Queensland Performing Arts Centre to hold 40th birthday open day with ABC Brisbane
To celebrate its 40th birthday QPAC will be taking visitors behind the curtain to see the "crazy and frenetic" inner workings of Queensland's premier theatre.
The QPAC 40 Open Day will be held on August 31 with the support of ABC Brisbane.
Crowds gather at the QPAC Theatre in 1985 for its opening day. ( Supplied: QPAC )
The day will be marked with free performances, activities, and guided backstage tours through the labyrinthian innards of Queensland's largest theatre.
There will also be an exhibition showcasing props, costumes, and nostalgic bric-a-brac from shows past.
Backstage madness
Helen Sims says QPAC has a weird and wonderful history. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato )
Collections manager Helen Sims has been digging through the theatre's archives to unearth pieces of stagecraft from the 1980s onwards.
Ms Sims said these provided a glimpse into the "frenetic" work done behind the scenes to get these mammoth productions off the ground.
"It looks so slick and beautiful on the stage, but behind the curtain it's just madness," Ms Sims said.
"What we're uncovering is everybody's memories, everybody's stories, and the work behind the work."
Erica Hart discovers bells owned by drag performer Denis Melksham. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato )
Collections officer Erica Hart said she had pored through over 80,000 items to curate the exhibition.
Ms Hart said this included an old but legendary film reel of comedian Gerry Connolly mocking the Queensland's former premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen to his face.
That film will be screened at the theatre on the day, among other highlighted moments from QPAC's history.
Ms Hart said it would be a "very eclectic" exhibition reflective of the state's unconventional approach to theatre.
"The arts explain who we are, I believe," Ms Hart said.
"Queensland has a very unusual performing arts history."
A copy of the open day schedule can be found on the QPAC website.
In the days leading up to Open Day, ABC Brisbane will be bringing you behind-the-scenes stories from QPAC's history.
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