Author: thequeerav

Review: Elixir

Published by thequeerav

Elixir has traveled internationally and has now returned for Perth Fringe 2018. Presented by Melbourne based company Head First Acrobats, Elixir follows the story of three scientists on a mission to discover the elixir of life. The biggest discovery of all though, was made by the audience, in the form of talent, amidst a wildly entertaining and funny performance. Through a sea of laboratory props and costumes, the three scientists perform a range of experiments on themselves. Through every stage of experiments, their circus acts get more difficult, and the audience is pulled in to the performance even more. The three scientists are hilarious as they bicker with each other and banter with the audience. The show perfectly combined comedy with skill, and the the story line was refreshing in what was not just another circus performance. Elixir is definitely worth seeing for the avid circus lover, comedy fan or anyone just wanting to have a good night out. Elixir is playing at Perth Fringe until February 25. To buy tickets before it sells out, …

Review: Hot Brown Honey, a QPoC Perspective

Published by thequeerav

As a queer person of colour, it’s difficult to find entertainment that is representative and respectful of both my culture and my LGBTIQ+ identity. It’s difficult to find content that isn’t just made to appeal to  white, heteronormative audiences. Going in to see Hot Brown Honey at Perth Fringe, I knew from the title I would be in for something at least somewhat relatable and with a few laughs, but I never predicted feeling so at home. Presented by Briefs Factory, Hot Brown Honey, brings to light some really important social and feminist issues from an all female, all culturally diverse cast (with a touch of queerness of course). From topics such as “don’t touch my hair” to “where are you really from?”, I felt the show as a whole was so relatable. It’s difficult to explain to people the micro-aggressions that happen to people of colour and queer people on a daily basis. The cast of Hot Brown Honey summed everything up so perfectly with a side dish of sass and a hot pinch of empowerment. …

Review: Briefs Close Encounters

Published by thequeerav

The iconic boylesque boys from Briefs have graced Perth Fringe stages for a number of years, each time gaining popularity and selling out shows. It’s long been a known fact to avid Fringe goers that you’ll never find a last minute ticket to a Briefs show. This is because a Briefs show always makes for an entertaining and unforgettable night out to say the least. This year, not only have the Briefs boys returned, but they have a whole new show; Briefs: Close Encounters. The show is of course filled with a mix of comedy, drag, circus and burlesque that fans have grown to love and expect. Lead by comedy favourite Fez Faanana, the new show follows the boys through fun, fantasy and sci-fi, as they return from the future to communicate what is to come. In doing so they remind the audience to celebrate one another rather than tear each other down, creating a close encounter in the process. Following recent political events that saw arguments for and against marriage equality in the spotlight, bigotry …

Review: ‘Blood Relative’

Published by thequeerav

Ren Lunicke returns to Perth Fringe 2018 with a new show; ‘Blood Relative’, an autobiographical dramatic retelling involving tales of biological and chosen family, fertility and identity. (*Please Note: Ren uses they/them pronouns in present tense, and she/her pronouns when referring to their past self, Michelle.) As a queer person, I was instantly intrigued by the idea of a show that explores the concept of family. For a lot of queer people, family encompasses many more than those related by blood, as we are faced with a mix of acceptance, tolerance and rejection with every retelling of our identities. However, to say this performance is only for queer people would be doing it an injustice. We all have varied experiences and ideas about what family means to us, and ‘Blood Relative’ truly explores this in a journey toward building meaningful connection with others. The performance takes place amid conversations between three generations; Michelle, her evangelical mother, and her sick grandmother. Constantly disappointed by expectations from biological bonds, Michelle struggles with the idea of what makes …

Review: ‘Club Swizzle’ From the Creators of Award-Winning LA SOIRÉE

Published by thequeerav

The Creators of award-winning La Soirée present the Perth debut of their show ‘Club Swizzle’ at Fringe World 2018, and it’s deliciously saucy. Following it’s world premiere at Sydney Opera House, and ahead of it’s international tour in 2018, Club Swizzle has graced Perth’s hottest new venue, The Ice Cream Factory, with a bang! Filled with everything from outrageous cabaret to air-defying acrobatics and infectious musical revelry, there’s no doubt you’ll be in for an unforgettable night. The show is hosted by cabaret wunderkind Reuben Kaye, described as “the evil love child of Liza Minelli and Jim Carrey”, who uses their amazing voice and queer hilarity to introduce a diverse range of talent. This talent includes the acrobatic wonders of The Swizzle Boys (yes they are just as enticing they sound), live music from The Unexpected Perks, tap and jazz from Harlem born and raised Dandy Wellington, naughty burlesque from Laurie Hagen, and cabaret from the skating, singing and ukulele playing Amy G. This is the perfect show for a care-free and immersive night out …

