Few Australian arts companies have carved out a legacy quite like Finucane & Smith. For thirty years, the Melbourne-based collective has occupied a singular place in the nation’s cultural landscape, creating work that defies categorisation while captivating audiences with its fearless embrace of spectacle, beauty, provocation and joy.
This August, the company marks its milestone anniversary in fittingly extravagant fashion with Dance Palace, a month-long festival transforming Luna Park’s newly restored Luna Palace into a vibrant home for performance, music, cabaret and celebration.
The occasion carries a powerful sense of symmetry. Three decades have passed since Moira Finucane first exploded onto Melbourne’s independent arts scene with Parlour Volatile, a debut solo work that announced the arrival of an artist unlike any other.
Audiences and critics alike struggled to define what they were witnessing. Cabaret, theatre, performance art and visual spectacle collided in a form that seemed entirely its own. In the years since, Finucane and collaborator Jackie Smith have continued to challenge conventions, building an international reputation while remaining fiercely independent.
Their achievements are remarkable by any measure. Thirty years of continuous creation have produced thirty-six major works, performances across nineteen countries and tours reaching more than 160 Australian communities.
More than one million audience members have experienced the company’s distinctive blend of theatrical daring, while multiple awards testify to the impact of their artistic vision. That all of this has been accomplished without ongoing funding support only makes the story more extraordinary.
Yet statistics tell only part of the tale. Finucane & Smith’s true contribution lies in their ability to create spaces where audiences feel invited into worlds that are at once glamorous, chaotic, intimate and deeply human. Their productions have consistently celebrated outsiders, eccentrics, dreamers and rebels, offering an alternative vision of Australian performance that values curiosity over convention.
Dance Palace promises to embody that spirit. Across twelve August nights, the Luna Palace will host an eclectic gathering of artists whose work reflects the company’s expansive creative universe. Legendary performers, emerging talents, musicians, burlesque artists, singers, dancers and storytellers will share the stage in a program designed as much for delight as artistic discovery.
The line-up includes some of Australia’s most distinctive performers, among them Maude Davey, Mama Alto, Yumi Umiumare, Govind Pillai, Glennys Briggs, Bendy Ben, Maple Rose and Piera Dennerstein.
Together they represent a cross-section of artistic practices and traditions that rarely occupy the same space, yet that is precisely what Finucane & Smith have always done best: bringing disparate voices together and allowing something unexpected to emerge.
The setting itself adds another layer of significance. Luna Park, now in its 113th year, remains one of Melbourne’s most enduring entertainment institutions. Following an extensive refurbishment, the reopening of Luna Palace reveals a striking venue filled with arched windows, sweeping views and renewed architectural grandeur. It is a space rich with history and possibility.
For Finucane & Smith, reopening the venue feels less like a booking than a statement. As Australia’s arts sector continues to navigate uncertainty, Dance Palace stands as a reminder of what independent artists can achieve through persistence, imagination and an unwavering commitment to creative freedom.
“Turning 30 feels like the miracle of the little company that could; a miracle of cabaret over catastrophe, burlesque over bureaucracy, exquisite voices over divisive drivel,” said said Director and Queen Provocateur Moira Finucane.
“I am so proud of our tiny but mighty company. We’ve travelled global cities to tiny country towns, lifting lesser heard voices. We are the defiant, big haired, hope-loving art company that ALWAYS lifts extraordinary artists and communities shut out of centre stage.”
“Across August, 30 stunning artists will join us celebrating 30 years. Global legends, rising stars, every night will be special. And the list keeps growing. We are here, with all our extraordinary artistes, and the people’s icon Luna Park, to celebrate surviving, thriving; making art with an ahhhh!”
“We love our Melbourne art family. It made us who we are. We know times are tough. And hope is hard to come by. But we guarantee our stunning saucy Dance Palace will ignite joy in your heart, fire in your loins, and a skip in your step,” said Finucane.
Finucane & Smith’s Dance Palace
Luna Palace – Luna Park, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda
Performance: 6 – 29 August 2026 (Thursday – Saturday)
Bookings: www.trybooking.com
For more information, visit: www.finucaneandsmith.com for details.
Image: Moira Finucane at Melbourne’s Luna Park – photo by Jodie Hutchinson