Ex-Shorty St star summons Greek goddess in latest role

Amanda Billing and Jennifer Ward-Lealand star in <i>Lysistrata</i>. Photo / Getty Images

Former Shortland St star summons a Greek goddess in her latest theatre role.

On stage, she's the leader of a sex strike, aimed at ending a 20-year-old war. Off stage, Amanda Billing can't fathom such a drastic move.

The former Shortland Street star is playing Lysistrata, the heroine of the Greek comedy of the same name penned by playwright Aristophanes almost 2,500 years ago.

The Michael Hurst-adapted and directed play begins a 3.5-week season at Auckland's Q Theatre on July 30.

In it, Billing's Lysistrata leads a group of women, including characters played by longtime screen and theatre actor Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Step Dave's Sia Trokenheim and Hannah Tasker-Poland, on a sex strike. They also take control of Athens' money, both of which outrage the men.

Playing Lysistrata was "the best make-believe" she'd ever done as an adult, Billing told the Herald on Sunday.

"We're really grounded into our female energy. It's lots of fun. Being a girl, being a priestess, spiritual being. Summoning Aphrodite, that's something every woman should do on a daily basis."

Lysistrata might be fiction, but Billing had heard of people withholding sex in a bid to force change.

"The implicit thing is sending a man to sleep on a couch. I've come across that, or male friends who've been made to sleep on the couch. In the world of the play, what [Lysistrata] is doing works."

But in real life? Not so much.

"I think it's cutting your nose off to spite your face. You both lose, don't you?" she said.

"I can understand being so angry that you don't feel like it but using sex as a kind of bargaining tool is very tricky territory. I'm trying not to be judgmental. If I found myself doing that I would have to ask some serious questions. I think the fact people do [withhold sex] means it's a relatable situation."

Billing expected the audience would be seduced by the drama and the comedy before "bam, 'woah, you're asking me to think about something'?"

"Everybody watching it will interpret it from where they are in their lives and whether they're male, female, been in the army, pacifist, had kids, haven't, single, in a relationship."

Ward-Lealand, who is married to Hurst, said the play had fantastic music and choreography and "kickass costumes". The set was dramatic as the stage was in traverse, meaning audiences flanked both sides.

Billing has also teamed with Hurst on several projects - including his 2013 production of Chicago.

• Lysistrata runs from July 30-August 23 at Auckland's Q Theatre. Tickets atc.co.nz.