Melbourne based Contemporary Vaudeville Company Porcelain Punch is currently in Creative Development for a new work, FIN Directed by Derek Ives. FIN is a dark and comedic portrayal of the hunger, desire and fragility inherent in a landscape with limited resources. FIN is a visual spectacle, fickle, disgusting, violent and sweet. In their imagined world, ridiculous characters inhabit the decks of an old whaling vessel and supplies are running out…

Porcelain Punch is launching a Pozzible campaign to assist with the funding of a Set Designer, Construction and set/prop materials for this new work.

‘We love the crew from Porcelain Punch. Their skills get better and better, they turn on their Vaudeville charm every time, and musically they are tops. This new show has such a spectacular set and visual appeal... We presented them in the genteel surrounds of Edinburgh Gardens and at Falls very late at night before a big rock and roll crowd: both sets of crowds left deliriously happy. Recommended without reservation.'

Ian Pidd, AD THE VILLAGE

In 2012 Porcelain Punch began work on a number of short acts, shown as ‘Dead Sea Tales’ at The Village Festival, Edinburgh Gardens and at Falls Festival at the start of 2013. This material was reworked as part of the Performance Investigations Program at City of Yarra’ Richmond Theatrette becoming the beginnings of ‘Fin’ Directed by Derek Ives.

Porcelain Punch, or the “The Punchies’ as we are often referred to, is currently made up of Acrobats Luke O’Connor and Christy Flaws, Side Show sweetheart Alex Gellmann, Emilie Bloom the clown extraordinaire and the bedazzling songstress Madeline Hudson. 

Since 2010 the ensemble have been performing and touring with the Traveling Medicine Show whilst appearing in pop up cabaret spots, street theatre, festivals, benefit party’s, birthday party’s, weddings, we haven’t done any Bat Mitsvah’s but are excited about most opportunities…so please get in touch.

We are ferocious theatre makers. Our process is collaborative and inclusive and we work with the strengths and skills of each artist trained in Circus, Clown, Bouffon, Music and then there’s all the admin. We work with handfuls of directors, engineers, costume designers, lighting designers, writers, artists, tattooists, mums and musicians. We create gorgeous visuals with exquisite precision pulsing with nostalgia.

Many nights have rolled over and like most passionate artists and independent theatre companies pursuing a career in the arts, we’ve been busily sewing curtains, fixing vintage costumes and props, pruning wigs, cutting ply liberated from the side of the road to make art and things beautiful often handmade, on no money and little sleep. That’s what we do and it has happily fueled our wonderful journey as a company and little carnie family. 

We have worked ongoing for most of that time as a non for profit/profit share, sometimes paid in good times volunteer capacity.
‘The Punchies aren’t in this for any kind of glamour. They’re here for the humans. The humans and the art. Because Porcelain Punch make pictures; their shows revolve around images with a rich, detailed aesthetic’ AILSA WILD, Writer

However after a succession of unsuccessful heart wrenching fails on the funding front, last year we were invited by the City Yarra to present a showing of work in creative development at the Richmond Theatrette. With continued support from City Of Yarra we finally received funds from Australia Council to put toward the development and presentation of our new show to be…. FIN.

(INSERT PARTY POPPERS AND GOODTIMES!!!)

After the party poppers go off and you call everyone you know including grandpa who thinks he can remember you mentioning Punch something or rather, you realize that after you pay all the humans properly there’s a little bit left over for a new  photoshoot and a roll of the fancy good Gaffa Tape…but that’s about it.

And whilst we are still searching the regional op shops and raiding Emilie Blooms costume rack there are some things you just can’t find in hard rubbish and Gumtree.… 
And so to make a truly beautiful and transformative work with a set to boot we need a bit of love from the people.


Photo by Theresa Harrison

Our pozible campaign is to support this final stage and help us realize our 
vision of a set-as-sculptural work which performers interact with. Our aim is to create a work in which the performers relationship to the set is staggering, which pushes the limits of imagination. James Thierree, WAK (Netherlands) and Compagnie Morosof (France) all use interactive sets as a key element of their development and performance. 
With the rise of contemporary circus, theatre-makers in Australia have barely
begun to explore the possibility of how performers can interact with set. 

‘WE ARE BUILDING A BOAT!’

We have an ambitious vision for the world we want to create!
Part-puppetry, part-circus-equipment and part-stage-set, yet more than all these parts, 
is weight-bearing, kinetic sculpture: an artwork which the performer clambers over, 
swings from, dances across.

The set will be designed and constructed to support the use 
of chinese pole, slack rope and tight rope skills but without the use of obvious circus 
equipment, instead it will be a seamless, transformative structure. It will hold the space, 
be a character in it’s own right, drive the performer’s movement and deliver the narrative. 
Having undergone two creative developments of 'Fin' we are in the final stages of set design 
and construction.  

The Breakdown
$4000 Set Design and Construction 
$3000 Materials for Set and Props

Photo by Stitch