JOY Drive

10 May 2023

Stage Premiere of “Loaded” – Chris Tsiolkas’ debut novel

Performing Arts

Almost 30 years ago, Christos Tsiolkas’ debut novel Loaded painted a portrait of a young man who is restlessly searching for himself in opposing worlds. To this day, the story resonates with migrant and queer communities as a reminder that you are not alone.  Ari (Danny Ball, A Beginner’s Guide to Grief) is 19 and unemployed—he doesn’t want to be gay and he doesn’t want to be Greek. He doesn’t want to be anything. Drawn by the alluring pulse of Collingwood’s gay clubs, he finds an escape, and a family in the form of drag queens and one-night stands. First adapted as the award-winning 1998 film Head On, then reimagined as an audio adaptation in 2020, Loaded takes the mainstage with director Stephen Nicolazzo (Looking for Alibrandi) joining writers Dan Giovannoni and Christos Tsiolkas (Merciless Gods) to present Ari’s anarchic odyssey that sees him travel the four corners of Melbourne.

We chat to the Director – Stephen Nicolazzo.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:13 — 11.3MB)

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11 Jul 2025

Associate Professor Lauren Rosewarne: Are Your Emojis Making Things Worse?

Personal Safety, Popular Culture, Relationships, Social Media, Social Sciences, Society & Culture

The smiley face. The thumbs-up. The dreaded skull. Lauren Rosewarne unpacks the social politics of emoji use and why those ...

11 Jul 2025

Joss: JOY’s ‘The Gender Agenda’

LGBTIQA+ Community, Music, News & Politics, Personal Journals, Popular Culture

News, music, interviews and unapologetic trans pride. Joss from The Gender Agenda shares why the JOY show is changing the ...

11 Jul 2025

Dr Kenya Fernandes: The Stingless Bees That Might Save Modern Medicine

Medicine, Natural Sciences

It’s tiny, native and might just be the answer to antibiotic resistance. Dr Kenya Fernandes reveals how stingless bee honey ...