Harrison is both an actor and on the production team of upcomingplay The Motherf*cker With the Hat. The show delves into the mind of former addict Jackie (Harrison) and his drink-loving high school sweetheart Veronica (Zoe Trilsbach) as they navigate their rekindled relationship under the guidance of sponsor Ralph D (John Atkinson).

Harrison himself describes it a little more poetically: “In a nutshell, the play’s about real people. It’s about fidelity. It’s about trust. It’s about relationships. It’s about moving your life forward and figuring out the things that are holding you back … in a very funny, abusive way”. And, we imagine it’s also about a hat that seems to fuck everything up.

The play is fresh from a six-time Tony-nominated stint in the Big Apple and is now being revived by newly created company Workhorse Theatre Co.. Harrison points out that although this performance might not have Chris Rock or Bobby Cannavale as the leading actors, it still pulls its weight.

“Obviously when you’vegot something on Broadway and something from an independent production house in Sydney, Australia, there are going to be differences. Most of it’s going to come from budget. There’s a lot of things that they were able to do that we just can’t,” Harrison tells Vertigo.

“We’ve done what we can to create a believable world for the audience, but there’s no real difference [compared to the original production]. The people on Broadway did the same thing as what we’re doing – just trying to find the truth in the characters and go on from there.”

Although in searching for this truth Harrison found he could relate to the titular character Jackie in a number of ways, the challenge for him is his workload that would make the most organised of double degree university students cringe in utmost fear.

Following a visit from legendary acting teacher Larry Moss when he came Down Under in 2011, Harrison says he was lucky enough to be accepted into Moss’ masterclass program, where he was inspired by Moss’ go-getter, fuck it attitude to bringing acting work to you.

However since founding Workhorse Theatre Co., it’s been a game of balance for Harrison and his wife of four months who also works with the company.

“As soon as this play’s ended its run, my wife and I are finally going on our honeymoon where we’ll be spending eight weeks in Europe,” Harrison tells Vertigo.

Luckily there are opportunities to have a breather every now and then on set, with rehearsals of the performance serving as a rather interesting experience for this curly-haired, blue-eyed draughthorse from Mt Druitt.

“In the play, my wife’s acting as my partner who’s still an addict, and I’m getting to say things that you never would to your partner… Walking out of rehearsals with your wife after you’ve called her every name under the sun… makes for an interesting home life. But the nice thing is that it’s a chance to get out any angst on stage and at the end you can still say, ‘I love you’.”

His passion is something that comes through in the brief interview, but opening up about his plans for a yet-to-be-titled web series he’s writing show there’s a lot of Harrison that’s still in some way connected to Sydney’s Christian west.

“In a nutshell, the series is basically about a man who meets God in a bar. He’s on death’s doorstep and his mind takes him to a bar where he meets this beer-drinking, cigarette-smoking person and God’s basically going to live vicariously through this atheist to try and right some of the wrongs in his life… I myself was force fed religion as a child and it wasn’t till I was about fourteen that I sort of started getting my own opinions about religion and that’s where it all comes from.”

With the intent to launch the series once he returns from his trip overseas, it seems that Harrison is beginning to reach some of those dreams in his life that his mother so lovingly pushed him towards as a child.

“The one thing I had going for me was my mother. She really instilled in me and my siblings that we could be anything that we wanted to be and it does make it a little harder when you don’t have the economic status to help you, but if you want something bad enough, you’ve got nothing to stop you.”

And nothing has stopped him since. Powering through his career so far that has seen him work in television and on stage for performances such as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Boy from Oz, Harrison has set a new fairy-tale benchmark for all of us westies who are still dreaming of an escape.

With an impressive resume in acting and a bulk of big names calling up his production company to take part here and there, it looks as if Harrison’s primary income from television adverts won’t be for too much longer.

Kudos to the man who managed to get further east than Strathfield and make a name for himself in front of some of his toughest critics. We’ve now got hope for the rest of us that Sydney’s elite won’t look at us as what they call bogan scum* anymore.

