SE X, DRUG S & POR K ROLL S - Utp and Sweatshop in association with Sydney Fes tival present - Urban Theatre Projects
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in a s s o cia ti o n
U t p a n d S wea t s h o p
l pre sen t
wi th S y dn e y F e s ti va
S E X, D R UG S &
P O R K ROL L S
Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad
“And I, for one, will join in with anyone – The answer is everything our citizens
don’t care what colour you are – as long deserve from the modern-day experience
as you want to change this miserable of attending the theatre: an intersectional
condition that exists on this earth.” These work that is fresh, unique, uncompromising,
were the closing words of black civil rights tragic, hilarious, honest, and most
leader, Malcolm X, at the Oxford Union on 3 importantly, complex in its portrayal of this
December 1964, just three months before he nation.
was assassinated.
There’s a chance that you won’t quite know
Growing up in Sydney over the last thirty what to do with yourself by the end of Sex,
years, it was common for me to attend Drugs & Pork Rolls. Whoever you may be
theatre productions in my teens and twenties on your way into the theatre, please accept
which were one-hundred percent created these comforting words from my ancestors
by white artists – from the writers, to the on your way out: Asalaam alaikum.
directors, actors, producers, dramaturgs,
sound and lighting designers, to the video Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad
artists, photographers, costume designers Script Editor, Sex, Drugs & Pork Rolls
and stage managers. As an Arab-Australian Founding Director, Sweatshop
Muslim from Western Sydney, whose picture
of Australia was always a cultural melting
pot, witnessing this kind of shameless white-
Dr Jessica Olivieri
washing was vomit-inducing at best and a
stab in the heart at worst. Utp is committed to supporting artists to be
in control of their own stories, whilst at the
Deeply inspired by the life and times same time providing a deeply supportive
of Malcolm X throughout my entire framework for them. This was particularly
professional career, I established a Western important for Sex, Drugs & Pork Rolls.
Sydney-based literacy movement in 2013
called Sweatshop, which was devoted When Michael Mohammed Ahmad,
to empowering people of colour through Sweatshop Director, brought us the script
reading, writing and critical thinking. While it was on the condition that the project be
Sweatshop remains a self-determined run entirely by a CaLD or POC identifying
organisation that is run exclusively by people team, only natural considering this sharply
of colour for people of colour, Malcolm’s written cinematic project is based on the
words have always guided us toward intersectional experiences of growing up
solidarity: Sweatshop will collaborate with CaLD or POC in Western Sydney. This saw
anyone – black, brown and white – who is Utp work with some of the most talented
serious about transforming the structural people, at the apex of their careers. People
and systemic inequalities in the Australian like director S. Shakthidharan, writer Omar
arts sector. Sakr, performer Emily Havea and artist/DOP
Akil Ahmat, to name-drop just a few.
Sex, Drugs & Pork Rolls is the realisation
of an eight-year vision from Sweatshop, Thank you Mo for trusting us with this
in partnership with our allies at Utp, to incredible piece of Western Sydney oral
unapologetically reflect the rich cultural storytelling and congratulations to the whole
and linguistic diversity of contemporary team for generating this cutting yet tender
Australia. When I first conceived the idea project.
for this project, I had a very simple premise
in mind: What would it look like to create an Enjoy your roll!
Australian theatre production that is one-
hundred percent developed by people of colour? Dr Jessica Olivieri
Artistic Director, Utp
Writers
WINNIE DUNN is a SHIRLEY LE is a STEPHEN PHAM is a OMAR SAKR is an award-
Tongan-Australian writer Vietnamese-Australian Vietnamese-Australian winning poet born and
and arts worker from Mt writer from Western writer from Cabramatta. raised in Western Sydney to
Druitt. Winnie’s work has Sydney. She is a Creative Stephen’s short stories Lebanese and Turkish Muslim
been published in the Producer at Sweatshop: and essays have appeared migrants. He is the author of
Sydney Review of Books, Western Sydney Literacy in Overland, The Lifted These Wild Houses (Cordite
The Lifted Brow, The Movement and holds a Brow, Seizure, The Vocal, Books), and The Lost Arabs
Griffith Review, Meanjin, Bachelor of Arts degree Meanjin, The Griffith (UQP), which was awarded
SBS Voices, Southerly and from Macquarie University. Review, The Big Black the 2020 Prime Minister’s
Cordite. She is the editor Her short stories and Thing and The Sydney Literary Award for Poetry and
of several anthologies essays have been Review of Books. Stephen shortlisted in the Queensland
including Sweatshop published in Overland,The received the 2018 Create Literary Awards, for the John
Women, The Big Black Guardian, SBS Voices, The NSW Writer’s Fellowship Bray Poetry Award, and for
Thing and Bent Not Griffith Review, Meanjin to develop his debut the NSW Premier’s Literary
Broken. Winnie is currently and several Sweatshop manuscript. Awards. The Lost Arabs has
completing her debut anthologies. Shirley is also been released in the US
novel as the recipient of a currently working on through Andrews McMeel
2019 CAL Ignite Grant. her debut novel as the Universal. In 2019, Omar was
recipient of a 2019 Affirm the recipient of the Edward
Press Mentorship. Stanley Award for Poetry.
