MUM'S IN : stories from Razorhurst

A TALE THAT REALLY CUTS IT

CHANNELLING five movers and shakers from Sydney’s Depression-era gang wars, Mum’s In: Stories From Razorhurst is a one-woman powerhouse.

Combining song-and-dance with comedy and pathos, cabaret performer Vashti Hughes takes a profanity-strewn step back to Sydney’s knife wars.

Pimps in hats escort the audience to the dimly lit, art deco-style lounge bar where Hughes opens her show as brothel-madam Tilly Devine, crossing to sly-grogger and cocaine pusher Kate Leigh.

Hughes explores the sex and violence that fuelled the razor wars.

From light beginnings her script delves into the dark insecurities underlying her characters’ brazen brutality. Less sanitised than television’s Underbelly: Razor series.

Marea Donnelly
The Daily Telegraph
November 14, 2011

With the Success of underbelly and underbelly razor, long time Kings cross Resident (performer and Comedienne) Vashti Hughes has penned a fantastic story from the Razor gang era into a one woman cabaret called “Mum’s In: Stories from Razorhurst”

Playing 5 characters in all – Vashti slides between feuding madams Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh, as well as prostitute Nellie Cameron, her gangland boyfriend Frank Green and of course Nellie’s first husband overlord Guido Caletti – whose murder and funeral set the scene for the play.

Listen to Vashti and Ross’ interview podcast on ABC Radio 702 here.

Who’s up for a bit of ‘Mum’s In’ with the Gorgeous and Talented Vashti Hughes? The first season at Heffron Hall was a big hit – and now they’ve moved the show to a beautifully decadent room at the Kings Cross Hotel.. Mum’s In – I’m In! Are you? Get your Tix! The show is Fantastic! X

Nicholls Gary

I totally agree. Had the pleasure to see it with Dr Gaz and Niall…Great show with a great venue to top it off… Highly recommended!

Krzysztof Solek

i’d rather stick my head in an oven than miss the show…fantastic!!!

Jennifer Reid

I’ll be back! best show I think I’ve ever been to!

Natalie Harker

I loved the show when I saw it during the first time around. I especially loved the way you got everyone out of the venue Mum. If only more venues could adopt a simiar approach lol ☺

Brooke Davidson

Mum’s In is one of the finest Australian cabaret’s I have ever seen. One woman, numerous charactors, lot’s of swearing and sexual inuendo, at th King’s Cross Hotel. Go see it!

Kym Lenoble

What a triumph Vashti! Great show. Even better this time around. Ross’s doing a sterling job on the ivories. Hats off to James Winter for whippin’ into shape. Well done Lex, Luke and Kim you Mum’s Boys! What a ripper Brand X Productions and fantastic new venue and great staff at the Kings Cross Hotel.

Sean Barker

Had the BEST time! Vashti was AMAZING and fantastic production and great venue! A MUST see for me. Mum’s In, Vahsti Hughes’ AMAZING one woman show. A must see at Kings Cross Hotel, level 4. On now!

Ben F Grant

On arriving at the recently re-furbished Kings Cross Hotel and getting to the elevators on the ground floor, one is greeted by two of Mum’s hatted pimps who escort you up to level 5, where another capped crony check’s you out, gives you a red symbol of a razor gash on the palm of your hand as the ID for entry, and advises that if one wants a drink while waiting, “Get it”, over there at the bar. When the hoodlum cockatoo’s make it is clear that Mum is in, us customers are escorted by her handsome heavies, via some back stairs, to a small but atmospherically decorated cabaret room. It feels good.

Some of us have come dressed in ‘period’ clothing, it adds to the expectancy, and we are seated around tables close to a small platform stage on a mixture of chair types of varying comfortability. We order our drink or drinks – a menu and pencil supplied to accommodate the grog of our choice to be in ready supply. Ross Johnston, the composer and piano player for the show is stationed by his instrument and The Director, James Winter, doubling as technician, sits stooled by the lighting dimmers.

A woman in a simple contemporary black, figure- close dress in ordinary flat shoes walks from a curtained side-room and stands centre on the red curtained draped platform. This is Vashti Hughes. I recognise her from past encounters (SIX QUICK CHICKS). But it is Ms Hughes only momentarily, for once the lights are dimmed and stage focused, a totally possessed virago of creative energy transforms without any other theatrical assistance, in front of your eyes, into the impersonation of character and narrative of five notorious and uncompromising villains, breathlessly.

Described in the programme as a “one-woman performance piece lifts the veil on the Razor Gang era in Sydney during the 1930′s, where sly grog, prostitution, cocaine and extortion were the commodities of the East Sydney underground… this dark comedy cabaret features the notorious gangster characters of Kate Leigh, Tilly Devine, Frank Green, Nellie Cameron and Guido Calletti”.

The recent television series UNDERBELLY RAZOR, based on Larry Writer’s 2001 book, RAZOR, has brought these characters to us on the little screen, but not in the, frankly frighteningly realistic mode of Ms Hughes. Ms Hughes grabs your attention and takes hold of your collar and shakes and shakes you, glaring at you with psychopathic wide eyes and never lets go, with even the blink of an eye to release the tension.

This performance by Vashti Hughes is what I believe all good acting is: “Possession”. There is no let off for the audience, one is simply in the presence of these five ruthless people, fuelled dangerously by cocaine and alcohol, wide eyed with the dare for you not to look. They all, including the deceased Mr Calletti, reminisce and dream. This is a spectacular performance by Ms Hughes. I have seen her work before but this is IT. Something really special. There is a creative identification with this material by this artist, that thrills at the madness of the characters and all their ugliness and energy for destruction.