The Motherf*cker With the Hat will premiere at TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst on April 17 and flow on through till May 5. Tickets can be found at http://www.workhorsetheatreco.com/

* May in fact be a personal reflection and not that of any upper-class, snobbish** residents from the east.
** Also a personal reflection. 

This article was originally published at Vertigo online.

Ellen DeGeneres will lend her voice for the sequel – to be titled Finding Dory – slated to hit the big screen in 2015 as the colourful Regal Tang that brought us laughs from the original 2003 film all about the mysterious lives of underwater creatures off Australia’s world-renowned eastern coastline.

“I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16,” she laughs, “but the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny and the best part is – it’s got a lot more Dory.”

Co-director of the original $921 million blockbuster smash Andrew Stanton will be at the steering wheel for the sequel and said: “There is no Dory without Ellen.”

The new film will follow on about a year after the original, with Dory on her very own adventure to find her loved ones, this time off the coast of California.

Disney has stated that audiences will see some old and new characters onscreen, including the return of Nemo and the clownfish Marlin.

The nation’s current law provides same-sex couples with the opportunity to attain a civil union, but the Senate has gone one step further after the bill was approved by the lower house in December last year. President José Mujica says he intends to sign the bill into law.

According to the Associated Press, the new legislation would also mean that any couple, regardless of sexual orientation, will be able to decide whose surname is used first when naming their children.

Uruguay will follow its neighbour Argentina to become the second country in Latin America that legally allows marriage equality nationwide (it’s only recognised in some regions of Brazil and Mexico).

Other countries that allow wedded unions between gay and lesbian couples include The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, and parts of the USA.

We still can’t help but think back to early 1995 and reminisce on a hilarious The Simpsons episode set in Australia where Homer pronounces the small South American country as “you are gay.” It seems the dim-witted Homer may have been onto something all along…

Following a recent trip to Australia’s other top dog city in Victoria, I can safely say that I’ll never take my iPhone or Instagram account for granted again.

People laugh and poke fun at those who even have an account that’s not Facebook – that too was once laughed at and mocked – simply because they deem it uncool or, as some people tend to put it these days, is “for mere hipsters and not us mortal folk.” Yes, I’m almost certain I didn’t just make that up in my head.

There’s a particular joy that comes with having the ability to achieve photographer genius in under 27 seconds with the use of another glorious Apple product. And then receiving a bulk of ‘likes’ from people who appreciate/admire your creative efforts is just the cherry on top.

Melbourne was a highly Instagrammable city (that too is something I don’t think I just made up), where delights and a European-style sense of street life paved the way for my photographic prowess as I captured all of the most glorious moments for the entire Instagramming public to see.

Like how the verb ‘to google’ has entered our lexicon, I’m positive that if this cleverly thought up app doesn’t stop trending on the App store and in the hands of hipsters from Newtown, Sydney to Brunswick, Melbourne, that the word will be forcibly pushed into the next update to the Australian dictionary.

I’m proud to support the social media arts through filtering captured images into a square shaped photograph that seems to be the contemporary polaroid, and I won’t be halting my practice anytime soon.

So for those of you that don’t quite share the same joys as I, perhaps you could at least understand where I’m coming from if you were to have a gander at the 20-something photos I took whilst in Melbourne and then later on the Gold Coast…

And come on, we all know that Instagram is way cooler than MySpace ever was.

Over the years, the Australian Armed Forces are becoming more and more socially accepting of those who are part of the queer community, active service people tell us. A tough battle for acknowledgment and equal treatment has finally resulted in a happier and healthier working environment.

Three service people of the armed forces who are members of DEFGLIS, the Australian Defence Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex information service, were kind enough to open up to Same Same about their time serving the sunburnt country thus far.

Born in Brisbane, Flight Lieutenant Nathan White (pictured above) has been in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for just under a decade and hasn’t yet reached his highest potential. He tells us he has big plans for the coming years on the job.

White has wanted to fly since childhood, he explains. “I have since I flew the first time when I was seven years old and then I found out about Defence at about age 13 or 14, so I knuckled down, studied hard and got in.

