Sprinkles on top: Fairy character back for a goodbye flutter

Writer, performer and theatre maker Lucy Heffernan is bringing her internationally acclaimed one-woman show home to the Illawarra before taking on an exciting project across the Tasman this month.

For one night in September, the South Coast Writers Centre will host a fundraising performance at Coledale Hall, giving local audiences one last chance to catch beloved production PARTY GIRL before it goes on an extended hiatus.

"It feels like coming to its final stages… maybe not the final-final hurrah, but the last hurrah for a while," Lucy says of the show’s journey. 

"The show was first presented in Wollongong, so it felt fitting to do it in the ’Gong one last time, to celebrate how far it’s come, how far it’s travelled, and celebrate that home connection."

PARTY GIRL is Lucy’s first solo show, originally workshopped in Wollongong through the MerrigongX artist development program in 2019. Inspired in part after seeing Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag at Carriageworks in 2018, the production similarly grapples with expectations of traditional femininity in your 20s and chaotic family dynamics, all delivered with a uniquely Australian sense of humour.

Drawing from Lucy’s real-life gig working as a children's party entertainer, the story follows the character of Fairy Sprinkles as she navigates class divides, mental health and modern identity.

"I was a fairy in my 20s as a casual job, which is what inspired the show," Lucy says. 

"When I perform the show, I really feel like it's a snapshot of a time in my life where all those things were happening and trying to understand my place in the world."

"In the initial stages, it was a pure monologue without songs," Lucy adds. 

"We went through a process of redeveloping it, writing all these songs and turning it into a gig theatre show. It’s been amazing to take it to fringe festival environments. It’s such an accessible way to test work and connect with all kinds of crowds."

Since its initial season, the show has gathered significant traction across Australia and overseas. PARTY GIRL played across three Adelaide Fringe seasons, winning a Weekly Award for best theatre in 2023 before touring to Sydney and Newcastle, and eventually landing a programmed season at Summerhall as part of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe.

"Taking a little Aussie show to Edinburgh and seeing the UK audience reception was so interesting," Lucy says. 

"They have a different understanding of some of the hyper-local references, but the response was still so warm. In the show, wherever I am, I always ask the audience, 'where do all the rich people live in your city?' and they shout it out. It proved to me that the core heart of the story translates anywhere."

Lucy is excited to perform the show close to home at Coledale Hall, supporting SCWC and the arts scene that she grew up in.

"I really love the idea of making theatre you can just do anywhere, without needing a full, traditional theatre space for it to work," says Lucy. 

"We'll rock up on the day, set up the lights and chairs, and just do it. If you haven't seen it, get out to Coledale. Tickets are super-accessible, there'll be a bar open, and we just want to have a good night and celebrate."

Behind the scenes, the show is brought to life alongside a tight-knit creative team, including Lily Hayman, Tyler Fitzpatrick and Tim Maddock, Lucy’s partner in life and art.

"A big shout-out to the South Coast Writers Centre for lending me the hall, and my sister who's done so much to organise the event," Lucy says. 

"And a big shout-out to Tim, who comes to every single iteration of PARTY GIRL and has been a core champion for me, as well as my parents. I want to celebrate their role in this as well."

Lucy will head to New Zealand soon to perform at the TAHI Festival of Solo Performance, scheduled in Wellington for September 9-19.

She is developing her next theatre work as part of her PhD candidature at UNSW, applying everything she learned from touring as Fairy Sprinkles to a brand-new story.

"Whenever I perform the show, it's like greeting an old friend," Lucy says. 

"It represents a pivotal snapshot of my life, but I’ve grown up a lot. I'm saying goodbye for now, not forever... but I've got a new show brewing, a new solo work packed with original music that I need to pour that creative energy into. I’m ready to take all those lessons and put that creative energy into the next chapter."

Tickets for the September 11 show are available via Moshtix