Above: The Loading Dock Theatre accommodated this showcase of music from Australian Musicals well.
We’ve all seen them. On reality TV competitions. In shows like GLEE. Those prodigious queers finding comfort despite everything in the warm hug of musical theatre. Finding their voice through Sondheim, side by side with huge numbers from broadway successes, communicating on a high level and feeling at home in song.
It was a special thrill during Pride Fest 2025 to be treated to one night only of musical theatre Composed in this country by queer book and music creatives, performed by queer performers.
Home Grown is a showcase and safe space presented by Hedger Nicholson which regularly celebrates local writing talent and musical theatre performers.
Invited to bring some of their posse to Pride, this soiree featured an impressive line up, a diversity of performers, topic areas, ensembles and moods sung by locals, mostly from modern local musicals, some yet to be performed, some in workshop stage or final rehearsals and other songs from past shows by established Aussie composers.
Here the dynamic performances covered characters from Julia Gillard through Netball Mums (in the goal shooting ‘Married to Netball’), bisexual AFL players, young people making sense of their personas and image presented to the public eye, family and themselves.
Warm fuzzy feelings of proudly seeing and hearing queer storylines and characters plus performers carving up the stage were plentiful during this pastiche.
Songs celebrating the confusions, the chemistry of queer development and dialogues, recovery from princess challenges medicated on Disney shows, the fiery love and competition occurring when performer fall for each other were all offered up here.
The new music yet to be produced received rainbows of enthusiastic applause. This queer creativity revealed a strong and promising future for both Australian musical theatre and our queer performers and writers responsible for it.
This show was unfortunately (or fortunately) brought to Sydney for just one special night. Spot covers of special songs such as Tenterfield Saddler by local songwriting royalty Peter Allen and the final bravery inducing number by Matthew Lee Robinson, No One Will Bruise (from Atlantis: The Musical) punctuated this emotional rollercoaster excellently.
This was great 2025 Pride Fest fare, and an inspiring treat for queer musical and any musical fans. The proud performances and music shared offered solutions, laughs and support as soundtracks or discussion to queer lives. This was a collection with fun festival verve, engaging enthusiasm enviable momentum and stunning talent occurring in Qtopia’s empowering, uplifting and chameleon main theatre space.