Review: ‘I Am My Own Wife’

Published by thequeerav

A lone figure enters. She makes her way to a gramophone placed off centre stage, and talks about her fascination with it, and the other items that belong to her extensive museum of furniture and everyday objects. For the next 90 minutes, this is the only person to grace the stage, playing over 30 different characters throughout the entire performance. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, ‘I Am My Own Wife’, by Doug Wright, made its WA premiere over the weekend at The Heath Ledger Theatre Studio Underground. Set in Germany amidst the Nazi and Communist regimes, the story follows the life German antiquarian, Charlotte von Mahsldorf, played by Brendan Hanson. Charlotte, who is plagued by memories of her late father, manages to live her life fearlessly and unapologetically as a trans person in a time and place where it was not safe to do so. As she talks about her life to an enthusiastic array of different characters, a fascinating, intricate and emotive story emerges. Sourcing items …

Tackling Biphobia: Why Bisexual Visibility Matters

Published by thequeerav

For a long time, I thought self-acceptance of my bisexuality was enough. No one asked me for a label and I experienced very little overt discrimination. I toyed with the idea of telling my folks early on, but an older lesbian friend of mine advised against it. She knew that coming out to family could be difficult at the best of times, but the limited awareness and stigma associated with bisexuality in the 90s made it even harder. Thanks to the increasing profile of bisexual+ celebrities, such as Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming, bisexuality has become far more visible in recent times. As a result, an increasing number of people feel comfortable coming out as bisexual+ (or as simply neither straight nor gay). But acceptance of bisexuality has been slow, both in mainstream society and the LGBTI communities, despite evidence suggesting that there are more bisexual+ people than lesbians and gay men combined. Bisexuality is simply an attraction to more than one gender / regardless of gender. However, society is most comfortable with binary …

The Australian Marriage Equality Postal Survey: How You Can Get Involved in Changing History

Published by thequeerav

Let’s face it, the marriage equality postal survey sucks. We didn’t want it, much of the Australian public didn’t want it – but we’re stuck with it. Now that the High Court has dashed any hope of getting rid of the postal survey, it’s time to unite to make sure we win a YES for marriage equality. Unlike a regular election, it isn’t compulsory and we know from past statistics on postal surveys that young people aged 18-24 are the least likely to respond to them. It’s up to everyone who is voting yes to make sure we can encourage as many people as possible to vote in favour of marriage equality, even in the face of adversity and lies from much of the ‘no’ side. Here are some tips on how to win the marriage equality postal survey: One-to-One conversations Social media is incredibly important, but the truth is one-to-one conversations with as many people as possible will be key in determining who will win this survey. This means volunteering and making calls with …

The Importance of Self-Compassion Leading Up to the Australian Marriage Equality Postal Vote

Published by thequeerav

News around the upcoming postal vote on marriage equality in Australia has been very topical on TV, social media and in conversations with family and friends alike. The non-binding vote, which will be mailed out on September 12, will show the Australian government whether Australian people agree with LGBTIQ+ people having the right to marry in Australia. When the general population are given the opportunity to express their opinion/s about someone else’s basic human rights, it can change the direction of the conversation immensely. Currently, despite the very positive voices of love and support across Australia, negative and harmful opinions have been amplified. This can, and is, taking a toll on the mental health and well-being of many LGBTIQ+ people in Australia. Everyone will react to the marriage equality debate differently. For some, it might take a while for things to set in, and time to process that this might actually be happening. In these times, when people may be making a lot of homophobic, biphobic, transphobic or intersex exclusionary comments, it’s important to know …

Interview: Urzila Carlson Talks Perth Comedy Festival

Published by thequeerav

South African/NZ comedian Urzila Carlson is performing at Perth Comedy Festival with her show Unacceptable and she’s excited about it! We had the opportunity to talk to her about her style of comedy, sexuality, the financial stability of Perth coffee buyers and more.   Perth people are obviously very excited to see you perform, with your shows selling fast and extra shows being added. Are you excited to be performing in Perth again? I am, I love Perth, it’s warm and dry and the coffee cost a fortune! There’s nothing that makes you feel like you’ve succeeded in life than when you walk into a coffee shop in Perth and just buy a coffee…not even worry about the price! Just buy it…. I like Perth and I’ve got friends there so I’m excited to come back. Can you give us a few hints about what to expect from your show Unacceptable? It’s literally just me, not willing to put up with Unacceptable shit anymore. I cover everything that I think is unacceptable and acceptable and things that …