Winner – 2018 Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award
Production images by Jodie Hutchinson.
Noah, a young queer man, captures the attention of Tom, a closeted high-profile AFL player nearing the end of his career. Delving into the hyper-masculinity of sport, Become The One asks what happens to clandestine relationships when good intentions and patience aren’t enough anymore.
A mainstage love story featuring vibrant queer characters at its heart, it is less interested in exploring why an AFL footballer is yet to come out, and more concerned with why same-sex partners of AFL players (who statistically have to exist) continue to accept it.
What if the partner, not the athlete, became the driving force behind dismantling the last bastion of heteronormative masculinity in Australian sport? What might they – and that journey – look like?
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright Adam Fawcett
Director Lyall Brooks
Composition & Sound Design Tom Backhaus
Lighting Design Benjamin Morris
Stage & Production Manager Tanje Ruddick
Production Photographer Jodie Hutchinson
Marketing Photographer Pier Carthew
Produced by Lab Kelpie
Cast
Chris Asimos
Henry Strand
REVIEWS
“Heart wrenching, raw and categorically brave. Become The One doesn’t let you off the hook. We need more of this on our stages.”
– Theatre People
“Excellent. Definitely worth seeing.”
– Be Melbourne
“Become The One presents many layers… the production is meticulously curated.”
– Arts Hub
“Fawcett’s exquisite writing is undoubtedly the highlight of this production. His clever combination of romance, comedy and drama has given director Lyall Brooks and actors Chris Asimos and Henry Strand the room to explore and create a piece of theatre that is exceedingly important for audiences to witness.”
– Theatre Press
“Fawcett’s text is spikey and smart – sensitivity and intelligence are woven all through it. Fawcett does this by his choice of characters.”
– Stage Whispers
“A well-crafted work, solidly written and beautifully performed, which will resonate with footy fans and non-footy fans alike.”
– Weekend Notes
This project’s development and premiere season was supported by Gasworks Arts Park, Creative Victoria, a Jacky Winter Gardens Residency and the Victorian Government through the Pride Events and Festivals Fund.
