Controversial GLBTI play comes to Sydney Fringe.
Fresh from playing SOLD OUT shows at the Melbourne & Adelaide Fringe Festivals, James Cunningham’s THE SHEDS is a fly-on-the-wall adventure into an AFL locker room. This ground-breaking original new play examines the underlying tensions between mateship, masculinity and homophobia in Australian sport, as well as racism on the field and the always contentious but oh-so-topical issue of drugs in sport. Three of Melbourne’s finest young actors have come together to portray these athletes in a hard-hitting play rife with foul language, stigma, secrets, violence and nudity.
Darren Anderson, the star player for premiership-winning team the Fitzroy Fighters is so convinced of his popularity, fan-base and media profile that when Darren announces he’s gay he assumes all will accept the news. They do not. The shock announcement sets of a chain of events that will the team are ignorant to predict and powerless to stop.
Countless Australian’s find it either difficult or distressing talking about homosexuality in sport because of various beliefs and fears. Have we come further in Australia in dealing with racism than we have with homophobia? It is often easier for the sympathetic to ignore or joke about the issue and stigma and stereotypes then persist as a result. THE SHEDS aims to break down those stereotypes and dispel the stigma. This raw and visceral this production sure packs a punch.
An ambitious and amateur production, the team are running a crowd-funding campaign to help make THE SHEDS a success. Donate, or just help spread the word at: pozible.com/thesheds
“If you’re planning on heading along to The Sheds, come prepared for strong language and nudity, and to feel a little weird about the whole thing afterwards.” – The Australia Times
– facebook.com/theshedsplay
– pozible.com/thesheds
THE SHEDS
VENUE
The New Theatre
542 King Street, Newtown, NSW 2042
DATES: 17-22 September (five shows only)
RUNNING TIME: 50 minutes
TICKETS: Full: $30, Concession: $28
TO BOOK: visit sydneyfringe.com or call (02) 9550 6087
SHOW CONTACT
James Cunningham
theshedsplay@gmail.com
