Happily Ever Poofter x Adelaide Fringe

Happily Ever Poofter x Adelaide Fringe

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Posted 2020-01-28 by Temafollow

Fri 14 Feb 2020 - Sun 01 Mar 2020



Disney fans - listen up! There's a show being brought to us this upcoming Adelaide Fringe season by Richard Watkins and Simone Murphy and it is nothing like you'd expect it to be!

[i]Happily Ever Poofter[/i] is a Disney-inspired musical parody that will revolve around Prince Henry, who embarks on a royal adventure to find his happily ever after. However, unlike most traditional happy ending stories, there's one tiny little twist that might make things a bit...tricky but interesting and unique in this must-see LGBTQIA cabaret extravaganza.

In anticipation of their upcoming show as part of Adelaide Fringe, I was fortunate to conduct an e-interview with Watkins and Murphy - have a read of our exchange below:

Tema: Can you please tell us a bit about yourselves, Richard and Simone? What are your personal stories?
%%Richard: I am an LGBTQIA actor and writer, from London. I mention my sexuality, because it is a huge part of my identity as an individual and as a performer. Professionally, I trained in musical theatre before embarking on my career as an actor, working predominantly in queer and gay theatre. I have had the pleasure of working across the UK and around the world, including in Australia in 2017 when I performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival with a play called The Chemsex Monologues. My career took a turn in 2016, after I was diagnosed with HIV. My diagnosis (and my subsequent trip to Australia!) encouraged me to re-evaluate my goals and my priorities, and I have since striven to find the joy in any situation or job I find myself in. I live publically and proudly with HIV (given how little impact diagnosis has had upon my health and life), and I use my platform to work with UK HIV charities and help others living with HIV stay happy and healthy. Other than work, I love to travel and (perhaps controversially) I love both dogs and cats. I'm sure I'll miss my cat Max and my dog Florence terribly while I'm Down Under! And, for anyone who might care, I'm a classic Gemini through and through, and my moon is in Taurus, so you know I'm the life and soul of the party! Adelaide, gird your loins - I'm back!
Simone: I'm Simone, the choreographer of Happily Ever Poofter.
I have been dancing for as long as I can remember! When I was 21, I moved to London to train in musical theatre at The MTA, which is where I met the wonderful Rich. We have been great friends ever since and even worked professionally together on my first choreography job! I have been extremely lucky in my performing career, having had the opportunity to work on and off West End, UK tours, international productions. I was lucky enough to be assistant choreographer to the very brilliant Lizzi Gee at St James Theatre which helped embark me on my choreography career.%%

Tema: Who are the key individuals involved in this show that you'd like to highlight?
%%Richard: As well as Simone and me, Happily Ever Poofter would simply not exist without my director and co-producer, Denholm Spurr. He brought the story to life and has been the driving force behind getting the show its following. Although he can't join us in Adelaide (due to work commitments in London), he's going to be busy promoting the show from London. Thank you Denholm!
Simone: We couldn't talk about Poofter without talking about our director and co-producer Denholm! His dedication and enthusiasm for this show has helped drive it towards what it is today, both creatively and as the Poofter brand. He truly is our third musketeer!
Richard & Simone: Also a special shout out to Kane Hoad (our Edinburgh PR guru) and Marguerite Watkins (Mama Poofter!), both of whom have been (and continue to be) so kind and genuinely brilliant throughout the whole project.%%

Tema: What about the performing arts scene attracted you to it?
%%Richard: When I was growing up, it was the opportunity to play around and pretend to be other people. Perhaps as a closeted gay teenager, this appeal might make sense! As I grew up and became a professional actor, I realised that I was born for a life of entertainment and story-telling. Despite trying my hand at other work earlier in my life (however briefly!), I was always called back to the stage. In recent years, particularly after my HIV diagnosis, I found myself questioning the value of performing, and wondered if my skills could be better suited in charitable work. I still remain actively involved in community and charity work, but I realised that my skill at entertaining and putting on a show is just as important in this world as anything else I can do. Since I seem to be quite good at it, I stuck at it!
Simone: I think for me, it's always been about providing people with a form of escapism. The ability for an actor or a show to allow people to take a little time out of their very stressful lives to see something that they can truly immerse themselves in – be that because they can utterly relate to it or because they can just sit back and enjoy it – it's something really quite special. I am also a yoga teacher and I really believe that going to the theatre can be one of the most effective forms of meditation there is. The ability to go into a room and focus purely on the action in front of you for however long your theatre experience is, is an extremely freeing feeling! As a performer or creative, to be able to feel that the room is completely on board this journey with you, knowing that you are in some way helping them think, feel, or escape is pretty cool!%%



