A fast-paced, funny and familiar story about women hitting the 'middle age'. 80s movies, songs, dance and delight abound!

A group of regular women hit the "middle age". They are in the driver's seat: carers for their children and their parents, holding down careers, propping up friends, they're old enough to take the piss out of themselves one second and in the next be completely tender, wise, strong, angry, sexy or just down right bedraggled. They seek refuge in each other ... and the Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club.

Drawing on all the best movies of an 80s youth (Dirty Dancing, Fame, Flashdance, Strictly Ballroom, 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, the Breakfast Club, Girls Just Want to Have Fun) this original play is fast paced, funny and excruciatingly familiar for anyone else in the 'midlife'. Featuring Melissa Western, Helen Cassidy and Neridah Waters the dialogue will reward audiences who register all the famous phrases. "I carried a watermelon?" says everyone.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Into the second half of the night explodes an interactive 80s dance extravaganza led by pocket rocket dance queen extraordinaire Neridah Waters (Common People Dance Project). The audience are invited to come dressed in their best 80s tizz and enjoy drinks like Midori and West Coast Coolers and, if you're really fancy, a Pina Colada.

Venue Format
Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
7
Considerations

This show is presented in two distinct parts. The play runs for the first part of the night. It runs at 50mins. The second part of the show is an interactive dance party with fun, simple dance choreography taught and a facilitated dance party run by the performance team. Communities are welcome to suggest the best way their residents could interact with the show: eg. local dance school presents an act, local hairdressers and stylists set up pop-up boutique on the night.

If a town or venue wishes to only purchase the scripted play component, that is also an option.

Western-Dyer Productions have a proven track record over 10 years of successful touring throughout regional and rural Queensland and Western Australia. With a thorough understanding of what communities want and need, the company has consistently produced and toured popular shows including 'Barbara and Barry's Sweet, Sour and Saucy', 'The Roaring Twenties', 'Oh Lady Be Good', 'Lissa and Nee Nee Space Adventure' and 'Lissa and Nee Nee Adventure Time'.

The team have travelled locally and globally to key festivals (Edinburgh Fringe, Woodford Folk Festival, Adelaide Fringe, Queensland Music Festival, Brisbane Festival) and have toured twice with the UK NRTS (Ella, Marilyn Marlene and Me, Lush Life, Oh Lady Be Good). They are known and respected for their refined skills, spontaneity and authenticity.

Highlights include extensive touring and mainstage performances throughout Australia, the UK and France including: Women in Voice, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Canterbury International Arts Festival, Bristol Spiegeltent, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane Cabaret Festival, Brisbane Jazz Club, Speigeltent, Queensland Music Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, QPAC, Gold Coast Arts Centre, Adelaide Fringe etc. Sweet, Sour & Saucy received five star reviews in Edinburgh and was nomiated for 3 x 2015 Matilda Awards: Best Female Actor, Best Musical/Cabaret and Best Set Design.

Unique Selling Point

Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club builds on the success of The Roaring Twenties where community are encouraged to create a themed night out. Drawing on all things 80s, middle aged audiences are invited to dress up, bring 80s inspired food and drink and get up on the dancefloor in the second set and dance the night away to the songs of their teen years. This is an opportunity for the whole community to come together and celebrate.

Marketing Materials

Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club is presented by the Western-Dyer team who have a track record of wildly successful regional touring over the past 10 years with The Roaring Twenties, Barbara and Barry's Sweet, Sour and Saucy, Oh Lady Be Good and Lissa and Nee Nee Space Adventure.

Full marketing kit will be available including digital assets, video promos and publicity assets.

Community Engagement

A travelling 'memories' board will accompany the show. Community members are encouraged to write memories of what their community was like in the 80s. Who were the personalities? What were the popular social activities? What big events do people remember?

Community representatives will be invited to have their memories filmed and edited into a post-tour digital memory capsule (aka film clip!) which will be delivered for community enjoyment and reminiscing long after the tour has been completed.

Community dance workshops are run by Neridah Waters (Common People Dance Project) teaching tongue-in-cheek choreography which is then able to be featured in the show. The workshop encourages fun, all levels of fitness, all walks of life and all ages and abilities. Neridah's classes and performances have been a raging success in Brisbane over the last two years with spectacular sold out performances at the Brisbane Festival Common People Dance Eisteddfod where teams of suburban gladiators dance off to prove which side of Brisbane is BEST! This concept can be realised in communities with pre-tour video tutorials and engagement with the team.