Roundhouse Theatre, Brisbane
July 25, 2018

“Strap in, babes. Shit’s about to get really real.”

With these words, playwright Claire Christian introduces us to her mainstage debut, Lysa and the Freeborn Dames. The world premiere of this dramatic comedy subverts and responds to Aristophanes’ classic battle of the sexes, Lysistrata, in which the titular character convinces the women of Greece to end the Peloponnesian war by refusing to have sex with their husbands or lovers until peace is negotiated. Exceptionally performed by six talented students from the QUT Creative Industries programme and four well-known industry professionals, Lysa and the Freeborn Dames tackles feminism, finding your place in the world, and fighting for what you believe in.

Tatum Mottin in Lysa and the Freeborn Dames. Photograph © Dylan Evans

In early 2017, Lysa King (portrayed with passion by Tania Vukicevic) returns to her home in rural Australia after a year away and a personal political awakening. Emboldened and inspired by the Women’s Marches she has watched unfolding across the world, Lysa stages her own protest on the eve of the War Weekender – an annual football game and the town’s biggest event of the year. But...