Tema: How long have you been in the performing arts scene and what has the experience been like so far?
%%Richard: I have performed ever since I was four years old (my first ever role being a ventriloquist dummy – probably because I couldn't remember any lines!). Professionally, I have been acting since 2012. The experience has been a journey, to say the least. There are challenges, of course, but despite flirting with other work, I always come back to acting and entertaining. Overall, I can't imagine my life without the stage. I've met the more inspiring people in my life through my work, and have created a community like no other. And what's more, the characters I have played have entirely shaped who I am today. Whether it's a fairytale prince, a megalomaniac entrepreneur, a club host or a troubled lost soul, I have grown through and learned from every part I've taken on. I sometimes wonder how I would have turned out without all this pretending to be other people! And then I decide that life is much more fun this way!
Simone: I have performed all my life! I have been dancing since the age of 3, had various acting (stage and screen) and musical theatre experience growing up, then officially began my performing career in 2013 with my West End debut n Cool Rider, which was first professional job. I have been extremely fortunate to be able to perform not only in London but also travel around the UK and internationally with my performing work, and now Poofter is providing me with these same opportunities as a choreographer. Of course this career path is never an easy ride, the periods of unemployment and uncertainty never get any easier, but if you keep positive and continue to work hard something will ALWAYS come through!%%



Tema: So, let's talk about Happily Ever Poofter - how did you decide on the concept of your show?
Richard: First off, I grew up loving fairy tales and Disney movies. So I knew I wanted to do a show about magic and adventure. Then as a gay actor, my sexuality has come up at every venture in my career ("should I come out?", "can gay actors play straight parts?" etc), so I decided to do something unashamedly gay, which was still accessible to any audience member. In 2016, I started writing parody lyrics to Disney songs, just for fun. Whenever I sang them for my friends, people said they were funny and remarkably good! And so I put all the pieces together, and decided to write a gay Disney parody - featuring all your favourite Disney songs!

Tema: What is the basic premise of Happily Ever Poofter, without giving too much away?
Richard: It's gay Disney! What more could you want?! Without giving away the big ending, it's a story of the world's first gay Disney Prince on his quest for true love. Prince Henry travels from his magical Kingdom Far, Far Away to the real world and there discovers the "gay scene" and all that it entails. It's wonderful fun and lots of laughs, but more than that (much more than that!), it has a deep message of inclusivity, pride, love, and joy. How can a light-hearted parody show get that serious? Well, you'll just have to come along to find out!

Tema: What were you hoping for your show to resonate with your audience?
%%Richard: Although I loved Disney growing up, once I began to realise I was gay, I also realised my story wasn't shown in those films and books that I had otherwise enjoyed. But this feeling is in no way unique to LGBTQ individuals. Happily Ever Poofter is for anyone who might have ever felt their story wasn't shown in Disney or fairy tales - whether that is because of their sexuality, their gender identity, the colour of their skin, or the way their body looks. Through Happily Ever Poofter, I want to inspire and empower audiences to take pride in their story, in their journey for true love, in their narrative – no matter how that looks. So you see, Happily Ever Poofter isn't just for those who love Disney, or who are gay. It truly is for anyone.
Simone: The show is all about acceptance, self-love and sharing joy. We believe that is something that everyone can relate to, no matter what your story is!%%

Tema: What can people expect from attending Happily Ever Poofter?
%%Richard: First and foremost, a great night out! You will be entertained, of that I promise you! Next, I expect audiences might learn a bit about the LGBTQIA community, as there's a lot of insight in there! Finally, and most importantly, I would hope audiences would come away with a newfound pride to tell their own fabulous and wonderful story!
Simone: People can expect a fun and frivolous evening with a beautiful heartfelt message. Not only is it a camp and hilarious evening out, there are also genuinely tender moments along the journey for you to lose yourselves in too. It is a really special show and we're really excited to share it with you!%%

Tema: Who would you say is your target audience?
%%Richard: Our promotion says that if you like Disney or like cock, then you'll love Happily Ever Poofter. However, when we were at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year – where we had a sold-out run – we found that anyone from any walk of life could enjoy the show. We have striven to make the show inclusive, so it's not just for gays and it's not just for Disney fans – though those demographics will certainly feel very much at home!
Simone: I believe that anyone and everyone can relate to the show. The topics of self acceptance and self love really are universal and the show presents these in such a hilarious, fun and heartwarming was, it's just impossible not to have a fantastic time!%%

