Patrick Gunasekera, Author at Seesawmag

Two large stylised clear frames embedded with social media information dominate the stage. A person stands behind a text cloud cut out of the middle of each frame, gesturing as if texting or messaging. This is Happy Meal at Perth Festival. Celebrating trans youth with warmth and wit

Reviews

Celebrating trans youth with warmth and wit

10 February 2023

Happy Meal is an honest and unapologetic story of friendship from the margins that deserves second helpings, writes Patrick Gunasekera.

Zendra Giraudo of WHITESNAKE3000, image by Sophie Minissale - 5 An image from WHITESNAKE3000 - Zendra Giraudo sits with her legs at two right angles, one arm framing her head and the other extended. She is clothed in white t-shirt, loose pants and sneakers. A cathartic reckoning with colonial grief

Reviews

A cathartic reckoning with colonial grief

23 January 2023

WHITESNAKE3000 is a brave and complex new dance theatre work to heal the fractures of mixed race experiences, writes Patrick Gunasekera.

A woman in a glittery green dress, with flowers in her hair, bends one arm towards her face, gesturing something tiny between her fingers, the other hand on her hip. She is wearing a microphone and looks unimpressed. This Karen Lee Roberts in her cabaret Chameleon. Kaleidoscopic cabaret shines light on lonely places

Reviews

Kaleidoscopic cabaret shines light on lonely places

23 January 2023

Chameleon bravely pulls back the curtains on mental illness with humour and heart, leaving Patrick Gunasekera moved and emboldened.

A scene from Utopia: A woman and a man stand facing each other - she has her hands on his shoulders and his smiling warmly at him. His face is angled so we can't see his expression. Dream team crafts riveting theatre in Utopia

Reviews

Dream team crafts riveting theatre in Utopia

15 November 2022

A versatile and brilliant cast brings agency to refugee experiences, writes an enthralled Patrick Gunasekera.

A scene from 'You're So Brave'. Georgi Ivers stands in front of a pole, holding a microphone, her chin tilted and her eyebrows raised. A dynamic representation of living with chronic pain

Reviews

A dynamic representation of living with chronic pain

21 October 2022

Though its narrative thread feels faint, Georgi Ivers’ show about chronic illness and change leaves Patrick Gunasekera feeling moved, satisfied and seen.

Visitors viewing Mandy White, Michelle My Sister, Self Portrait and David My Dad, 2022, acrylic and glitter on canvas, 76 x 56cm. Photograph courtesy of Midland Junction Arts Centre. Two women stand in front of Mandy White's portraits. Their backs are to the camera. One woman has her arm around the other and seems to be speaking gently to her. Portraits of colour, confidence and comfort

Reviews

Portraits of colour, confidence and comfort

17 June 2022

Bright, multidisciplinary reflections on identity celebrate the neurodivergent gaze in art, writes Patrick Gunasekera.

Photo: Court McAllister Pictured is Joel Bray in his performance Daddy. He is near-naked sitting on what looks like a pink cloud, one arm outstretched. A heartfelt sweetener for unresolved pain

Reviews

A heartfelt sweetener for unresolved pain

4 March 2022

Despite tackling trauma, the soul of dance theatre work Daddy is playful, discovers Patrick Gunasekera.

Three peformers dressed in black at the front of stage, with drums and keyboardist behind them. They are in an industrial style venue and the stage is lit in red light Spellbinding signs herald queer deaf homecoming

Reviews

Spellbinding signs herald queer deaf homecoming

28 February 2022

Alter Boy’s mesmerising, multi-layered performance underlines the power of music to validate experiences of marginalised communities, writes Patrick Gunasekera

An image from Oliver Twist's show JALI, pictured a man stands looking out into the audience one arm outstretched a blue light engulfing him. A single voice captures shared journey

Reviews

A single voice captures shared journey

18 February 2022

JALI is a triumph of storytelling which, for Patrick Gunasekera, encapsulates the ebbs and flows of the migrant’s struggle to be heard and understood.

Humphrey Bower and Gibson Nolte in Savage Grace. Photo: Daniel Grant Humphrey Bower and Gibson Nolte sit opposite one another on office chairs, in the corner of a room that has a white floor and black walls. Between them sits a bunch of flowers on a coffee table. They are having what looks like an animated discussion. Bower wears a casual suit, Nolte wears a lab coat over jeans and Converse sneakers. A tender reckoning with right and wrong

Reviews

A tender reckoning with right and wrong

13 August 2021

While Savage Grace serves a vital role in transmitting queer elders’ stories to the next generation, Patrick Gunasekera says that this incisive work is a gift to audiences from all walks of life.

Always was, always will be…

Seesaw Magazine acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work and live, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region. Continue

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Seesaw Magazine acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work and live, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.
Continue