Aussie arts talent is alive and kicking if the 2014 Brisbane festival line-up is anything to go by. Guardian Australia will be there in person from 6 September when festivities kicks off, interviewing the big names and seeking out the breakout stars.

But from old favourites to fresher talents, here are some artists from Australia’s own backyard worth checking out alongside the international visitors:

The Shrink and Swell of Knots

Australian actor Ben Grant creates a show that marries the physicality of labour with psychological metaphors of untangling yourself from tricky situations. The story begins with a coffin and ends with a raft, a transformation left to unravel over time in the audience’s mind.

See it: 9 - 13 September, times vary, Theatre Republic, La Boite Studio

Ronny Chieng

Comedy and law might appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to career prospects, but these were the extremes Ronny Chieng found himself stuck between. Ultimately, comedy won. After sell out shows at Edinburgh festival, Montreal’s Just for Laughs, and Soho theatre in London, he’s earmarked as one to watch – and as an added bonus, has just been voted one of Cleo’s most eligible bachelors of 2014.

See him: 12 and 13 September, 7.30pm, Telstra Spiegeltent

Hurry Up and Wait

What could more relatable than the epic wait for a circus show to begin, particularly for younger festival goers? deBase productions know how to handle the excruciatingly experience of the culture queue, as these two clowns use their ridiculous imaginations to turn the interminable wait into a journey of its own.

See them: 13 September, 11am and 1pm, 14 September (11am), Telstra Spiegeltent

The Painted Ladies

A stellar line-up of contemporary Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander musicians revive the first Australian black protest album which was recorded by Vic Simms in the kitchen of Bathurst Goal in 1973. The result is a raw and passionate expression from a historically significant time, revisited in this collaborative project led by singer/songwriter Luke Peacock.

See them: 19 and 20 September, 7pm, Judith Wright Centre

Dune Rats

After emerging from a Brisbane garage, Dune Rats have partied their way around the world, performing at festivals such as SXSW, Sound City, Music Matters and Splendour in the Grass. And their not-so-subtle drug references have seen them kicked off the line-up of a festival too, just for good measure. These kids are the ones to see for a classic kick-in-the-head mosh pit.

See them: 20 September, 11.45pm, Telstra Spiegeltent

Midnight Juggernauts

The electro-synth trio Midnight Juggernauts will celebrate their 10-year anniversary with a new audio visual project Aerials, which combines electronic music with aerial imagery in an immersive sensory experience. The highly danceable pop sounds of these Aussie favourites should get the festival Spiegeltent pumping on the last night of its music program.

See them: 26 September, 11.45pm, Telstra Spiegeltent

Brisbane festival runs from 6 - 27 September 2014 – see the full programme and look out for Guardian Australia’s live coverage

• This article was amended on 4 September to correct a sentence that stated that Ben Grant collaborated with Robert Lepage to create The Shrink and Swell of Knots.