Fringe World 2025 comes to a close this weekend after four weeks of wonders, but they’ve potentially saved the best to last with Messy Friends: Party Favours opening tonight for a run of five shows.
Here’s how the performance is described: Get ready for the wildest kick-ons you’ve ever seen, and guess what? You’re invited! Think classic college movie party scenes but with the bold energy of the Messy Friends, bringing a queer twist to early 2000s party culture. This isn’t just a drag show; it’s a high-octane exploration of the highs, lows, and chaos of a night out.
It’s the latest offering from Ginava and her Gendermess crew. Their shows have been a huge success at Fringe World and other festivals around the globe, including an Off-Broadway season last year.
OUTinPerth editor Graeme Watson chatted to Ginava and Alfie, the Princess of Chaos.
The show brings together a range of performers and collaborators, what is the common trait you all share? What does it take to be a messy friend and member of the Gendermess crew?
Ginava: I think we all have a very skewed view on performance. Everyone’s got their own kind of unique view on the world.
I think that we all have to have our individual viewpoints when it comes to drag and burlesque, and I think our individual stories and points of difference is what makes the show so great. We’re celebrating each other’s differences and proving that we can come from different backgrounds, and have different upbringings, education and life experiences.
Alfie: I think we’re all really keen on seeing something different entertainment wise. Something that absolutely shares our point of view, even though, every single one of us is very has a very unique point of view. Like Ginava said, I feel like we all can share the essence of what our point of view is, which is really important. I feel like and celebrate them at the same time.
Fringe can be challenging, there’s so many different shows, standing out from the crowd is really important, and being a little bit different can work to your advantage.
Alfie: Absolutely, I feel like that’s also kind of the reason why we do this as well, because we know we are different. We know that we can stand out, especially like us together, not just individually, because we can absolutely do that individually. But why not join forces, and actually stand out because we know we can.
Ginava: This is my 10th year doing the Fringe Festival. My motivations and how I create shows has changed so much now. I’ve found that it ironic that Messy Friends is a show that was created from such a pure place of just wanting to celebrate artists that I love.
My motivations weren’t corrupt. I wasn’t doing it to win awards. It wasn’t doing it to get great reviews, or to get our voices out there for selfish reasons. But by putting a show out there that is coming from such a pure place of joy, it’s what has resonated so much with audiences, and that’s why it’s had the reach that it’s had.
Party favors is a new show. What makes it different from the previous work you’ve done?
Ginava: It’s more narrative based. Whereas I guess I could describe it as where Messy Friends is about the person behind the persona. The Messy Friends Party Favors is those personas in a party environment.
As the audience, you arrive at the very start of the party, you hear the cast pulling in. You hear that kind of bass of the music getting louder and louder as you approach the front door. And then the party arrives you sort of go on this journey of what it’s like to go to a party, the people that are there, the dynamics of everyone interacting with each other.
Ginava also let us know that some new costumes will make their debut in the show, including one they are particularly proud of.
