WHAT'S ON

Free-Rain Theatre’s production of '& Juliet' explores the question: what if Juliet didn’t die for Romeo and instead chose herself? This remix of Shakespeare is energised by hit pop songs from Max Martin and features a talented cast. In this reimagining, Juliet gets a second chance, while her best friend May, portrayed by Josh Kirk, steps into the spotlight as a non-binary character who navigates issues of identity, community and self-acceptance on their own terms.

Maxi Shield was the kind of queen it was hard to imagine Sydney without — a fixture on Oxford Street. A drag legend who lit up stages from the Darg Race to the Olympics closing ceremony to late‑night karaoke at Palms. News of her death at 51, following treatment for cancer, has left the queer community grieving a performer many saw as both a drag icon and a friend.

Reverie tells the story of Gregory, a newly divorced man in his 60s who finally confronts the truth he buried while growing up gay in 1970s Australia, when homosexuality was criminalised. What begins as a one-night encounter becomes a deeply human exchange between generations — a story about listening, vulnerability and late-life courage.

What does it mean to raise your voice when the world refuses to listen? Daniela Koulikov from FUSE spoke with Mitchell Butel about reviving Larry Kramer’s landmark play, honouring queer history, and why theatre is still a powerful space for empathy and change.

Set inside one of sport’s most emotionally restrictive worlds, the series dares to imagine what happens when tenderness, consent, and queer joy are allowed to exist where hypermasculinity has long ruled. Its power lies not only in the love story at its centre, but in how that joy challenges everything hockey — and society — has taught men to suppress. In doing so, Heated Rivalry opens up new ways of thinking about masculinity, intimacy, and the kind of futures we might still be brave enough to imagine.

Funny, tender, goofy. Beloved LGBTQ+ ally and queer icon Catherine O'Hara will be very much missed. She was celebrated for her unmatched comic timing and chameleon-like character work.

★★★★☆ “A spellbinding dive down the rabbit hole. Bold, beautiful and brimming with wonder.” FUSE Magazine

We had a chat with Honor Wolff from Hot Department about sketch comedy, creative sparks, and what it means to push boundaries in humor. From their award-winning webseries to their unique writing process, these comedic superstars know how to make people laugh while keeping it smart!

Lesbian Space Princess is a bold, hilarious, and deeply affirming animated sci-fi that flips the genre on its head. Pink-hued galaxies, incel villains called the Straight White Maliens, queer in-jokes, indie songs, and a heroine learning that self-love matters more than chasing the wrong crush.