The iconic Imperial Hotel in Erskineville has famously been seen on screen, immortalised in the cult classic flick The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Many drag queens and kings have also strutted their stuff at this hallowed haven for Sydney’s queer community. But the old dame has never hosted a proper play – until now. History was made during this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras, with the Impy hosting the first ever theatre show to take place within its hallowed walls. And there really couldn’t be a more fitting location than a nightclub basement for the debut of Back to Birdy – a candid and humorous exploration of friendship, identity politics, and the evolving landscape of queer spaces.
A profoundly honest work of storytelling that intricately illustrates the unique complications and commonalities of life, Back to Birdy introduces us to Warren and Emily. Played by Hayden Moon (he/they), a performer and academic known for his advocacy for LGBTQIA+, First Nations and disability representation; and seasoned stage and screen actor Gemma Dart (she/they) (as seen in Thor: Love and Thunder), this pair of former best friends are in the midst of an awkward attempt to reconnect. There truly is no break-up more painful than falling out with a cherished friend – and it’s obvious here that there are a lot of things that haven’t been said between this duo, especially since Warren’s transition.
...the top-notch performances are a case for why actors with lived experience should be cast to play characters from marginalised groups whenever possible.
Our protagonists are positioned at a tall bar table in the centre of the nightclub, with the audience seated at tables and chairs assembled around them. Under the direction of Sean Landis, this immersive environment effectively heightens the fly-on-the-wall sensation of the work – along with the naturalistic tone of playwright Z Bui’s script, and the convincingly lived-in comfort of the actors’ delivery. As an audience member, you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a very juicy conversation. It’s quietly thrilling.
The titular “Birdy” refers to Birdcage, the real-life mid-week club night for lesbian and queer community that's been running in Sydney since 2012. In order to start putting together the disparate pieces of their complicated past, Warren and Emily must head “back to Birdy” and through a series of fluid flashbacks, they must come face to face with their younger selves – played by Angelica Lockyer (he/they/she) and Chloe Jayne (she/her).
This play is sprinkled with references and little Easter eggs that will evoke knowing chuckles from those of us who have danced away a sweaty night of our twenties at Birdy; as well as anyone who has navigated Sydney (or the world at large) as a queer woman, a transgender man, or an identity adjacent to that.
In particular, the writing offers a rare, frank and generous window into the trans-masculine experience – as well as the stereotypical “man-hating lesbian”. Through the great empathy machine of theatre, Back to Birdy offers a salve for misunderstandings about transmen and the misdirected wrath of TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists). But the true beauty of this work is that it speaks to universal truths of the human experience: all the moments of pain, confusion and joy – and the lasting reverberations of those moments.
Back to Birdy is also a success story for Fruit Box Theatre, a local organisation committed to developing and staging original LGBTQIA+SB theatre, and the company’s inaugural RIPE Development Program. The culmination of 18 months of development, it's evident that this show has been carefully crafted by an all-queer and gender-non-confirming cast and crew. Front and centre, the top-notch performances are a case for why actors with lived experience should be cast to play characters from marginalised groups whenever possible. Bring tissues.
Back to Birdy is playing in the basement at The Imperial Hotel, Erskineville, from February 21 to March 1, 2024. The show is 90 minutes with no interval. There will be an AUSLAN interpreted performance on Feb 27, and a Trans Community Night on Feb 28. Tickets are $25-$42. Find out more and snap up your tix over here.