THE BUTTERFLY CLUB LAUNCHES AUTUMN SEASON
The 2017 Curated Autumn Program at The Butterfly Club is jam packed with stars, comedy and cocktails, with the season officially launched this week.
Highlights of the program include a Melbourne International Comedy Festival line up, some classic cabaret and a wide variety of content for all audiences.
Legendary multi-award winning singer songwriter John Thorn will return to The Butterfly Club from 28 February to 5 March, with his acclaimed production Background Boy. The show includes heartfelt ballads, hard swinging jazz tunes, witty comedy numbers and special guests including Thorn’s daughter, Bonnie.
G’day Habibi is set to be a hilarious musical exploration of life’s contradictions when you are a half-Lebanese, Half-Australian vegan girl. As Simone Pulga, (Director of the Curated Autumn Program) relates to it, it’s like what he’s heard growing up: “Oh you’re a vegetarian? Well we’ll make lamb!” Think Effie but Lebanese, and with songs, or a little bit like Fat Pizza, it also features a parody of Kasey Chamber’s “Not Pretty Enough” which will be sure to amuse from 7 to 12 March.
From 14 to 19 March, Colleen Burke will present solo theatre at its finest: exploring ‘freak culture’ and it’ chequered history. Inspired by the incredible lives of conjoined twins born in 1908, and informed by her experience being born with twin sex organs, Cleave is a solo theatrical work featuring sex, blood and world class puppet magic.
For one week, from 21 to 26 March, The Butterfly Club will become a living, breathing Rock and Roll hall of fame, with Kim Salmon and his career with The Scientists, The Surrealists, Beasts of Bourbon and Rock Wiz on show. The godfather of grunge, Salmon for Breakfast will feature music, Douglas Gailbraith (his biographer) is on drums and Brian Nankervis narrates.
Kicking off the MICF season at the Butterfly Club is Wank Bank Masterclass. It’s exactly what you think it is, and when you walk in you will be presented with a show bag containing a banana or a cucumber, which will be your aide for this informative, interactive and playful masterclass of original techniques for handling yourself, or your partner. Rural Ranga will be bringing his experience of happy ending massages from 28 March to 2 April.
Gillian Cosgriff set herself a challenge to write 8 Songs in 8 Weeks and she presents the tales of her extreme procrastination from 28 March to 9 April. In week one, instead of writing her first song, she got a tattoo, and coined the term “procrastitattoo”. If she makes it to the show with 8 songs, it will be brilliant, and if she doesn’t, it will still be brilliant and she’ll have some magnificent stories to tell.
Not to be leaving the ladies out, burlesque legend Strawberry Siren presents Pussy Play Masterclass from 3 to 9 April. Swap the fruit for a chopping board and play dough, you can come for the title and stay for the make-it-yourself play dough vaginas that will accompany you on your discovery of beating around the bush.
We’re only half way through the exciting autumn program, so buckle in for Clara Cupcakes in The Worst, as she single-handedly redefines what can be called comedy with the tales of how she invented the worst video game of all time. Expect audience participation in what Pulga calls a good date show, paired with a Clara Cupshakes cocktail.
Doctor in the House plays from 10 to 16 April and tackles the big questions like, what does your doctor really think, and why is he always late? Spend an intimate evening with real GP Doctor Ahmed, as he shares his ups and downs of being a modern day doctor with an hour of comedy. Known side effects are euphoria and sore tummy muscles, and a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
If you like feminism in four part harmony, Lady Sings it Better: Story Time is for you. From 17 to 23 of April expect smashing expectations with the dirtiest lyrics and prettiest harmonies around, with outrageous melodies, hilarious boy band choreography and bizarre euphemisms. The ladies reinvent the worst of pop culture, performing tunes by the worlds most famous male musicians.
Returning to the more classical art of cabaret, Carmen: Live or Dead is produced by Miss Honey rom Matilda and stars the original Abuela from Strictly Ballroom. If the star power isn’t enough to pull you to this show, Carmen is the extraordinary story of the love child of Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsy. If you don’t know who they are, have fun Googling them and imagining Carmen’s life as a salacious, bold, irreverent intersex icon. Drink it all in with a Frida Kahlua cocktail from 25 to 30 April.
Lauren Bok’s show from 2 to 7 May has the longest, and most exciting name of the season: Is That A Burrito In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To Have A Burrito features a handful of hilarious dating stories, a generous sprinkling of intelligent social commentary and a pinch of hot sauce. It makes surprisingly good date food, and also will fix any of your bad days, sad days or improve your glad days! Expect the Sour Cream of Hope, The Guacamole of Expectations, The Tomato Salsa of Dreams.
In 1920s and 1930s style, Man Bites God presents a series of comedy mysteries performed live in the style of radio broadcasts with Mystery Radio Theatre from 9 to 14 May. Complete with live sound effects, ad reads and a range of musical guests, this show is for you if you like Flying High, Naked Gun, Agatha Christie or sound effects, murder mysteries and joy itself.
In Flagrante is best served hot, with friends- an hour of beauty, politics and down and dirty fun. From 16 to 21 May, see the fusion of deeply polished burlesque, sexual slapstick and high-end choreography. The Auckland based group turned heads and adjusted underwear at Edinburgh Fringe, and will present an exhilarating and provocative show of female empowerment and high impact dance theatre.
The final highlight of the Autumn season is Facts Don’t Matter, which gets more and more relevant by the day. For fans of Good News Week or QI, two teams will the worst possible political policies for their opponents and debate their use in a presidential-style election. Through a series of ridiculous mini games, the audience decides the winner.
Check out all the details and buy tickets to these fantastic shows at thebutterflyclub.com
This article first appeared at: http://www.theatrepeople.com.au/the-butterfly-club-launches-autumn-season/ on 10 February 2017.
