Wicked treats, decadent spectacle and abundant hilarity. Journey into cabaret, vaudeville and preposterous showmanship as Miss Friby delivers her incredulous line-up of showgirls, minstrels, musicians and madmen.
Director and concept creator, Elizabeth Dawson-smith has a knack for bringing together live music, dance and theatre, and is a keen purveyor of suburban mockery and elegant spectacle. Let Elizabeth's vivid imagination to take you on a raucous ride into the humdrum of routine with renewed vigour.
What is a 'Miss Friby' show like?
Well there is two sides to that answer. From the audience's perspective, it is a colourful, opulent cabaret show where you find yourself laughing your head off at one moment and being blown away by the incredible skills of our performers the next. On the performance end, the show is like one humungous whirlwind of quick changes, high intensity dance, bruises, madness and fun!
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Prior to creating 'Miss Friby', can you tell me about your journey as a performer?
I started out as a dancer (tap, jazz, ballet), and worked hard throughout my childhood to become the proverbial 'STAR'. At age 18, frustrated with the industry standards of the dance world, I quit dance classes to travel the world as a street performer, predominantly working with musicians to create works for the street all over Europe, Brazil and Australia.
I ended up in Brazil teaching dance and developing works for festivals, when I realised I needed to head back home and make a good go of it! So here I am six years later having been principle dancer for 'Rapskallion', run my own theatre company, collaborated with amazing nostalgia bands such as 'The Woohoo Revue' and 'The Underscore Orchestra' (USA), had my own rock'n'roll outfit, 'Kill Ya Darlings', and worked with a vast assortment of incredible performers and producers to write songs and scripts, build acts, and develop creative works of all types. This has meant I have pretty much dipped my sticky fingers into a variety of roles as an artist and I wouldn't have it any other way!
© Chris Mitchell'Miss Friby' is about capturing the earlier days of burlesque as opposed to to the kind performed the early 1900s. What are the differences between the former and the latter?
'Miss Friby' shows explore vaudeville and cabaret traditions, while also offering a contemporary exploration of 19th century burlesque techniques. Puns, cutting verbal humour, song, dance, gender caricature and parody are all features in a 'Miss Friby' show.
Early burlesque saw women speaking frankly with their audience, poking fun at society and offering buxom social commentary, as the genre developed, female discourse decreased offering a more erotic visual spectacle, meeting the demands of its audience. In the early 1900s, women began removing pieces of their costume, turning burlesque into a more voyeuristic experience compared to its earlier counterpart. This is the most common form of burlesque, but it is not the only form with many burlesque performers experimenting and pushing the boundaries of the genre to keep it current and interesting.
'Miss Friby' shows work hard at giving female performers their speech back, and by gosh it is hilarious what comes out when you have five cunning dancers poking fun at everything. In the land of 'parody for parody's sake', nothing is sacred.
How different is the character of 'Miss Friby' to the regular Elizabeth Dawson-Smith?
Although it hurts me to admit this, I think Miss Friby is a very scary hyper extension of myself. She came as an accident, we needed a filler for a costume change and I thought, well the company's called Miss Friby, maybe a Miss Friby character should come on stage and banter on for a bit. She was loved and adored and is now very much a feature of our shows. Miss Friby is actually a principle host of The Parlour stage at this year's Woodford Folk Festival.
What do you attribute the longevity and popularity of burlesque and vaudeville to?
Burlesque's constant adaptations and changes, to suit its current climate, has meant that the genre has always worked towards its audience. This style of performance is one that works particularly well on stage as opposed to film and television, lending itself to the magical experience audiences expect when they go to the theatre, 'show me something I haven't seen'.
© Alexis Desaulniers–LeeWhat elements of modern culture does Miss Friby mock or provide a witty commentary in your show?
What don't we poke fun at?! Gender, the female experience, pop culture, modern romance, social norms, human habits, food, class, money, pretty much anything we can sink our teeth into, nothing like a cheap laugh at life... every 30 seconds.
In 2013, Miss Friby & The Fribbles were featured on 'Australia's Got Talent' and made it to the semi-finals. What effect did this have on the group?
It was an amazing experience to be a cog in the grand machine of 'Australia's Got Talent'. We met some amazing people and had a chance to get our work out there to the greater public. It was also very scary being judged like that, particularly having TV execs on your head steering your creative process, a learning experience about the harsh world of television, to say the least.
Would I do it again – absolutely, it was heaps of fun, gave great momentum to 'Miss Friby' audiences and new projects and also gave me the opportunity to meet the incredible Dawn French, who has proven to be a big fan of our work!
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Can you tell me about the training and coaching opportunities that 'Miss Friby' provides?
'Miss Friby' actually ran a 'Crooked Cabaret And Bent Burlesque' workshop on the 4th of January at Kulchajam in Byron Bay. Our workshops involve, comprehensive dance training which is fun and informative, and the opportunity to develop your own skills as a performance artist/creative.
I also offer one-on-one tutoring and outside eye services for performers. Most recently, one of my clients, Zelia Rose, was awarded the title of 'Miss Burlesque Australia 2014'.
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Can you tell me about your guests, Cece Shabam and Leanne Donovan, who will be joining you at your Brisbane show at the New Globe Theatre and why you are excited to have them join you?
I am so thrilled to be working with these two show girls! I am a huge fan of their work which is of high-calibre and unique. What appealed most with these two girls is that, like us, their impressive performance shies away from striptease, and it is good to make a show which offers another take on the burlesque genre.
Cece Shabam is a cabaret singer/songwriter I met whilst working on 'Cabbaret' (produced by Brisbane performer, BB Le Buff). Being comics with a musical background, we hit it off right away and the idea of collaborating on a sparkly show girl affair was a no brainer!
Leanne Donovan (Pentup Glamour) is a Brisbane based producer and performer who explores circus, fan, dance and aesthetic decadence. Her acts are sultry and charming. We will be working together at Falls Festival, and it is likely she may even jump on board for our opening song!
What's on the books for 'Miss Frisby' after the east coast tour?
TOO MUCH! I have recently been awarded grant from the Australia Council, so I will be working towards making 'Miss Friby' an entertainment empire, monopolising the industry, overthrowing mega stars and capturing the heart of Johnny Depp, as usual. The Strumpet bar at Adelaide Fringe will host a 'Miss Friby' in March, New York is on the cards in August and Rainbow Serpent is up next! Then of course there are the shows! With two new spectacles on the production line for 2015. This is our second visit to Brisbane, and hopefully we can make it back for another run in June/July.
Miss Friby Tour Dates
Thurs 8 January – Byron Bay BreweryFri 9 January – New Globe Theatre (Brisbane)
Sat 10 January – The Majestic Theatre (Pomona)
Sun 11 January – The Press Club (Brisbane)
Wed 14 January – Dr Sketchy's (Byron Bay)
Fri 23 & Sat 24 January – Rainbow Serpent Festival (Lexton)
