We’d spend far too long in that store we’d visit every Friday. Scanning the aisles for new releases. Poking around the bottom shelf for undiscovered bounty. Lingering. Arguing. Making grudges in our compromises, alliances in our agreements. Finally, after mum had just about lost her patience and threatened to pick the first thing in arm’s reach, we’d grab a plastic case and bring it to the counter. If we were lucky, we’d grab two or three. This place was grey carpeted, a little grubby under fluorescent white lights, but it was our Aladdin’s cave. Our decision would be the most important one we’d make that week, until Friday rolled around again.

re:group’s production Coil, Sydney Opera House, June 2022. Photo © Jacquie Manning.

Most of us over a certain age – not too old an age, either – have memories like these. The video store was a sacred beacon in our bored kid suburbia, the lights of Video Ezy or Blockbuster or another rinky-dink home video store beaming out the promise of a night on the couch with family or friends, a screen glowing...