The Legend of Queen Kong VISUAL ALBUM

The Legend of Queen Kong is a 12-year creative odyssey that has shapeshifted across genres, formats and forms—beginning as a band, evolving into a rock cabaret, then a live, Auslan-accessible theatrical spectacle, and now emerging as a feature-length d/Deaf and Hard Of Hearing accessible visual album.

This latest incarnation is rooted in Naarm/Melbourne’s artistic heart—from Chinatown to the Arts Centre car park—this bold project fuses underground rock, queer performance art and deaf culture into a cinematic fever dream that redefines the music video as both protest and manifesto.

At the centre is Queen Kong: a capital-Q Queer super-being and cosmic misfit who escapes the suffocating gravity of cis-hetero-patriarchy to explore the mystery of what it means to be truly human. Through time, space and body, Queen Kong dares to reimagine reality.

The Legend of Queen Kong is queer myth-making through music video. It is an experiment in visibility, a reclamation of narrative, and a futuristic vision for how screen, sound and story can speak to those often left out of the frame.

Queering the Music Video is a recorded public event, premiere, proof of concept presentation and panel. This is a collaboration with RMIT University, City of Melbourne and Fat Fruit Projects.

Moderated by film critic and former Melbourne Queer Film Festival Director Cerise Howard, this event will bring together lead artists on this project and special guests to explore how the music video form can be radically disrupted, remixed and reclaimed.

Live performances of two songs by co-creators Sarah Ward and Bec Matthews will be woven into the evening.

The event will be recorded and released as an educational podcast—with transcripts—so the ideas can ripple outwards beyond the room and be made accessible to d/Deaf and Hard Of Hearing audiences.

Central to this night will be the world premiere of three new music videos from the visual album. They are edited by Chris Bennett, Sarah Ward, Cerise Howard and Bec Matthews using a kaleidoscopic mix of archival concert footage (2017–2022), behind-the-scenes video and video art by Rainer Kelly and Will Huxley and animations by Finn Scholes.

To be held at The Capitol Theatre, October 16th 2026, 6pm. GET TIX HERE

Queen Kong and The HOMOsapiens, are a queer core, gender diverse, art rock band. They create music for Deaf, Hard Of Hearing and hearing audiences alike. Their shows are both epic full- scale rock experiences and low-fi, chaotic, pub parties. They toured their show The Legend Of Queen Kong to Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Arts Centre Melbourne, Castlemaine Theatre Royal and Darwin Festival. The shows were Auslan Interpreted by Kirri Dangerfield, with visual projections by Will Huxley and animator Finn Scholes.

All shows were performed in English and Auslan with onscreen Sign Singing by Deaf performer Asphyxia, subtitles, audio descriptions, bass vibrations and a live rocking soundtrack by Sarah Ward (vocals), Bec Matthews (MD and drummer), Cerise Howard (bass), Jo Franklin (guitar and BV’s) and Gen Bernstein (guitar).

The Legend Of Queen Kong was Commissioned by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival with funding by Creative Australia and access funding by Arts Centre Melbourne.