VILE production company presents
written and directed by louisa cusumano
Playing HAUS
30 SEP - 5 OCT | THEATRE WORKS
written and directed by louisa cusumano
'Whodunnits' are such a drag... an original, sinful murder mystery by VILE Production Company.
Teddy and Lorelai Cuck have it all- a beautiful manor, a faithful old maid, an abundance of wealth and a lustful relationship. They're gluttons, cheats and fetishists with no remorse whatsoever for their hedonistic lifestyle. However, things take a sinister turn for the worse when a spunky young plumber comes to the manor to give the place a fix-up, just in time for an anonymous body to mysteriously be discovered. Trapped in the illustrious Cuck Manor by a spontaneous, disastrous storm, Teddy, Lorelai, Mishka the maid and Ace Plumbing must apprehensively work together to get to the bottom of the mystery and find whodunnit, with their wits about them and their lives intact. There are romances, conspiracies, alliances, and dark secrets decorating the manor and following the motley crew- after all, there's truly never a dull moment at Cuck manor.
A play on the classic murder mystery genre, 'Playing Haus' is an original drag comedy about lust, greed, class and gender. 'Playing Haus' is a modern twist on classic queer stories with an emphasis on camp and satire. Theatrical, sexy, gory and absurd, this is whodunnit is a burlesque, drag, black comedy, horror and pantomime show in one, where the culprit and victim are the least important facet of the story.
PLAYING HAUS is the debut show of VILE Production CO. (est. 2025), founded by queer theatre makers and VCA alumni Louisa Cusumano, Ez Kenworthy, Tom Weinert and Sam Morris.
VENUE
Theatre Works
14 Acland Street, St Kilda
DURATION
60 Minutes
WARNINGS
loud / sudden noises, flashing lights, haze , depiction of violence, depiction of death, partial nudity , depiction of sexual acts , depiction of drug and alcohol use, use of fake cigarettes, use of fake weapons, themes of classism and whorephobia , mention of suicide
ACCESSIBILITY
Theatre Works is a wheelchair accessible venue. A full access guide will be available closer to the date.
DATES + TIMES
Tue 30 Sep 7:30PM
Wed 1 Oct 7:30PM
Thu 2 Oct 7:30PM
Fri 3 Oct 7:30PM
Sun 5 Oct 7:30PM
Theatre Works has a lockout policy for latecomers. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to ensure you don't miss out.
Refunds will not be issued to latecomers.
TICKETS
FULL PRICE
$35.00
CONCESSION
$28.00
Theatre Works has been long established as the south-side festival hub in Melbourne.
Theatre Works’ MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL HUB will be buzzing with 17 shows across our two venues - a bold showcase of the full spectrum of independent performance and the brilliant, boundary-pushing artists who make it possible.
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders
CREDITS
Louisa Cusumano: Director / Co-writer / 'Teddy Cuck'
Ez Kenworthy: Producer / Co-writer / 'Ace Plumbing'
Tom Weinert: Sound design / Head of marketing / 'Mishka Kraut'
Sam Morris: Costume designer / Set maker / 'Lorelai Cuck'
Jay Gold: Assistant director
Miki Looker: Costume maker
Finnegan Comte-Harvey: Lighting design
MEET THE ARTIST -
EXTRAS
Backstage with Louisa Cusumano
Read the full interview here
DOUBLE BILLED: A Paper Trail
Catch A Paper Trail at Theatre Works on the same night you see Playing Haus
DOUBLE BILLED: The Importance of Being Earnest as Performed by Three F*cking Queens and a Duck
Catch The Importance of Being Earnest as Performed by Three F*cking Queens and a Duck at Theatre Works on the same night you see Playing Haus