In Conversation with Rosie Roulette | Pokélesque
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
In today's Backstage Blog, we sat down with Rosie Roulette, the writer, director and producer of POKÉLESQUE, the drag / burlesque extravaganza opening at Theatre Works for a limited 5-show run next week.
Q: It’s a play. It’s a Burlesque show. It’s Drag. It’s POKÉLESQUE! Where did the idea come from?
My background is in musical theatre and classical voice. Whilst I have performed professionally throughout New Zealand and Australia as an actor/singer/dancer I fell deeply in love with burlesque and eventually started producing my own burlesque shows, with a nerdy twist, in 2017. As a queer artist it didn’t take long for Drag to also fully enter the picture, and drag, along with other art forms compatible with the cabaret format, became a regular occurrence in my Nerdlesque shows. I wanted to fuse together my passions and experience in theatre, burlesque and drag into one show perfect for queer nerds.
Q: The Age called your show 'fierce and imaginative' in its last run. How do you think the show has evolved since then?
The continued evolution of this show is super important to me. Since it is written to allow for improv and creative input from the actors we are always adding new, topical references to pop and queer culture. I am always thrilled by the hilarious offers and jokes the cast come up with and this iteration of the show has even more moments to share a wink and a laugh with the audience.
Q: You mention in your show description that the audience may get to play a part in this story. Without giving away too much of the secret recipe, could we have a hint as to what we might be able to expect?
From character names to some of the costumes you get to see, the audience will be invited to leave their mark on each show. Fans of the games will remember the thrill of not only being able to name your own character but also give a name to your rival. Many will also remember the bitter disappointment to learn that certain swears were censored when entering your rival’s name. I wanted to recreate that experience but without the restrictions, giving every opportunity to the audience to get silly and creative. All that and more lies ahead for each audience to have their own adventure.
Q: What will surprise audiences about this work?
There are lots of exciting, shocking and surprising moments in this show, but I think what audiences will remember most is the same thing that surprised me. What surprised me most from the debut run of POKELESQUE was just how adaptable our cast is to different audience reactions and feedback. So I look forward to each audience having those special and unique moments, whatever they may be. There is truly something for everyone, whether you are a casual or a hard-core fan of the material.
Q: What has been the most memorable moment in the process so far?
Every rehearsal is memorable because the cast makes me laugh so much. However the moment that sticks out for me the most was during the bows of the last night of the debut limited run we did in 2024. The lead actors Adam White who plays The Rival and Lucy May Knight who plays The Trainer, who are dating in real life, shared a sudden and passionate kiss to thunderous applause. This started a chain reaction of other burlesque and drag performers on stage to do the same. It was a hilarious and spontaneous moment that absolutely brought down the house.
POKÉLESQUE plays for a limited 5-show run, 24-28 February, at Theatre Works.