Musical Chairs

The Cabarets

MY MUM DIED AND I WANNA SING ABOUT IT
BY JACK FRANCIS WEST

A dumb, cringe, self-indulgent shit-show that was cheaper to write than going to therapy. Combining comedy, tragedy, and a general stream of consciousness; it is an exploration of the realisations and experiences surrounding death, parents, and grief. Featuring music from your favourite musical theatre and artists; this show combines cabaret, stand-up comedy, and a TED Talk about being gay, being stupid, and most importantly—being dead because we don’t talk about it enough.

BUILT DIFFERENT
BY PETEY WALTON

Growing up deaf, blind and queer in Western Sydney, Petey had big dreams of stepping out of the suburbs and into the world of drag. Under the guise of Dizzy Bility, Sydney’s only deaf and blind drag queen, Petey makes sense of the world through outrageous comedy and sentimental songs. Join them for a night of big laughs, intimate stories and some of the best music Broadway has to offer, as this bundle of dynamite celebrates their resilience in the face of adversity and a community that has welcomed them with open arms.

BRAND NEW DRESS
BY ANDY FREEBORN

For Little Andrew, life wasn’t a bed of roses. They felt alone, unsure and out of place in a broken home that seemed to crumble around them. Twenty-something years have passed and Big Andy is no longer alone—they have found their tribe and are sure of who they are. They belong. Join Andy as they reach back through their memory and let Andrew know that everything is going to be okay. Because right now, it is. In an evening of original music and intimate storytelling, Brand New Dress is dedicated to every little soul who feels like they don't fit and a lesson that it's okay not to.

JUST LOVE, JUST A DRAFT
BY JAHLA KIMBERLY BLACK AND ANDY FREEBORN

Join Jahla and Andy as they journey deep into their creative process and explore transness through their new (and unfinished) musical, Just Love. The pair will treat you to a smattering of songs, with anecdotes about their process and what has inspired them along the way. Come peep through the keyhole into the writer’s room and experience firsthand the thoughts, ideas, feelings, conversations, discoveries, lyrics and melodies that bubble up when writing a totally original, totally queer musical.

JUST THE TWO OF US
BY EMMA COOPERTHWAITE AND DAMON WADE

Not all showmances end as the curtain comes down on closing night. Damon followed Emma up the theatre aisle and down an aisle of a different kind. The two met on stage, playing characters who fell head-over-heels for each other in a production of HAIR. Other than dancing around on stage stark naked, not much has changed for these two lovebirds. Exploring the excitement a behind-the-scenes romance and what happens after the confetti settles, Just the Two of Us is a heartwarming celebration of love, life and commitment.

PLEASE HIRE US
BY DANI CARUSO, DECLAN DOWLING, RUBY HAWKEN AND LOUIS VINCIGUERRA

BY Fresh out of acting school, a group of young dreamers discuss the trials and challenges of breaking into the theatre industry. Exploring ego, relationships, personal crisis and what they do for love, Please Hire Us draws on the infamous advice of artists before them as the four pull back the curtain on their own experience in the arts.

LIFE AFTER TOMORROW
BY RACHEL MARLEY

Rubbing shoulders with celebrities, signing autographs at stage door, seeing your face plastered over billboards, treading the boards with theatre royalty. These are things little girls only dream of. For 10-year-old Rachel however, it was reality, when she played the titular role in the 2000 production of Annie. In her youth, the world was as bright as a penny arcade and seemed full of sunny tomorrows. But what happens when the curtain comes down and the spotlight fades? Life After Tomorrow is about moving on, letting go and growing up.