Australian stage luminaries Paul Capsis and Adam Noviello are set to join forces in HOUSE OF ROT – a brand new theatrical song cycle from Green Door Theatre Company, when it plays at Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre and Sydney’s Hayes Theatre this June.
HOUSE OF ROT is loosely inspired by Grey Gardens, the cult documentary that introduced the world to Big and Little Edie: two eccentric recluses trapped in a house slowly falling in on itself. Through the lens of these isolated characters, the piece explores queer survival and resilience amidst a world in collapse.
Created by acclaimed director Dino Dimitriadis (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and award-winning musical director Victoria Falconer (My Brilliant Career), HOUSE OF ROT conveys the grief and fury of ageing against a backdrop of haunting screen imagery and live instrumentation, weaving original compositions with contemporary anthems from Lana Del Ray to Dinah Washington, The Velvet Underground to Lady Gaga.
Director Dino Dimitriadis shared their delight to be devising a unique audience experience with two of the country’s most electric performers. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Paul a number of times across different projects, and more recently with Adam on Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” said Dimitriadis.
“What’s incredibly special about HOUSE OF ROT is that it’s built specifically around the two of them. That’s a very different kind of joy as a maker, to create something in direct conversation with the performers’ instincts, histories, humours and hearts.”
“Paul has an extraordinary ability to move between total theatrical chaos and devastating emotional precision in a single moment, while Adam brings a raw vulnerability that feels incredibly alive. What connects them is that they’re both genuinely dangerous performers, artists willing to completely lay themselves bare in pursuit of something truthful.”
“The show doesn’t exist without their bodies, their voices, their contradictions. HOUSE OF ROT has really emerged from who they are as artists, and I think audiences will feel that electricity immediately,” said Dimitriadis.
“To get two performers at this level of theatrical bravery, who are truly collaborative and generous with sharing themselves – body, soul, brain, voice – with such raw and exciting brilliance, is a real thrill for me. The creative synergy between Paul and Adam is beautiful to witness and the power of their combined presence on stage is a very exciting prospect,” said Musical Director Victoria Falconer.
“Throw into the mix the unrelenting chaos and high-level campery that Dino and I are always ready to conjure onstage; the big-hitter song repertoire, the interplay of the intimate with a sense of the epic and cinematic, HOUSE OF ROT is a show that demands to be experienced.”
Co-creator & Director: Dino Dimitriadis | Co-creator & Musical Director: Victoria Falconer | Featuring: Paul Capsis, Adam Noviello | Costume Designer: Nicol & Ford | Lighting Designer: BROCKMAN | Dramaturg: Leila Enright | Video Systems Designer and Production Manager: Thomas Bensley
HOUSE OF ROT
Merlyn Theatre – Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Season: 18 – 20 June 2026
Information and Bookings: www.malthousetheatre.com.au
Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Elizabeth Bay
Season: 23 – 28 June 2026
Information and Bookings: www.hayestheatre.com.au
Image: Paul Capsis and Adam Noviello – photo by Abraham De Souza