Australian actor-writer Laneikka Denne penned her debut play DEAD SKIN at just 17, crafting an honest lesbian coming-of-age tale that has since toured festivals and stirred packed talkbacks. She tells Gayety the script’s raw diary-style dialogue helped her—and many young viewers—voice their own identities for the first time. Energised by that response, Denne is now adapting the play into a feature film, aiming to keep its tender, awkward first-love beats intact while expanding the story’s suburban setting for cinema.