Tema: Personally, I have been following your journey of when Happily Ever Poofter had its first ever show in the UK and how it was given some very warm reviews - would you like to tell us a bit about those early days and how the show may have grown over time?
%%Richard: Oh my goodness, those early days were a real adventure. I wrote the first draft show in just a few weeks in February last year, and by April it was on stage - it was such a quick turnaround! Honestly, I hoped to perform it once to a few of my friends and then get back to whatever job came up next. However, the response was quite overwhelming! The show went down really well and suddenly Edinburgh was calling. And from there, it's just continued to grow. As for how the show itself has grown, the first draft was very much a cabaret show – I just wanted everyone to have a laugh! We've had more time to work on the show now, and on its detail and subtleties, and Happily Ever Poofter has very much become a theatrical journey, with highs and lows, twists and turns, surprises at every turn – and just a little sprinkling of Fairy Dust!
Simone: The early days were pretty awesome. It was so much fun getting to develop something that we all felt was quite special with one of my closest friends! Rich initially asked me to just "have a look at some movement for a few songs" and a few weeks later, we had a fully-directed, choreographed and sold-out show at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London! It's been a wild ride and we are truly grateful!%%



Tema: How did you get involved with the Adelaide Fringe (AF)?
Richard: When we were up in Edinburgh, some of the AF team came along to see Happily Ever Poofter. The seeds of an idea were sown, and suddenly, we had an offer from the fabulous Gluttony! Knowing the incredible reputation for Gluttony, we snapped up the opportunity as quick as we could! Then came working out just how on earth we were actually going to get Down Under. Luckily, we've just about made it work, and we're on our way!

Tema: Simone, if this is your first time being involved with the Adelaide Fringe, how are you feeling about the experience?
Simone: I am very excited to be here at Adelaide Fringe – not only is it my first time at the Fringe, but it's also my first time ever in Australia! Having done the Edinburgh Fringe in summer last year, I feel like I have some idea as to what to expect. I just can't wait to dive into the whole atmosphere of it all and meet some fellow cast and creatives who are looking to share and support each others' work.

Tema: Richard, as a returning Adelaide Fringe performer, what are you hoping to expect from this year's participation in the festival?
Richard: I had, hand on heart, one of the most enjoyable and exciting experiences when I came to Adelaide in 2017. I'm cautious not to try and replicate my time here, but I do hope I will be able to meet as many new and exciting people, entertain as many audiences, and feel the benefit of that wonderful Australian hospitality. I honestly can't wait to come back!

Tema: Where else has Happily Ever Poofter made an appearance and what have you thought about the development of the show through its travels around the world?
Richard: The show has been to various places across the UK and of course to Edinburgh Fringe. We'll be coming to Adelaide straight from a three-week run at London's prestigious King's Head Theatre (so we'll be very much in show mode already!) After Australia, we will be heading to Prague Fringe, which is really exciting. And then… well you'll just have to wait and see! We've got a few things up our sleeves though!

Tema: What do you think makes Happily Ever Poofter a must-watch show?
%%Richard: Gosh, that's a tricky question to answer myself! If you really want to know, why not read one of the several Five Star reviews we've had, or check out the endlessly positive feedback on social media? Is that subtle enough (laughs)! No, in seriousness, this show has entertained hundreds of people across the UK and has a truly important message of love and acceptance. In this turbulent time we live in, feel-good entertainment with an empowering message is a must. Of course, we all want escapism, but hiding from the issues we face today never changed the world. So in Happily Ever Poofter, audiences get to escape on a magical journey to a Kingdom Far Away, but will hopefully return with a newfound sense of pride and power. That, for me, is what makes this show so special!
Simone: This show will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but most importantly, it will leave you feeling empowered, loved and simply full of joy. Who wouldn't want that?!%%

Tema: Is there anything else that you'd like us to know about yourselves and the show?
%%Richard: Just that we are so, so thrilled to be coming to Adelaide and sharing our story, our joy and our pride with the fabulous audiences here! We can't wait! That said, performing in a different country can be slightly nerve-wracking. Performing in a different continent can be somewhat daunting. Performing in a different hemisphere can be flat-out petrifying! So if you see a sassy gay Prince in his seven-inch heels and crown strutting up Rundle Mall, please don't hesitate to come and say him, grab a selfie, practise your Vogue moves, or even have a hug! We can't wait to meet everyone, so please do introduce yourself! Oh, and then come and see Happily Ever Poofter at 8.40pm at The Bally, Gluttony. I guarantee that you won't regret it! I'd even bet my Royal Kingdom on it!
Simone: We are just so grateful to be here and super excited to share the love to the wonderful people at Adelaide Fringe!%%

Happily Ever Poofter will be performed at the Bally in Gluttony from February 14 - March 1, 2020, as part of Adelaide Fringe. Book your tix here .

#adelaide_city
#greater_adelaide
#interviews
#musicals
#shows
#theatre
#february
!date 14/02/2020 -- 01/03/2020
%wnadelaide
146076 - 2023-06-13 22:55:15

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