Welcome to a mad world
Let’s be real. The world is a hot mess right now. Anxiety is sky-high, money’s tight, and there’s so much noise it’s hard to know what’s real. We’ve grown up in a digital age where everything is constantly shifting, AI is rewriting reality, and the systems that once held things together don’t feel so solid anymore. Maybe that’s why telling our own stories matters so much to us -stories and experiences that help hold us in all the chaos.
At Forget-Me-Not Theatre, we’re not here to pretend we have all the answers. But we do know there’s a lot to say, and as young makers, we want to be part of that conversation – to share our truths, joys, challenge perspectives, and be real about the world we’re living in.
We’re also seeking to build an audience that gets it – young adults who see today’s struggles for what they are, right here, right now. Theatre is our way of making noise, shaking things up, and delivering experiences that connect.
Vision for the project
Our vision is simple: create real opportunities for young creatives here on the Ninch. We want to build something that lets us take control. We’re about doing things differently, and bringing new energy to the arts scene.
Through this project we will:
Ignite young creatives through bold, immersive theatre that challenges and connects with its audience.
Who we are
This project is the brainchild of Luce Wirthensohn (she/they), a Peninsula-born actor, theatre maker, and Company 21 VCA Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre) alumnus. Luce brings a bold creative vision and a wealth of experience, having written, directed, and performed in the VCA-acclaimed absurdist work Rats on Cocaine Prefer Jazz. Since graduating in 2021, they have performed in Promiscuous Cities (Theatre Works, 2022), starred in Powder Room (2023) and Dry Lands (Theatre Works, 2024), and contributed locally at Flinders Fringe and Drift Festival (2023). Their directorial experience includes serving as Assistant Director at Dreamhouse Theatre (2023) and currently working on a Melbourne Comedy Festival production set to debut in April 2025.
Beyond theatre, Luce is deeply embedded in the local arts and tourism sectors, balancing their creative work with research-writing in tourism and extensive experience in hospitality. Drawing on her young creative network of Nairm-based emerging actors, directors, designers and stage managers, Luce will deliver the project in conjunction with Barnacle Studios creative producers Sally Ballieu and Max Johnson.
The young creative team are backed by the experienced business management of Nelly Shaw Tourism Marketing who brings a deep knowledge of tourism markets, helping bridge commercial viability and creative integrity.
We would like to acknowledge the owners of the land on which we live and work, the Bunurong and Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.
We are grateful to play and share stories on sacred land that has a powerful history of storytelling stretching back thousands of years.
Proposal Summary
Forget-Me-Not Theatre is seeking investment to create an immersive theatre experience that brings the Rosebud Broadway Theatre to life, transporting audiences to the 1940s when it was a ballroom where local Peninsula women entertained US military personnel during WWII. Designed and directed by a team of young Peninsula creatives under 35, the production will offer an intimate, long-running experience aimed at engaging a diverse contemporary audience.
Following an early community run – designed to engage young hospitality workers on the Ninch, the show will return for a peak visitor season in January and April, tapping into the Peninsula’s thriving tourism market to drive revenue and expand its reach. Featuring at least 80% Peninsula based talent -writers, directors, actors, and stage managers and collaborating with the region’s established creative networks, the production will provide meaningful paid employment, fostering the growth of a young network of local creatives while celebrating the Mornington Peninsula’s rich history and culture.
Why Immersive Theatre?
Immersive theatre is raw. It’s about creating an atmosphere and welcoming the audience in. It breaks all the rules, flips the script, and pulls people into the action. You don’t just watch, you feel it. Using elements of Theatre of Cruelty, such as flash mobs, audience participation, It can bring a place alive, anywhere there’s space to create something electric. It’s theatre for people who never thought it was for them. We want to bring that vibe to the Ninch, and we’re ready to take risks and push boundaries to make it happen.
The Issues
In the Australian creative industries, there is substantial evidence indicating that skilled and experienced professionals often work without guaranteed payment or receive inadequate compensation.
Alarmingly, only 9% of artists can afford to work full-time on their creative practice, a significant decrease from 23% in 2016. (ABC News, 2024)
Young adult artists are disproportionately affected by this issue, as they have not yet had time to accumulate wealth or gain experience in other industries that could supplement their income while they donate their time to the arts. Coupled with rising cost-of-living pressures, this could lead to a crisis where the next generation of artists is unable to gain the experience needed to take on leadership roles or even remain in the arts at all. This was confirmed by The Guardian in a 2023 report where many young Australians are already experiencing heightened social and mental wellbeing risks as they juggle studying with rising rents and low-paid work. (The Guardian, 2023).
Project Impact – Local employment for young creatives
During the creative development phase, we anticipate assembling four teams, employing up to 15 local creatives under 35. These roles will include a writer, producer, director, and assistant director; set, lighting, sound, costume, and props designers; stage manager and assistant stage manager; marketing and PR specialists; and a cast of 3-5 actors and 3-5 stage theatre technicians with further support from young front of house and box office. It ensures a collaborative, skills-building environment while fostering the next generation of Peninsula-based theatre makers.
Affordability and Accessibility
Making immersive theatre affordable and accessible is essential for its widespread appeal. The team will ensure broad engagement by offering tickets at various price points (including special theatre-only hospo nights) and discounts for certain groups, mob tix or community-specific rates, making it culturally safe and easier for people from different socio-economic backgrounds to attend.
The Creative Pitch
This project is all about delivering something fresh. It’s immersive, it’s theatrical, with scripts, monologues, and narratives, but it’s also designed for maximum audience participation. We’re drawing inspiration from The Wolves by Perth-based Big hART theatre, which excels at creating experiences that go beyond passive observation. Big hART has a track record of using the arts as a tool for social change, engaging young people and underserved communities through interactive, thought-provoking storytelling. The Wolves exemplifies this by blending dynamic narratives with interactivity, tackling themes like resilience, community, and environmental change, issues that resonate with younger audiences and marginalized groups.
Our setting transports audiences to 1940s Rosebud during WWII, immersing them in a world that explores gender roles, class structures, sexual freedom, and resilience.
Picture a cabaret-style ballroom at The Broadway. Using a touch of magical realism, audiences will jump through time and place. The experience begins the moment audiences arrive, they may be standing next to a performer who draws them in with questions that will become part of the story narrative. More active participants rather than passive spectators audience members will move through the space, engaging with performers and shaping the narrative through their interactions as the story unfolds. Using physical theatre, sound, and projection, we’ll create a fully immersive sensory experience where themes of intersectionality and social change take centre stage. The story will build to a powerful climax, challenging the audience to make moral decisions that influence the outcome. Whether hopeful or somber, the ending will reflect the core ideas of resilience, belonging, and transformation.
Timelines/Schedules
It is anticipated that the project will progress through three main phases: Initial Drafting, where the script is developed and refined through research, writing sprints, and feedback. Refinement & Testing will focus on improving dialogue, testing scenes with actors, and integrating immersive elements. Pre-Production Readiness will finalise the script and prepare the team for rehearsals. Rehearsals will include world building, scene blocking, and immersive integration, followed by technical rehearsals and previews in November. The performance run will begin in mid December, followed by a second run in January and a third in April.
If you’re interested in getting behind this project by lending your support as a sponsor or in any other capacity, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We have a range of wonderful ways you can get involved!
Email Luce – art@lucewirthensohn.com.au
We are also proudly supported by the Australian Cultural Fund that enables tax deductible donations to the project by the private sector.
You can view our listing here: https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000PNq17MAD/forget-me-not-theatre
