Presented by Vitalstatistix in association with State Theatre Company of SA
In 1981, a young Egyptian refugee and choreographer signed up to transform a strip club. Thirty-three years later he is stepping back from the limelight. It’s time to tell his story.
Madame: The Story of Joseph Farrugia is a performance work based on the life and times of adult entertainment trailblazer Joseph Farrugia aka Madame Josephine, long time creative director and host of famous Adelaide strip club Crazy Horse Revue/Madame Josephine’s.
Crazy Horse has been a place of fascination for many South Australians. Whether it’s been a hen’s night, buck show, a search for intimacy or a stolen glance up the stairwell, this venue is iconic in our city’s sexual landscape.
Part confessional, part documentary, Madame charts Joseph’s extraordinary personal story alongside the dramatic changes erotic entertainment has undergone in three decades, as vaudevillian burlesque has given way to the explosion of global internet pornography.
Generated from hours of interviews with Joseph and performed verbatim, this dance theatre show created by Torque Show (Malmö, Be Prepared, Intimacy) is an accessible and highly entertaining queer account of love, identity and ambition, from the point of view of a veteran whose life personifies his industry’s complexity.
Company/Presenter Profile
Torque Show is a performance company founded by Vincent Crowley, Ross Ganf and Ingrid Weisfelt in 2010. They have focused on making dramaturgically focused dance theatre works including Malmö (Arts House and Adelaide Festival/Vitalstatistix) Be Prepared (Kumawuki/Country Arts SA and City of Melbourne) and Intimacy (Malthouse’s Helium, Southbank’s Unlimited). Their work is intellectually rigorous, experimental and challenging in form and content, created through a collaborative and fluid process where Vincent, Ross and Ingrid play various roles. The company operates in South Australia and Victoria, and each artist also works in dance, theatre and event curation.
Supporters
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.