
He Partied Like It’s 1999
BY GARY HELMORE

27 - 31 JANUARY | EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
BY GARY HELMORE
He Partied Like It’s 1999 unfolds as a glitter-soaked time capsule of queer Melbourne at the edge of the millennium. Reg, a former Marxist now facing a midlife unraveling, finds unexpected passion with Hunter, a seductive, chaotic millennial masseur. Rose, his estranged wife, collides with Lucinda, a gender-bending archivist unearthing buried queer histories. Meanwhile, Angela—an outrageous rollerskating drag psychic—glides through scenes, offering absurd wisdom, cheap wine, and devastatingly accurate predictions.
Through dance breaks, flashbacks, psychic readings, awkward hook-ups, and emotional revelations, the characters stumble toward reinvention. Past and present bleed together, lovers tangle and untangle, and the world teeters on the edge of apocalypse—or just another year. By the final scene, identities have been cracked open, secrets spilled, and new queer families forged in the ruins. Everyone dances. The glitter sticks. And somehow, through it all, they survive—fabulous, fractured, and more themselves than ever.
Gratefully supported by the City of Port Phillip
VENUE
EXPLOSIVES FACTORY
Rear Laneway, 67 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
DURATION
60 minutes
WARNINGS
Strong Language
ACCESSIBILITY
Explosives Factory is accessed via a flight of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.


DATES + TIMES
Tuesday 27 January - 8:30pm
Wednesday 28 January - 8:30pm
Thursday 29 January - 8:30pm
Friday 30 January - 8:30pm
Saturday 31 January - 8:30pm

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
CONCESSION*
$38.00
$30.00
*Seniors, Student, MEAA, Health Care and Low Income card holders

CREDITS
WRITER
Gary Helmore
DIRECTOR
Andrew Blogg
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Gemma Valastro
LIGHT/SOUND DESIGN + TECH
John Jenkin
CAST
Rachel Edmonds
Janine McGrath
Anuj Mehra
Tahlia Moffatt
Stephen Najera
Karlis Zaid

MEET THE ARTIST
GARY HELMORE
Playwright, Gary Helmore, is a Melbourne writer and former teacher. In 2024, he participated in the Gasworks Script Lab, an immersive playwriting development program. Gary’s monologue, THE NIGHT MARKET, was staged at the Metropolis Monologues in March 2025. His new play THE GOLDEN BOY was presented as a reading at Theatreworks, after it was developed in the Page to Stage Program 2025. Gary is thrilled to co-produce a season of his play, HE PARTIED LIKE IT’S 1999, for the Midsumma Festival in January 2026 at the Explosives Factory.


