Review: Firebringer

**Image**: *Firebringer* curtain call (*credit Creative Futures Photography*)

Firebringer is a StarKid comedy musical, set in the stone age but with lots of contemporary references (music and lyrics by Meredith Stepien and Mark Swiderski, book by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Brian Holden, and arranged by Clark Baxtresser and Pierce Siebers). First performed in North America in 2016, this 2025 homage to the StarKid genre is brought to the Brisbane stage courtesy of PIP Theatre, IQ Productions and a team of talented performers and creatives.

If you haven’t watched the YouTube channel, followed the social media, or looked out for the downloads and concerts, there are ample opportunities to find a lot of detailed information about Firebringer and StarKid. Which is just as well, as the show is awash with sub-plots and includes 18 song and dance numbers. My 20-second summary is that Firebringer is the story of everyday cave folk, the impact of the accidental discovery of fire, and the choices we all make in life—including where to find the next meal, who we want to be with, whether we want to work hard or take the easier route, and how to save the planet from humankind.

Two of the many things I love about going to PIP Theatre are the sheer variety of shows that the team attracts to the Milton stage, and also seeing how all of the creatives use the space. Firebringer calls for 12 performers, and this production also benefits from a band of 5 (under the watchful musical direction of Benjamin Richards), making this the largest cast I have seen on the PIP Theatre stage. Firebringer will also linger in my memory for the high-quality work on the puppets, with great set, costume, and puppet design by Breanna Gear. It was easy to see why the animated Keeri (the talented Kaitlyn Burton) took a moment to cuddle up to the Snarl in Act 2.

The creatives attracted a strong cast for this production (Isabelle Quayle, Producer, Breanna Gear. Associate Producer, and Louella Baldwin, Director)—in particular Jemilla (Lucy Ross), Molag (Rae Rose), Zazzalil (Kaitlin Evans), Molag (Rae Rose), and Ducker (Reagan Warner). Ross has great stage presence, a strong voice, and excellent comic timing. Evans is a captivating Zazzalil and an unsurprising choice as Vocal Captain, with a lovely voice—although I wasn’t too convinced that Zazzalil was the lazier member of the tribe, as Evans had some great dance moves. Rose was a good choice as ‘narrator’ and truth-teller, and Warner brings strong vocals and great acting to the role of Ducker.

My favourite moments of the evening were the interactions between Ross and Rose, and between Ross and Evans: Ross’s reactions to Rose’s unpicking of the ‘traditions’ of the tribe made for a very funny scene, and the later reconciliation between Zazzalil and Jemilla was as entertaining as it was inevitable. The role of Ducker is comedy ‘gold,’ and Warner made the most of the opportunities to entertain as the ‘priest’ who is looking for the driest spot in the cave.

But I could easily have provided a much longer list of favourite moments. Each of the performers has the opportunity to showcase their comedic skills and musical talents—and to demonstrate some enthusiastic and polished dance moves. Look out for Ally Hickey’s goofy and funny Emberly—particularly in the duets and work with Kyle Armstrong (a great Grunt). Madeline Harper (Shwoopsie) and Ruby Gleeson (Tiblyn) brought just the right amount of pathos and comic timing to the show, particularly in the second Act, and Loretta Melit (Chorn), Christopher Batkin (Smelly-Balls) and Isaac Brown (Neanderthal) each relished the opportunities for some entertaining comic business.

I am sure everyone in the cast and audience had their ‘top three’ song and dance list, but my personal favourites of the night were the ‘Duck Is Lord,’ ‘We Got Work to Do,’ and ‘Together’—thanks to the strong vocals of the leads (Ross, Evans and Warner), the enthusiastic singing and dancing of the ensemble (with great work by Kaitlin Evans, Vocal Captain, and Kaitlyn Burton, Dance Captain), the hard work of the musical director, and Isabelle Quayle’s excellent choreography.

I have two areas where I’d personally like to see changes. Licensing does not always allow, but I would love this musical to be a little shorter and to perhaps include some topical references. Some of the energy dropped away in the second Act, possibly due to the large number of duologues that pull together the various sub-plots, and ‘pantomime-style’ contemporary references would have added to the experience. Secondly, American accents are great when a show calls for a particular dialect, but I would have preferred a more consistent use of Australian accents across all of the characters.

Firebringer does have some frequent coarse language (mainly the repetition of the F-word), so it’s probably not ideal for under 12s or those who prefer musicals such as Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls or Oklahoma. However, the preview audience was treated to an enthusiastic performance, and I am sure that StarKid’s fans will be flocking to this show.

Catherine Lawrence

**Picture**: *Firebringer* (*Image credit: Creative Futures Photography).*

Audience information: Firebringer, PIP Theatre, 20 Park Road, Milton QLD 4064 (3-12 April 2025, 7:30pm [with additional 2:30pm shows on 5 & 12 April]). Adult Themes and some strong coarse language—14+ suggested. 150 minutes, including 20-minute interval. Tickets $56-$61 ($45 for preview only) plus $3.30 booking fee.

The reviewer attended the 3 April 2025 7:30pm preview.

Geoff Lawrence