As the 42nd annual Melbourne Fringe Festival makes its triumphant return this October, showcasing more than 470 diverse events across the city, Moira Finucane and her team are preparing to take centre stage with 'Finucane & Smith's Global Smash Club'.
A highlight of this year’s Fringe, 'Global Smash Club' is set to electrify audiences in the final week of the festival, offering a revolutionary blend of cabaret, club, and transcendent ritual.
Prepare for a festival that defies expectations and pushes the boundaries of performing arts, music, dance, cabaret, and beyond. This year’s line-up is crafted to entertain, provoke, and astonish, delivering an experience that will ignite the senses.
The two-stream festival offers a dynamic blend of civic events, exclusive commissions, and carefully-curated works from both renowned and emerging artists. Meanwhile, the open-access programme is a sensory feast, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in a world where established talents and fresh voices come together to create something truly unforgettable.
Image © Jodie Hutchinson
It’s been 20 years since Finucane and her team first defied the odds with 'The Burlesque Hour', a show that redefined what cabaret could be. Now, two decades later, Moira Finucane is back with 'Global Smash Club', a production that not only pays homage to its revolutionary predecessor but also pushes the boundaries even further.
“Twenty years. That’s a long time,” Finucane reflects, her voice laced with a mixture of nostalgia and excitement. She recounts how 'The Burlesque Hour' faced near-universal scepticism before its debut. “Almost every single gatekeeper said it wouldn’t work,” she recalls, “except the Sydney Opera House and fortyfivedownstairs.” Despite the doubts, the show sold out on its opening night, won multiple awards, and went on to be performed in 18 countries, reaching more than 600,000 people.
But Finucane is not interested in simply revisiting past glories. 'Global Smash Club', she explains, is not a retrospective but a “future-spective.” It’s about evolution, innovation, and keeping the spirit of rebellion alive. “It’s extra special because it’s not only revisiting the fabled acts performed all over the world, but it’s also an opportunity to subvert it, to play around with it,” she says. The show will mix old and new, offering a blend of familiar acts and fresh, cutting-edge performances that continue to challenge and provoke.
Image © Jodie Hutchinson
'Global Smash Club' is described as part club, part transcendent ritual, and part “self-indulgent crap”. This eclectic mix might sound chaotic, but in Finucane’s hands, it all comes together to create a cohesive and memorable experience. “'The Burlesque Hour' was never just an hour long; it was like two and a half hours long when we did it in Cuba,” she says, “and it was never burlesque as anybody knew it.” The new show condenses the experience into a one-hour “micro-dose,” with multiple elevated platforms, bars, and performances happening in every corner of the venue. “We’ve stretched and warped time,” she explains, “so in that hour, it will already be pumping.”
The immersive nature of the show, where acts are performed not just on stage but throughout the audience, presents unique challenges. But for Finucane, it’s all about the flow of energy. “Energy is about being surprised, about the unexpected, and about the artists going too far,” she says. The performers in 'Global Smash Club' are known for their boldness and passion, qualities that Finucane believes are essential for creating the kind of visceral, unforgettable experience she’s aiming for.
For long-time followers of Finucane & Smith, 'Global Smash Club' promises both nostalgia and novelty. “They can expect to see acts they never thought they would see again,” Finucane reveals. Some performances are so legendary that fans have been writing to her for years, begging for their return. But there’s also plenty of new material, including brand-new works from some of the most legendary artists in the industry. And, true to Finucane’s ethos, there will be fresh faces and voices – artists that audiences have never heard of, doing extraordinary things.
Image © Fates Media
Finucane describes 'Global Smash Club' as a “concentration of jaw-dropping acts,” featuring everything from breathtaking burlesque to wild dancing and virtuosic moments that push the limits of what’s possible on stage. It’s an hour of “wild, joyous, devilish disobedience”, where boundaries are not just blurred – they’re smashed.
The term “future-spective” encapsulates Finucane’s vision for the next chapter of her work. 'Burlesque Hour' may have become a global smash, but it’s the idea of smashing – of breaking apart, reimagining, and reconstructing – that drives her forward. “We create unforgettable events that really do smash boundaries,” she says.
Finucane’s work has always been transformative, addressing themes of freedom, hope, and justice in ways that resonate deeply with audiences. She approaches her art with what she calls “The Art of Urgency”, a method that focuses on what is most pressing and important at any given moment. It’s a way of working that keeps her work alive, relevant, and deeply connected to the world around her.
Image © Fates Media
For Finucane, art is not just about entertainment – it’s a powerful tool for imagining and enacting change. “We can’t move towards anything we can’t imagine,” she says. “Art is a place where human imagination can take flight.” Through her work, she aims to create spaces where people can envision freedom, power, and desire in ways that are both joyful and transformative.
At a time when global issues like climate change and human rights are more urgent than ever, Finucane believes that art has a crucial role to play.
As 'Global Smash Club' prepares to take the stage for Melbourne Fringe, it’s clear that Finucane & Smith are not resting on their laurels. They’re smashing them, and in the process, creating something entirely new. “All art is allowed,” Finucane says, “and we smash it all up, then we create these unforgettable events that really do smash boundaries.”
'Global Smash Club' is not just a show – it’s a declaration, a celebration, and a call to action. And for those lucky enough to experience it, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
'Global Smash Club' plays Festival Hub: Trades Hall - ETU Ballroom (Melbourne Fringe) 16-19 October.
