I Want it That Gay was created by comedian Cara Whitehouse whilst singing in the shower to a heteronormative song when she noticed she was modifying the lyrics and images in her head to that of her most recent romantic partner and thought, “I wonder if other queer people change lyrics like this?”.

Joining Whitehouse on stage is Juliet Hindmarsh. Together, the duo parody pop songs from the ‘90s and ‘00s to convey their LGBTQ stories. The show is musical led, built around conversations between two friends sharing anecdotes from their past. The pair balance each other well, with comedic one-liners bouncing from one to the other.

The clever wordsmith’s satirical rewrite of the songs has the audience laughing, while the stories shared evoke feelings of nostalgia. The show gets real as the pair touch on their queer milestones, review and relive past relationships, crushes and wanna-be relationships. Most of the themes, despite being queer focused, are universal and something any gender or sexuality can relate to. For Whitehouse and Hindmarsh, I Want it That Gay is a light-hearted existential crisis. Through music, the talented pair flip the lyrics exploring being queer, finding their identities and challenge preconceived notions of what being queer looks like.

The queer cabaret looks at how pop culture shapes us and notes for most of us in the western world, the nineties only provided heteronormative examples of ways to be. From Destiny’s Child to Shania Twain, the songs selected are instantly recognisable, but the lyrics are like you’ve never heard them. Stand out songs include Spice Girls ‘Stop Right Now’, re-appropriated to associate with getting a haircut after a break-up, and the acoustic version of Britney Spears ‘Baby One More Time’, which showed true talent.

The duo interacts with the audience, asking for hands-up, who is queer and who are allies to the queer community. Held in Qtopia’s Loading Dock theatre, as part of Mardi Gras, the show is aimed at the queer community and some jokes went over my head. However, I Want it That Gay is a fun night out. Those within the community will find the stories relatable while allies can enjoy the nostalgic music and leave with a different perspective on the iconic tunes.  

3.5 stars

I Want it That Gay is playing until 22 February 2025. For more information visit Qtopia