Words by Chenoeh Miller Photo by Clare Hawley

Springing from the mind of Cara Whitehouse and filling the halls of the vibrant Tuggeranong Arts Centre, I Want it That Gay is a celebration of diversity and inclusion through the queerification of pop classics of the ‘90s and 2000s.

The performance perfectly aligns with the Centre’s ethos. With a small yet dynamic team, Tuggeranong Arts Centre is committed to delivering exceptional visual arts alongside a diverse performance program featuring theatre, live music, and the legendary Fresh Funk dance classes and shows.

Their mission is clear: fostering resilient communities and shaping cultural identity by addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion issues through art. With this firmly in mind, we return to I Want It That Gay.

Cara’s cabaret-comedy sheds light and humour on the challenges of growing up with starkly heteronormative music, pop stars, and paradigms.

Learning that we can expect all the big hits from the 1990s-2000s through a queer lens prompted my excitement to chat with Cara in Sydney and delve deeper into its significance.

What was the best thing about your day?

When I arrived home from work, my puppy leapt out of my partner’s arms to give me sloppy kisses.

What is the best performance that you have seen in the last 12 months?

The Visitors by Jane Harrison at the Opera House.

I walked away with a visceral experience of being a visitor on this land. Absolutely gobsmacked. It should be played everywhere and studied in every school.

Can you elaborate on how the show came to fruition, especially with both you and Andi Gambrill involved as creators?

IWITG has lived in three cities – the initial idea was born in Vancouver, Canada, towards the end of 2020.

My visa ended abruptly after the lockdown, so I immediately lost my income. Soon after, I also ended a relationship, all in the space of five days.

I sang Britney in the shower, where all great ideas are born. I noticed the video clip playing in my imagination where I was trying to entice the aforementioned partner back into a relationship.

And I thought, “Hey… I wonder if other queer people modify lyrics and images like this?!”

I called my ex for approval, and the show was born.

Time Out magazine described your show as a mix of trauma therapy and educational satire. Could you delve deeper into how you use pop culture references to explore queer lived experiences?

Forbes tells me that “trauma therapy is a form of therapy specifically focused on helping someone cope with the emotional response caused by a traumatic event.” So, the show can be healing for some people.

We’ve received messages from audience members saying it helped them come out to themselves and their families as non-binary or genderqueer.

Straight friends tell me it’s given them the language to talk to the queer people in their lives, and parents of young children have thanked us for the light-hearted education should their child ever come out as queer.

Those conversations are moving and rewarding, and that’s why we do this show.

Pop culture is a common language that helps us interrogate the default way of being. Most of us in the Western world were only given default heteronormative examples of how to be, look, feel and act.

By using blatantly heteronormative pop songs and flipping them into queer narratives, we can highlight the space between these narratives, creating room for experiences outside the default.

Destiny’s Child’s ‘Say My Name’ and The Backstreet Boys’ ‘I Want It That Way’ are examples of how you reimagine pop songs to convey LGBTQ+ themes. What’s the process like in choosing and reinterpreting these iconic tracks?

It’s so fun! The process starts with asking what story we want to tell now. For each of the formative moments we shared, we asked ourselves what we wished we could say out loud but never did.

Then, we chose songs that fit the unsaid thoughts.

The first song we parodied was that same Britney hit I was singing in the shower, and it became a sultry breakup anthem. The parody of the lyrics starts with changing a few words and moves from the pedestrian to the utter ridiculous both in words and expression.

Think of the sexy music video vibe you see in your head.

In the reinterpretation process, we are careful to keep the themes universal. That way, someone of any gender or sexuality can relate. This isn’t just a show for queers; its themes of belonging, self-acceptance, and self-expression are relatable to all.

How do you balance entertainment against conveying profound messages about identity and acceptance?

Particularly in Australia, we love to make fun of ourselves for art, so that part was quite natural. Knowing what is appropriate to talk about in a funny way for our audience is challenging.

I find that the parts of my queer experience that I have processed are entirely safe and quite light-hearted, though they weren’t at the time! The recent discoveries concerning the intersections of identity are more raw and contrast nicely with the comedy.

Also, the journey is still ongoing! And we wanted to be clear on that. Like my favourite wine – it’s fluid!

I’m still unravelling pieces of identity, and I know many members of our audience are, too. So, I want to invite them all to enjoy the process along with me.

Can you share a memorable moment from one of your performances that significantly impacted you?

My mum came to the show at Theatreworks in Melbourne. She said, “After this show, I understand you better!” So that was pretty special.

Everyone, bring your mum!

Do you have a connection to Canberra?

Lea Maddocks, aka drag king Guy Alias, who runs Drag Cabaret at Smith’s Alternative, is a gem of a human being and a leader in the drag king community. My partner Becks Blake, aka Jim Junkie, has performed at this event, and it was such a well-curated variety show, incredibly welcoming, and a highlight of Jim’s drag adventures.

What are three things you know about Canberra?

It is green, there are many roundabouts, and there’s a giant statue of an owl that looks like a… well, YOU know…

Considering the diverse range of audiences your show attracts, what do you want Canberra readers to know about your performance at Tuggeranong Arts Centre?

This show is safe to bring your mum to. Or your Dad, your Nan, your neighbour, your barista. Anyone who you want to gently educate about the realities of growing up queer in a heteronormative world – we’ll do it for you through beautiful harmonies! It’s universally relatable, celebrates queer narratives, and is not an attack on the world we grew up in.

I Want It That Gay: Cara Whitehouse is at Tuggeranong Arts Centre on Saturday, 13 April, at 7:30pm. Tickets are $38 full / $32 concession via Ticket Tailor