Grief Lightning: A Satire in 78 Slides

“A captivating hour that reflects commitment to fandom culture in comedic glory.”

★★★★★ Helen Karakulak, On The Record

“Every now and again, a show tumbles out of Adelaide Fringe as the start of something much, much bigger. This is one of those shows.“

★★★★★ Mark Wickett, Stage Whispers

Part-theatre, part-standup, part-PowerPoint Presentation. One lecturer desperately tries to prove a popular ‘Grease’ fan theory: that Sandy drowns in the opening beach sequence and the rest of the film is her coma fantasy. Over the course of 13 scenes, 78 slides, and a flood of custom animations, the lecture warps…

Dragging the audience down into a world of wigs, jackets, and surreal projection. Deconstructing rigid gender norms, and gloriously rejecting heteronormativity, this is the chaotic liberation you didn’t know you needed. Through this postmodern journey through Reddit, film, and academia, ‘Grief Lighting’ explores ideas of gender, pop culture, and obsession. If ‘Grease’ is nothing more than a fantasy, is Sandy’s narrative really the best we can hope for?

Presented by Paper Mouth Theatre in co-production with Wickedly Good Productions. ‘Grief Lightning’ was a finalist for the Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award, premiered at the Adelaide Fringe 2021, and played at Gasworks Arts Park in Midsumma 2021.

Supported by the South Australian Government through Carclew.

|| Poster Design: Caitlin Ellen Moore || Photography: Matthew Steen ||