International cabaret icon Meow Meow returns to Melbourne this month with Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes, a wildly inventive, darkly funny and achingly beautiful reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, playing from 19 November – 6 December at Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre.
Drawing on the myth of a young girl who cannot stop dancing, Meow Meow explores the seduction of desire, the fragility of identity, and the hunger for transcendence that drives every performer to step back into the spotlight, again and again.
The beguiling fairytale offers audiences the perfect end-of-year escape: a dazzling cabaret spectacle that leans into frenzy, ferocity and joy, with a wink, a gasp and more than a little mischief.
Directed by Kate Champion (Artistic Director of Black Swan State Theatre Company), Meow Meow is joined on stage by a live ensemble of virtuosic musicians and collaborators, including Kanen Breen, Mark Jones, Dan Witton and Jethro Woodward, with musical direction and sound design by Jethro Woodward, set and costume design by Dann Barber and lighting design by Rachel Burke.
Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes is the third in a trilogy of Hans Christian Andersen adaptations created and performed by the venerated artiste, following on from the success of Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid (2017) and Meow Meow’s Little Match Girl (2012).
“A masterclass in controlled chaos — devastating, hilarious, and breathtakingly precise.”
– Theatre Thoughts
“Meow Meow’s songwriting remains unequivocally delightful, buoyed by Jethro Woodward’s musical direction, which is both sophisticated and deeply satisfying.”
– Suzy Goes See
Meow Meow is widely celebrated as one of the world’s most electrifying and genre-defying performers. Her ‘kamikaze cabaret’ has been hailed across international stages from the Sydney Opera House to London’s West End, Lincoln Center and the Berlin Philharmonic. Known for her ability to shatter the conventions of cabaret while maintaining a deep musicality and razor-sharp theatrical intelligence, she has collaborated with artists and companies including Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, Mikel Rouse, Barry Humphries, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Her acclaimed shows Meow Meow’s Little Match Girl, An Evening Without Meow Meow, Meow Meow’s Pandemonium and Apocalypse Meow earned her a global cult following and a reputation for performances that are anarchic, exquisite and emotionally searing. Critics have described her as a “once-in-a-generation performance phenomenon” (The Guardian), a vocalist of “astonishing emotional range” (The Times, UK), and an artist who “turns disaster into a kind of ecstatic poetry” (The Age).
Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes runs at Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre from 19 November –6 December 2025.
Tickets are on sale now at malthousetheatre.com.au
PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES
Previews: 7.30pm, Wednesday 19 November, Thursday 20 November
In Season: 6.30pm, Monday; 7.30pm, Tuesday-Saturday; 2.00pm, Saturday
Time to Talk: 7.30pm, Tuesday 25 November
AUSLAN: 7.30pm, Wednesday 3 December
MEOW MEOW’S THE RED SHOES CREDITS
Creator & Performer: Meow Meow
Director: Kate Champion
Performers: Kanen Breen, Mark Jones, Dan Witton, Jethro Woodward
Musical Director & Sound Designer: Jethro Woodward
Set & Costume Designer: Dann Barber
Lighting Designer: Rachel Burke
Stage Manager: Lisa Osborn
Assistant Stage Manager: Rosemary Osmond
