Honouring the remarkable stories of Australian LGBTIQ+ artists and performers

Presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and Tristan Meecham

Tristan stands in front of a gradient pastel blue and pink backdrop. He is wearing a white shirt and loose fitting wide navy blue tartan pants. Tristan is smiling as one arm rests on the other and one hand holds the right hand side of his face.

Portrait of Tristan Meecham by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portrait of Tristan Meecham by Mia Mala McDonald.

Prelude

Tristan Meecham

Rainbow Reviews by All The Queens Men, 2018. Images by Bryony Jackson. 

Uncle Noel is sitting in his wheelchair slightly side on, but with his eyes focussed directly at the camera. In his lap are his glasses, which he has removed for the photo. He is wearing a deep blue and maroon striped jersey. The backdrop is a gradient of muted pinks and yellows.

Portrait of Uncle Noel Tovey by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portrait of Uncle Noel Tovey by Mia Mala McDonald

Episode 1

Resilient, oh I’ve had to be.

Uncle Noel Tovey AM

From high kicks at Her Majesty’s to impersonating Shirley Bassey in the UK, Uncle Noel Tovey’s theatrical career has spanned over 60 years. He overcame racism, adversity and homophobia, to become a leading First Nation voice within the LGBTIQ+ community. This episode honours his life story, concluding with a moment he never thought would happen - witnessing the Victorian Government expunge and apologise, for historical convictions against gay men in 2016.

Programme for Paint Your Wagon, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, 1954,
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

Noel Tovey in drag as Shirley Bassey, London, 1960.
Australian Queer Archives.

Black and white photographic print from the production Paint Your Wagon
Gift of J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd, 1978.
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

Maude Davey faces the camera, wearing a tight fitting white dress. The dress features black and white images of nude women, and pink and black text which spells out things like 'dyke' and 'lezzo'. Maude has her arms above her head and is wrapping her face in her hands. Contorting her features and pulling at her skin. She is strong, playful and proud.

Portrait of Maude Davey by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portrait of Maude Davey by Mia Mala McDonald

Episode 2

And then I pulled a strawberry out.

Maude Davey OAM

Contributing to the rise of women’s theatre in the late 80’s and building Australia’s Burlesque scene in the 00’s, Maude Davey always ensured the voices of Women, Trans, Gender-Diverse and Queer Artists were prioritised in the theatre. This episode spans Melbourne’s Docklands parties, Miss Wicked Competition, the emergence of Burlesque, sexual fantasies and mentoring young artists. It showcases Davey’s impact and status as a Queer theatrical Shero.

Poster for the Women's Circus, 1991
Gift of the Women's Circus, 1992
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

Maude Davey kneeling with leather gloves , 1991 by Jamie Dunbar, Wicked Women.
Australian Queer Archives.

Maude Davey, Melbourne Community Voice cover 2 July 2014.
Australian Queer Archives.

Colin faces the camera in a white shirt and grey suit jacket, with the top buttons undone in a casual manner. He is wearing thick rimmed black rectangular glasses and stands in front of a book case.

Portrait of Colin Batrouney. Supplied by artist.

Portrait of Colin Batrouney. Supplied by artist.

Episode 3

You couldn’t see that play without being profoundly moved.

Colin Batrouney

The cultural significance of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America for the LGBTIQ+ community cannot be overstated; a play that spoke to the horror of the times as it was unfolding. Colin Batrouney starred in the Australian (MTC) premiere production when the AIDS epidemic was at its deadly height. This episode reminds us how HIV / AIDS decimated a generation of queer creatives, bringing with it profound grief and loss. As an actor, Angels in America was unlike anything Batrouney had experienced and led him to become a health advocate in the aftermath of the epidemic.

Greg Stone & Colin Batrouney in Angels in America, 1994
by Jeff Busby. Courtesy of Melbourne Theatre Company.

1987 Grim Reaper, Advertising Campaign.

The Drama Downunder.
HIv awareness campaign led by Throne Harbour.

