Retro Futurismus: A New World

It’s been described as a “bizarre and provocative experience”, and when you hear about all that’s incorporated into it, you’ll understand why.

Retro Futurismus: A New World is a sequel to Retro Futurismus, which sold out venues last year. Created by sister duo and cabaret/circus performers, Anni and Maude Davey, the show uses cabaret performances to explore the future of the planet.

‘We devised this plan to make a futuristic, space-age environment in which we could showcase some of the four-minute act style work, which has been so interesting lately,’ Anni says. ‘We’ve refined the theme to say that human-kind has three options: succumb to extermination by the superior beings on our planet, which are probably insects, or we can evolve to become better than we are, or the other option is to escape the planet and find new frontiers.’

Anni and Maude’s inspiration came from a distaste towards modern cabaret.

‘Maude and I were sick of going to cabaret and burlesque shows that were all about the bedroom, and women taking their clothes off and pretending to have orgasms. It was all red and velvet and sultry, and we were like “come on let’s have some intelligent cabaret”,’ she says.

Retro Futurismus: A New World incorporates numerous different theatre acts, from burlesque dancers to circus performers. Anni and Maude act as hosts for the entirety of the show; Anni says this allows them to “guide the way you watch it through our way of watching it”.

The duo will be dressed as cockroaches, which Anni says is potentially why the show has been described as bizarre. ‘We’re not afraid to be ugly, we’re dressing up as cockroaches, the inheritance of the planet, so we won’t be looking gorgeous or glamorous.’

But why has the show been labeled as provocative? Anni says it’s probably because they’re not afraid to speak the truth.

‘Theatre is so bloody polite. People are so careful about political correctness, that it becomes sort of bland. I would hate to think that I wasn’t going to offend. I’m hoping to offend the pants off right-wing racists and misogynistic, wealthy white men who think they’re superior to women and everyone else. People think that’s problematic, but I don’t, I think it’s important.’

The sisters, plus the rest of the team, Anna Lumb, Gabi Barton and Teresa Blake, are joined by an array of talented special guests. These include burlesque luminary Azaria Universe, singer/songwriter Kira Puru, cabaret dancer Yana Alana, and artists Will and Garrett Huxley.

They’re hoping the show is an immersive experience for the audience.

‘We don’t have just one stage where the lights go on and off while everyone does their performances, there are three stages and the audience is sitting at cabaret tables. There’s also a trapeze act that happens over the audience’s heads, and a performance that happens on the roof of the theatre. We’re in and around and above the audience,’ Anni says.

When asked how she goes working with her sister, Anni laughed and said it’s a question better directed at the rest of the cast.

‘They’re the ones who watch us and see how we work together. We do have a few short hands we use to communicate to each other, and sometimes we fight as a stress relief, which is something we have to warn people about.’

With the premiere only a few nights away, Anni says there’s been a lot of “mild panic” going on.

‘You’re always in a state of trepidation and anxiety when you’re putting on new work, because we have to put it out there and you feel really vulnerable doing it. You just don’t know how people will respond.’

Retro Futurismus: A New World
Thursday July 7 – Sunday July 31
Fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
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