Meet the cast of Joy Machine

Meet the cast of Joy Machine before the show in February at the Bowery Theatre.
Book now: www.midsumma.org.au/whats-on/events/yummy-joy-machine

Valerie Hex

Valerie works tirelessly to create, enhance and extend the possibilities of drag cabaret and queer dance.

A graduate from the VCA School of Dance (2007), Val has become an internationally
recognised figure as a performer, choreographer, and producer. As producer and director of all eight full-length YUMMY shows, Val has lead an ensemble of drag and burlesque artists to over 30 festivals around Australia and overseas. They have been part of projects that have won many accolades including : “The People’s Choice Award” Melbourne Fringe 2021, "Best Cabaret" Fringe World 2019, "Best Cabaret Production" and "Best Cabaret Ensemble" at the Green Room Awards 2018, to name a few.

No stranger to the Bowery Theatre & Gallery, Valerie has worked with Creative Brimbank in the past to bring variety show, Midsumma performance and 'Duets with a Shapeshifter' an exhibition and video project in 2021.

Velma Vouloir

Velma Vouloir works extensively in burlesque as a performer and teacher, and is thecreator of “CNTROVERSY,” an award-winning podcast that uncovers, devours &celebrates the history of eroticism.With a background in dance, pole, and lyra/ aerialhoop, Velma brings a rich history of performance practice to her professional ‘peeler’ stagepersona.Velma recently won the coveted title of “Miss Burlesque Victoria in July 2023 - the secondtime she has won the title. Part fiery femme-fatale, part 80s geek and a whole lottaShowgirl - Velma Vouloir originally won Miss Burlesque Victoria 2018 and Miss BurlesqueAustralia 'Miss Classic 2018.’ She’s a celebrated icon of Melbourne burlesque, and is asought after performance coach who teaches the art of burlesque at the National Instituteof Circus Arts. She is a resident Burly Flex & Showgirl Follies instructor at MaisonBurlesque, which is one of Melbourne’s dedicated Burlesque hubs.

Milo Hartill

Milo Hartill is a Melbourne-based, Perth born performer. In 2018 Milo completed her Diploma of Musical Theatre at WAAPA, and in 2021 her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) at the Victorian College of the Arts. Whilst at VCA she performed as Charity in the graduating production of SWEET CHARITY, Agnes in THE HELLO GIRLS and self-devised MONGREL.

Milo received the 2021 Lionel Gell Foundation Scholarship for Music Theatre at VCA and was a finalist for the Inaugural AOC Initiative organised by Tarik Frimpong. Since graduating from VCA, Milo has worked extensively in music theatre, club performance, and in drag variety.

Randy Roy is a friendly local drag king who believes in the power of glitter, sequins, and the kind of dance moves you'd see from a middle aged dad at the barbecue. Randy has been doing the rounds of Naarm's drag circuit for six years now, specialising in shows that turn popular culture into transformative works about queerness. Drag for Randy is joy, expression, and freedom.

Bendy Ben

Benjamin Hancock is a dancer, choreographer, & performance artist, who is based in Melbourne, unceded Wurundjeri country.

As a solo artist, Benjamin often inhabits fantastical dispositions that invite audiences to
embrace parallel masculinities and femininities.

Benjamin has performed solo performances at Chunky Move, National Gallery of Victoria, Mona Museum & New Orleans Biennial, amongst others and collaborated with contemporary artists, such as Dylan Martorell, Belle
Bassin, Lichen Kelp, and Fayen d’Evie, to develop and perform works presented at leading
Australian galleries including the Art Gallery of NSW, Ian Potter Museum of Art, & Heide
Museum of Art.

He received an Australian Dance Award (2017), Helpmann Award Nomination (2017), and
Green Room Award (2016) for his outstanding performance in Lucy Guerin Inc’s ‘The Dark
Chorus’.
Benjamin often plays with the spectacle
of camouflage and masks, within egalitarian choreographies of drag. These performance
entities have resonated beyond the club scene, leading to commissions at Aesop, Tourism
Australia, NGV, Mona Foma & Dark Mofo, ACCA, ACMI.

Jandruze

Jandruze is an Australian drag artiste who has taken both the realms of international cabaret and the queer underground by storm.

Described as both “impossibly gorgeous” and a “master of their craft” - over the past decade they have carved out their place as
the premier non-binary wet dream of the Australian stage. A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance; their practice ranges from drag, dance and choreography - to costume, sound and set design. A recent pivot as a DJ has revealed them to be the latest dancefloor darling of Naarm (Melbourne).

A staple of the vibrant Australian club scene, they collaborate regularly with such events as BARBA Party, HONCHO DISKO, Thick’n’Juicy and Poof Doof amongst a host of others
and major credits include extensive touring with YUMMY Productions (London, Edinburgh, Auckland and Australia), RISING Festival (Melbourne) and Sydney Mardi Gras
(Sydney), DARK MOFO (Hobart) - as well as collaborations with both independent artists and major institutions such as Tanzer, Lee Serle, Antony Hamilton, The Huxleys, Chunky Move, NGV, ACCA and Holly Durant to name but a few.

With a unique blend of sultry seduction and high camp Jandruze is sure to leave you panting for more.