The Butterfly Club Announces October Schedule

The Butterfly Club kicks off October with a doppelganger birthday party, more from the Melbourne Fringe Festival, and memoirs of Bette Davis.

We're celebrating our 11th birthday this Sunday 3 October in typical eccentric style ... by hosting a doppelganger party.

There are various definitions of the term ‘doppelganger'. For the purposes of this celebration we're using the facebook-inspired one, whereby guests are invited to dress up as a celebrity they look like. Prizes are on offer and entry is free.

After 11 years of unlikely staying power as an independent, non-publicly funded venue in an ever-fluid Melbourne arts scene, 11 years of discovering & nurturing new talent, of hosting always fun and sometimes naughty parties and shaking ‘n stirring 100,000+ cocktails ... it's time to party. The Butterfly Club has also been the launching pad for the annual Short+Sweet Cabaret festival (now in its third year) and the just-concluded, wildly successful Melbourne Cabaret Festival.

Cocktail of the month
With three spooky shows and a Halloween theme party, for this month's cocktail special we couldn't go past the ‘ghoulish gripe'.

Be spooked with tales of pumpkin kings, bearded ladies and a bit of incest in Monsters In My Closet. Go on a hellish journey through the darkenEd Halls of the St Fiacrius Home For Wayward Children. Experience a cacophony of mayhem and madness, sex and violence, song and dance that is not for the faint of heart in Atrocity.

Then, on the night itself, bring your nightmares to life by costuming up and coming to our Halloween theme party. Prizes are on offer and entry is free. Join us from 6pm on Sun 31 October.

End-of-year parties
We're experiencing early Heavy Demand for end-of-year parties, so to book your event at one of Melbourne's most unique function venues do the smart thing and email your enquiry to butterflyfunctions@gmail.com

Our new functions and events coordinator James (pictured) can advise you how to create a memorable night, choosing from our unique offering of beverages, catering and roving performers. Or, combine your night with top quality shows, including:
- Sammy J and Randy (who together took out the Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival)
- Stevl Shefn and his Translator Fatima (Winner Best Comedy 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival, Nominee Golden Gibbo 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 2010 Moosehead Recipient)
- Psych student turned entertainer Simon Taylor
- Mike McLeish (best known for his portrayal of Paul Keating in Keating! The Musical and one-third of The Beautiful Losers)
- Anthony Menchetti (as seen on NBC's Last Comic Standing)
- And hear a juicy mix of songs and ideas wrapped up in a headband with Anyone for Tennis?

Looking ahead
Psych student turned entertainer Simon Taylor can teach you how to trick yourself into feeling happier, spot your lies and read your thoughts. He joins us 16 to 20 November, but there's a sneak preview on Sun 24 Oct.

Partner offer - ANAM
Regarded as one of the leading composers of his generation, pianist, British conductor and composer Thomas Adès directs musicians of the Academy in his own music, and in music close to his heart.

7pm Tue 12 Oct, South Melbourne Town Hall, 210 Bank Street.

ANAM is pleased to offer The Butterfly Club friends a 10% discount. Book online through Ticketmaster or call 136 100 and quote ‘arts partner discount'

Shows in October

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:
COURT! the Cabaret

Caitlin, Rachel and Ruth are on a recruitment drive for Oz Netball* in ‘one of the funniest Cabarets ever!'**. Join them as they walk new and seasoned players through the ins and outs of one of the most popular team sports in Australia.

Featuring original songs such as ‘Take to the Court', ‘Bitch!' and ‘So Much More Than a Game', it's the cabaret that all Netball players, umpires and supporters have been waiting for.

Performed by Rachel Gorman, Caitlin Wills and Ruth Wilkin.

Co-devised by DRAMA ED Class of '08.
Conceived by Peter Webb.
* Not affiliated with Netball Australia (Since the 2009 Cease and Desist).
** - Caitlin's Dad.

