Overview
The curtains are raising in Brisbane this spring — and summer and next autumn, too — with the city's theatre schedule jam-packed with big-name stage musicals. First, Mary Poppins is flying into QPAC's Lyric Theatre. Next, Brisbanites will finally get their shot to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing Hamilton. And, after that, it'll be time to swoon over Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
That's a whole heap of shows to see — some of the biggest theatre names there currently is, in fact — and your bank balance might be feeling the repercussions. Thankfully, timed with Mary Poppins' arrival, digital ticketing service TodayTix is also sweeping in, complete with its famed (and cheap) lotteries.
If you've tried to score super-affordable tickets to Hamilton ($10!), Moulin Rouge! ($30!) or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child down south, then you'll know how it works. Otherwise, it's incredibly straightforward. To take part in whichever lottery happens to be running in Brisbane at the time, you'll need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week. Well that and cross your fingers that you're selected.
The first Mary Poppins lottery is open now, offering up tickets for $45 per person, and closes at 1pm AEST on Thursday, October 20. Winners will then be drawn between 1–6pm that same day — and if your name is picked, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. You'll want to be glued to your phone that afternoon; if you don't get in within that 60-minute window, your tickets will be given to someone else.
The debut lottery covers performances for dates between Saturday, October 22–Sunday, October 30. From then onwards, you'll be entering on a Friday, then hearing if you're successful on the following Thursday, all for performances that start the next week.
And, if you need a reminder, you'll also be able to sign up for lottery alerts via Today Tix, too.
"After only operating in Australia for over a year before the global shutdown, bringing democratised, user-friendly cultural e-commerce technology to local audiences is more important than ever," said TodayTix Group CEO and co-founder Brian Fenty, announcing the Brisbane launch.
"Through our exciting partnerships with QPAC, Michael Cassel Group and many others, we could not be happier about increasing access to the arts by bringing TodayTix to Brisbane. We are so excited to be partnering with such high-calibre productions right away and look forward to further promoting Brisbane's fantastic cultural offerings.
As for the production of Mary Poppins itself, it hails from Disney and theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh, and tells the same enchanting tale that everyone knows from the hugely popular, five-time Oscar-winning 1964 film — which, as well as inspiring this stage adaptation, also gave rise to big-screen sequel Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. Everything to do with the English governess harks back to PL Travers' books about the character, of course, and pop culture has been thankful for and downright delighted with her stories for almost six decades now.
When it soars through its Brisbane season between Saturday, October 22–Sunday, December 11, local theatre fans can look forward to a new version of the show that last graced Australia's stages — and won eight Helpmann Awards — back in 2011. Since Mackintosh first teamed up with writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) to bring Mary Poppins to the theatre in 2004, the production has won four Olivier Awards and a Tony as well.
Mary Poppins' Brisbane season kicks off on Saturday, October 22 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre. Visit the musical's website for further details. To enter the Today Tix $45 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert.
Images: Daniel Boud.