cavemxn - Australian Pride Network

Winner of the 2015 Midsumma Queer Playwrighting Award and shortlisted for the Red Stitch INK new writing program in the same year, Angus Cameron’s award-winning play, cavemxn, finally gets it’s wrist stamped and hits the stage at Melbourne’s most holy Chapel Off Chapel this November.

cavemxn is an electric ride through the lives of Mike, Tim, Chris, and Oscar – who are friends. Sort of. They definitely all know each other…

Spanning five years and three continents, audiences are invited to join this crazed quartet as they crash in and out of each other’s lives, hurtling through hook-ups, raves, saunas, and airports.

And as the bonds between them are pulled into focus, each will have to confront within themselves the reality of who they are… and what they actually want.

Forged by the multi-award-winning team behind DIRT and Naomi, cavemxn features an outstanding cast of local talent and is an explosive queer odyssey about life, love and intimacy in the digital age.

“As Melburnians I think we’re really used to seeing a particular type of queer play,” explains producer/actor Patrick Livesey. “You know there’s going to be sequins, there’s going to be camp, there’s probably going to be glitter makeup. It’s a thing that has become really quite iconic and recognisable.”

“With cavemxn we’re excited to mess with that. The world we’re creating is still highly theatrical but the characters are raw and vulnerable, and honestly quite brutal. The music and sounds of queer party culture are also the building blocks of the world Angus has created.”

“Nightlife is a really unifying force for us as queer people, it’s where most of us find our sense of self expression, so to be bringing that into the world of the play and allowing that to underscore the work is not only extremely aurally satisfying but really means a lot to us,” said Livesey.

Directed by multi-award-winner Bronwen Coleman (Best Theatre Fringe World; Frank Ford Award; Critics Prize Adelaide Fringe; Mindshare Mental Health Awareness Award), cavemxn stars four of Australia’s most exciting young actors and is gearing up to be better than the best hook-up you’ve ever had.

This premiere production proudly acknowledges, and is a celebration of, the 40th Anniversary of the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in Victoria – making 2022 the perfect time to spotlight queer stories in our state.

Marking the 40th Anniversary of the first diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in Australia, one dollar from every ticket sold to cavemxn will be donated to Thorne Harbour Health, to support them in their ongoing fight for a future free of HIV.

Director: Bronwen Coleman (she/her) | Featuring: Patrick Livesey (they/them), Harvey Zielinski (he/him), Joss McLelland (he/him), Yuchen Wang (he/they) | Set and Costume Design: XaSha Chua-Huggins (she/her) | Sound Design: Danni Esposito (they/them) | Lighting Designer: Harrie Hogan (she/her) | Assistant Director: Oliver Ayres (he/him) | Producers: Patrick Livesey (they/them) and Wil King (they/them) in association with Anthropocene Play Company | Writer: Angus Cameron (he/him)