WITH a West End hit, a female King Lear, gay dinosaurs and Shortis and Simpson on the menu, it’s obvious that entertainment is very much on the mind of The Q’s artistic director and programming manager, Jordan Best.

Her second season for Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre was announced this evening (November 28) with the usual razzmatazz and she promised Q followers she would “inspire, provoke, and perhaps even provide a catalyst for change”.

It’s the 15th year of operations at The Q, which opened in 2008, and it’s obvious that Best has young people in her sights, with a 50-minute family show “Boop” by Statera Circus; The Beanies EGG-Straordinary Day; Adam Deusien’s gay dinosaur climate-change parable “Triceratop”; Roald Dahl’s twosome “The Twits” are presented by shake & stir theatre co; Redline Productions’ “Just, Live On Stage” brings the “JUST” books by Andy Griffiths to life on the stage; “Wild Thing”, a new Australian play by Suzanne Hawley, tells of sea eagles and pole dancing, of children and childhood dreams; Echo Youth returns with Matt Cox’s “Puffs”, targeted to “certain-boy-wizard fans” and “The Alphabet of Awesome Science” makes a return appearance.

New talent will be seen in 2022 Q Ambassador Rachel Pengilly’ s new play “Legacies”. It is set in 1868 in the middle of the ocean and based on the true story of the Arran Stowaways, who were discovered by Capt Watt on board his ship.

In a major coup for The Q, Sheridan Harbridge reprises her role in the one-person legal drama “Prima Facie” for one performance only, in April. Written by former lawyer Suzie Miller and directed by Lee Lewis, this production, produced by Griffin Theatre Company, arrives at The Q after sell-out seasons in Sydney and Brisbane and a new production on The West End.

The 2023 season, Best says, will also bring literary classics to the stage, not least in “Little Women The Musical”, directed by Ylaria Rogers; “Tim,” a new Australian play by Tim McGarry based on Colleen McCullough’s novel and Echo Theatre’s second production, Shakespeare’s “King Lear” with Karen Vickery in the lead and directed by Joel Horwood.

There’ll be comedy from Garry Starr, the alter-ego of Australian/British actor and comedian Damien Warren-Smith, who appears in “Garry Starr Performs Everything.”

“Coil” blurs the boundaries of theatre and cinema in a new work from “re:group” performance collective, which pays tribute to the glory days of the video store and the communities we made within them.

And there’s more entertainment.

Shortis and Simpson bring their latest instalment of “Under the Influence”, this time with Michael (Mikelangelo) Simic.

Australian singer Bloom performs the hits of sings the Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt and Carole King

Pianist Konstantin Shamray performs romantic piano works including Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and masterworks by Liszt, Ravel and Prokofiev.

Australian Tenor Paul Ettore Tabone returns home for “Golden Days: The Songs from Movies and Musicals”.