Bourgeois & Maurice, a brother/sister duo with a French-sounding name, are bringing their new show Pleasure Seekers to Adelaide Fringe this March. We had a chat with them, which you can read below.
Please tell us a little about your show Bourgeois and Maurice which is coming to Adelaide Fringe 2023?
Bourgeois & Maurice are strange singing siblings, from another dimension. It’s a mix of high camp and ultra-dark energies, muddled together with pop melodies and a good hit of poppers. We’ve been performing together for years, and have played Adelaide a few times at the Cabaret Festival and the Fringe. This is our first time at Wonderland Hub and we’re excited to be here!
But despite the French sounding name you’re not French or faux French but an extra-terrestrial brother/sister duo?
Yes indeed. It’s one of those things that makes no sense and is better not to try to understand. Like Brexit, or that movie Tenet.
How did you choose the name?
OK, here’s the short story – we booked in our very first gig at an open mic night in Soho, without a name for our act, and the organisers needed one quickly. At the time George had a job selling pâté at a French food market in London, which was ironic since he’s very English and very vegetarian, and a friend called him “Georgeois, selling Fois Gras to the Bourgeois”. So. he became Georgeois Bourgeois. Liv’s actual surname is Morris, but we thought Maurice sounded better with Bourgeois. Plus, it was a reference to E M Forster’s queer classic novel Maurice. With hindsight we would have picked a name that more English-speaking people could pronounce and spell. Anyway, that’s the short version of the story, just imagine how boring the long version is.
The show you’re bringing to Adelaide Fringe is called Pleasure Seekers, and it premiered at Soho Theatre in England in April 2022. Was it inspired by the need for fun after the COVID pandemic?
Yeah, the show is definitely a response to the pandemic, without being about it at all. We don’t mention the C-word once! It’s about finding enjoyment in unlikely places, and about how we find personal pleasure in a world that feels a little on edge. Does hedonism have to be high energy? Will the metaverse save us all? What’s the point in anything? These are the light questions the show asks, via the medium song and dance and multiple costume changes.
How did the COVID pandemic affect you both?
We spent every night at home, watching TV, and eating awful food. It was a harrowing window into the life of a heterosexual.
Pleasure Seekers is described as a “high-energy homage to hedonism in all of its filthy, fabulous glory”. What does that look like?
We live by the maxim “more is more…and then add more”. Pleasure Seekers was described in one review as looking like “an explosion in a Skittles factory”. We’re physically allergic to anything natural, so we wear a lot of make-up and many, many layers of synthetic fabrics, which is going to be nice during the Australian summer.
How did Bourgeois and Maurice come to be? How did you both meet?
We met in a fictional womb way, way back many centuries ago.
Why should audiences come to see Pleasure Seekers at Adelaide Fringe?
It’s just the shot of high-energy, absurd, introspective extrovertism that everyone needs after the past 3 years. Plus, we’ve flown about 10,000 miles to be here and we really need to justify that to our families.
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We thank George and Liv for this interview and look forward to seeing Pleasure Seekers at Adelaide Fringe 2023.
KEY INFO FOR BOURGEOIS & MAURCE: PLEASURE SEEKERS
WHAT: Bourgeois & Maurice: Pleasure Seekers
WHERE: Empire Cabaret Theatre at Wonderland Festival Hub, Hindmarsh Square, ADELAIDE
WHEN: The show is on the following dates:
- Friday 3 March – Sunday 5 March at 8:15pm
- Tuesday 7 March – Friday 10 March 8:15pm
- Saturday 11 March – Sunday 12 March 10pm
HOW: Purchase your tickets via this link: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/bourgeois-maurice-pleasure-seekers-af2023
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices (exclusive of booking fees) are as follows:
- Adult $45
- Concession $40
- Bank SA Cardholder $33.75
- Fringe members 2 4 1 tickets $45 for two
- Double Your Applause Admit 1 – $90
For Adelaide Fringe shows with French links, check out our article here.
Plan your month with events with French and francophone links happening in Australia in February: What’s on in February
