A familiar tale gets a topical twist when the Poppy Seed Theatre Festival returns in 2017.
Sunshine actor Pallavi Waghmode plays a starring role in Romeo Is Not The Only Fruit, a musical comedy which takes the star-crossed lovers that audiences know and love, and puts them in a same sex relationship.
“It’s bit of a play on the boy meets girl story, only it’s girl meets girl,” Waghmode said.
“A lot of queer love stories, especially ones involving lesbians, don’t end happily, so this story brings that to the forefront.
“With the [same sex marriage] postal vote going on at the moment, it’s also a really topical story.”
Waghmode has long been an avid fan of all things musical theatre, but said she has grown weary from what she perceives as a feeling of exclusivity.
“I’ve met a lot of people of colour who have found it difficult to establish themselves, which is what really drew me to not only this story, but the Poppy Seed festival itself.
“The story emphasises colour and sexuality and I’m grateful to be involved with it.”
Waghmode is one of just five performers in the play and she said the end result is the culmination of many hours of hard work
Romeo Is Not The Only Fruit runs November 14-26 at the Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne.
Details: www.poppyseedfestival.com
