PRESENTED AS PART OF MARDI GRAS+
“If I stay, it’s giving up the belief that things should be better”
It’s 1950s America, and a new colour has been added to the Red Scare: lavender. The Lavender Scare saw LGBTQ+ people interrogated, outed, and dismissed from government service in a sweeping campaign of fear and moral panic.
Enter Bob and Norma, two U.S. State Department employees tasked with identifying and reporting “sexual deviants” within their ranks. There’s just one problem: both Bob and Norma are gay, and are married to each other’s partners as a carefully constructed ruse.
Inspired by the early stirrings of the American gay rights movement, this madcap, classic-sitcom setup gradually gives way to sharp, provocative drama, as two “All-American” couples find themselves staring down the closet door — and the cost of keeping it shut.
Topher Payne explores themes of fear and the weaponisation of identity – themes that feel just as relevant today.
Shows (Silver & Bronze Membership)
06/02/2026 7.30pm (AEDT) | Admin Fee $18.00 | Book Tickets
08/02/2026 2.00pm (AEDT) | Admin Fee $18.00 | Book Tickets
13/02/2026 2.00pm (AEDT) | Admin Fee $18.00 | Book Tickets
New Theatre
542 King Street
Newtown, New South Wales
2000
Australia
