“Iconic and darkly funny af”, Feminazi is a part-digital theatre performance about queer guilt, inherent misogyny and internalised homophobia within self.
Feminazi follows antihero named Zan who sets out to kill every man in the world.
Plans go awry, however, when Zan undergoes an identity crisis that unravels their own queer trauma and gender dysphoria which, in turn, makes Zan question ‘how can you kill all the men in the world when you yourself don’t fit the binary of man or woman?’
QNews chats to writer and producer, Laneikka Denne on bringing the character of Zan to life and holding up a mirror to the audience.
At 21 years old, Laneikka is already finding their voice through theatre, unapologetic and unflinching in their storytelling.
Penning their first play, Dead Skin, at only 17, Laneikka burst onto the scene with fiery confidence in their creative vision and voice. And now, they’re ready to bring the next step of their creative evolution to the stage once again.
“I was such a little baby queer and needed to spread my wings and work out my perspective on the world. This is a much more political play than Dead Skin,” Laneikka tells us.
“I have worked tirelessly on Feminazi to handle these huge ideas with sensitivity and care because queer people like myself deserve to feel heard and have their trauma acknowledged in innovative and provocative ways that better our world.”
‘A point of rage’
Its politicism rises to the surface – the title Feminazi acting not only as the main character’s self-appointed moniker but also a reclamation of the word which aims to diminish any feminist perspective deemed too radical for the patriarchal power structure.
“Everything I write starts from a point of rage,” Laneikka says.
“What needs to exist but doesn’t? Queer language has evolved and changed so much in the last couple years. Queer language is becoming more nuanced so we can self identify and feel seen, yet heteronormative trauma continues to divide and invalidate sectors of the LGBTIQ+ community.”
This division has proven to be harmful for queer communities in recent years, with the voice of the queer community being largely dominated by and represented by the population of white gay men.
“I wrote Feminazi to question what it is to be queer in 2022 and what it will mean in the future.
“I don’t think anyone will (AND NO ONE SHOULD) identify entirely with Zan. The whole point of the play is to find the moments where you do identify with Zan and explore what queer bias you have within yourself and heal the heteronormative and or ingrained misogyny that has filtered your way of viewing the world.
Not for the faint of heart
Of course, Feminazi will polarise audiences, as any queer, interrogative text should aim to do. The subject matter is dark but profound in its messaging. And it’s this message that Laneikka hopes connects with audiences.
“This isn’t a play that is blaming the queer community – I want to make this clear.
“This is a play that shows how compulsory heteronormativity creates queer trauma and how that continues to bleed through queer peoples lives.
“I want to acknowledge the trauma each queer person has gone through and the bias we need to remove to truly embrace what it is to be queer now,” they add.
“This is a provocative queer text made for queer people and allies to look deeper in themselves and acknowledge their own trauma and bias.
“I hope the play allows people to resonate with what it feels like to experience gender dysphoria and hatred of self from this super awkward Gen-Z internet perspective.
“I also hope it allows hetero allies and queer humans alike to think about what it actually means to be queer today and how that can continue to evolve without forgetting the hardships our queer ancestors have gone through to get us to where we are today.”
Feminazi will run from February 22nd until March 11th. Watch the trailer now.
For more information, visit Belvoir.com.au or visit @feminazi2023 on instagram, facebook and tiktok.
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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