Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas and Dan Giovannoni, 2023, Beckett Theatre, Malthouse Theatre

Almost 30 years ago, Christos Tsiolkas’ debut novel Loaded painted a portrait of a young man who is restlessly searching for himself in opposing worlds. To this day, the story resonates with migrant and queer communities as a reminder that you are not alone.

Ari (Danny Ball, A Beginner’s Guide to Grief) is 19 and unemployed—he doesn’t want to be gay and he doesn’t want to be Greek. He doesn’t want to be anything. Drawn by the alluring pulse of Collingwood’s gay clubs, he finds an escape, and a family in the form of drag queens and one-night stands.

First adapted as the award-winning 1998 film Head On, then reimagined as an audio adaptation in 2020, Loaded finally takes the mainstage with director Stephen Nicolazzo (Looking for Alibrandi) joining writers Dan Giovannoni and Christos Tsiolkas (Merciless Gods) to present Ari’s anarchic odyssey that sees him travel the four corners of Melbourne.

Honest, raw, and passionate—a lot can happen in a sweaty night at The Peel.

The season of Loaded was extended due to popular demand before it had even opened and was celebrated by audiences and critics alike. Danny Ball’s performance was lauded.

Loaded was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Best Stage Play and nominated for FOUR Green Room Awards in 2024 including Best Production, Best Director (Stephen Nicolazzo), Best Lighting Design (Katie Sfetkidis) and Outstanding Performer (Danny Ball).

With: Danny Ball

Director: Stephen Nicolazzo

Set and Costume Design: Nathan Burmeister

Lighting Design: Katie Sfetkidis

Sound Design and Composition: Daniel Nixon

★★★★★ "Updated to the 2020s by Tsiolkas and Dan Giovannoni, this one-man show is a fierce dive into the brain and body of a second-generation Greek-Australian defying the world around him." Chad Armstrong, The Queer Review

★★★★½ “Danny Ball is extraordinary as Ari…a performance pulsing with self-loathing, self-doubt and an implosive, masculine energy that is both angry and sensual.” Patricia Maunder, Limelight Magazine

★★★★½ “Danny Ball’s performance in Loaded is riveting, extraordinary and alarming as he propels Christos Tsiolkas’ 19-year-old, gay, Greek youth, Ari, through his brutal, hedonistic, high-octane, drug-addled, sex-sodden life.” Kate Herbert Reviews

★★★★ “Feverish…Spellbinding. The bouquets will come flying out of the crowd for Ball, who is indeed magnificent in all aspects. The sheer control is astounding” Elroy Rosenberg, Arts Hub