Written & Produced by Stella Kulagowski · The Assembly Theatre · April 8–12, 2025
Burlesque. Drag. Song. Immersive theatre.
Death is a cabaret.
In a world where eat-the-rich hashtags trend alongside climate disasters, this show dares to imagine what happens when the entertainment becomes the revolution.
In a moment when billionaire bunkers, disastrous climate change horrors and vigilante avengers gunning down the ultra-wealthy dominate headlines, this explosive reimagining of Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" strikes at the heart of modern inequality.
Inside a luxury compound where tech elite shelter from environmental collapse, a resistance brews beneath the surface of a cabaret. Through an intoxicating blend of burlesque, drag, song and immersive theatre, the performers weave a web of seduction and subterfuge, turning entertainment into ammunition against the privileged few who believe wealth can buy salvation from a dying world.
The line between audience and accomplice blurs in this darkly delightful production, as live performances become increasingly dangerous acts of defiance. When a wealthy founder invites hand-picked guests into his fortress of excess, he unknowingly welcomes in a troupe of performers with revolution on their minds. At the center of this powder keg stands Ariadne, his trusted assistant, torn between loyalty and liberation as the performers execute their intricately choreographed plan for justice.
This timely adaptation transforms Poe's gothic masterpiece into a rallying cry for our era, asking not if the ultra-wealthy will face a reckoning, but when — and at whose hands?
"Asking not if the ultra-wealthy will face a reckoning, but when — and at whose hands?"— Masque of the Red Death
Masque of the Red Death was covered by:
"The Masque of the Red Death left me feeling awed, inspired, and ready to make a change."
A View From the Box — Masque of the Red Death, 2025"Kulagowski stuns with a burlesque performance that questions our use of the earth and what we refuse to accept or reveal. Her number is the crux of the Masque of the Red Death as the tease and glee become commentary and critique."
Drew Rowsome — Masque of the Red Death, 2025For future runs, touring or press enquiries, get in touch.
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