THEATRE WORKS PRESENTS
Fairytalers
BY ELLIS AUSTIN FINNIE | DIRECTED BY GABRIELLE WARD
29 SEPTEMBER - 3 OCTOBER | EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
BY ELLIS AUSTIN FINNIE | DIRECTED BY GABRIELLE WARD
Once upon a time, there lived four women who invented fairy tales...
You're cordially invited to attend the salon of the 'Conteuses Précieuses.' Long before the Brothers Grimm, there was Charlotte, Catherine, Marie and Henriette.
And they're pretty annoyed you're not talking about them.
They were heroines, poets, ingenues and lovers. They were accused of treason, locked in towers, subject to constant scandals and declared to be witches.
And the most remarkable tale never told is their lives.
After a sold-out season at Meat Market Stables in 2025, 'Fairytalers' returns to bring you a glorious, glittering revival of a (mostly) true comedy that explores the lives and legacies of four extraordinary women whose stories changed the course of history.
VENUE
EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
Rear Laneway, 67 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
DURATION
90 Minutes
WARNINGS
Strong coarse language and sexual references
ACCESSIBILITY
Explosives Factory is accessed via a flight of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.
★★★★★ "An irreverent, intelligent, and emotionally rich love letter to the women who birthed fairy tales. Funny, fierce, and just the right amount of feminist rage wrapped in a velvet ribbon." - What's the Show?
★★★★★ "A stunning new play... a riveting spectacle." - The Theatre.au
"Fresh, funny and full of girl boss vibes, [Fairytalers] is the perfect feminist fairy tale for the 21st century." - Melbourne Observer
DATES + TIMES
Tuesday 29 September - 9:00pm
Wednesday 30 September - 9:00pm
Thursday 1 October - 9:00pm
Friday 2 October - 9:00pm
Saturday 3 October - 9:00pm
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
CONCESSION*
$38.00
$32.00
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders
CREDITS
CAST
Ellie Carroll
Grace Gemmell
Olivia Morison
Daisy Valerio
CREW
Cam Appleby
Ellis Austin Finnie
Ashleigh Basham
Justin Heaton
Fiona MacDonald
Gabrielle Ward
MEET THE ARTIST
ELLIS AUSTIN FINNIE
Ellis Austin Finnie is a Scottish-born writer and theatremaker, currently based in Naarm / Melbourne. Her previous writing credits include Fairytalers (Meat Market) Ramona Glasgow (Gasworks Arts Park) and Any Sugar? (The Butterfly Club/Melbourne International Comedy Festival), with a dramaturgy credit on Climbers (Monash Uni Student Theatre.)
She has been shortlisted for the Midsumma Queer Playwrights Award and long-listed for Cybec Electric. She was selected to participate in La Mama’s Scratch playwriting program and was also part of Fever103 Theatre’s Studio series for emerging artists. Her writing has been published in Demure Mag, Archer Magazine and Sundries Studios.
