Australian performance artist reinterprets classic fairytale to challenge modern attitudes toward consent

Artist Leah Shelton has premiered a new solo theatre production titled Keep Sleeping, Beauty at Metro Arts in Brisbane as part of the Melt Festival. The performance reimagines the traditional fairytale to confront contemporary issues of sexual violence, online abuse, and the cultural backlash against the MeToo movement. Shelton collaborated with Olivier Award-winning director Ursula Martinez on the project, following their previous work together on the production Batshit. During their research, the creators examined historical representations of sleeping women in art, including Frederic Leighton's painting Flaming June, as well as the earliest recorded version of the tale from 1634 by Giambattista Basile, which features a non-consensual encounter and pregnancy while the protagonist is unconscious. The stage design for the new show features a bed surrounded by recording devices to highlight the role of technology in image-based abuse. The production also addresses recent high-profile international cases, such as the trial of Gisèle Pelicot in France and a CNN investigation into online networks sharing illicit material of unconscious women. Despite its heavy themes, the show incorporates wit, camp theatricality, and dark humor.

Context

Fairtales and classic stories are frequently adapted by contemporary artists to reflect current social anxieties and cultural shifts. Public awareness regarding consent and digital privacy has grown significantly following recent legal cases and investigative reports spanning multiple countries. Productions like this use familiar narratives to spark public discussion about everyday attitudes and behaviors.