Theatre: In ‘The Lion Never Sleeps’ I shared my personal stories from the AIDS crisis in the 1980s
I was invited to be a part of an inspiring interview experience for a new street-theatre oral history called The Lion Never Sleeps. Thanks to Noemie the director and creator who made this incredible audio journey that takes the audience on a live walk through the inner-city streets of Northbridge in Perth, Western Australia. They have re-created the stories of the people who were there (like me), and how we survived the AIDS Crisis in the 1980s. Here are some reviews, writing and interviews around the piece:
"They say our past will come back to haunt us. But they forget to mention that, sometimes, being haunted can be a beautiful experience. The Lion Never Sleeps is such a beautiful haunting. It’s an incredible work, a walking tour that brings together oral histories, participatory performance art, celebratory silent disco-ness, eulogies and queer activism. Such potency is what we, as a community, need right now. At its core, this work is a monument and homage to the AIDS crisis of Perth, Western Australia, and the impact it had on our LGBTIQA+ community. Now, that might be quite a heavy premise for a work to tackle, and it is. But what you have to remember is that for all the loss and grief and heartache that accompanied AIDS, there was also a tonne of resilience, strengthening of community and dancing.
One of the few photos lost of me in 1984 studying graphic design and typography at Perth technical college in Perth, Western Australia. It wasn’t a fine art school being focused on vocational training, but I lived for drawing class and met others who were doing it because it was the only art-related training in a small town like Perth,
