History sits in every rock, crevice and room of Perth city. Silent histories, painful histories, complex histories. The Lion Never Sleeps by Noemie Huttner-Koros is a walking tour featuring interviews with some of Perth's queer elders that allows us a window into some of these histories, into the queer joy, rebellion, and pain that sits heavy in the memory of those who were there to see history happen and the city swallow the remains in its tide.

This is no ordinary historical walking tour, compiled and directed by Noemie Huttner-Koros, this work almost projects history on the streets around us, traversing time on several levels – the interviews we listen to are recorded during busy day time settings, sometimes in the same place you're walking through and sometimes elsewhere, you hear birds tweeting and coffee cups clinking through your headphones and from outside of the headphones you hear the night and the bars and sirens in the distance. The Lion Never Sleeps starts in a circle, invites us to see those we will be walking with, know who to look out for as we move through busy Northbridge.

The city is an unpredictable performance space and I was struck by the way the headphones we wore made us something of a spectacle, how the strangers of Northbridge interpret our separation to their nightlife as an invitation to engage, several members of the public shouting and jeering, trying to engage in play with us when they think we’re a silent disco group, but reacting with confusion and sometimes incredulity at our sombre faces or introversion. It feels uncomfortable but there is also some safety in the momentary community of the group, a small mirroring of the stories of danger and solidarity that we are discovering through those headphones. Around us, the buildings of today are radically different from the iconic bars and clubs of the interviews. I could feel my own queer adventures and those of my own friends blending into the past and the present, layering love and danger on the streets decade after decade, where my personal history collided with the history of resistance our community.

This show and the work that it's built on are vital to understanding the queer community of Perth today. It brings to life stories one can't find in a google search or on plaques, stories that aren't recorded in thick encyclopaedias in your average bookstores. These are the stories that live with those who were there, who saw the AIDS crisis and survived not only the systematic neglect and prejudice of the government but also the absolute heartbreak of losing a generation of bright, fabulous and complex individuals. It brings the global stories of the stonewall riots, ACT UP's protests, and fight for Pride back home, to the people who fought for our rights for love, freedom and joy in our city.

This is a show that will break your heart and put it back together, give you pride and make your angry, this is a show about resistance and catharsis, funeral processions for nightclubs and vigils for dead friends that grow 5000 strong. This is a show about community and crisis. It invites us to bear witness to our queer elders and offers a blueprint for how to combat the crisis of the future – with love, anger and dancing.