Dates: Tues 28 & Wed 29 September, Tues 5 & Wed 6 October
Time: 8pm
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 50 minutes approx

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:
Mr Brady in
HONEYMOON IN HARLEM

Mitch Rogers is a multi-award-winning women's basketball commentator. Yet no amount of accolades can save his career when the global financial crisis arrives. What follows is a farcical journey through adversity that will lead him to the one place he had never pointed his binoculars before.

‘Honeymoon in Harlem' is the debut Fringe show of musical comedian Mr Brady.

Dates: Thurs 30 Sept to Sun 3 October
Time: 7pm Thurs to Sat; 6pm Sun
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 50 minutes approx
More info: http://www.mrbrady.com

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:
Anne Edmonds in
EVER SINCE THE DAWN OF ANNE

And from the darkness, Anne rose up in song, dance and story and all the world cried out ‘stop distracting others and interfering with their learning'. Accompanied by Amy Bennett.

Dates: Thurs 30 Sept to Sun 3 October
Time: 9pm Thurs to Sat; 8pm Sun
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 60 minutes approx

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:
EXPOSE YOURSELF GLOBALLY

Starring Portable 2 - your most mesmerisingly medical minx.

This is a state of the art lecture-cum-musical starring Portable 2, a raunchy, dangerous nurse, who on a mission to expose herself globally, is desperate to help others expose themselves too. This medical minx takes you through the check-up from the neck-up, and the low-down on the go-down.

Dates: Fri 1, Sat 2, Fri 8 and Sat 9 October
Time: 10.30pm
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 60 minutes approx

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:
Deborah Magid in
DESCENT OF A DIVA

What happens when an opera Diva identifies too strongly with her signature aria?

'The Doll Song' from Offenbach's ‘Tales of Hoffmann' is the portal to Diva Lillian Strang's history, and Magid melds and morphs into 14 characters - Lillian and her family, colleagues, and past self - in mid-20'-century and fin-de-siécle Vienna.

Music, movement, and multimedia add nuance to this harrowing tale. Warning: intense subject matter and brief nudity.

Date: Thursday 7 October
Time: 10.30pm
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 60 minutes approx

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:

THE GIFT HORSE

Gifted storyteller Louise McCrae opens the door to a tear-soaked weatherboard house, where an isolated family struggles to survive on their drought-stricken farm.

Many people have ridden a horse, a small few have ever come to rely on one...

A seasoned performer, Louise is one third of the award winning trio ‘World War Wonderful!' She has performed at 'Upfront' and 'The Butterfly Club's 10th Birthday celebration' along with Tim Minchin and Ali McGregor, and co-created and performed 'The Garden' for the Short+Sweet festival 2009.

She now makes her solo cabaret debut, telling this evocative coming of age story brought to life by compelling characters and contemporary Australian folk music.

Dates: Thurs 7 to Sun 10 October
Time: 7pm Thurs to Sat; 6pm Sun
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 50 minutes approx

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

The Melbourne Fringe Festival presents:
Michael Connell
ACTING THE GOAT

Communication; we do it all the time whether face to face, on the phone, or online, so how do people still get it wrong? Comedian Michael Connell is constantly putting his foot in his mouth, and then trying to dig himself out of it. In ‘Acting the Goat' Michael looks at the funny things that happen when communication breaks down.

Dates: Thurs 7 to Sun 10 October
Time: 9pm Thurs to Sat; 8pm Sun
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or www.melbournefringe.com.au
Duration: 50 minutes approx
More info: michaelconnell.com.au

Note: if show appears sold-out, some tickets may be available at www.melbournefringe.com.au

Why Not Production Company presents:
A SEQUENCE OF ORIGINAL MUSIC

A Sequence of Original Music is an exposure season designed to aim the spotlight on those who CREATE the music we all love to hear.

With styles including: Pop, Classical, Indie, Opera and more ... there's something for everyone at A Sequence of Original Music.

