Divine Playhouse Faces Eviction From Its Former Church Home After Christian Protests
An LGBTQIA+ arts venue inside a former Sydney church has cancelled its events and now faces possible eviction, after its landlord issued a breach notice in the wake of protests by Christian groups.
Divine Playhouse, on Kent Street in the city, was told to “cease engaging in offensive trade” by the weekend or risk losing its lease. It pulled its scheduled shows and took down its social media accounts.
The building carried plenty of history before any of this. It opened in 1868 as the Church of St John the Evangelist, was deconsecrated in 1932, and later served as a school and, for decades, the home of the Genesian Theatre Company.
The heritage-listed space reopened in 2026 as an arts, live music and nightlife venue run by Kat Dopper, founder of the queer events collective Heaps Gay, on a one-year lease. The project was backed by a $100,000 Create NSW grant.
It first launched under the name Unholy Playhouse. After some in the Christian community said they felt hurt by it, Dopper changed the name to Divine Playhouse before opening. She has stood by the original word as a reclamation for people who have not always felt welcome in holy spaces.
The new name did not settle things. Men’s Christian groups including Fit For The Kingdom and the Prodigal Sons protested outside the building, with about 70 people gathering to oppose the programming and to call for the Create NSW grant to be withdrawn.
Soon after, the landlord issued its breach notice and the weekend line-up was scrapped. Should a landlord be able to end a lawful lease because a group objects to who the tenant’s audience is?
Supporters are not letting it go quietly. Drag artist Fran Giapanni started a petition, now with thousands of signatures, warning that “if a lawful tenant can be driven out because a vocal minority objects to the LGBTQIA+ community and its creative expression, it sets a dangerous precedent.” The venue’s future is still unclear while talks over the lease continue.
