Review: Constellations
Picture : Image supplied (NOT a Creative Futures Photography image)
Allentertainment continues to bring some very special pieces of theatre to the Brisbane stage. Following the excellent PIP Theatre We Were Promised Honey and Lovesong, Director Harrison Allen has reprised their successful production of Constellations. In the true sense of all of the world being a stage, this latest production is presented in the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium. A perfect choice for Nick Payne’s impressive two-hander, Constellations.
Constellations is a clever piece of writing that touches on cosmology, quantum mechanics, string theory and assisted dying; but don’t let that catalogue of themes put you off. Constellations is a story of boy meets girl. A cosmologist and a beekeeper meet and fall in love, and the often-split-second decisions they make across their relationship lead to different outcomes. Setting this love story underneath the planetarium dome is an inspired choice, as the 360-degree dome is a fantastic set for the show—from the vast skies and trees of the barbeque where they met, through to picnics under the stars, conversations at home, and dance classes in an impressive hall. The cosmos becomes part of the show, providing an intimate experience for the audience to engage with the intimate ‘in the round’ performance.
Picture (L to R): A beekeeper (Kyle Fenlon) meets a physicist (Anna-Rose van der Wiel). Image supplied - NOT a Creative Futures Photography image.
Picture: Impressive use of the planetarium dome for the sets (Image supplied - NOT a Creative Futures Photography image).
Picture: Excellent choreography (Image supplied - NOT a Creative Futures Photography image).
For the 2026 production, Allen has cast two couples in the roles of Roland and Marianne. I was fortunate to see the stellar ‘cast b’ team, staring Anna-Rose van der Wiel as Marianne, and Kyle Fenlon as Roland. The casting is vitally important in this episodic play, as the actors switch from scene to scene, giving the audience different emotional approaches and outcomes across the various situations. The play shifts across and around time, where several scenes are revisited in quick succession, while others later reappear. van der Wiel gives a standout performance as the brilliant and enthusiastic theoretical physicist; by the end of the show I almost felt I could explain string theory (that moment has now passed!). Equally, Fenlon is an excellent choice for the role of the patient and grounded beekeeper—at times passionate, caring, confused, emotional, and even aggressive.
Highlights in the show included the entertaining dance lesson discussions, and the passionate dance and ‘night after’ variants (Heidi Gledhill, Intimacy Coordinator). The poignant scenes at the end of play where the themes of assisted dying are movingly explored are particularly special, thanks to the excellent work between the two actors (in the interests of not providing spoilers I won’t explain why). All of which means I strongly recommend Constellations. I am sure it will encourage audience members to reflect on their own spilt-second decisions, and the ‘what if’ outcomes that might been. Buy a ticket if you can, queue up to select a seat at or near the front, and thank me later.
Audience information: Constellations, Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, Mt Coot-tha, QLD 4066 (15 October-21 November 2026). Mature themes, some coarse language, occasional sexual references, and themes of illness/assisted dying—15+ suggested. 70 minutes (no interval). Tickets $50-65, plus $4.55 booking fee.
Additional credits: Megan Dale and Michael Smith (Cast A)
Produced by Allentertainment.
The reviewer attended the 23 October 2026, 7pm show.