Dates: Tues 12 , Wed 13, Tue 19, Wed 20, Tue 26 and Wed 27 Oct
Time: all shows at 8pm
Ticket price: $25
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

Bette Davis: MEMOIRS AND MARTINIS

You are invited to a party ... a cocktail party, hosted by the Queen of Hollywood herself, Bette Davis!

For six nights only, in the quaint intimacy of The Butterfly Club, the actress of all actresses will take you on an hilarious and touching journey into her past.

Just how many men did she marry? Was she really the greatest bitch of all time? Just how much did she hate Joan Crawford? Is revenge a dish best served cold ... or with some butter?

RSVP to secure your seat and the answers to these questions and much, much more!

P.S. Be sure to come early and get yourself a martini at the bar!

Featuring David Morris and Tom Halls. Accompanied by Peter De Jager.

Dates: Thurs 14 to Sat 16, then Thu 21 to Sat 23 Oct
Time: all shows at 7pm
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 50 minutes approx

Emily Taylor in
HELLO YOU

Fresh from This Is Not Art Festival and The Sydney Fringe, Hello You is back!

Taking the audience on a joyous adventure through the obsessive and the compulsive, the dark and the ambiguous, the desirous and the fallible, Hello You celebrates murky lust and desire in a unique, playful and often moving way.

Using a combination of covers, spoken word, circulated objects and original songs, Hello You spans the beginning, middle and end of a very particular performer / audience relationship.

Weird, compelling, and endearingly homemade, Hello You offers a unique take on cabaret form. Full of false starts, foibles and the fragilities that make us all human, Hello You is a peculiar, charming and vaguely violating experience.

Dates: Thurs 14 to Sun 17 Oct
Time: 9pm Thurs to Sat; 8pm Sun
Ticket price: $27 full / $22 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

The Jane Austen Argument present:
THE SPACES BETWEEN

Winners: Best Cabaret - Adelaide Fringe 2010

'a stunning piece of cabaret ... The Spaces Between is the most exquisite cabaret you'll ever see' - read the full review from AussieTheatre.com

Cutting corners, twisting words. Romances burning and rising from the ashes of harsh words and tussles for space. Between truth, love and lust there is no room to breathe as we negotiate lives lived somewhere between isolation and belonging.

Hot on the heels of their award-winning and internationally debut ‘Where Was I?'The Jane Austen Argument bring you the international premiere of their new work: ‘The Spaces Between' - an indie-cabaret noir performance which explores the emotional, temporal and physical spaces between and within us all.

With a US tour, national and international performances with Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) and an Adelaide Fringe Festival Award (Best Cabaret 2010) under their belt, The Jane Austen Argument are not to be missed.

‘An ultra-talented hybrid of Tori Amos and Tim Minchin' - Australian Stage

‘They sounded f**king beautiful' - Amanda Palmer

Dates / time: Fri 22 and Sat 23 Oct, both shows at 9pm
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

PIECES OF MIND
The Preview

Psychology student turned award winning entertainer, Simon Taylor is bringing his solo stage show to The Butterfly Club. He knows what you are thinking, how you are thinking it and will make you laugh out loud as he tells you.

In his unique show, Pieces of Mind, Simon will teach you how to trick yourself into feeling happier, predict your thoughts and read your mind.

Catch his preview show and see why he has been described as "a refreshing alternative in the entertainment scene" (The Vine).

It's entertainment for the mind, about the mind.

Date / time: Sun 24 Oct at 6pm
Ticket price: $10
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

Alixandra Kupcik in
REFLECTIONS

Following the success of her first show, ‘New York A State of Mind', Alixandra Kupcik presents an evening of ‘Reflections', a one hour show that explores life, love and dreams.

From Gershwin to Billy Joel, Alixandra sings her favourite songs, taking the audience on an intimate journey by sharing stories about her life whilst enticing the audience to reflect on theirs.

Date / time: Sun 24 Oct at 8pm
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

THE BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

This multi award winning horror show of male depravity returns to seriously disturb your sleep.

