Brisbane Festival offers drive-in event at the Ekka
The Brisbane Festival has been reimagined, and part of the show will be Stephen King meets drive-in meets live performance.
Lifestyle
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Be afraid – but not too afraid.
Gold Coast based performance collective The Farm’s live scary movie drive-in experience will freak you out a bit, but it’s more fun than anything, according to Kate Harman, the company’s co-artistic director.
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Throttle is themed part scary movie, part live dance performance with an immersive soundscape and, best of all, you get to see it from your car, drive-in-style, at the Brisbane Showgrounds, home of the Ekka, from September 23 to 26.
It’s one of the highlights of this year’s reimagined Brisbane Festival and Kate Harman, 35, says it’s perfect for a pandemic.
“It’s the best show for COVID ever because you watch it from your car,” Harman says. “We’re pretty pumped to be doing it. It’s really fun and there are some pop-up scares along the way.”
The scaring will be done by the 25 volunteers who join the cast of four for what is essentially a classic horror tale inspired by Stephen King movies, David Lynch and B-grade cinematic fare.
Throttle will be performed by The Farm, with cars parked in a semicircle on the showgrounds and a soundtrack you can listen to on your car stereo. And being a drive-in there’s a car in the show too, a 1979 Volvo. Harman makes mention of a killer car so we assume that’s it although Volvos are usually pretty benign.
Throttle made its world premiere at Bleach festival on the Gold Coast last year, and Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina says now it’s time for Brisbane audiences to experience its thrills and chills.
“Throttle is a high-octane thrill-ride that makes you stare your fears in the eyes,” Bezzina says.
“It has elements of stunts, the thrill of surprises, and the eeriness of a stage lit by car headlights and incredible sound design that comes through your car stereo.
“You never know quite where the action’s coming from or what’s coming next.”
As well as performers from The Farm and those scare-happy volunteers, there will be a motorcycle stunt rider in the show, motocross champ Dan Reardon, and that will make it a little bit like the Ekka you have when you didn’t actually have an Ekka.
There will be a snack bar operating too.
Of course traditionally, couples went to the drive-in to smooch, and Harman says that’s OK.
“People can do that but they might have an audience,” Harman says.
“We hope they watch a bit of the show too.”
More information at the Brisbane Festival website