A musical built around roller skates, Greek gods and disco music feels very much like somebody lost a dare in the 1980s — which is exactly why Xanadu still has such a loyal following.
The cult musical is heading to Brisbane this month for a five-show season at the Ron Hurley Theatre, bringing with it a lot of sequins, a live band and what might be the most unapologetically theatrical premise ever committed to a stage.
If you’ve never encountered Xanadu before, the plot goes something like this: a magical muse named Kira leaves Mount Olympus and lands in Venice Beach to inspire a struggling artist named Sonny Malone. Naturally, this eventually leads to roller discos, love stories and a soundtrack filled with Electric Light Orchestra songs.
It’s based on the 1980 film starring Olivia Newton-John, which developed a cult following over the years largely because people either completely get Xanadu or they absolutely do not. The stage musical leaned into the absurdity of the original film rather than trying to tone it down, and that’s part of what’s kept it around.
Brisbane performers Nykita O’Keeffe and Croft Phillips are leading this production as Kira and Sonny. Both recently performed in The Last Ship at QPAC alongside Sting and Shaggy, while O’Keeffe recently made her QPAC debut in Little Shop of Horrors.
The cast also includes Chris Kellett as Danny/Zeus, alongside Samantha Sherrin, Kennedy Foley, Ashleigh Mitchell, Molly Campbell, Sophia Marzano, Peter Wood, Jaya and Sam Caruana as the muses. Behind the scenes, the production is bringing together a creative team with plenty of experience across Brisbane’s theatre scene. Director Timothy Wynn previously worked on Head Over Heels and Every Brilliant Thing, while choreographer Jennifer B Ashley has credits including Shane Warne: The Musical and A Night With The Villains. Musical direction comes from Rae Rose, with a live four-piece band led by Ruby Tate.
The visual side of the show also sounds very committed to the full 80s fantasy. Costume design comes from Jackie Fredericksen, while Rosie Humphreys is handling hair, makeup and set design. Brisbane audiences may already know Humphreys’ work from Wondered and A Night With The Villains.
The production marks a major step for Mira Ball Productions, which has built a following through smaller-scale productions over the past few years and is now moving into major musical theatre.
Producer Elodie Boal says the team behind the show reflects the scale of what the company wants to create moving forward.
“This is an incredibly exciting team and cast to be bringing together for Xanadu, and a big step for Mira Ball Productions as we move into presenting musicals.
“The calibre of talent behind this project speaks exactly to the world of Xanadu. It’s going to be bold, electric, camp and entertaining — and that’s exactly the kind of work we want audiences to know us for.”
Elodie Boal
And really, “bold, electric, camp and entertaining” does sum up the whole appeal of Xanadu. Not every musical needs to be deeply serious or emotionally devastating. Sometimes you just want to watch Greek muses on roller skates under some shimmery disco lights.
WHAT: Xanadu
WHEN: 24 to 24 May 2026
WHERE: Ron Hurley Theatre
TICKETS: Tickets for Xanadu are priced from $50 and are available here.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
