Frumpus developed from the rich and anarchic Sydney performance scene of the early 1990s. 

Exploring ideas embedded in pop culture surrounding beauty and the grotesque, their frumpy red tracksuits and audacious silliness became a trademark for pushing boundaries, celebrating the underdog and puncturing ideals of female perfection. 

Their shows, Strumpet, Runt, Crazed and Crazed 2, along with countless short works, have appeared at Performance Space, Carriageworks, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Festival, Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne Festival, Gurlesque, Spicy Friday and ABC TV. 

“We always want to mix joy and silliness with thoughts about unrealistic ideals of female beauty and perfection in popular culture. No-one really looks or acts like people in these images and we try to show the opposite – the daggy, uncelebrated underdog who ploughs on happily regardless. 

Landed was first conceived in 2020 as part of The Flying Nun, a biannual showcase of contemporary performance work developed through performing arts residencies offered by Brand X at East Sydney Community Arts Centre. 

It was originally inspired by luxury travel, particularly First-Class opulence and extravagant self-satisfied tourism. During its development, the pandemic stopped travel so the show became about wishful voyaging. We landed ourselves in empty city streets, bucolic countryside campsites and glamorous ocean liners where imagined travel was laced with excitement, fear and stalwart camaraderie. 

Landed’s development with MERRIGONGX goes further, incorporating core Frumpus inspirations about portrayals and portraits of women, a lot of synchronised and grotesque slapstick and plenty of homemade and found props and film footage. We want people to have fun at Landed. It’s a hybrid of physical, visual and object theatre, an off-kilter, satirical and sometimes nonsensical casserole of buffoonery.” 

– Cheryle Moore, Stephanie Hart and Lenny Ann Low 

Read more about Landed and reserve your spot here.