Bloomsday in Melbourne

Written By KAREN FOGARTY

Sunday, 25 May 2025 - 6.00pm

Presenter: Steve Carey w/ Frances Devlin-Glass and Wayne Pearn

 

Steve Carey, producer and treasurer of Bloomsday in Melbourne, sat down with colleague Frances Devlin-Glass, Artistic Director of Bloomsday in Melbourne, and Wayne Pearn, director of this year’s daring new production: Circe’s Carnival of Vice.

Together, they delved into the bold theatrical adaptation of the notorious ‘Circe’ episode from James Joyce’s Ulysses. Set in Monto, Dublin’s once-thriving red-light district, the story follows Leopold Bloom on a surreal, hallucinatory night as he searches for Stephen Dedalus amid brothel madams, ghostly visitations, and deeply buried grief.

Frances offered context on Joyce’s fascination with the emerging New Sexology, while Wayne shared insights into the creative process of bringing this dreamlike world to the stage. We also met the stellar cast, including Dublin actors Eric Moran (Bloom) and Ryan Haran (Dedalus).

🎧 The episode was rich with music inspired by the play’s provocative themes—including a standout moment with Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”, nodding to the show’s exploration of gender, kink and the underworld of Monto.

And for those who want to go deeper, Frances shared details of the annual Bloomsday seminar with two fascinating papers: James Joyce & the New Sexology and The End of Monto.

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This year’s Bloomsday Festival also includes the annual Bloomsday lunch and seminar on Saturday 14 June from 10.30am—a not-to-be-missed event for Joyce lovers and curious minds alike.

Performance Details:

Circe’s Carnival of Vice

Wednesday 11 June – Sunday 22 June 2025

fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Tickets available via https://fortyfivedownstairs.com/event/circes-carnival-of-vice/

More info: www.bloomsdayinmelbourne.org.au

Listen to full episode :

KAREN FOGARTY
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