Solo Theatre Show Reimagines Sleeping Beauty to Confront Gender-Based Violence

Queensland performance artist Leah Shelton has launched a new solo show, Keep Sleeping, Beauty, which uses the classic fairytale to examine issues of consent, sexual violence, and the growing online manosphere. Premiering at Metro Arts in Meanjin/Brisbane as part of the Melt Festival, the 50-minute performance contrasts the familiar narrative of the sleeping princess with contemporary cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault and image-based abuse.

Directed by Olivier Award-winner Ursula Martinez, the production springboards from the underlying themes of the traditional story. Martinez and Shelton noted that historical versions, such as Giambattista Basile's 1634 tale Sun, Moon, and Talia, featured explicit non-consensual violence, while even modern adaptations present a passive, unconscious woman whose bodily autonomy is compromised without consent.

ADDRESSING REAL-WORLD CONTINUITIES AND TECHNOLOGY

The performance incorporates real-world references to highlight systemic issues surrounding sexual assault. The set features a bed surrounded by recording devices, referencing the role of technology in image-based abuse and the proliferation of online "sleep content." The show touches on high-profile cases, including the 2024 trial involving Gisèle Pelicot in France, investigations into online assault networks, and historic protests such as Emma Sulkowicz's 2014 mattress performance at Columbia University.

To address the heavy subject matter, the creators balance political activism with wit, camp theatricality, and comedic elements. Certain references to sexual assault within the show are censored using audio beeps, which the creators explain serves to represent memory loss associated with sedation as well as the broader redaction of history. Shelton, who plays herself in the physically demanding piece, aims to use the work to spark discussion on confronting cultural attitudes and supporting men who speak out against anti-women sentiment.