A 158-year-old deconsecrated church in Sydney’s CBD is being turned into a homosexual nightlife venue called Unholy Playhouse that will host live exorcisms.
The heritage-listed former St Johns Church on Kent Street was built in 1868, and was previously home to the Genesian Theatre before being bought by developers in 2017.
It is now being rented out by Kat Dopper, the owner of an events company called Heaps Gay and founder of Unholy Playhouse, which has received taxpayer-funded support via Create NSW.
Ms Dopper told The Sydney Morning Herald Unholy Playhouse would be a nightclub fused with a creative and performance arts space, and that she wanted it to become an inclusive late-night venue for the LGBT community following the closure of the city’s only lesbian bar.
Billed as a “sanctuary for divine mischief”, the venue is set to host live exorcisms, a Harry Potter-themed “caba-rave”, live music, DJs, gospel choir-backed karaoke, and a late-night cabaret called Holy Flesh.
Unholy Playhouse will also host a weekly “unholy brunch party” event called Sunday Mess, featuring a “drag BBQ” on its first week on July 12.
The venue’s opening event on July 8 is called The First Rite, and the following day the former church will host a comedy night called Two Queers Walk Into A Bar.
“The Two Queers are back baby! Join that stupid f*ggot Brendan Hancock and his gaggle of gays and deviants for a night of lols,” the event description reads.
An event called Possession, described as “Australia’s first-ever live, full-scale exorcism”, will be held on October 21, and the listing says the atmosphere will be “so untamed, the psychological payload so intense” that attendees will have to sign a legal liability waiver.
“Our lease is for 1 year with the potential to extend if Sydney loves it,” Ms Dopper told Urban List.
“For now I want to make it accessible for as many artists as possible to make play and perform on the stage.”
Header image: The former church on Kent St (Anna Hay – Unholy Playhouse).
