THE QUEEN'S CITY OF THE SOUTH Comes to Qtopia Sydney's new Loading Dock Theatre

Written by Cooma born and bred theatremaker Mark Salvestro, ‘The Queen’s City of the South’ will play for just two weeks at Qtopia Sydney’s new Loading Dock Theatre, from 8-19 October. Housed in the former Darlinghurst Police Station, Qtopia Sydney is the city’s new Centre for Queer History and Culture.

The dark queer history of the Cooma Gaol became international news back in 2022 when ‘The Greatest Menace’ podcast was released on Audible. Determined to create a contemporary, local response to the revelation of the jail’s history, Salvestro has set his new play in a community radio station in Cooma, in 2017, prior to the release of the podcast.

The story follows Ryan, Cooma’s self-proclaimed ‘resident homo’, who is preparing to interview an exciting guest on his nightly program. His friend Maggie is cheering him on before dashing off to campaign for her election as president of the local historical society. But when their plans are interrupted by an unexpected city slicker investigating his family history, hidden secrets too close to home are revealed. Ryan and Maggie must decide whether to expose the truth or preserve the reputation of their beloved community.

“People were tortured in there. People like me. Locked up, shamed, and silenced.  And it happened here, in Cooma. All under our watch.”

The 2024 premiere coincides with the 40th anniversary since homosexuality was decriminalised in NSW, and the State Government’s formal apology earlier this year to those convicted under discriminatory laws that criminalised homosexual acts.

The Cooma Gaol was reopened in 1957 as part of an investigation launched by the State Government to examine the ‘causes and treatments’ of homosexuality. As part of the initiative, a committee was launched to oversee the project and was tasked with creating a report on its findings, only for the report to never see the light of day.

“I’m thrilled to be able to premiere ‘The Queen’s City of the South’ at Qtopia Sydney,” Salvestro said.

“Being a play inspired by LGBTQIA+ history, and exploring the incarceration of homosexual men back in the 1950-60s, I couldn’t think of a more poignant place to tell this story. The reclaiming of spaces that played a part in our traumatic past is a powerful way forward for our communities, allowing us to come together and share our stories, and to heal in the process. I can’t wait to share this very personal story with Sydney audiences before taking it back home to Cooma.”

The development of ‘The Queen’s City of the South’ has been supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW and Canberra Theatre Centre’s New Works and Sector Development Program.

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