The Changing Shed
By Michael Metzger
An energetic insight into growing up gay in rural New Zealand.
When: 8:30pm, 14–15 September
Where: The Stage, BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce (wheelchair accessible)
Cost: $22 · $20 · $18
Growing up gay is not for sissies. Especially in 1970s rural Otago. In this energetic and thoughtful autobiographical work, Michael Metzger weaves together his childhood memories with his present-day experience of training for and running a marathon, because sometimes we find a sense of community in unexpected places.
The Changing Shed is a play about overcoming the long-term effects of bullying while offering a heartfelt message of hope and solidarity. It formed the creative component of Michael’s PhD at Deakin University in Melbourne (2020) and it won the award for Best Theatre at Dunedin Fringe 2021 and Best Script at the 2021 Dunedin Theatre Awards. Michael's PhD also won the Australasian Drama Studies Association's 2021 Philip Parsons Prize for performance as research. Proudly adding to the small canon of New Zealand gay plays, The Changing Shed is the first to specifically address queer identity in a rural context.
The Stage is wheelchair accessible. For full details about accessibility at BATS, go to bats.co.nz/about-bats/accessibility
“This unsettling power play opens a dialogue between the performer and the audience, a dialogue that moves beyond the play into minds. The personal is political. The personal is worth repeating.”
Emer Lyons, Pantograph Punch, 2021
Image Description: Mid-speech, actor Michael Metzger is back-lit with bright white light. He wears a grey activewear shirt which contrasts with the bright, colourful selection of flowers that are in front of him in a grey metal bucket.