From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 6 December

I know how to behave. I do not need advice on political correctness. Recent events have revealed its purest form – a load of divisive, silly gobbledegook.

THE decision to abandon the Sydney Festival production of the stage musical, Hedwig And The Angry Inch, as a direct consequence of pressure from a minority section of the LGBTI et al community, is a serious error in judgement. It is, undoubtedly, one of the most, if not the most, absurd Australian theatre history decision. The responsible pressure group deserves to be ridiculed and publicly chastised for this calamity. In one disgraceful, publicity-seeking gesture they have erased years of hard-work and public good-will.

Good manners, genuine regard for other people, a long-overdue recognition of gender equality, a willingness to listen, share and embrace, and a real will to eradicate sexuality prejudice should be part of everyone’s normal thinking life. Conversely, the determination to be defined, always, by one’s sexuality is too tedious, and is, for most people, of scant interest. Life is too short. Get on with it!

Hedwig And The Angry Inch is a tale about a disastrous sex realignment operation (what was once called a sex-change); hence, the angry inch reference in the title. Self-evidently, the lead character is transgender; although, however and wherever the musical has been staged, a professional artist has performed the role, sexuality notwithstanding.

For some bizarre reason, a minority section of the LGBTI et al community concluded the leading role must be played by a ‘real’ transgender person. Having successfully created a distracting commotion, the Sydney Festival management, fearing a public backlash, panicked, and in a moment of unmitigated madness, capitulated. Most regrettable!

Over the 54 years in the industry, I have met and known three transitional individuals. Carlotta (whose life is the premise for musical and film of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) is a familiar; Leah von Albergh (a former model who now lives in Thailand); and a lighting technician from the musical HAIR. None is an actor/singer.

Obviously, the carping troublemakers have no understanding of casting requirements. It is not a magical, mystical process. It is serious business. Success rides on casting judgements. You look for many combinations, but mostly talent and imagination.

You do not need to be a murderer to play Jack the Ripper. Extrapolating their ignorance, it would follow, ipso facto, unless you have either The Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, or his brother, Prince Joachim, in the title role, you cannot perform Shakespeare’s Hamlet (he was a prince of Denmark). In the improbable event either accepts, who, if their mother, Queen Margarethe, is unavailable, would play Queen Gertrude? Would their aunt, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (she is a Danish princess by birth), satisfy their absurd criteria?

Should heterosexual, Jason Donovan, been permitted to play the lead in the musical, Priscilla?

Following their spurious logic, the musical, Hamilton, with its all-black cast, should be banned, instantly. All the historical characters portrayed on stage are white. Colour-blind casting aside, you cannot have black actors playing white characters.

What of homosexual or lesbian actors in heterosexual roles? Should we now burn Rock Hudson movies?

COVID-19 has paralysed live theatre. The impresario, John Frost, whose production of Pippin has started previews in Sydney, cancelled nine shows, including the musicals, Shrek, Book of Mormon, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Secret Garden, and 9-5. My play, Letters From The Heart, has been postponed until the middle of 2021.  Collectively, producers have lost millions of dollars.

This self-serving, interfering group of mischief-makers has successfully caused a major cancellation, culminating in a loss of work for many theatrical practitioners. For what? A pyrrhic victory.

Sometimes there is, but this was not, by any definition, an exceptionally sensitive casting requirement. That this trouble-making group was even allowed to be heard, let alone achieve a result, is arrant nonsense.

On reflection, I am not as uncompromising as I feared, but this idiocy does makes me want to snarl, “Please, do shut-up!”

Roland can be heard each Monday at 10.45am on 3BA and contacted via [email protected].