Lead Performers
EMILY HAVEA AILEEN HUYNH HENRY VO HAZEM SHAMMAS
Performing the words of Performing the words of Performing the words of Performing the words of
Winnie Dunn. Shirley Le. Stephen Pham. Omar Sakr.
Director Script Editor
S. SHAKTHIDHARAN is a Western Sydney storyteller DR MICHAEL MOHAMMED AHMAD is the founding
with Sri Lankan heritage and Tamil ancestry. He’s the director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and editor of
Artistic Director of Kurinji; a writer, director and producer the critically acclaimed anthology: After Australia (Affirm
of theatre and film, and composer of original music. He Press). His debut novel, The Tribe (Giramondo), won the
was the inaugural Associate Artist at Carriageworks and is 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of
the recipient of both the Phillip Parson’s and Kirk Robson the Year Award. His second novel, The Lebs (Hachette),
awards. His most recent play Counting and Cracking with won a 2019 Premier’s Literary Award and was a finalist
Belvoir and Co-Curious received community, commercial for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Mohammed
and critical acclaim at the 2019 Sydney and Adelaide completed his Doctorate of Creative Arts at Western
Festivals and won 7 Helpmann Awards. Shakthi was Sydney University in 2017. His forthcoming novel, The
Founder and Artistic Director of community arts company Other Half of You, will be published by Hachette in June
CuriousWorks from 2003-2018. 2021.
Sex, Drugs & Pork Rolls
20 – 23 January 2021 | Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres
Utp Creative Team
Utp has been at the forefront of art and Writers: Winnie Dunn, Stephen Pham,
social change since 1979. Utp is leading a Shirley Le and Omar Sakr
not so quiet revolution of art that is socially Director: S.Shakthidharan
responsive, inclusive and that reflects the Script Editor: Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad
diverse nation we live in. We lead from the Director of Photography & Film Editor:
lands of the Darug people and acknowledge Akil Ahamat
that sovereignty was never ceded. Lead Performers: Emily Havea, Aileen
Huynh, Hazem Shammas and Henry Vo
Utp is a unique commissioning and Performers: Mert Altunsoy, Alissar Chidiac,
producing organisation. We make long- Taofia Pelesasa and Susan Young
term investments in collaborations with
artists and/or communities from outside Production Team
the dominant culture to give form to Production Manager (Presentation): Amber Silk
extraordinary ideas. We never do this alone, Production Manager (Filming): Takashi Hara
working with an exceptional set of partners Costume/Make-up Artist & Photographer:
to co-produce a year-round program of Nancy Trieu
performance, dance, visual art, learning and Composer: Aimée Falzon
community-led projects, unlike anything you Sound Mixer : Mayu Ganeshan
have seen before. Sound Recordist: Paul Pham
Lighting Assistant: Adrian Castro
Utp Team
Artistic Director CEO: Dr Jessica Olivieri Utp Board
Executive Producer & Development Amanda Brisot
Manager: Adam McGowan Michelle Hanna
General Manager: Bronwyn Papantonio Dr Robert Lang (Chair)
Creative Producers: Eddie Abd & Craig McMaster
Frank Mainoo Dr Jessica Olivieri
Marketing Manager: Sidney McMahon Theo Psychogios
Administrator & Marketing Coordinator: Catherine Sullivan
Veronica Barac-Gomez Nina Trofimova CPA CA
Finance: Take Care of Books Shannon Williams (Brothablack)
PR: The Press Society Mouna Zaylah
Tian Zhang
Thank you
Maryam Azam, Karilyn Brown, Quyen Chung, Jasmine Dinh at Banh Mi Bay Ngo, Wesley
Enoch, Craig Hull, Samuel Kanaan-Oringo, David Kirkpatrick, Michelle Kotevski, Robert Love,
Peter Polites, Yana Taylor, Austage Events, Maria Tran from Phoenix Eye, I.C.E., The Neilson
Foundation, the Western Sydney University Interns - Elisha Mondonedo, Chelsie Sta Romana,
Jarrod Leonard, Narjess Tlais and Rizqi Kusuma Putri, Utp Producers’ Circle, and the staff at
Riverside Theatres.
Sex, Drugs & Pork Rolls has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the following partners:
And all of the generous donors to the LOVE Utp fundraising campaign
Front cover and artists image credit: Nancy Trieu
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