Final Queen review | Midsumma Festival | Gasworks Arts Park

Final Queen is a drag circus horror comedy one-woman spectacle, which already sounds like a fever dream, but in the hands of creator/performer Harrison Sweeney and co-creator Rachel Kerry, the chaos is controlled, playful, and often very funny. The story follows drag sensation Grace Lightning as she receives the life-changing call that Kylie - yes, THE Kylie - wants her to audition for her world tour. This requires an urgent road trip from Sydney to Darwin, because of course that is where global superstardom begins.

But a road trip isn't a road trip unless you take your besties with you, so naturally Grace’s (expendable) sidekicks, Jax and Kelly, both brought to life by Sweeney through swift wig changes and defined character work. Jax reads as the seasoned drag queen who has seen everything twice, while Kelly is flirtatious, phone-obsessed, and delightfully chaotic. The driving montage neatly sketches each personality with minimal staging, proving how much Sweeney can do with very little, something he accomplishes repeatedly with this production.

Black, Fat and Fa**y review | Midsumma Festival | Chapel Off Chapel

Milo Hartill is black, fat and faggy. Although these not the exact words she would use. But that’s the privilege of existing across three oppressed minority groups. In the cabaret Black, Fat and Fa**y, Hartill takes us through various elements of these communities and what her experiences have been. With a voice like hers though, there are entertaining musical numbers to go with her observations, anecdotes and jokes.

Hartill is dressed in silver boots, white skirt, and a white cropped t-shirt with "Alpha Male" printed along the front in sparkling letters. She wears a denim jacket with "Big Ol' Dyke" on the back. And that’s the constant contest and juxtapositions and blurred lines that she lives on. She performs with a confidence that is loud, proud and unapologetic, commanding the room before she has sung a note.

Afterglow review | Midsumma Festival | Chapel Off Chapel

I remember being in New York in 2018 and taking my seat to see S. Asher Gelman's Afterglow. I remember being intrigued by a story I'd not seen on stage before. And as the play progressed, I remembered being fascinated by the movement, choreography and the honesty that it explored. Fast forward to 2026 where Afterglow gets its Australian premiere at Midsumma Festival, and that intrigue and fascination remains.

Afterglow follows Josh and Alex, a married gay couple whose open relationship is built on love, routine, and the quiet negotiations that come with time. When a one-night stand with a younger man opens the door to new desires and unspoken insecurities, the couple find themselves confronting questions they thought were settled, and what began as an experiment in openness and trust, slowly forces them all to navigate jealousy, vulnerability, and the fear of being replaced.

Robert the Octopus review | Midsumma Festival | Brunswick Mechanics Institute

In Robert the Octopus, Sadie has a crush on a co-worker but thanks to the modern world, their interactions are solely online and via Zoom meetings. In an attempt to gain her co-worker’s attention, Sadie buys a pet octopus named Robert. Eventually, it's enough to lure Georgia over to visit and from there, things begin to get ridiculously complicated as Sadie seeks advice from Robert on what to do next.

Queer emerging writer Alex Duncan has previously shown promise for highlighting the absurdities within the mundane with his work Rakali, but this outing could benefit from further development. What in theory could have been a fascinating narrative, in practice is a script that is light on substance and plot progression. The exchanges between characters are rudimentary and missing a spark, and while there are hints at humour, it rarely builds tension or generates laughs. At one point, it looks like the play is going to go somewhere regarding power and control and who has it, but that concept wraps up shortly after it is introduced.

Australian Open review | Midsumma Festival | Theatre Works

Australian Open centres on Felix, a happily partnered, newly turned 31-year-old gay man navigating an open relationship with Lucas, an “elite athlete” in the world of professional tennis. Amidst Australian Open fever, Felix finds himself having drinks with Lucas, and his parents, Belinda and Peter, a situation he would rather avoid, but cannot. What begins as a polite social obligation quickly unfolds into an awkward and revealing discussion about love, relationships, and identity; one that forces them all to confront not only each other, but themselves while serving plenty of laughs along the way.

Eddie Orton is captivating as Lucas, an arrogant, driven, and painfully self-assured presence that is played with slick confidence, but allows for  glimpses of genuine tenderness and affection to surface. Sebastian Li provides an excellent counterbalance as the anxious Felix, whose energy contrasts neatly with Lucas’s certainty. While Felix is comfortable in an open relationship with Lucas, he visibly bristles at the prospect of his parents exploring their own relationship, a tension Li handles with hilarious restraint.

