thoughts were to choose plays that might firstly get an audience … Any company must first find an audience."

1970 – the Company becomes professional

1970 was the first year of the Company’s professional operations and a Bill to incorporate it as a Statutory Body was introduced into the State Parliament. The Bill was approved by Parliament and Royal Assent was given on 10 April 1970. This was a first in Australia, until then no State had incorporated its own theatre company by an Act of Parliament. This date now marks the Company’s anniversary and we look forward to celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2010.

In introducing the Bill which became the Queensland Theatre Company Act 1970 to Parliament, Mr Fletcher stated, "The formation of the Queensland Theatre Company is a natural, logical and necessary stage in the growth of the creative and performing arts in this lusty young state."

First Educational Activity – Schools Touring

On 1 March 1970, the Company presented its first fully professional production by the Young Elizabethan Players (a small company of 5 artists recruited and rehearsed in Brisbane) at the SGIO Theatre for one week before touring to city and country schools for a 21 week season. The production included three programs written around the Senior and Junior English syllabi - The Jewel in the Toad, A great Prince in Prison Lies and Words and Music, directed by Murray Foy. You can read a full list of all our education performances and touring work here.

First Major Company Production

For the bi-centenary of Captain Cook celebrations and especially for the Royal Performance on 13 April 1970, the Company presented the world premiere of the new Australian musical A Rum Do, with book and lyrics by Rob Inglis and music by Robin Wood.

This was the first major production for the Company in the sense that it was the first fully professional production to be mounted by the Company under its appointed Artistic Director, Alan Edwards.

The Royal Performance was attended by Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Her Royal Highness, the Princess Anne. This was the first occasion a stage company had given a royal performance in Australia – an honour for such a young company. It is unique in the history of Australian theatre.

Since 1970, the Company has continued to produce an annual season of plays for the main stage to inspire and entertain as well as nurturing many of Australia’s best know actors, directors, designers and playwrights. We’ve played an integral part in the changing face of the arts in Australia. Here are just a few familiar faces who started out at Queensland Theatre Company:

Geraldine Turner in A Rum Do (1970)
Bille Brown in The Wrong Side of the Moon (1971)
Carol Burns in Twelfth Night (1972)
Kate Wilson (now Kate Foy, our current Chair of the Board) in Juno and the Paycock (1973)
Barry Otto in Puss in Boots (1972)
Geoffrey Rush as Snoopy in You’re a good man, Charlie Brown (1972)

Since its inception, the Company has also had a strong history of development programs and is dedicated to artistic growth across the state. As well as regular touring, there’s our regional, emerging artists and writing programs, which includes the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award. We also place a lot of emphasis on encouraging young people to be involved in the arts through the company's youth & education program, with specially devised education performances, theatre skills courses, a playwriting program and more. All these areas offer exciting opportunities for theatre artists, provide new ways for audiences to interact with us and are part of our commitment to building a richer Queensland.

We invite you to share your story about how Queensland Theatre Company has inspired or entertained you.

"I have such vivid memories of Hadrian VII as it was my first Queensland Theatre Company production and the first full-length, live production I had ever seen ... and it was wonderful! I saw it on Saturday afternoon and it cost 50c which was less than the cost of a seat at the movies ... We have subscribed each year since, except for one ... One of the most memorable events was The Tempest in the park. A storm, with lighting and thunder, occurred at just the right moment but luckily, no rain. It was very atmospheric."

Pauline, Season Ticket Holder since Hadrian VII, 1971.