Level 1, 135 Fitzroy Street Grand Boulevard St Kilda, VIC 3182

Fountain Lakes in Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play

23 -28 January 2024

Premium: Full $55 / Concession $52 / Group 8+ $50
A Reserve: Full $49 / Concession $46 / Group 8+ $45
Preview: All tickets $30

About

Written and Produced by Thomas Jaspers
Starring: Art Simone, Thomas Jaspers, Leasa Mann, Scott Brennan
Associate Producer, The Alex Theatre St Kilda: Andrew Hughes
Photography: Daniel Sutton
Artwork: Mitchell Sheldrick
 

It’s August 2021. Kath is up to pussy’s bow in sour dough. Kel’s commemorative pork and bat sausage flopped. Kim’s been asked to work from home (though that was because her colleagues prefer she doesn’t come into the office). Sharon has had a severe reaction to all the hand sanitiser.

Relive the uniquely Melbourne pandemic experience through the eyes of these uniquely Melbourne characters hilariously parodied by Art Simone, Thomas Jaspers, Leasa Mann and Scott Brennan. With quick wit and camp tunes, this will be a fabulous night out for everyone!

Team

Cast & Creatives

“One of Australia’s most prominent LGBTQ+ Game changers” – The Australian.

Logie and triple ACRA Award nominated Art Simone has claimed her position at the forefront of the Aussie entertainment industry and this down-under drag diva is just getting started.

Performing professionally for over a decade, Art is not only a dynamic live performer but an in demand social media powerhouse and media personality. She’s won titles, worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, and has been globally celebrated for her incredible make-up looks – all before RuPaul’s Drag Race came knocking.

Art first stepped into drag in the early 2010s and has gone from strength to strength as one of Australia’s most in demand live performers. From touring extensively to representing Australia on the world stage, Art has brought her quintessential style and humour to literally thousands of events.

Focused on ensuring drag reaches regional Australia, Art has been celebrated for creating safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community and ensuring that pride is shared and celebrated where it’s needed most. It is this spirit of adventure that scored Art her own series on WOWPresents Plus – ‘Highway To Heel!’.

In the brand space, Art has always been a hot commodity. She’s worked with Coles, UberEats, BONDS, BWS, West Coast Coolers, Benefit Cosmetics, Google and Jetstar – to name a few – and has also partnered with AAMI Insurance to create the iconic television ad series ‘Hold onto your boa, babe!’.

Starring in the inaugural season of Stan’s ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under’, Art’s talent was shared with a whole new audience and immediately became a fan favourite. Bringing unique looks, showcasing her incredible talent and delivering the ultimate one-liners. As the series’ runner-up, she’s since welcomed her new fans, jumped into international touring, featured on ‘Have You Been Paying Attention’, ‘Would I Lie To You’, the Kath & Kim 20th Anniversary plus headlined her Australian live show ‘As Seen On TV’.

With her podcast ‘Concealed with Art Simone’ now in it’s third season on the iHeart Radio network, debut book ‘Life Is ART’ soon to be released and digital series ‘Kick-Ons’, you won’t have to go far to get your fix, and one thing’s for sure – drag will always be ART for the incredible Art Simone.

Thomas Jaspers pranced onto the comedy scene a decade ago and quickly made a name for himself, just as his father always warned he would.

Jaspers has performed at festivals all over the country including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Mardi Gras, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide Feast Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival and Melbourne Writers Festival. He also had the pleasure of opening for Joel Creasy at the New York Comedy Festival.

Thomas is well known for his work as one of the warped minds behind the cult Melbourne drag comedy trio Granny Bingo in which he plays the miserable but loveable octogenarian Aussie battler Edith Vale. As well as their 9 year run of monthly sold out bingo nights at the Comedy Republic on Bourke Street, the grannies have starred in several of their own comedy shows including A Visit With Nan In A Caravan which won the coveted Golden Gibbo award for it’s inaugural season at Trades Hall for the 2017 Melbourne Comedy Festival before touring to the Garden Of Unearthly Delights and returning to Melbourne for a season at Arts Centre Melbourne.

Jaspers has produced too many queer events to mention but is most proud of his work on the Midsumma Extravaganza, an annual lineup show celebrating queer excellence. The Extravaganza has run at Arts Centre Melbourne for several years, first starting in the Fairfax Studio then graduating to Hamer Hall and for the last few years has been held at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl.

Jaspers can also be heard hosting one of Australia’s highest-rating queer podcasts The Gays Are Revolting.

Leasa Mann could be considered one of the matriarchs of Melbourne drag, she is widely adored by the community – notably for her work during the pandemic raising money for community members who were out of work and unable to pay their bills, often throwing her own savings in to make up any shortfall. Leasa’s charitable lockdown work made national news and landed her a deal with BPay to continue her fabulous mission.

As well as her kind heart, Leasa is known for her hilarious hosting skills, camp outfits and fierce dance numbers which can be seen on display regularly at Mollies Bar & Diner and Sircut Bar.

Leasa is one of the hosts of the smash hit night Club Broadway which has been touring Australia and New Zealand and selling out wherever it goes.

Unsurprisingly, Leasa was voted Miss Congeniality by her peers at the 2017 Melbourne Drag Awards.

Scott Brennan has been appearing on Aussie screens and stages for years. He is well known for his work on the early 00’s program skitHOUSE as well as his appearances on Comedy Inc, Stand Up Australia, Upper Middle Boiagn, Lowdown, Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey, Bogan Pride, Spicks & Specks, Rove Live, The Secret Life Of Us, Blue Heelers, Stingers, Welcher & Welcher and for his portrayal of local newspaper editor Josh Burns on Neighbours.

Stage appearances include Spontaneous Broadway, Life – Get it up ya (which was also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe), Code Beige, Glen Bush; Teenage Superstar (for which he received a Moosehead grant) and Very Very Scary.

He regularly appears as a podcaster on Talking Poofy and has spent many years acting as a mentor and director for young comedians through the Comedy Festival’s “LolSquad” program.

He is a member of the cult comedy trio “Granny Bingo”, who perform sell out shows monthly, as well as touring festivals. In 2017, their Melbourne Comedy Festival show A visit with Nan in a caravan won the Golden Gibbo Award.

Brennan is also an active voice over artist, appearing in commercials for Hungry Jacks and Coles Supermarkets.

He’s a massive fan of David Bowie.