You’d be forgiven if you thought Magnetic Island in QLD’s far north was just a ‘quiet peaceful place to chill’ for a short holiday. …
Well it is… except when the Stage Door Theatre Restaurant puts on a performance!
The full story is below with a short video compile of the evening we attended!
Watch this short video compile below...
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‘Moulin Rogue’
@ the Stage-Door Theatre Restaurant - Magnetic Island QLD
The Greatest Little Show On Earth!
No, that’s NOT a typo!.... but the name ‘Rogue’ pretty much sums up what the night is all about!
Holidays are often the best way to experience something different. And a Friday night at the Stage-Door Theatre Restaurant on Magnetic Island QLD as part of our 10-day Wedding Anniversary pressie to ourselves, proved to be even better than expected.
More on that in a moment, because most people come to ‘Maggie’ or ‘The Rock’ as some locals call it, to snorkel, dive, go fishing, sailing or just chill on the beautiful tropical beaches. There are 23 to choose from so crowds are never a problem.
Maggie is just a short 25minute ferry ride from Townsville aka ‘Town’ if you’re on foot or 45 minutes if you want to bring your car with you. Less than an hour to leave the world behind you and embrace this unique and tranquil paradise – there’s a great vibe about it.
It’s a small community of about 3,000 people who, having found said Paradise, seem to genuinely like and welcome tourists with open arms – and it’s not just because it helps keep local businesses alive – they’re more than happy to tell you all the reasons you should become a permanent part of the Maggie family.
So after chatting with a few people at the local Horseshoe Bay Sunday Markets (incidentally the best we’ve seen in years with genuine one-off originals and eco-friendly products), one of the locals, a school teacher who lives on Maggie but takes the ferry to ‘Town’ each day for work, suggested we check out the Stage-Door Theatre Restaurant.
Liz mentioned that the food was great and included in the ticket price and the show’s stars regularly update their slightly naughty performances to provide an ‘unforgettable’ live show experience.
Well... not only was Moulin Rogue unforgettable it was thrilling, hilarious and great fun.
Initially before we went, we thought – ok, probably just a couple of locals doing what amounts to ‘amateur theatre’. No problem. We always like to support local venues and events where possible.
But this was no amateur production. In fact, we reckon it was as good as if not better than some major live shows we’ve seen in the past – albeit on a much smaller scale.
Basically ‘Moulin Rogue’ is a tongue-in-cheek send-up of the classic ‘Moulin Rouge’ cabaret that started way back in 1889 in Paris, France but performed here with just two key performers, a great soundo, and some audience participation.
The show stars locals Bernadette Smith and Kevin Wright.
Apart from being a professional comedian, Bernadette is also a marriage celebrant and given her wicked sense of humour enjoys creating lasting memories for all couples be they traditional or same sex couples.
Kevin is a Townsville born and bred carpenter by day, performer by night who - despite suggestions he should go south and pursue a much bigger theatre career – is more than happy to stay in the area and be close to family and friends.
Both are VERY talented, and given what we experienced, we’re surprised they haven’t been ‘picked up’ by any of the larger live theatre or movie production companies!
WHAT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT @ THE MOULIN ROGUE REALLY LIKE?
The night starts @ 5pm and ends around 9:30pm.
Why?... Well a lot of visitors simply catch the ferry over from Townsville, which includes a bus to the venue – a whole 4km’s from the ferry, then they either walk to the local pub for a ‘chaser’ after the show or go back via the 9:40pm bus to catch the 10pm ferry! Very safe.
For the record – they DO do breath-testing on Maggie – Brian was asked to breathe into the little tube earlier in the day in Arcadia by a very nice lady cop from ‘Town’ – and given we’re super careful he was waved on without incident.
The Stagedoor provides a wide range of drinks and cocktails - a little more expensive than say Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne but remember – It’s a ‘remote’ island and things cost more to be brought over from the mainland. And hey… we’re on holiday!
A great choice of beer, wine, spirits and ‘Tropical Cocktails’ such as ‘Foxy Knockers’ and ‘Shaggin On The Beach’ !
Some great music playing in the background as we got to chat with two lovely couples near us. Locals Kevin & Katrina who live in Townsville but have a ‘holiday home’ on the island, and two young travellers from the UK (one of whom had ‘Foxy Knockers’ as it happens) and both loved ‘Shaggin’ on The Beach’ (apparently!!). 😊
Entrees were brought out around 5:30pm followed by dinner a short time later. We were asked when making our booking if we had any dietary requirements – which is crucial for people coeliac disease or nut allergies, or for something just annoying like lactose intolerance which KB has.
(Check out their Gluten Free menu here!)
https://stagedoortheatre.com.au/index.php/menu/
Then the real fun begins!.....
The short video compile above reveals just a small sample of what happened on the night. 😊 – And while we were all laughing our heads off we won’t reveal all as we don’t want to spoil the live experience for you when you visit the island.
And yes! We definitely recommend you experience this show or any others at the Stagedoor Theatre Magnetic Island.
We will back. Don’t forget to book as it’s an intimate venue so tables fill fast – Friday and Saturday nights only!
ABOUT:
THE STAGE DOOR THEATRE – MAGNETIC ISLAND
https://stagedoortheatre.com.au/index.php/about-us/
Bernadette Smith:
https://www.bernadettesmithcelebrant.com/
Kevin Wright:
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/lifestyle/no-better-place-to-call-home-for-townsville-singer/news-story/51bb25889005258b570a3ea40be6cd60
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