Queerly beloved, we are gathered here to worship all that glitters, all the shade, and those that are not afraid.
Highway Robbery Productions presents '.CHURCH.', a holy service inviting audiences to worship with its performers, because sin is in.
“'.CHURCH.' is a new religion! I had the idea swishing around my head for years, and one day decided I was going to create the big gay celebration I had always wanted to attend,” '.CHURCH.' Producer Miss Bettie Bombshell says. “I was never a religious person, I had nothing to do with religion as a kid, but I did know that a church was essentially a place of worship. And that is exactly what we have created. A beautiful place for our world-class entertainers to worship the audience, and the audience to worship the artists.”
So, what can you expect at a show such as this? Well, it's a celebration of circus, burlesque, drag and sideshow, starring a cast of performers including MC Six Inches Uncut alongside Dazza and Keif, Ruby Slippers, Loki 'Wheels' Rickus and, of course, Bettie Bombshell.
“The whole show is taking the word 'church' and reforming it, reclaiming it, and reshaping it! The stage is holy and this is how we pray,” Bettie describes. “We have our five-piece live choir backing the show, our high priest-ness Six Inches Uncut guiding us through the hour long service and a band of my dearest and queerest artists taking the stage showing you what it means to worship. We like to call it #gayforpray.”
Bettie talks about how the show is more than just a bit of camp fun and performance, explaining how the reclamation of the church also speaks to the way LGBTQIA+ people have a history of being shunned from places of worship.
“'.CHURCH.' is about creating a safe space for those to forget the troubles of the outside world. It's a place for queers and non-queers to come together in ritual and connect through campery and art. As we know, queers are not always accepted into churches and we don't always feel safe, so I decided to create a new kind of '.CHURCH.', one built on love, one built on acceptance, and one built to worship whatever is holy to you.”
.CHURCH.' plays Hillside Theatre at Gluttony – Rymill Park (Adelaide Fringe) from 5-7 March.
