Circe’s Carnival of Vice

Step into the fever-dream world of Monto, Dublin’s notorious red-light district, as Circe’s Carnival of Vice invites audiences to experience a daring and provocative new play inspired by James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Presented by Bloomsday in Melbourne, this original production reimagines Ulysses’ “Circe” episode as a surreal, comic and subversive response to the sexologists of Joyce’s day — those boldly redefining ‘normal’ sexuality. Blending bawdy pantomime with biting critique, the play is a playful yet pointed exploration of enchantment, desire, power, and gender.
Directed by Wayne Pearn, Circe’s Carnival of Vice will be performed at fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Tickets are available through the fortyfivedownstairs website.
This year’s Bloomsday Festival also includes the annual Bloomsday lunch and seminar, a not-to-be-missed event for Joyce lovers and curious minds alike. This event can be booked through the Bloomsday in Melbourne website.
Bloomsday in Melbourne is a long-running Australian collective dedicated to celebrating the work of James Joyce, particularly his novel, Ulysses. Since 1994, the group has staged annual theatrical productions around 16 June — Bloomsday — to mark the date in 1904 on which the novel’s events unfold in Dublin. Throughout the year, literary events, public readings, and educational programs are presented.