“I did three years at university and then two years of flight training to get my wings. From there, operational conversion is six months. So, total that up and 5 ½ years later and you’re a qualified pilot,” he explains.

“I would like to be a flight commander. I think that would be really rewarding. I guess that’s my goal for the next five years with the next promotion.”

White moves around for his postings every few years, and says he has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities that have been bestowed upon him in his career.

“At the end of the day, when I came out, nobody cared.”

“I’ve travelled within South East Asia and I’ve also been all around Australia,” he says. “It’s exciting to be able to travel so much, but it also puts strain on home relationships. Though that’s what happens when you’re in the defence force. You know you’re going to travel and that’s the life you choose.”

“I plan on staying [in the force] until I feel that my time is up. I’m on contract for another four years, but I see myself working through and beyond that. I don’t think my time’s done yet.”

White was happy to inform us that he hasn’t found encountered serious homophobia in his workplace.

“Everybody has little personal clashes and I had a couple before I came out,” he does admit. “I think it was the hardest when I wasn’t out and there was some speculation and people talked behind your back. The most challenging part was me thinking, ‘well what do they care? It doesn’t matter’ and at the end of the day, when I came out, nobody cared.”

Now an out and proud member of the RAAF, White will be one of around 100 service people marching down Oxford Street for this year’s Mardi Gras parade in uniform – the very first time that they’ve been allowed to do so.

For White it’s a chance to make a bold statement to the rest of the defence force and to those who look down on the LGBTIQ community as people who mightn’t be as suited to certain occupations based on their gender and sexuality.

“That’s why I’m passionate about marching. I want to dispel that stigma that gay men are inferior to straight men,” he explains.

“It’s a really proud moment for DEFGLIS members to be recognised by the chief of the defence force as valid contributors, able to march as ADF members from varying backgrounds and sexual orientations. It’s a chance to show that the ADF supports people from many backgrounds.”

Two other people in the defence forces who will be marching proudly down Sydney’s premier queer strip also told Same Same what it means to them.

This here is however a direct reference to one Mr Monty Burns, a kind hearted character from everybody’s favourite primetime animated comedy series, Le Simpsons. What kind of man would show the slightest sense of evil if he still enjoyed the accompaniment of his teddy bear Bobo?

There was an episode a good few seasons back that put a spark in everyone’s eye brighter than lightning in a thunderstorm. Remember when Maggie got all ghetto and shot Monty after he abused his power? I’m talking about that occasion.

Blocking out the sun was a fabulous idea. I’m sure people all over the world in Arab nations and desert states were in full agreement that there are times in our summer periods when all we want to do is push a shiny red knob and have instant, controllable shade. There are miniature, more private alternatives in Australia which are known as pergolas and awnings, though they couldn’t possibly do the trick if we want to lay on the beach or bicycle through the breeze at Bronte without risking higher rates of sunburn, or worse, skin cancer.

You see, I’m a pasty fellow. A natural tan doesn’t come without the effort – think three weeks laying on the crispy hot sand of the Adriatic Sea – but when it comes to attempting the same thing on Commonwealth soil, all I do is require copious amounts of Aloe Vera oil at the end of the day that irks shop assistants into thinking I’m an amateur porn star.

If any Aussie is as bogan-bred as me, they’d be aware that having a rich English or Irish heritage comes with its perks – dashing good looks and gorgeous blue eyes – though our skin has still not evolved to survive the harsh hole in the ozone layer above Australia’s eastern coastline. Well tickle us all pink.

Enter the Auberson-Walsh plan of blocking out the sun on any day that hits more than 35 degrees Celsius. [Insert evil laughter here]

First we need to have the backing of corporate investors and the cooperation with the federal government – that’s probably where Monty’s scheme shot through. Someone like Clive Palmer who’s expressed interest in the Titanic II and a real life Jurassic Park would be the perfect idiot for the job. But how would we get him or anybody else with a fat wallet interested exactly? By providing a flawless sales pitch with all the reasons as to why a little metallic cloud cover would be perfect for those stifling summer heatwaves.