Peter Pan: A Twinkle in Time review | Midsumma Festival | Theatre Works

What happens when the boy who doesn’t grow up… grows up? When the twink is no longer a twink? In Peter Pan: A Twinkle in Time, Dean Robinson explores what it means when the identity you’ve carefully carved out for yourself begins to shift, beyond your control.

Peter Pan has been blissfully living in Neverland, venturing into the real world only once a decade. But in 2026, something has happened...Peter has aged and lost his twink status. In denial, he tries to cling to it by bleaching his hair, wearing tight, skimpy clothing, and removing all his body hair. There’s also a quest to find a new “fag hag,” featuring two volunteers battling it out in a game-show style challenge that gets the whole audience joining in.

I’m Only Dating These Men... review | Midsumma Festival | Theatre Works

Just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you can’t find love. Or so we’re told at the beginning of one of the longest show titles in recent memory, I’m Only Dating These Men Because My Uncle Bequeathed Me Money and I Need to Get Married By the End of the Year. It is a title with many other, far simpler options available to it, but its unwieldy length neatly encapsulates the creative instincts of Luke Costabile and Trent Cliffe. Why be straightforward or predictable when you can be random and eccentric. That same philosophy underpins this musical comedy about love, for better or worse.

Costabile plays Larry, a veterinarian who discovers he will lose his inheritance of $946,000 unless he is married by the end of the year. What’s a gay to do? Get married of course. Easier said than done, particularly when faced with a parade of strange and often alarming potential partners, all of whom are played by Cliffe.

The Pole Shebang review | Midsumma Festival | The MC Showroom

Andrea James Lui has been pole dancing for over a decade. In The Pole Shebang, they take the audience behind the glitz and glamour of the craft as they prepare to compete in the Ms Pole Dancing World Championships. It is a moment of high stakes, a chance to showcase the full extent of their skill and to be watched on a global stage.

But, as Lui shares, the road to this opportunity has been far from smooth. They speak candidly about the isolating nature of pole dancing and the personal toll of committing to an art form that is generally practiced alone. Layered into this are the internal tensions of the practice itself, including debates around presentation, standards, and the contentious politics of heels.

I’m Only Dating These Men... explores the messy, funny world of gay love | Midsumma Festival | Theatre Works

In I’m Only Dating These Men Because My Uncle Bequeathed Me Money and I Need to Get Married by the End of the Year (now that's a mouthful!), Larry is a man racing against time to find love - or at least a legal spouse - before an eccentric uncle’s conditions upend his life. The two-man musical turns dating into a hilarious obstacle course, introducing audiences to a parade of absurd, unforgettable characters while exploring what love, partnership, and connection really mean. Creators, Trent Cliffe and Luke Costabile, take us inside the making of the show, from its wild comedic moments to the personal experiences that shaped its heart.

Turning taboo into theatre: Keelan Armstrong on PORN | Midsumma Festival | Theatre Works

Turn off the lights and brace yourself. PORN, directed by Keelan Armstrong, takes audiences on a provocative, queer-led journey into one of society’s most taboo industries. Through a series of monologues, the play considers how pornography shapes desire, identity, and shame, all while exploring the humour, awkwardness, and unexpected truths that come with navigating a world where both queer lives and adult content are often treated as forbidden.

For Armstrong, this exploration is deeply personal, moulded by his own experiences growing up queer. "I grew up in a weird era for queer kids, where no one would commit a hate crime against you, but at the same time no one acknowledged the existence of queer people. So I turned to pornography to basically show me what a queer relationship could look like. And I think many young queer people do this in the hope to understand themselves and their queer identity more," he explains.

Final Queen: Where drag meets danger and gay glam meets gore | Midsumma Festival | Gasworks Arts Park

Armed with a hot pink Holden Commodore, circus queen Grace Lightning, the last surviving member of a cross-continental drag convoy, is screeching through the Australian outback fighting to stay alive from the horrors trying to end her. Harrison Sweeney is bringing campy terror, drag glamour, and outback chaos together in Final Queen, a show that defies genre. Inspired by everything from classic slasher films to iconic divas, he and co-creator Rachel Kerry have crafted a story on survival, spectacle, and queer joy. We sat down with Sweeney to talk horror, circus theatrics, and what it takes to turn a solo drag performance into a multi-character, gasp-and-giggle extravaganza.

