Back to Birdy was written by Zach Bui as part of Fruit Box Theatre’s RIPE Development Program; an innovative development program that saw a collective of queer actors and writers work together to develop five original plays for Sydney WorldPride. The play explores the relationship between queer women and trans men, and was formed out of the experiences of Zach and fellow members of RIPE.

Taking place in the aftermath of a falling out between protagonists Warren and Emily, Back to Birdy is a candid and humorous look at the chasms that can form within friendships whilst navigating identity politics, coming out, and one's relationship with queer spaces. Set against the backdrop of queer women’s night ‘Birdcage’, the play takes the characters back to Birdy (ie. Birdcage) through a series of flashbacks as they interact with their younger selves.

Back to Birdy was first presented as a staged reading at KXT during Sydney WorldPride and received an incredibly warm reception. Audiences and reviewers alike were eager for this play to see its full form.

Wishing to bring the play to life in a unique and immersive way, we are currently in talks with various bars about producing the play as a site-specific piece. This will allow us to engage community in an exciting way whilst centralising the significance of place to the production.

As Sydney's nightlife and live entertainment begins to return to where it was pre-Covid, our idea will be a crucial contribution to activating public spaces for the benefit of our city. We will bring queer community to a Sydney nightlife venues throughout multiple evenings, creating an exciting evening of theatre for our patrons and contributing to the turnover of the venue.

Fruit Box Theatre is a Sydney non-profit committed to staging and developing original LGBTQIA+ theatre. Our mission is to strengthen queer representation, wellbeing, and collaboration in the arts. Too often, artistic representations of the LGBTQIA+SB community are constrained by tropes of shame, isolation and discomfort. The team at Fruit Box Theatre are passionate about developing and staging original theatrical works that reflect and explore the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+SB lived experience.