SCANDALOUS BOY by David Atfleid- the international premiere of this award-winning play from Australia!

THEATER EVENT: SCANDALOUS BOY
A bold and sensual re-imagining of ancient history

In a daring leap across time, the statue of the Ancient Roman god Antinous springs to life in the 21st century, determined to reclaim his story. Dismissed by Christian historians as a “shameless and scandalous boy,” Antinous is ready to speak for himself—armed with the wisdom of 2,000 years spent frozen in stone.

As he recounts his mortal life, the past comes alive around him. We meet a beautiful boy chosen to be trained as an eromenos—a companion to powerful men—and watch as he survives by selling his body to Roman soldiers. His famed beauty catches the eye of none other than the Emperor Hadrian, who takes him as a lover when Antinous is just 16.

Thrown into a world of unimaginable luxury, Antinous quickly learns that his power is as fleeting as youth itself. As time marches on, he must navigate a treacherous imperial court, contend with Sabina, Hadrian’s politically shrewd wife, and outmaneuver Lucius, Hadrian’s jealous former flame. And just as the stakes rise, Antinous falls in love with a young man named Marcellus—while Hadrian is falling deeper in love with him.

As tensions build and passions ignite, Antinous must ask: can he survive in a world that values only his beauty, or will he find a new kind of power—one born from intellect, agency, and self-discovery?