Final Queen wears its cinematic influences proudly on its blood-splattered sleeve, and Sweeney draw on a wide range of horror techniques to shape the show’s look, tone, and scares. "The main influence is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of the original slashers! Indeed the entire subgenre of slasher films was a huge inspiration to us," he tells me. "Rachel and I also looked at Australian outback films like Wolf Creek to help spark ideas. She is a horror guru! Her extensive knowledge of horror films and tropes has been so incredibly helpful in the creation process. We were interested in exploring the Final Girl trope (as referenced in the title), and bringing that to life on stage in a solo show. “Final Girls” like Laurie Strode from Halloween and Ripley from Alien influenced the character of Grace and the story. And we mustn't forget the Scary Movie franchise for some hilarious horror parodies!"

Kimberley Twiner’s queer world of tentacles and play | Misdumma Festival | Brunswick Mechanics Institute

When Kimberley Twiner takes the stage as a director, audiences know to expect the unexpected. Her latest project for Midsumma Festival, Robert the Octopus, dives into a world where eccentricity and whimsy run wild, where even an octopus can steal the spotlight. We caught up with Twiner where she shares her approach to playful physical theatre, queer storytelling, and bringing this delightfully bizarre production to life.

Robert the Octopus weaves absurdity and romance into a story that promises unexpected twists and whimsical charm. It’s a world that director Kimberley Twiner couldn’t resist exploring on stage. "For starters I love what is possible with a three hander play! I love what becomes possible when we bring animal life onto the stage - one of the characters is an octopus," she tells me. "I also love that the writer, Alex Duncan, has put his faith in a rather irrational sounding plot and handed it to me. For me, this is the beauty of theatre: the suspension of disbelief in real time played in an unsinkable and relentless fashion!"

Milo Hartill on being seen, heard, and unapologetically funny | Misumma Festival | Chapel Off Chapel

Milo Hartill’s show Black, Fat and Fa**y is a bold, joyful exploration of cabaret, storytelling, and lived experience of being a Black, fat, and queer person. In it, Hartill draws on humour, music, and personal insight to tackle both the hard and fun parts of life, delivering a production that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. In this interview, Hartill reflects on how their identities have moulded the stories she tells, the decisions behind what makes it into the show, and the delicate balance of revealing her own truths while keeping audiences engaged, laughing, and thinking differently.
 
At the heart of the show is Hartill’s reality of moving through the world as a Black, fat, queer person, and how that intersection of identities informs not only how she is seen and treated, but the tales, humour, and honesty she brings to the stage. "The life I lead and how I am treated is because of these markers - Black, fat, and queer - and it is endlessly impactful to the way I present myself and my stories," she says. "It influences how I see society in a multitude of ways and to see the best and worst of people. It shows me the gravity of people's bias, opinions, and assumptions, how finding and cultivating community can be life-changing, and how I have to work way harder than most to hit the same goal posts. It also shapes the way I view politics, as many factors in life and politics that barely affect privileged people will almost always affect me in some way. It determines how willing people are to hire me for jobs, depending on how the majority of people feel about brown, fat, and queer people."

She Slayed: A drag murder mystery too fabulous to miss | Midsumma Festival | Victorian Pride Centre

After a sold-out run at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, She Slayed: A Drag Murder Mystery returns for a Midsumma Festival season, bringing its blend of hilarious antics and over-the-top musical numbers back to Melbourne. We sat down with Cabaret Queen Dolly Diamond to talk about the cast, the chaos, and what makes performing this drag murder mystery so irresistibly entertaining.

She Slayed was initially staged in March 2024, so a return season to Midsumma has been much anticipated. While the ensemble looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage, Diamond confirms that spark wasn’t just for show. "I definitely feel like I’ve reached that point of my life where I only want to do the shows where I know I’m going to have fun," she says. "This show is exactly that, and the cast is made up of friends I’ve known for quite a few years. That is such a privileged position to be in and I’m grateful for that."

Gay drama Afterglow is set to leave audiences hot and steamy | Midsumma Festival | Chapel Off Chapel

Afterglow has travelled a long way since its off-Broadway debut, gathering a devoted following as it moved from New York to London and beyond. Now the intimate queer drama about a married gay couple who open their relationship up to a third, lands in Australia, carrying nearly a decade of evolution in its wake and a creator who has grown alongside it. Sitting down with writer and director S. Asher Gelman, it becomes clear that the play’s longevity has only sharpened its focus and questions, and stretched out the emotional terrain it explores.