Ben Graetz is dressed in stunning drag as Miss Ellaneous. Miss E is standing with her eyes closed, face upwards to the left, as if basking in the sun. Her gloved hands are positioned as if holding back her voluminous white curly wig. Standing in front of a gradient of blue, purple and yellow, she is wearing a figure-hugging black velvet dress which features a dramatic collar of cascading strings of pearls which fall across her chest down from her neck. The lighting is pink and blue and these colours catch on the wig and glint across the pearls.

Portrait of Ben Graetz as Miss Ellaneous by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portrait of Ben Graetz as Miss Ellaneous by Mia Mala McDonald.

Episode 4

As a black drag queen, you’re born political.

Ben Graetz

Ben Graetz came out as drag queen Miss Ellaneous on his 25th birthday. Since then, he has expanded as a beloved First Nation artiste and ‘Drag Mother’ to many. In this episode, we journey through Sydney in the 90’s as Ben established his drag persona, thriving in Darwin in the 00’s as he nurtured his First Nation drag community, and nowadays, building creative pathways nationally for Queer and First Nation artists to tell their story, on their own terms.

Ben Graetz and his older brother and sister Daniel and Leanna.

Mardi Gras First Nations float (2001) “Treaty for Sweeties” with Jub Clarke and Paula Dewis.

Miss Ellaneous on set for the 10s Project in Mparntwe.

Ben on Bathurst Island with Tiwi Sistergirls Crystal Love, Hotlips and Shaniqua.

Ben with husband Dion at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2022.

Robyn faces away from the camera, creating a performative and playful sillhouette. She is wearing a two piece black suit and gestures outwards as if singing Edit Piaf to a crowd just out of frame. The backdrop is a gradient of pastel blues, purples and oranges.

Portrait of Robyn Archer by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portrait of Robyn Archer by Mia Mala McDonald.

Episode 5

The art of subversion; reel them in, keep their ears open, and hit them hard.

Robyn Archer AO

Celebrated for her one-woman shows throughout the 70s, 80s and today, Robyn Archer is a Cabaret Icon. Her committed multi-discipline artistic practice has expanded across form and content, to communicate political and social messages to the widest possible audiences. From Brecht to Piaf, her varied work forms her identities; from Queer musical artist to the first woman to direct a major Australian state festival of the arts.

Photograph of Robyn Archer, Tonight: Lola Blau, The Space, Adelaide, 1979
Photograph by Robert McFarlane
Purchased, 1985
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

The Ladies' Choice LP, Robyn Archer, Larrikin Records, 1977
Courtesy of Robyn Archer.

Poster for A Star is Torn, Universal Workshop, Universal Theatre, Fitzroy, 1979
Designed by Silvia Jansons
Gift of Robyn Archer, 2019
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

Janet stands in front of a yellow velet curtain, she is wearing a black off the shourlder dress and has thick golden chains around her neck. She looks at us through a beautifully made up face, her red lips just open as if about to smile. Her reddish brown hair is pulled back but there are strands around her face and her curled fringe rests on her eyebrows. The lighting is bright as if this was a moment caught only because of a camera flash.

Photo of Janet Anderson by Andrew Fraser, supplied by artist.

Photo of Janet Anderson by Andrew Fraser, supplied by artist.

Episode 6

The act of transition itself is an act of creation.

Janet Anderson

Janet Anderson recently starred in Overflow, a play written by non-binary artist Travis Alabanza. Her solo performance was a tour de force and aligned her personal with her political. The play was presented when trans people dominated headlines, during a time of debate about bathroom usage. Overflow was a creative haven; the entire Trans and Gender Diverse creative team allowed Anderson to bring her whole self to the rehearsal room, something rarely afforded to Trans creatives.

Janet Anderson in Overflow, 2024. Photo by Robert Catto.

