The creators of the show Hedwig and the Angry Inch have weighed in to a casting row that led to the producers of an upcoming Australian production pulling the show from January’s Sydney festival. In a statement on Wednesday, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Task said they did not believe the title role was a trans character, and the role should be “open to anyone who can tackle it and, more importantly, anyone who needs it.” The January festival announced the postponement of rock musical and seminal queer show on Tuesday, following a flood of complaints over the casting of a cis male as Hedwig. The Packed to the Rafters actor Hugh Sheridan was announced to be playing the complex genderqueer character in early November. Sheridan, who revealed in October that he has been with men and women but eschews labels when it comes to sexual orientation, was to become the latest in a long line of queer cis men to play the role, including its creator Mitchell. The actor who launched a petition that led to Sydney festival’s cancellation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch spoke out on Wednesday about why they believe “it’s time to make change happen” when it comes to casting transgender roles.