Ladies Day

For her upcoming production Ladies Day, playwright Alana Valentine spent a couple of months in the northern Western Australian town of Broome interviewing the LGBTQ community.

Valentine won’t reveal too much of the plot line, but what she can tell us is the play focuses on a female writer in Broome and her experience and conversations with gay men in the community. All of these stories are based on real life interviews and heavy research.

“I cloak the interviews in fiction and combine them with different stories I’ve been told,” explained Valentine.

This is a very important topic to Valentine, not only because she has been involved with the LGBTQ community for many years, but because she wants to express ideas and themes that normally aren’t publicly known or discussed with the community.

“This play has been an opportunity for me to write about some difficult issues in the gay community and some things that aren’t always confronted,” she said.

“[There is a] need to get those stories out of the region. Regional Australia is more discriminatory to LGTBQ men and women. It depends on the town and the kind of relationship the LGTBQ community has with the town.”

Darren Yap is the director of this evocative play, and also included in this production is a large musical portion by Max Lambert. (AMal)

Feb 15–Mar 26, various show times. SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross. $20-$55. Tickets info: griffintheatre.com.au

BY ATHINA MALLIS