As the last piece of glitter is picked off another very weary yet toned body that partied the night away last Saturday night to celebrate a fabulous Mardi Gras season, I must say there’s also been a very sexy selection of theatre to grace the Sydney stages to commemorate every that is great about being gay and lesbian.

We have seen a Magical Year of Wanking, Trevor Ashley as Shirley Bassey, Drag Queens and Kings galore in every shape and walk of life, a Britney Spears tribute, a Madonna cabaret, naked men on stage singing, numerous stories about lost love and even a musical about the tragedy of AIDS.

Pictured above, The Paris Letter at Darlinghurst Theatre is a love story about the difficulties of living a lie and not being true to who and what you want in life. The very cute Caleb Alloway stars as the young Sandy who is your typical New Yorker living with the pressure of two parents who expect the best from you and want you to succeed in the family business. Enter Damian Sommerlad as the young Anton and you see sparks fly. The chemistry between the two is palpable.

Stunning sets grace the stage of the Darlinghurst Theatre. But standout in this beautifully directed production is Susie Lindeman as flamboyant Lillian and Peter Cousens as the older Anton. It is worthwhile to see this production just to watch Susie and Peter do what they do best or if you want to see two very cute naked men on stage you’ll enjoy Caleb Alloway and Damian Sommerlad.

Another stand out was the moving musical Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens at the Seymour Centre directed by the amazing Brett Russell, who should be directing main stage musicals…

This was one captivating production that highlights the individual stories of the victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It humanises the numerous fatalities of the disease that should not be forgotten. The sheer size of the ensemble cast was impressive, as was their musical talent. Stand outs worth mentioning are Andrew Threlfall, Meagan Caratti, Shane Wardell and Steve Corner. All the cast really were amazing and heartfelt and really drove home the difficulties that are faced by suffers of HIV.

Mardi Gras highlights the lives of the gay and lesbian community and this year’s theatre selection showed everything that is difficult but also how fabulous and fantastic when part of the LGBTQI community.