Master & Margaux

This performance is presented as part of the VCA Master of Theatre (Writing) Festival 2025.

Master & Margaux

Written by Maroussia Vladi

Master & Margaux is a play about how we might trick our minds to keep on keeping on.

A woman is drowning, convinced of life's meaninglessness. In that liminal space, between life and death, she meets with the devil who has his own agenda for Margaux's future.

Will The Master get his way?

Content Note

This performance contains subtle references to suicidal ideation.

Runtime

This performance will run for approximately 70 minutes.

Performance schedule

Thursday 13 November, 10AM
Friday 14 November, 6PM

Credits

Director: Zya Kane
Dramaturg: Amy Welsh

About the writer

Maroussia Vladi is a dramatist; wherever she roams, drama follows. Maroussia completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts with Honours at Flinders University Drama Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. She then went on to specialise in physical theatre at École Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She lived in Paris for five whimsical years, where she started her own theatre company called Keep It Moving Theatre. Maroussia's forte became performing one woman plays, written for her by various writers, until she finally took up the pen herself in London, UK and staged her first authored One Woman Play IN SEARCH OF APPLAUSE. It was first performed in London in 2019 off the West-End, and has since been staged in Melbourne and Sydney at the 2024 Fringe Festival. Other credits to Maroussia, both as a writer and performer, go to her work on IN SMALL DOSES (winner of the Adelaide Fringe Weekly Theatre award), and THE PROBLEM WITH PAT. Maroussia also writes and performs stand-up comedy. Her authored comedic works include FROM RUSSIA WITH LANA and OCD WITH A CUP OF TEA. MASTER & MARGAUX is Maroussia's latest play where she's ventured out of her 'comfort zone' in writing a two-hander.

Acknowledgement
Thank you to Andrew Fenwick for forcing me to 'start again'.
To Bora Toska for ensuring that I finish what I started.
To my legendary Professor, Raimondo Cortese, for not taking "I can't!" for an answer.
To Emily Sheehan, for helping me find the tender side of Master & Margaux.
To Michele Lee for making the bittersweet process of writing, and rewriting, so much sweeter.
To Zya Kane, for caring enough to tell me when the story didn't make any goddamn sense.
To Amy Welsh, for keeping track of all my changes of mind (and heart).
To Atifa Asghari, for calling me up on being borderline 'pathetic'.
To Chris Mead for insisting that the play have still 'more magic'.
To Liam Jumpertz for showing me how magic was made.

Ticket Price

Free. Registrations required on Humanitix.

Please note that there is often a drop-off in attendance at our free events on the day of the performance. If this event is booked out and you have not secured a ticket, we encourage you to arrive at the venue 15 minutes before the advertised start time and speak to our Front of House team. Once audience members with tickets have been seated, any remaining seats will be made available to patrons waiting at the door. Please be advised that entry without securing a ticket in advance cannot be guaranteed.

If you have booked for a performance and are no longer able to attend, please cancel your booking via your Humanitix account or email us at fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au.

Venue

This reading takes place in Studio 4, located in the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building which is accessible via paths in the Dodds Street Linear Park.
Please meet our friendly Front of House staff in the foyer on the ground floor of the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building. Studio 4 is then accessible via the stairs or lift.

Read more about the Master of Theatre (Writing) graduates presenting this season.

Image: Don Shearman.

PARKING

The City of Melbourne has recently changed the parking restrictions around the Southbank Campus. Parking control hours are now expanded to 7am–10pm, seven days per week, and are capped at three hours. A $2-per-hour fee after 7pm is also now in place. There is no change to the $4-per-hour peak rate between 7am–7pm. Parking inspectors are regularly in the area fining drivers who overstay their meter, so we encourage everyone to be aware and avoid an expensive fine.

ACCESSIBILITY

All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. To read more about access services available at our venues, please visit: https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/access-our-events. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Please stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms. Face masks are welcome in all settings for community and personal safety.

• In order to account for drop-off in attendance, we overbook a select number of free events at the Faculty. If you have not arrived by the start of the performance, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the performance to secure your seat. 

• Admission to any of our concerts and events is strictly at the discretion of Front of House. We have zero tolerance for any disrespectful behaviour.