Alethea Beetson’s theatrical debut Meet Your Maker was a colourful fantasy full of original pop songs, set in an alternate timeline where land was returned to First Nations communities in the 80s. Created and performed by Beetson, Meet Your Maker took the audience on a whirlwind journey across dimensions and through popstar Alethea’s rise to fame, downward spiral, and reclamation of self in the fictional setting of Queen’s City.
In the world of Meet Your Maker, First Nations communities got their land back and are the majority of leading figures in popular culture. Alethea is a rising star, following in the footsteps of her mother, and so is her friend and confidante Riff, one of the members of boy band Staunch Direction. But the industry is changing, prioritising whiteness and misogyny, and suddenly losing Riff sends Alethea into a spiral of self-destruction from which she must claw back.
When she isn’t performing, Alethea converses with her variants – versions of herself from different timelines including a quantum scientist, a serial killer, and a more commercially successful version of herself – although their collective goal was unclear. Alethea and her scientist self, especially, spoke about deep time and moving into self-sovereign position, but it was not evident whether this was what would allow Alethea to ‘meet her makers’ and ask the big questions that had been plaguing here. Finally, thanks to an intern, she does get to ask her questions in a sparkly pink version of the dreaming. Alethea returns to Queen’s City with a new sense of conviction and the show concludes with her biggest pop performance yet.
Meet Your Maker is a bitingly funny satire of racism and sexism in popular culture and society more broadly, and is also the story of a young woman learning to channel her energy into creativity rather than destruction, and to sit with the difficult feelings in her life. The songs Alethea releases also corresponded with her current state of mind, with memorable music by Moss, Mark Munk Ross, Loki Liddle, Sue Ray, Reece Bowden, and Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie.
Meet Your Maker was framed with a video prologue starring Alethea Beetson, incorporating pop culture references from classic films including Legally Blonde, Clueless, and Scream and the statement that the show “is not based on a true story… but it is based on a true feeling.” Video design by Ken Weston was key to the storytelling and was used to turn this one-woman show into a larger cast of characters that included Riff, online commentators, talk show hosts, representatives from Alethea’s record label, backup dancers, and more.
With the inclusion of these video characters and Beetson’s smooth interactions with them, it was easy to forget that Meet Your Maker was essentially a musical monologue. Beetson maintained a strong and engaging stage presence throughout, but her energy began to ebb in the final scenes of the pop concert when it was needed most.
Set design by Rozina Suliman delivered a blank canvas for the projected characters and settings, as well as Alethea’s magical transportation to the dreaming, and costumes designed by Neta-Rie Mabo were likewise full of colour, sparkle, and light. Sound design by Brady Watkins ensured that the onscreen characters felt real, although Alethea’s microphone was occasionally overpowered by the music.
Meet Your Maker was sharp and sparkling, with plenty of humour and a soundtrack packed with catchy original songs. A strong theatrical debut from Alethea Beetson, this was a celebration and affirmation of sovereign power, those who have paved the way before, and those who continue to do so now.
Meet Your Maker was performed at Underground Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm, from 31 August – 7 September 2024
For further information, visit the Brisbane Festival website
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