Filipino-Australian Roman Berry's solo show LUPAD moves Melbourne Fringe audiences in St Kilda
LUPAD, a solo work by Filipino-Australian theatre maker Roman Berry about his queer identity across Cebu City, Ceduna, Adelaide, Melbourne and Richmond, played at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival 2026, The Philippine Times reported.
LUPAD, a solo show by Filipino-Australian theatre maker Roman Berry, was staged at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2026, The Philippine Times reported on 19 October. The show was directed by Mayen Estanjero.
LUPAD means "to fly". The Philippine Times said the work explores Berry's queer identity as a Filipino-Australian man across Cebu City, Ceduna, Adelaide, Melbourne and Richmond. The Melbourne Fringe listing describes it as a raw, poetic solo work set during the late-80s and early-90s HIV era.
According to the Fringe listing, the story rises through the Tinikling Devising Methodology, drawn from the Filipino folk dance Tinikling, and was developed during a 2023 Vitalstatistix Adhocracy residency in Port Adelaide. It was billed as a world premiere and Berry's return to the stage as a solo performer.
The Fringe listing describes Berry as a Filipino-Australian theatre maker, director, movement director and creative facilitator with more than three decades of professional experience across Australia, the UK and the Philippines, and as the Artistic Director of Divergent Theatre Collective.
Creatives, queer allies and Filipino Australians came to watch the show, The Philippine Times reported. Audience member Roselle Dolera called it "personal, compelling, and raw. A story every Filipino must know."
Key facts
- LUPAD, a solo show by Roman Berry directed by Mayen Estanjero, played at the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda during Melbourne Fringe 2026.
- The work explores Berry's queer identity as a Filipino-Australian man across Cebu City, Ceduna, Adelaide, Melbourne and Richmond.
- It was built through the Tinikling Devising Methodology and developed during a 2023 Vitalstatistix residency in Port Adelaide.
- The Fringe listing billed LUPAD as a world premiere and Berry's return to the stage as a solo performer.
Official sources
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