For the past five years, The Beautiful Losers have been horrifying, thrilling and even amusing Australian audiences with their tales of the evil deeds of Men.

They've won Green Room awards and a Melbourne Fringe guernsey.

They return to The Butterfly Club to seriously disturb your sleep.

The Beautiful Losers are Mark Jones (‘Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd'), Mike McLeish (‘Keating - The Musical') and Karlis Zaid (‘The Drowsy Chaperone').

Dates: Fri 15, Sat 16, Fri 22 & Sat 23 Oct
Time: all shows at 10.30pm
Ticket price: $25 full / $20 concession and for groups of 8 or more.
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

Cacoon ticket special: $70 (for two)
Snuggle up for a total Butterfly Club experience
- 2 show tickets
- tasting plate (for two)
- 2 glasses of wine of your choice

Guests selecting this option must arrive by 9.30pm if dining prior to the show. Alternatively we can prepare the tasting plate for you so it is ready directly after the show.

The tasting plate selection changes nightly. Expect a choice from our snack menu accompanied by perhaps mild chillies or olives, cheeses, dips, pate or terrines, a charcuterie selection and other delicacies with butterfly breads and greens. A vegetarian option is available.

Ben Hudson in
MONSTERS IN MY CLOSET

Combining Ben Hudson's formidable height with his haunting deep baritone voice Monsters In My Closet is set to titillate and spook with tales of Pumpkin Kings, Bearded Ladies and a bit of incest.

Featuring a range of songs from Kurt Weill to Gnarls Barkley. Accompanied by Trevor Jones. Graduating from WAAPA in 2009 this is Ben Hudsons debut cabaret at The Butterfly Club.

Dates: Thurs 28 to Sun 31 Oct
Time: 7pm Thurs to Sat; 6pm Sun
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

THE LAUDENUM PROJECT PRESENTS
THE TERRIBLE ACCOUNT OF THE ST FIACRIUS ORPHANS

Join Dr Dorian P Urinberry III, Alphonse Cheese-Probert and Heapus Maximus as they take you on a hellish journey through the darkenEd Halls of the St Fiacrius Home For Wayward Children.

Like a demented BBC radio play accompanied by a '70s slasher film score, The Laudanum Project tell stories that horrify and delight in equal measure. The effects will be devastating!

Dates: Thurs 28 to Sun 31 Oct
Time: 9pm Thurs to Sat; 8pm Sun
Ticket price: $22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 55 minutes approx

ATROCITY
Cabaret du Grand Guignol

Based on the famed Theatre du Grand Guignol of old, ATROCITY is a contemporary journey into the dark mind of man - a cacophony of mayhem and madness, sex and violence, song and dance, cabaret and burlesque that is not for the faint of heart.

Espousing the creed ‘Beauty, Truth, Horror,' it is a theatrical experience like no other. Rated R18+.

Dates: Fri 29 and Sat 30 Oct
Time: both shows at 10.30pm
Ticket price: $27 full / $22 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Duration: 60 minutes approx

THE BUTTERFLY GLEE CLUB
Every Tuesday and Wednesday

Forget yoga. Forget All-Bran. Forget colonic irrigation. If you really want to do something that makes you feel good inside - just SING. And what better place to sing out than at THE BUTTERFLY GLEE CLUB, the hippest sing-along choir in town. Come along and sing as loudly or softly as you like - there are no solos, no microphones and no commitment to come every week.

THE BUTTERFLY GLEE CLUB is conducted by the gorgeous and talented Vicky Jacobs (MulTi Green Room Award Nominee for Musical Direction). Tuesday nights is hosted by international cabaret and music theatre star Chelsea Plumley.

"An inspired group sing-a-long" - Beat Magazine
"A rad singalong choir" - The Pun

Dates / times: Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 6.15 pm
Tickets: $10
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com or just turn up
More info: www.gleeclubsinging.com
Duration: one hour approx

 

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