Matt Hewson
Adolescence can be a difficult, painful and vulnerable time for many people; trying to fit in, finding out who you are, dealing with sometimes merciless teenage social structures.
Award-winning journalist and writer Shannon Molloy chronicled his experience as a young gay person growing up in Central Queensland in the 1990s in his memoir Fourteen.
Adapted for the stage by Shake & Stir Theatre, Fourteen is framed by Shannon looking back at his 14-year-old self on his wedding day at 32 years of age.
Conor Leach, who plays the role of Shannon, said Fourteen is a coming-of-age story that will resonate with many people, regardless of their sexuality.
“I relate on some level to Shannon’s story; I identify as queer, but thankfully I only experienced shades and glimpses of what he had to endure growing up,” Leach said.
“But it’s really a story about feeling like you’re an outsider, feeling like you don’t belong, that you’ll never be accepted. It’s a story about self-worth and self-esteem and remembering who you are.
“I think it’s a very relatable story on many fronts because of that. We all know what it feels like to be an outsider and have moments where we feel like we aren’t enough.”
Despite such heavy themes, Fourteen is a celebration, leaning into 90s nostalgia with a mix of classic tunes from that era.
“There’s no dark without light, so we’ve thrown a lot of fun in there,” Leach said.
“People can expect a joyous time, the full gamut of human emotion. There’s high comedy, high drama, high camp. We have the best soundtrack of 90s bangers you could ever hope for and a couple of really good dance numbers.
“But on a more serious note, it’s a real examination of the identity of Australia, especially regional Australia, and how communities treat their most marginalised.
“So there’s a lot of joy in that, but there’s also an opportunity for audiences to reflect with us on how far we’ve come since 1999 and how far we still have to go.”
Fourteen is at Geelong Arts Centre on August 30 & 31.
