The Five Best Things to See at the Anywhere Festival 2015

We’re not a fan of judging performances by their titles, but the name Phantom Panda Power Wizard Master Smasher just makes you want to devour whatever it is they’re showing. That’d be a galaxy-destroying orchestra from space that combines outrageous arrangements of Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons live and in synch with appropriate projected footage. Who isn’t excited about that? Music-wise, expect an immersive mashup of metal, jazz, world and a plethora of other genres performed by 11 virtuosic performances. Visuals-wise, expect an interstellar light display, smoke machines, bubbles, space jellyfish and lasers. Yep, this is a show that really does sound like it will live up to its moniker.

Cars and Australian suburban culture go hand in hand. In 1973, author Henry Williams was working in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge when he wrote the novel, My Love Had a Black Speed Stripe, an ode to the Holden Monaro centred around a racist, misogynist bully named Ron who’s more than a little obsessed with his dream set of wheels. Fast-forward to decades later, and the lost Australian classic has been doing the rounds on stage for a few years. If you’ve previously missed what amounts to a black comedy of circus, mime, body percussion, film and car-porn poetry, here’s your chance to check it out. You’ll laugh, and you’ll see the iconic Monaro presented as a living, breathing organism.

Fancy your skills as an amateur sleuth? Fond of playing How to Host a Murder and Cluedo? Well, now you can take your penchant for murder-mystery game playing to the next level, by really getting into the thick of a detective plot. Journey out to the heritage-listed Woodlands Mansion just outside of Ipswich, where you’ll get entwined in a theatrical, interactive event that’s part performance, part fine-dining experience. You’ll be entertained, intrigued and enjoy a full evening of extravagance and educated guesses. We don’t think the culprit will be Mrs Peacock, in the study, with a candlestick — but the only way you’ll know for sure is by going along.

The third time’s the charm for Scott Wings, as he brings his latest show to Anywhere Theatre Festival for the third year in a row. Well, each time has proven the charm for the award-winning performance artist, really; however, here, he’s trying something his fans might not expect. In Colossi, imaginary creatures clash with imaginary friends in a playful one-man piece that promises to be physical and poetic. Wings himself describes it as “a yin to the yang of my previous show, Icarus Falling”, and it takes place on a bridge in a mini-rainforest, so audiences really are in for something different.

Welcome to the Awesome Ocean Party, aka the party you never knew you always wanted to go to. Your host is half human and half octopus, and she’ll be telling you a tale of love, loss, longing and legends of amphibious family histories at her birthday celebration. At this surreal and silly shindig, you’ll share a drink, eat some cake and perhaps make a new friend or two. You’ll also enjoy the public premiere of Giema Contini’s first solo work, with one of Brisbane’s most celebrated performers branching out after her time working with La Boite Theatre Company, Motherboard Productions and Dead Puppet Society.