This work is also written by Ms Hughes and there is the veracity of raw street language and sexual abreactions that are not for the timid to witness. Prudes stay away from MUM’S place. Best you find she is not in. Full on. Full throttled. Not even the salacious, prurient producers, writers of the television series have gone to this level of realism. With no costume or make up changes Ms Hughes embodies all of these people that the photographs of the period reveal. No commercial art direction here, just deeply imagined worlds, by Ms Hughes, that permits us to endow transformations to occur in front of our very eyes.

There are some songs with chorus for all of us to join in on. There are jokes and there are good stories and insight to these souls of another era. There is a bar service. There is a police ‘raid’ and one is hustled by Mum’s pimps to the back stairs once again and bundled out of Mum’s place.

Just how much has changed to the human experience, and the character of the environment of Kings Cross, one may ask as you step out onto the Kings Cross Streets, and avoid the glare of some of the passing parade of the people traffic about you. You might grab a cab or you might be thrilled to find out more….

Well worth catching. A Dark Comedy Cabaret of a completely unexpected kind.

After a recent sell-out season in a genuine sly-grog house, Mums In has been picked up for a four week run in the newly renovated Kings Cross Hotel.

Mum’s In: stories from Razorhurst is written and performed by life long Kings Cross resident, performer and comedienne, Vashti Hughes who has turned her interest in the Razorhurst era into a one woman cabaret called Mum’s In replete with bawdy ballads and a collection of hysterical historical anecdotes.

The legendary characters of Sydney’s 1930s razor gangs are experiencing a renaissance, but as they come to the small screen, courtesy of the new Underbelly series, rising as a source of fascination for a wider, national audience, they appear in more intimate incarnations in this titillating cabaret production.

In homage to the indecent days of Darlinghurst’s brothels, bars and brawls, Hughes embodies various notorious characters from the Razorhurst era sliding seamlessly between the five characters; feuding madams and first ladies of Sydney crime Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh, death-defying prostitute Nellie Cameron, one of her many gangland boyfriends Frank Green, and her first husband, overlord Guido Caletti, whose murder and funeral sets the scene for the play.

These were the years in which wealthy, powerful women had Darlinghurst by the balls, the police in their pockets, criminals on their knees and packed establishments supplying bountiful illegal booze to Sydney-siders looking for a good time. With Mum’s In, Hughes promises the same as she is joined on stage by her partner, Ross Johnston, musician and sound artist better known to locals as “3k Short” of Machine Gun Fellatio.

After many years of researching and ruminating on these local figures, and finding great inspiration in Larry Writer’s Razor book, Hughes hopes to offer her own insights into these now legendary criminals. “This isn’t about a history lesson or a retelling of any particular events, it’s more about these characters and their personalities and what they’re thinking and feeling about the situation they’re in. I think we can still really relate to them, you know, times are tough at the moment, people are having to go to extraordinary lengths to get by, sometimes the rules aren’t actually servicing our survival, and let’s be honest, Sydney’s always been a city for cutting corners and doing some dodgy deals to help yourself get by.”

 “Mum’s In” provided a fun and immersive audience experience – Bethany Small, Drum Media

The show is a clear winner – Don Romeo, Arts Hub

A fun and successful Indie theatre gig – certainly one of the best Sydney has seen this year. – James Waites

DETAILS

Mum’s In plays Monday to Thursday at 8.00pm and Sunday – 5.00pm matinee.

At the Kings Cross Hotel cnr William St and Darlinghurst Rd
244 – 248 William Street, KINGS CROSS

From: October 24 – November 16.

Tickets cost $30.00 plus booking fee and are available from www.mumsin.com.au

• Contains frequent course language, occasional nudity and an audience sing-a-long.
• Please come dressed in 1930′s inspired costume – there’ll be perks for those who do.
• No coppers, no dobbers and no trouble-makers. No one’s to put on a blue or make a rort in the house!

It’s been a while my dearies – but I’m back from a short stint in lock-up. It seems the coppers got a tip off about my last shivoo and they put me in the clink.

Been having some friendly words with my mates at the Kings Cross Hotel and we’ve sorted out another season of MUM’S IN: STORIES FROM RAZORHURST. Looks like we’ve got a lovely private room on level 4 from October 25 – November 17. I offered them a deal they could refuse (sniff sniff).

Now because you’ve been a customer of mine before, I wanted you to be the first to know about our show – we’ve been writing new song, new scenes and new shenanigans.

We got prizes for the best dressed of course. You know how it all goes.

So I look forward to seeing your face at my next knee’s-up… and remember – Mum’s the word.

Love Mum xxx

We are proud to announce the RETURN SEASON of “Mum’s In: Stories from Razorhurst” thanks to our good friends at The Kings Cross Hotel.

So we are back in rehearsals developing new scenes, new songs and a new order – all to compliment the amazing new room that we have secured for 4-weeks.

From October 25 – November 17, level 4 of the Kings Cross Hotel will be transformed into a Tilly Devine bordello…

Welcome Ladies and Germs to my house of fun. Let me be your  Hostess with the Mostess in this spectacular new room – to share with my Special People! Now I want you to know I don’t just let any old imbecile in here. You’ve all passed the test – you’re classy. Classy people, that’s who we are! Classy people. We’ve got class comin out our ass. Innit luverly. Red velvet, gold, marble, chandeleeahs – not bad eh! All my taste! Fit for a Queen. And we‘ve got nudi little sculptures – roccocco couches, and big fuck off mirrors – O Posh! Went all out this time I literally – got the painters in! Hahahaha! We got art painted on the fuckin walls!!! O Bohemian! Lux-shoorious!

Tickets are now on sale through MCA Tix – so hurry up and buy a ticket… coz we know what happened last time.