'The year is 1999 and Shannon has a secret
'Shannon Molloy is a year 9 student at an all-boys rugby-mad Catholic school in regional Queensland, with a secret that no one can ever find out. Shannon is gay.
'Based on the best-selling memoir by award-winning journalist Shannon Molloy, Fourteen is the inspirational true story of growing up gay in central Queensland, transformed into a powerful must-see theatre production by nationally acclaimed shake & stir theatre co.
'Set to a nostalgic mixtape of 90s bangers from all your faves, from Shania Twain to The Spice Girls, Fourteen addresses the trials and tribulations of growing up with honesty, humour and heart. Equal parts uplifting and heart-wrenching, we follow Shannon in a year of self-discovery set amidst a backdrop of torment, bullying and betrayal – not just at the hands of his peers, but by the adults who were meant to protect him.
'This moving coming-of-age memoir about adversity and tragedy is also a story of resilience, hope and hilarity – thanks to the love of a group of close-knit friends, a fiercely protective family, an extraordinary mother and... S Club 7. So press play on your discman, lose yourself in a pumping 90s pop remix and take a technicoloured trip back to your teens. This is Fourteen.' (Production summary)
Presented by shake & stir theatre co, QPAC and Brisbane Festival. Performed at Cremorne Theatre : August 27-September 17 2022.
Director: Nick Skubij.
Creative Producer: Ross Balbuziente.
Set Designer: Josh McIntosh.
Costume Designer: Fabian Holford.
Lighting Designer: Trent Suidgeest.
Sound Designer: Guy Webster.
Choreographer: Dan Venz.
Intimacy Director: Michelle Miall.
Fight Director: Tim Dashwood.
Cast: Johnny Balbuziente, Mitchell Bourke, Leon Cain, Helen Cassidy, Karen Crone, Amy Ingram, and Conor Leach (Shannon Molloy).
'SHANNON MOLLOY wrote a memoir about being bullied as a teenager in central Queensland. He tells how the adaptation of his story for the stage is something ‘teenage Shannon’ could only imagine' (Introduction)
'SHANNON MOLLOY wrote a memoir about being bullied as a teenager in central Queensland. He tells how the adaptation of his story for the stage is something ‘teenage Shannon’ could only imagine' (Introduction)