The cultural significance of Tony Kushner’s Angel’s in America for the LGBTIQ+ community cannot be overstated; a play that spoke to the horror of the times as it was unfolding. Colin Batrouney starred in the Australian (MTC) premiere production when the AIDS epidemic was at its deadly height. This episode reminds us how HIV / AIDS decimated a generation of queer creatives, bringing with it profound grief and loss. As an actor, Angels in America was unlike anything Batrouney had experienced and led him to become a health advocate in the aftermath of the epidemic.
Queering the Collection is created by Tristan Meecham.
Editing and audio production by Jess Fairfax.
Presented by Arts Centre Melbourne, in association with the Australian Performing Arts Collection and The Australian Queer Archives.
Special thanks to Ian Jackson, Ange Bailey and Nick Henderson for their curatorial work.
Image of Colin Batrouney in Angels in America, 1994 by Jeff Busby. Courtesy of Melbourne Theatre Company.
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