JOY
‘Written and Directed by Sudip Limbu, much of JOY deals with our sole character’s homophobic mother and her rejection of her son; and of Paul’s sexual kink for degradation, humiliation, and blinding pain. In suggesting a correlation between them, it broaches that mysterious, contested and unresolved terrain of how kinks and fetishes get made. It also makes JOY a dark and exceptionally bleak counterstory to the beautiful, wholesome gatherings celebrating such proclivities on the very same hallowed LGBT strip every week. Without love, without community, Paul got lost. How many others have in Sydney’s history?’
- Kate Prendergast
JOY
JOY is a tightly choreographed two-hander that lays bare the wounds of one man’s life a tender yet bruising journey through sexuality, trauma, and survival. Two versions of Paul, at different stages of his life, collide across time with raw and aching intensity.
At its heart, JOY is about a son and his mother. Her rejection rooted in homophobia, leaves Paul carrying scars that echo into his adult life. Intertwining with his search for intimacy, and the complexities of kink, shame, and desire. The play asks us where do our longings come from? How does pain shape who we become? And what happens when the love we need is withheld?
Vulnerable, unflinching, and honest, JOY is a counterstory to the glittering celebration of Oxford Street. It holds space for those who were left behind and reminds us that even in darkness, there is truth to be witnessed.
Sudip Sauden – Director/Writer/Producer
Jasmine Hardwick – Assistant Director
John Michael Narres – Actor
Charlie Dashford – Actor
Alec Clark – Composer & Sound Design
Coreen La Rocca – AV