Review: Keep Sleeping, Beauty
Picture: Keep Sleeping, Beauty, Image credit: Creative Futures Photography
If you are familiar with the work of Leah Shelton, you will enter the Metro Arts New Benner Theatre anticipating a thought-provoking piece of performance art—and I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. If you are new to the experience, be open to seeing a work that reminds us of the alarming aspects of the ‘narrative of sedated women.’ Expect to rethink the fairytale rescue of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ princess (non-consensual kiss or paramedic intervention?), to be reminded of the horrendous experience of Gisèle Pelicot (whose ‘husband had repeatedly drugged her unconscious and invited dozens of men to rape her’), and to question why it is that so many of us feel the need to report in to friends when ‘safe home.’
Keep Sleeping, Beauty covers some serious issues, but audiences are guaranteed moments of dark humour—particularly with the references to the ‘Carry That Weight’ art student thesis project, where the survivor carried a mattress on campus, stating that they would continue to do this ‘until a man she accuses of rape was expelled, graduated or left.’ Shelton’s wearing a mattress (and pillow!) may differ from the original, but it is both entertaining and disturbing in equal measure—not only because of the way in which Shelton moves and engages directly with the audience, but also for the lovely ‘it’s performance art’ conversation in the video of Shelton’s performance on the streets of Brisbane.
Shelton’s set and costume design is excellent. The audience walks in to a dimly lit theatre, where a woman in a princess gown lies sleeping on a circular, satin covered bed. The artist is surrounded by what I first thought might be candlesticks, but were phones and tablets all recording in a clear referencing of nightmarish chat room and porn trends. Equally impressive are the spell-breaking snoring, the clever lip-syncing to the 7-year-old child’s fairytale recording, and the striking mattress-wearing moments.
Picture: Keep Sleeping, Beauty, Image credit: Creative Futures Photography
Picture: Keep Sleeping, Beauty, Image credit: Creative Futures Photography
Picture: Excellent ‘princess’ gliding in Keep Sleeping, Beauty, Image credit: Creative Futures Photography
Picture: Keep Sleeping, Beauty, Image credit: Creative Futures Photography
In developing this new work, Leah Shelton (Creator/Performer) and Ursula Martinez (Director), have attracted a strong team. Keep Sleeping, Beauty benefits from the creative contributions of Saffron Benner (Dramaturg), Daniel Evans (creative consultant), and Lisa Fa'alafi (creative consultant). Kenneth Lyons’ sound design is excellent—particularly as I still have that wonderful ‘Mr Sandman’ moment in my head as I write this. The clever integration of Freddy Komp’s impressive video and systems design really enhances the production, with moments of horror (reading the chat room and app exchanges) and dark humour. And, although I am usually critical of occasional switching to black and use of flashing lights, the lighting design is appropriate and contributes to both the narrative and audience experience (Briana Clark, Lighting Design).
Congratulations to Shelton, Martinez, and team. Keep Sleeping, Beauty is an energetic, provocative, and challenging work. Expect to feel uncomfortable or even ‘complicit’ when watching this sleeping beauty, to be impressed by Shelton’s committed performance, and to be challenged as to how we can all contribute to a re-wiring or re-conditioning across society. The clever interweaving of the various threads throughout Keep Sleeping, Beauty—including the ‘Maltesers’ speech, and questioning as to what ‘home safe’ might even mean—certainly left us with plenty to talk about after the show. Theatrical performance art may not be for everyone, but we all need to listen, and respond, to the issues of compliance and accountability raised by the artists.
Audience Information: Keep Sleeping, Beauty. New Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, West End Village, West End (4-14 November 2026). 16+ recommended, 50 minutes (no interval). Warnings include coarse language, explicit descriptions of domestic violence, implied drug use, partial nudity, periods of darkness, potentially triggering themes, references to sexual violence & sexual references, haze/smoke effects, loud noises, and strobe lighting effects. Tickets $39-$45, +$3.90 booking fee.
Presented by Metro Arts and Quiet RIOT (Linda Catalano, Quiet RIOT Touring Co-Producer & Agent), as a part of Melt Festival.
The reviewer attended the Wednesday 4 November 2026 preview performance (7:30pm).