Sunday Arts Magazine

17 Jan 2022

Kikki Temple talks about her new show.

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Striding into the new year, February 2022 sees Melbourne’snew kid on the block, Antipodes Theatre Company, burst onto the stage during Midsumma with the Australian premiere of Harrison David River’s And She Would Stand Like

This. Greek tragedy meets Queer ball culture in this fierce and fabulous new play, adapted from Euripides’ The Trojan Women and inspired by the seminal documentaryParis is Burning.
House mother, Hecuba, has dedicated her life to protecting her children and the chosen family that they all cling
to for comfort and support. But when a mysterious plague begins to rip through their community they face their biggest challenge yet, as they are forced to engage with a society that doesn’t understand or even value their ex-
istence…

A modern observation of HIV/AIDS that recontextualises Greek characters as Queer bodies of colour, And She
Would Stand Like This is a powerful roar and fight for survival.

“This show is a celebration of the balls and culture that inspired Pose, Paris is Burning and RuPaul’s Drag Race – featuring vogueing sequences, larger-than-life characters, and heart-thumping musical interludes.”, adds ATC Ar-
tistic Director Brandon Pape. “And since it’s based on The Trojan Women, we’ll take audiences on an emotional roller coaster that explores themes of survival, betrayal, and finding your chosen family. The space will be configured like a fashion show, with a runway down the middle and audience on two sides facing each other – blurring the line between audience and stage. I have no doubt that this show is going to provide one of the most unique and eclectic experiences at the 2022 Midsumma.”

Launching in 2019, Antipodes Theatre Company is a prime example of the fortitude and creativity firmly planted
in the Melbourne Independent Arts sector. Founded by a group of New York ex-pats, the company swiftly evolved
with onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and over the past two years has created a dedicated community through
their various online programs and shows, and sharp business acumen. They strive to maintain an inclusive and
safe workspace, with productions that have a dedicated focus on working with women, ethnically diverse artists, people with disability, trans and non-binary people, seniors, and other members of historically or culturally mar-
ginalised communities who are not well represented on stage.

Starring Melbourne’s own Kikki Temple and showcasing an incredible cast of local IBPOC artists, And She Would
Stand This Way promises to be a definite highlight on the 2022 Victorian Arts Calendar,

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