In 1925, actor and drama teacher Barbara Sisley, who had recently returned from a year’s study in London, decided to form the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society.

A century on, that company – now known as La Boite Theatre – is celebrating its 100th birthday.

La Boite’s 2017 production of Michelle Law’s Single Asian Female, in which Courtney Stewart made her professional debut. Photo © Dylan Evans

“It’s amazing and against all the odds,” says La Boite’s Artistic Director Courtney Stewart, “not just because La Boite is a small but mighty theatre company, but because cultural institutions across the nation have always kind of hit above their weight. It’s such an amazing milestone for us, but also for the sector.”

The anniversary will be celebrated with a fundraising 100th Birthday Gala at La Boite Theatre on Saturday 5 July.

The history of La Boite can be explored in an archive on the company’s website, which features historical news stories, articles, theatre programs, reviews and photographs, collated decade by decade.

“I’ve pored over the archive and I’ve pored over the book by Christine Comans [La Boite: The Story of an Australian Theatre...