Photograph of one of the Dream Girls preparing for a performance backstage at Pokeys, St Kilda, 1990
Photograph by Craig Homes
Gift of Chris Holmes, 2022
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

Photograph of Michelle Tozer of the Dream Girls backstage at Pokeys, St Kilda, 1990
Photograph by Craig Homes
Gift of Chris Holmes, 2022
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne.

There are two separate portraits next to eachother. On the left, against a gradient purple and blue background, is Stephen Nicolazzo. He stands face on in a buttoned up denim shirt and stares directly through the lens. His gaze is strong and confident, but it also seems like he is about to smile, just a little. His hair is up and back and tied in a bun. To the right is a portrait of Christos Tsiolkas, he is sitting on a stool and facing the right side, looking out of frame. He seems as if he is deep in thought, and his black jumper and pants cast a sillouhette against the orange and pink backdrop.

Portraits of Stephen Nicolazzo and Christos Tsiolkas by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portraits of Stephen Nicolazzo and Christos Tsiolkas by Mia Mala McDonald.

Episode 7

I don’t want a label. I don’t want an identity.

Christos Tsiolkas and Stephen Nicolazzo

Christos Tsiolkas and Stephen Nicolazzo have collaborated on two productions that have shifted their creative practices. Working together on Merciless Gods and Loaded, these artists have formed an intergenerational partnership buoyed by their shared experience of being outsiders and migrants while negotiating class, anger, shame and politics.

Head On Poster 1998
Australian Queer Archives.

Christos Tsiolkas, Queerlit Writer's Conference, 1995
Australian Queer Archives.

Loaded Poster, Malthouse Theatre 2023.

Caroline Bowditch is having FUN. She is sitting in her wheelchair, her full body visible in the frame. She is wearing a sparkly jacket, denim pants and shiny bright cold lace up shoes (which she made herself). Her eyes are closed and her rainbow earrings appear to be in motion, suggesting that she is mid dance. Her arms are raised and her eyes are closed, she is dancing like no one is watching.

Portrait of Caroline Bowditch by Mia Mala McDonald.

Portrait of Caroline Bowditch by Mia Mala McDonald.

Episode 8

I’m spinning around, get out of my way!

Caroline Bowditch

Caroline Bowditch is a performance maker whose lived experience has framed the way she has made change within our industry. This episode details access and inclusion, love and passion, visibility and aspiration. Disabled is often labelled as ‘taken out of commission’ and Bowditch provokes us all to reframe the way we see, include and celebrate, everybody.

Caroline Bowditch and Nicole Guarino, Falling in Love with Frida, Sadler's Wells, 2015. Image by Stephen Wright.

Hot pants worn by Kylie Minogue in 'Spinning Around' video, 1970-2000
Gift of Kylie Minogue AO OBE, Cultural Gifts Program, 2004
Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne

Presented by Arts Centre Melbourne and Tristan Meecham (All The Queens Men), in association with the Australia Performing Arts Collection and The Australia Queer Archives.

Creator and Lead Artist: Tristan Meecham, All The Queens Men.

Edited and audio production: Jess Fairfax.

Photography: Mia Mala McDonald.

Creative Producer: Bonnie Leigh-Dodds.

Essay: Ian Jackson.

Interviews: Uncle Noel Tovey AM, Maude Davey OAM, Colin Batrouney, Robyn Archer AO, Ben Graetz, Janet Anderson, Christos Tsiolkas and Stephen Nicolazzo, Caroline Bowditch.

Thanks to: Nick Henderson, Ange Bailey, Australian Queer Archives and Victorian Pride Centre.

Photograph of one of the Dream Girls preparing for a performance backstage at Pokeys, St Kilda, 1990 Photograph by Craig Homes Gift of Chris Holmes, 2022 Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne

Photograph of one of the Dream Girls preparing for a performance backstage at Pokeys, St Kilda, 1990 Photograph by Craig Homes Gift of Chris Holmes, 2022 Australian Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne

Arts Centre Melbourne acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we gather, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung. We also acknowledge the neighbouring Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, and pay our respects to elders, past and present.

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