The Queen of the PowerPoint Presentations returns to Melbourne for their new show, The Bisexual's Lament, where Lou Wall covers the hectic last twelve months they have experienced. Some of it is horrific and traumatic but to get through it, Wall has made a list - they love lists! - of all the things that made them happy in the last 12 months. It's over 800 items so fortunately Wall has whittled it down to a reasonable 69.
Wall's traumatic year includes breaking up with their partner, which happened to also be their first break up, and sleeping with straight men, and that's not even the worst of it. The focus of the show is with Wall struggling to speed up the process of "comedy equals tragedy plus time" and while there is plenty of comedy for the audience, Wall allows for a more vulnerable and intimate side of themselves to be on display.
Based on the Greek tragedy of Antigone and Creon, AntigoneX takes this story and turns it inside out and upside down with its queer perspective. Presented as part of the Midsumma Festival, AntigoneX is a somewhat surreal look at queerness through identity, gender and art that draws you into its world but then not quite sure what to do with it.
Written and co-directed by Zachary Dunbar has created a very text-heavy
show and the various plot threads all zoom past with barely time for one to catch their breath. While the story is based on Creon and Antigone, there are
references to other classic tragedies like Medea and also contemporary
pop culture with 'fake news' and Taylor Mac getting a
mention. While Dunbar has wisely included a synopsis in the program,
there are still moments where as an audience member you wish he had
slowed things down a little to give the audience an opportunity to
absorb everything that is happening on stage and maybe if there were not so many stories being told simultaneously it would be more audience friendly.
