Brisbane audiences will be the first in Australia to dive into the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s (QPAC) and CDP Theatre Producers’ production of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical when the beloved tale takes centre stage for its Australian premiere in a Queensland debut season next June.
Presented as part of QPAC’s acclaimed children’s festival, Out of the Box, the production will open at QPAC’s Playhouse on 23 June and run until 11 July 2027, before continuing north to Cairns, to complete its premiere season at Cairns Performing Arts Centre from 15 to 17 July 2027.
The inaugural Australian season of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy said the production celebrated the magic of live theatre, bringing a beloved story from the screen to the stage.
“We are delighted to host the Australian premiere of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical as part of QPAC’s children’s festival, Out of the Box, and to welcome audiences from across Queensland and beyond to experience this remarkable show.
Few stories are as closely connected to Australia’s natural wonders as Finding Nemo. Bringing this much-loved movie to life on stage in Queensland creates a wonderful connection between story and place.
We’re proud to be partnering with Cairns Performing Arts Centre to have an exclusive Queensland premiere in both Brisbane and Cairns, and are grateful to the Queensland Government for enabling this season through Tourism and Events Queensland funding support.”
Inspired by the Academy Award®-winning animated film, Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical follows the journey of a brave young clownfish, his overprotective father Marlin, and their unforgettable friend Dory.
Directed by Liesel Badorrek, Nemo and his underwater entourage are brought to life through beautiful handcrafted puppetry, featuring designs by award-winning designer Isla Shaw and puppets by Australian puppetry company Things of Foam and Wood.
Under the musical direction of Michael Tyack and featuring the book, music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the award-winning team behind Frozen, the production transports audiences beneath the waves in a captivating theatrical adaptation of the iconic film.
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said securing the Australian premiere was another win for Queensland’s growing events pipeline.
“We said we would deliver more events, and the Crisafulli Government is delivering on that commitment as part of its plan to cement Queensland as the events capital of Australia.
Finding Nemo will bring families to Brisbane and Cairns, support local jobs and businesses, and encourage visitors to stay longer in both our capital and our regional communities.
From the Barrier Reef to the big stage, this production gives us an opportunity to celebrate Queensland as a place where our environment, events, culture and world-class tourism experiences go hand in hand.”
Queensland Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the Australian premiere would be a highlight of next year’s Out of the Box festival.
“The Crisafulli Government is proud to support QPAC’s Out of the Box festival, which has welcomed more than one million children since 1992. Next year’s festival will bring together local, national, and international talent to engage children through a number of interactive, multi-sensory and premiere productions – headlined by this remarkable stage adaptation of Finding Nemo.
Through our Queensland’s Time to Shine strategy, the Crisafulli Government is committed to delivering arts for all Queenslanders, including our youngest audiences – recognising the role of arts engagement in learning outcomes, wellbeing and social connection.”
CDP Producer Yolande White said the production is the result of a remarkable creative journey, shaped by imagination, craftsmanship and collaboration.
“Bringing Nemo, Dory, Bruce and the colourful characters of the ocean to the stage has been an extraordinary creative journey for our team. There are many creative development stages involved in bringing this production to life, from early illustrations and design concepts through to the careful hand-crafted creation of the puppets and the theatrical production itself.
Premiering this production in Queensland, where the story’s inspiration started, makes this premiere season particularly special.”
Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical is the flagship production for QPAC’s internationally acclaimed children’s festival, Out of the Box, returning in 2027 from 22 to 27 June.
Tickets for Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical will go on sale to the public from Monday 9 November from 9am AEST via QPAC’s website.
This production is based on the book adapted by Lindsay Anderson, with music and orchestrations adapted and arranged by Myrna Conn. Based on the 2003 Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo, written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds, and directed by Andrew Stanton, the production is licensed exclusively by Musical Theatre International (Australasia).
Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo: A 60-Minute Family Musical runs 23 June – 11 July 2027 at the Playhouse QPAC in Brisbane as part of the Out of the Box festival.
It then runs in Cairns from 15 – 17 July 2027.
Tickets on sale Monday 9 November at 9am. Join QPAC’s family waitlist here.
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