Divine Playhouse, a theatre in a deconsecrated Catholic church in Sydney which has received $100,000 in government funding, has been ordered to stop “engaging in offensive trade”.
The playhouse, which initially called itself “Unholy Playhouse”, had planned a series of events, including one on Sunday 12 July dubbed “Sunday Mess — An Unholy Brunch Party: The Resurrection”. However, protests from local men’s groups followed the first event. Fit for the Kingdom and the Christian brotherhood Prodigal Sons protested outside the playhouse during “The First Rite – Opening Night” on 8 July.
The following day, the landlords sent a notice of breach to the venue’s organiser, Heaps Gay Events, saying it had “insulted and mocked the sincerely held religious beliefs of millions of Christian Australians”. The venue was given two days to cease operations. Heaps Gay describes itself as “coaxing Sydney out of its shell with larger-than-life parties and events since 2013” and says it aims to “spread inclusive love through art”.
The building itself was constructed as a Catholic church 158 years ago, but it was deconsecrated in 1932. Since then, it has served as both a theatre and a school.
The promotion of the event proved particularly controversial. On the group’s Instagram account, which has since been removed, the bio described it as a “Sanctuary for Mischief”, with a cross as its profile picture. Screenshots seen by AdVaticanum show men dressed as nuns alongside the caption “Sanctifying this wonderful sanctuary”, while another shows a group huddled beside a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the caption “We’ve come a long way baby, Unholy opens this week”. The most offensive image showed a man dressed as a pig offering McDonald’s French fries with the captions “Body of Christ?” and “nom nom”.
Despite the offensive nature of the planned events, some defended the playhouse.
Australian politician Cate Faehrmann described the criticism as a “wave of manufactured outrage from dangerous conservative activists who want to police what art can exist and who gets to belong in our city”.
The organisation has also received strong government backing, with a $100,000 grant from the state’s arts agency, Create NSW. The opening night was attended by several political dignitaries, including Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller. Speaking at the event, Miller said: “What happens between us when we come to places like this is we create cathedral communities that are ultimately so much stronger for being together than for being split.”
Speaking to AdVaticanum, Fit for the Kingdom said: “Our most sacred rituals, such as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, and practices like exorcism, are not only mocked but incorporated into sexually promiscuous scenes and acts.”
Explaining the decision to protest, Fit for the Kingdom’s Tomas Mones-Cazon said: “We believe it is our duty as Christians, and especially as men, to stand up for our faith, raise awareness that this is happening, and, most importantly, pray for the conversion and contrition of heart on the part of the organisers and those involved.”
He also made it clear that, while “we would prefer former churches not be turned into nightclubs”, the issue was not the use of a former church for secular events but rather that “our Lord and Saviour is actively being mocked inside the venue, and we will not remain silent in the face of ongoing blasphemy, particularly when it is supported by taxpayer dollars.”
Following the cancellation of the events, it is understood that the City of Sydney is considering a proposal to redevelop the former church into luxury apartments.
