Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club

The first rule of Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club is you must TALK about Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club. The second rule of Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club is, if one of your friends is triggered by the mention of carrying a watermelon for Patrick Swayze, then you must refresh her beverage. And if this is your first time at Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club, you must dance!

Devised by a super-talented cast of very hard-working theatre makers from Brisbane, from an original concept by Melissa Western, I would describe this show as ‘cabaret therapy’. Or it may feel like ‘shock therapy’ as you realise how many 1980s movies you have consumed and how long ago it was that you sat in a darkened cinema with your besties and actually dreamed about life’s possibilities. Bringing all your aspirations to life are Bridget Boyle as Molly Estevez, Helen Cassidy as Tracy Bacon, Lizzie Moore as Sam Sheedy and Melissa Western as Fran Grey. And there is a reason why these cast members were awarded two Matildas – for Best Musical/Cabaret and Best Ensemble. This show has been on the road since 2023, and the cast have honed their performances to a tee. As a result of their experience, they know exactly what pushes the audience’s buttons. Think growing up believing you could be as cool as Ferris Bueller, and as independent as Baby Houseman, but reaching an age where your reality is Ferris funding driving lessons for his teenagers, and Baby shopping around the Catskills for an aged care home for Johnny Castle’s parents. And now Vice Principal Vernon from The Breakfast Club is attempting to take over the free world! It’s any wonder these Club ladies are reaching for their raffle tickets. Yes, there are subtle hints at what the Club ladies have been through in their real lives: Club founder, Tracy Bacon, working all unfulfilled hours at the Coles deli; Club treasurer, Fran Grey, masking a messy divorce by taking refuge in the perfection of her tax return numbers. And all are seeking that 1980s cinematic climax – that moment when Johnny warns the mediocres (or what these Club ladies call ‘the dickheads’) that ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner!’ Oh, if only it were true. But at least now I have some rehearsed dance moves I can use next time I need to confront the minions of mediocrity in my day-to-day! Thanks ladies.

Directed by Zoe Tiffin, with super 80s lighting by Steven May, spot-on prom fashion by Ana Draca, and input from Creative Allsorts Fiona MacPherson and Brad McDonald, there may be some obligatory ‘jump the shark’ moments, and memories you wished were never unearthed from the piles of VHS (I had happily forgotten the Gobbledok!) but there is no doubt that the fun on stage is infectious, with easy and enjoyable participation instead of  the usual audience humiliation. The crowd at the Powerhouse absolutely loved it. So, get your group of overworked, underpaid, stressed and grieving girl friends together, and have a good laugh and a dance, and think about how to shuffle off those nay-sayers in your life.

Find out more: https://dirtyfameflashcandlesclub.com

Beth Keehn

Photographs by: Simon Woods Photography, Katie Bennett Embellysh Photography, and Lucy Kelland