St Mary's In Exile — Queensland Theatre Company

Overview

Maybe you remember the news reports back in 2009. Maybe you've just heard the stories since. Either way, the story of St Mary's in South Brisbane has become part of Brisbane history.

That's what happens when a beloved priest is ousted by the Catholic Church for placing a statue of Buddha in the foyer, blessing same-sex couples and welcoming women into the pulpit — and when he takes his flock of more than 700 devoted followers to a new building in the aftermath. St Mary's In Exile tells that tale, which focuses on Father Peter Kennedy, a tight-knit community and the real meaning of organised religion.

As the excommunicated minister prepares to leave the building he calls his spiritual home, he crosses paths with a homeless visitor who asks about his situation. Written by Brisbane playwright David Burton of April's Fool and The Voice in the Walls acclaim, the Queensland Theatre Company production that results is both rousing and compelling, as any version of this battle between a progressive priest and a rigid institution would have to be.