CAMP

CAMP is drawn from a book of the same name published last year about the gay and lesbian Campaign Against Moral Persecution. Back in the early 1970’s, it seemed an impossible dream.  The book and now this play remind us, and especially younger queers, that the fight for inclusion and human rights was not all fun and glitter.

Playwright Elias Jamieson Brown (author of Green Park) uses a documentary format, with projected data and commentary, to chart the CAMP landmarks – from kitchen table to large protests, TV debates and eventually thousands of members across Australia.  

Punctuated by lively quick tableaus of protest, Brown also tells a fictional story based around those involved, who in this history, are mostly lesbians – their joys, loves,  arguments and feuds, their policy thinking and cunning campaigning.   

Kate Gaul artfully directs her ensemble of seven performers through short, funny and often tumultuous scenes, notably when the first flush of success is over and campaigners face abuse and violent attacks.  The documentary form returns with tearful impact when the actors read that list of the 50 real protesters, whose details were printed by the Sydney Morning Herald after their arrest at that first 1978 Mardi Gras.  Some were with us in that audience.

Sandie Eldridge, Adriano Cappelletta, Anni Finsterer, Lou McInnes, Genevieve Mooy, Tamara Natt and Jane Phegan give compelling performances, often in a number of roles.

Delineations are sometime confusing, especially when actors play the older selves of characters who initially were performed by others. But this layering of history, with the older selves reflecting on their CAMP past makes interesting theatre. 

Angelina Meany’s hippy period clothes are a colourful delight, and Emily Ayoub’s movement transitions with the backing of Jessica Dunn’s sound give good dramatic punctuation.

The associate producer is Robyn Kennedy who with Robyn Plaister co-authored CAMP, the book. Next to come, CAMP, the movie!

Martin Portus

Photographer: Alex Vaughan