There’s the minimisation of cases of sunburn for one – and a cost saving on aforementioned aloe vera. Not to mention the presence of spray tan businesses all along the Aussie coastline providing a much healthier alternative – guarantee at least one of your friends or mutual friends runs their own tanning business and will do it for a price so low that people on the dole would consider browning their backsides.

Tanning is skin cells in trauma. At least that’s what the Australian government and the Cancer Council have convinced us all. So why not abide by jumping under the shade of a giant, metal umbrella every time you feel yourself sizzling quicker than a snag on a BBQ? It’s common knowledge that Australians face the greatest risk of coming into contact with cancer multiple times in their lives, and sunscreen doesn’t appear to be used to full extent on behalf of the effort it takes to put on. For all the lazy beach bums it might be quite nice to know that on the days when the sun begins to heat up the sand to an unbearable temperature, that you can simply block it out for an hour or two to everyone’s convenience, all with the push of a button.

The stifling heat would be a wondrous thing to remove from our daily lives. Winter babies unite, there are days when running the air con at full speed isn’t strong enough to overcome the boiling hot temperature that manages to infiltrate the tiniest of cracks on your hot tin roof.

For those that aren’t too impressed with their option to walk outside and gain some skin cancer cells at their own free will being revoked, pretend it’s a wet weather day, because they’re actually quite magnificent.

A range of familial activities can be planned around wet weather, so for those days when you might be bound to the house, lest you go outside and feel rage that it’s midday and you’re surrounded by sheer darkness. From pillow fights, blanket forts and popcorn-filled Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie marathons to playing Scrabble and cooking up a casserole, indoor activities might just be the only time you spend time with your siblings because you’re forced to stay inside. Embrace these opportunities without eye rolling and gagging at the thought of ten nauseating hours playing monopoly. Family time is full of love.

And if that ‘strong’ argument above doesn’t provide the cancer-fearing millionaires among us with a good enough reason to fill the hole in the ozone layer above Australia, they’d love knowing that no one of power can judge you on a rainy day if all you want to do is sit on your arse and eat- because they’re probably doing exactly the same thing.

Come on Ms Rinehart, I know you’ve already thought this through before. Now where’s my cheque?

* Heartfelt condolences to all those lost at this time due to extreme weather conditions.

Just as marriage equality and gender equality have been pushed in recent times in Britain, parliamentarians are considering updating a law that would affect the royal family’s line of succession.

The parliament is debating a bill that will introduce legislation to allow the first-born child of Prince William and Kate Middleton to rule as monarch regardless of their gender. Labour MP Paul Flynn is now pushing for an extension to this new law to provide the same opportunity for a child if they become a gay or lesbian adult.

If Flynn’s own stance on the issue is taken seriously and becomes law, there may very well one day be an openly gay or lesbian ruler of the Commonwealth in a same-sex relationship with legal recognition as partners.

Pink News reports, “Any children born to the couple through artificial insemination or surrogacy would succeed to the throne so long as the couple are in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership.”

However, any children that may be adopted by the couple would not be illegible for succession based on current laws that MPs might not care to change.

First and foremost, the speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow would need to accept the amendment in order for a full debate to commence. As a strong supporter of LGBT rights, Pink News writes that it’s “almost certain” and “is expected to have the support of many Labour, Liberal Democrats and most Conservatives that back David Cameron’s plans to introduce same-sex marriage.”

In a similar move for a fairer ascension to the throne, the only remaining obstacle is altering the law so that royals could marry a Catholic, despite the religious and legal complexities of this issue. The royal monarch has been the Supreme Governor of the Church of England since the time of King Henry VIII, and the church are officially opposed to same-sex marriage.

Same Same wonders what Queen Lizzy II’s stance on all of this is…?

The Prime Minister has assured conservative faith-based institutions that they’ll still be able to turn away gays and lesbians under proposed new anti-discrimination laws.

Under current law, government funded religious schools and hospitals have the privilege to turn away teachers and students from their institutions for not sharing their beliefs.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Julia Gillard and her Labor Party cohorts met up with the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace.

