New arts venue Divine Playhouse had only opened its doors on July 8 before being told on July 20 its lease would not be renewed, after a concerted campaign by religious extremists.
The LGBTIQ nightclub and theatre space at 420 Kent Street was told the lease had been terminated based on an obscure “offensive trade” law. Earlier in the month it was served with a breach order after complaints from the Christian lobby.
The 150-year-old deconsecrated church housed the Genesian Theatre for 70 years, from the 1960s to January last year.
Kat Dopper, the 2020 Creative Director of Sydney Mardi Gras and Creative Director and Founder of Heaps Gay, was the inspiration behind the venue. She had promoted it as a venue for live music, cabaret, gospel, choir karaoke, DJ school and late-night performances.
Create NSW, the New South Wales government body which oversees arts and cultural events, had awarded Divine Playhouse a $100,000 grant for a four-month arts festival.
While the Divine Playhouse website has since been taken down, an archive can be seen on the Wayback Machine when the venue was known as the Unholy Playhouse. “Depending on the night, Unholy is a bar, a performance space, a dance floor — but it’s always the place where something is happening and everyone belongs — and you leave changed.”
Amplified, a music promotion website, mentioned its upcoming events including “[live music at] ...Holy Flesh — a late sexy night cabaret, a Harry Potter cabarave [cabaret rave], an art ball by The Huxleys, Possession – Australia’s first live exorcism, [and] a cabaret mass The Sight [Dark Mofo] hosted by Victoria Falconer...”
After Christian groups protested that religious symbols were being used in creative performances for non-religious reasons, the space changed its name from Unholy Playhouse.
On its opening night, about 100 protesters gathered outside for an “anti-blasphemy” protest as Fit for the Kingdom and The Prodigal Sons held a prayer vigil. This led the owners, Revelop, sending Heaps Gay Events a notice of breach and a demand that Divine Playhouse “cease carrying on offensive trade” or risk its lease being terminated.
MixMag reported its owners, KCSYD, are Australian Financial Review Rich List members Anthony El-Hazouri and Charbel Hazzouri, and Revelop, a development company.
Sydney MP Alex Greenwich said on July 15 he was organising a round table with NSW government, NSW Police, venues and promoters to look for solutions to the loss of art venues and hostility towards the LGBTIQ community.
Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann called on the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner to find Divine Playhouse another venue and for an emergency rescue package. “The 24 Hour Economy Commission has invested significantly in supporting venues and event organisers as part of the government’s Vibrancy Reforms and they must come out in strong support of Heaps Gay who are under attack.”
[A solidarity protest with the Divine Playhouse has been called for July 25, 12noon, at Hyde Park, Elizabeth Street. Donate to the Divine Playhouse GoFundMe campaign and sign the Change.org petition.]