Melbourne artiste provocateurs Finucane and Smith return to the heart of the city with Future Joy Club, a sultry celebration of golden era burlesque and variety vanguard.
Created and directed by Moira Finucane and Jackie Smith, the Future Joy Club, led by Moira Finucane, will reside in the mirrored ballroom of Sofitel Melbourne On Collins from July 7 to August 7.
The voices of indie pop star Sophie Koh, Ngurlama jazz blues legend Lois Olney and Melbourne’s own songstress Mama Alto will envelop the club.
Glittering boylesque classically trained Indian dancer Govind Pillai, lightning rod burlesque artist Jazida, club star Iva Rosebud and Cameroon/Parisian hip hop star Simon Abbe will lay their talents bare within velvety surrounds.
Co-creator and club host Moira Finucane says: “The Future Joy Club is a live spectacle, it’s the sizzle and the steak. We are going to greet you like long lost lovers. I’ll be at the door. Your club where Melbourne comes alive again, and aching hearts mend, laughter shakes the roof, and the future is faced with joy, together.”
The company broke the burlesque-as-live-art sound barrier in 2004 with the success of The Burlesque Hour, which won a swag of awards and beckoned thousands of people to Melbourne’s heart every winter for over a decade. It went on to tour 15 countries performing to over 600,000 people.
Finucane and Smith performed in Cuba in 2015, becoming the first Australian company invited to the Havana International Theatre Festival and winning International Theatre Institute’s International Presentation of the Year.
Finucane and Smith’s repertoire exploded with drama in China, art vs extinction presentations in USA and Europe and immersive works in museums from Prague to Ljubljana.
Season: July 7 – August 7. Official Opening July 16
Previews: July 7 – 15
Times: Thurs – Fri, 7pm, Sat 7pm and 9.30pm, Sun 5.30pm
Venue: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, 25 Collins St, Melbourne
Tickets: $48/$38 general, $78/$68 catwalk deluxe table, $88 supreme joy table (best seats in house and complimentary seats)
Bookings and information: www.finucaneandsmith.com