“Ze”: Queer as F*ck! returns to Fringe World this week. Rachel Discrimination reviewed the show for OUTinPerth back in 2016 and gave it 4 ½ stars describing it as a show that challenges your preconceptions.

From the outset you are confronted with a WTF moment and if you’re anything like me you’ll be titillated and find it difficult not to smile. As a Drag Queen and a self described sicko I loved the shock value. Welcome to Fringe World, right?

For all intents and purposes the host appears to be what I perceive to be a “stereotypical lesbian”, but after some time, I had my own preconceptions of the performance that was in front of me challenged as the show progressed. How I would describe it is a slow reveal using hir own life experiences to take you though hir own personal journey in finding hirself. Experiences that prompted hir to challenge hir own perceptions of gender and sexual identity.

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We chatted to the show’s creator Michelle/Ryan who embraces the full spectrum of hir gender. In the show ze both uses, and parodies the labels meant to help an individual embrace their truth in a modern world. Desperate for definition, ze confronts stereotypes both within and without in a celebration that exposes the complex tension between being authentic to oneself and belonging.

Speaking to OUTinPerth Michelle / Ryan said the autobiographical show shared hir journey, and gave a nod towards the future. The performer said they understood why coming out stories are always popular with people in the LGBTI+ community.

“We’re all looking for people who are a bit like us, the world’s changing quite a bit. Now you see young folks coming out at ages that I couldn’t even fathom. But also now we’re entering a time when you don’t have to come out, which is fine too.” Michelle / Ryan said.

“One of the things I say though my show, it’s not just a one time coming out process. Of the course of time how you might describe yourself might change, it might not be static. You might find layers of yourself which reveal other facets of you.”

Michelle / Ryan said hir experience of using gender neutral pronouns is still quite a new experience.

“I haven’t been out very long as gender queer, there are some places where I am just Ryan and I ask people to use male pronouns, then there are other places where people have known me for a long time and they call me ‘she’’ and call me Michelle. My really cool friends and partner are really into gender neutral pronouns.

“What is upsetting is when I’m with a group of people and they make a comment that’s really specifically about women or about men, that they think that I’m automatically going to relate to because they see me as one gender or the other, they think I’m the same as them, and I feel confused by it.” Michelle / Ryan said.

“The whole pronouns thing is still new to me, and I might feel differently a few years from now, but at the moment I still get excited when some uses the pronouns I prefer.” Michelle / Ryan said back in 2016.

“Ze”: Queer as F*ck is playing at the National Hotel in Fremantle on February 5 and 12. It’s also on at The Atrium Bar at Ribby’s Bar in the city on Feb 7 and 14. Get tickets from Fringe World.

Look out for Blood Relative – a new show from the same team.

OIP Staff