Vampire Lesbians of Sodom by Charles Busch, 2023, fortyfivedownstairs

Over a decade ago, Little Ones Theatre arrived in Melbourne with an “absolute cack” (The Age) production of Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party. It was a hit across the country with a slew of five-star reviews, a Green Room Award win, and had audiences cheering before the lights even came up! Ten years later the company come together for one last time to bring you another camp travesty from New York’s Queen of Queer Theatre, just in time for Christmas.

One of the longest running plays in Off-Broadway history, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom by Charles Busch, tells the saga of two fatally seductive vampiresses whose paths first collide in ancient Sodom. Their bitter rivalry as bloodsuckers but more importantly, as actresses, endures for two thousand years with stops along the way in 1920's silent movie Hollywood and contemporary Las Vegas. Vampire Lesbians of Sodom is a demented tribute to horror cinema, divas of the Golden Age, and is a cult camp classic comedy in the vain of Elvira Mistress of the Dark and Death Becomes Her.

With a cast of Melbourne’s finest, including: Jennifer Vuletic (Wentworth, Looking for Alibrandi), Atremis Ioannides (Wentworth, Because the Night), Ash Flanders (Psycho Beach Party, Meme Girls, End Of.) Zoe Boesen (Abigail’s Party), Brigid Gallacher (In The Club), Tom Dent (Psycho Beach Party) and John Marc Desengano (Looking for Alibrandi), this is Little Ones Theatre’s final celebration of all things ridiculous.

Its time to laugh and get your fangs out.

The season sold out completely and was met with critical acclaim. It was 80% sold before it even opened, and an additional performance was added. This marked the final production for Little Ones Theatre.

With: Jennifer Vuletic, Artemis Ioannides, Ash Flanders, Zoe Boesen, Brigid Gallacer, Tom Dent, John Marc Desengano. Also featuring: Marko Pecer, Jasmin Larranaga, Anastacia Barres, and Jackie Van LieRop

Director: Stephen Nicolazzo

Writer: Charles Busch

Movement Director: Ashlea Pyke

Set and Costume Design: Nathan Burmeister

Lighting Design: Katie Sfetkidis

Lighting Associate: Spencer Herd

Sound Design and Composition: Daniel Nixon

Sound Associate: Danni Esposito

Stage Manager: Harry Dowling

Assistant Stage Manager: Finn Mcleish

★★★★ “a disarmingly good time…The puns are horrifyingly good, the dialogue suitably cheesy, yet tongue-in-cheek and clever. In New Yorker luminary Charles Busch’s play, the immortal aren’t immune from the mortal desires for fame and retribution, something that is uproariously mined for laughter. Cheeky, fun and exceedingly camp, Busch’s irreverent Vampire Lesbians of Sodom has charmed audiences as one of the longest-running off-Broadway plays for good reason. Poignantly, this is also queer collective Little Ones Theatre’s last hurrah, and what a fitting goodbye it is.” Sonia Nair, The Age

★★★★ “both knowing and hilarious in equal measure. In Little Ones’ capable hands, this trip is high camp at its delicious peak.” Nick Pilgrim, Theatre Matters

“It’s silly, it’s sexy and funny-as-fuck. Don’t miss it. It will be a while until we look upon its like again. The text is full of ridiculous jokes and smart observations about life, death and living as an ageing actress in Hollywood. The expected tropes of vampires, lesbians and sodomites are paraded before our very eyes to shock and delight. The cast is gorgeous