The conversation with Gelman naturally begins with how his relationship to the story has shifted over time and what this new chapter might reveal. "Afterglow is inspired by my first experience with open relationships and polyamory (though back then, I never would have described my situation as “polyamory")," he tells me. "Since writing the play nine years ago, my understanding of open relationships and polyamory has significantly evolved. I am fortunate enough to share my life with my husband Mati (on whom the character of Alex is based) and my partner Stefano (on whom no characters are based, but has deepened my insight into Darius’ position in the play). The three of us operate as a single family unit, so the exploration of the role of family and community has expanded. Whenever we do this play, we get the chance to go deeper and uncover more layers, and I’m keen to get back in the room with these incredibly talented individuals to continue that process."

Jessie Ngaio Smith is prescribing connection, ritual and reflection in Magical Prescriptions | Midsumma Festival | Meat Market

In Magical Prescriptions, Jessie Ngaio Smith becomes a doctor of a different kind, offering ten-minute, one-on-one appointments where she listens, honours silences, and responds with a personalised artwork. Drawing on her own journey of chronic pain, misdiagnosis and dehumanisation in the medical system, Ngaio Smith uses the project to explore connection, intuition and ritual. We sat down with her to talk about where this unusual work began, what it asks of her and why she believes our systems of care need to be reimagined from the ground up.

Ngaio Smith’s experiences in the medical system, along with her time in the aged care and disability support sector, pushed her to look for the humanity that hides in a classic doctor’s appointment. "I was thinking about the strange, sad absurdity of us trying to source support and healing within the tight confines of a 15-minute bulk billed doctor’s appointment. I was also studying for my Certificate in Aged Care and Disability Support which was depressing and it forced me to recognise how broken and under resourced our systems of care are," she tells me. "I wondered to myself if art might offer something which feels so lacking in a doctor’s appointment; a connection that is wilder and weirder. It has been my experience that we are suffering, and it can be incredibly difficult to find someone who will actually listen and sit with the discomfort of witnessing suffering."

Tender review | Gasworks Arts Park

Presented by an all-queer cast, Cirque X's Tender looks at what it means to be tender through circus, acrobatics, and musical and dance numbers. The word itself conjures up different definitions and ideas, and in this production, the acts offer unique perspectives and explorations of what tender can be via various lenses such as relationships, sex, sexuality and desire.

The opening teaser by J Twist and Chris Barnett is hands down one of the most seductive and tantalising experiences I've ever had in the performing arts. The pair appear either side of a cube structure and stare defiantly out to the audience. They are "outside the box" and challenging us to join them on this adventure of discovery. They exude sexuality and sensuality as they gradually begin to remove their clothes which climaxes with a surprising reveal that sets the tone for the rest of the evening.

Labyrinth review | Abbotsford Convent

For their latest offering, Forest Collective takes its audience into the labyrinthian myth of Theseus and Ariadne and their battle with the Minotaur, Ariadne’s half-brother. Set in the large and winding spaces within Abbotsford Convent, this opera / physical theatre performance of Labyrinth leads us into the maze alongside Theseus as he edges his way to the confrontation with the beast that has the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man.

Artistic Director of Forest Collective Evan J. Lawson serves as composer, music director and sound designer for this production and the touches he has put to these define and embolden the vision of this show. Alongside librettist Daniel Szesiong Todd, this is a captivating story that is told at a pace that allows you to be drawn deeper and deeper into this world.

Liza’s Good Judy review | The Motley Bauhaus

Legendary mother-and-daughter duo Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli reunite for an evening of storytelling and musical delights. Performed by Manda Rozen-Flannery as both celebrities, cabaret show Liza’s Good Judy explores the challenges and hardships experienced by them and the strong bond that existed between them.
 
Aesthetically, Rozen-Flannery captures Minnelli with her hair and outfits but further differentiation is needed during her scenes as Garland. The dialogue generally confirms who is speaking, but having distinction in mannerisms or physical appearance for each would benefit the show immensely.

Dead To Me: A Comedy Ghost Tour review | Melbourne CBD

In Dead To Me: A Comedy Ghost Tour, comedian Matt Bell not only talks us through the second most terrifying experience of his existence but he literally takes us there. An encounter with a guy he matched on Hinge with provides some brilliant material that leaves him wondering if this is the most unhinged person to come into his life.
 
We meet Bell at the Melbourne Town Hall and we are presented with a pair of headphones in which Bell speaks to us with. A little bit of housekeeping and we are off to our first location from this infamous date. We are led to restaurants, bars, cafes and entertainment venues (it was a long night) and get filled in on all the sordid details.