“She has no intention of restricting freedom of religion,” says Wallace in regards to the legal rights of religious groups when hiring and firing.

The PM previously promised Wallace she would protect the institution of marriage as being between a man and a woman, as discovered in a filmed interview prior to her election in 2010.

The NSW Government has made a submission to the Human Rights and Anti-discrimination Bill 2012that proposes that the current law remain intact, continuing to provide a religious exemption for institutions who wish to dismiss staff and students who don’t stand on the same moral ground.

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has announced that he will write to the PM “seeking her justification for allowing publicly funded religious providers free-range to discriminate against groups including gay and lesbian Australians.”

“The Prime Minister has a duty to protect those affected by discrimination, not those practising it,” he says.

“By allowing hospitals and schools to practice discrimination, the Prime Minister is supporting breeding grounds for homophobia.”

Greenwich will also request that Gillard meet with any who are suffering “as a result of the discriminatory practices of tax-payer funded religious service providers.”

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon released the draft bill late last year and received more than 3,000 submissions in response. The bill will mesh together five separate pieces of legislation into a single Act, aiming to strengthen protections for sexual orientation and gender diversity under federal law.

Openly-gay federal Finance Minister Penny Wong will push the bill through parliament. Once the bill is passed, older LGBTI and gender diverse people will no longer be discriminated against and refused refuge in aged care homes based on their sexuality and gender orientation.

Jim Wallace has made the Australian Christian Lobby’s view clear, but a wide range of other religious denominations have not yet stated their position.

Take the internationally recognised NOH8 campaign for example. Featuring a bountiful amount of celebrities and well-known faces, they put on a little light makeup and jump in front of the camera for Adam Bouska. Whether it’s a finger to their lips, or a subtle f**k you stare into your soul, Bouska’s magic always fails to strike a chord here Down Under.

It really is a rarity that they’ll produce a portrait effective enough to move the butterflies that have fluttered together inside my stomach.

Their mission statement says, “The NOH8 Campaign is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest.”

Without dissing the tragedy of America’s take on the English language, you’d be pushed to read between the lines that they actually do anything except take a few pretty pictures. Where’s the campaigning that ended in rioting? The protesting that had people physically fighting for what they believe in? People have taken refuge behind their glass computer screens and camera lenses in fear of taking any real action.

That there is where campaigning has gone awry, easily differentiated from those activists and political-shakers of yesteryear. NOH8 pins their breed of activism as a “photographic silent protest”, but please tell me what good being silent was for the community.

It may however have something that’s more to do with America’s shifting technological culture – hiding behind closed study doors as opposed to braving the streets for the good of the people. Thinking about the Rally for Marriage Equality that was held on November 25 at Sydney’s Town Hall, I’m always keen to participate in an event that encourages the use of our voices and marching bodies with the emphasis of the almighty megaphone.

Online petitions, ‘sharing’ a few Facebook photos or retweeting someone has become the nitty gritty of campaigning, though they’re relatively unsuccessful and unnoticeable in my eyes.

Being silent isn’t, and never will be, the key to a successful campaign. That much can be credited to our politicians and the newly elected President of the United States. To act boisterous and confident is definitely an Australian thing though – from the footy fields to the queerest of nightclubs, Aussies are the people that know how to use their tongues for good.

To new technology, I reject you – with the exception of my brand new iPhone 5. It’s all useless when you can always get off your arse and make a serious impact – way better than imprinting a dent on your vintage leather sofa.

Personally, I’m all for the wonders of new technology, but I’ll always prefer seeing a drag queen strut down George St to promote gender equality over photos plastered on the internet any day. That’ll get people talking. That’ll get the ball rolling. 

For a full digital copy, email QueerVertigoUTS (at) gmail.com
If you would like a full printed copy to sit on your coffee table, just shoot us an email with ‘printed copy’ in the subject header and we’ll see what we can organise.

Hope you like it.
Ryan,
Editor of Queer Vertigo 2012.