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MR BIG aka Tatay, A Transwoman and That Tiring Tune!
SHOW DETAILS:
Wednesday 24 June – Sunday 5 July 2026
preview: Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June
opening night: Friday 26 June
duration: 90 minutes
times:
Tuesday to Saturdays 7:30pm
Sundays 5pm
Saturday 27 June 4pm – Auslan interpreted with post show Q&A
ticket price: $42 – $55
bookings: 03 9662 9966
warnings: This production contains haze, suggestions of sexual abuse, references to death and grief, partial nudity, sudden loud noises, homophobic/transphobic language, drug use, sexual references, coarse language, and a very catchy tune
A ghost that will not stop singing. A bride with a funeral to plan. A 90s love song that refuses to die. From award-winning playwright Dax Carnay-Hanrahan, MR BIG aka Tatay, A Transwoman and That Tiring Tune! is a darkly comedic and musically haunted new theatre work.
Set between 1990s Manila and contemporary Melbourne, MR BIG follows Diana, a trans Filipina woman juggling her upcoming wedding and the funeral of her estranged father. Her plans fall apart when her late father reappears as a singing ghost who will not stop belting Mr. Big’s 1991 hit “To Be With You.”
Fusing music, comedy, and haunting absurdity, the play dives into gender, grief, and immigrant duty, navigating the chaos of a fractured family legacy. This heartfelt and hilarious Filipino-Australian story forces an unavoidable, ridiculous confrontation with the ghosts of the past.
Developed through the support of Midsumma Festival 2026, the City of Melbourne Arts Grants, and Darebin Arts through the Darebin Arts Speakeasy Spare Room program, in association with fortyfivedownstairs.
CAST in order of appearance
DIANA/JGHOST – Dax Carnay-Hanrahan
JOEY/DGHOST – Trevor Santos
DION – Ken Paolo
NOLET/ALFIE – Ayril Borce
TESS – Anna Buenaseda
JERRY – Aiden Gale Miranda
CREATIVES
DIRECTOR – Beng Oh
WRITER – Dax Carnay-Hanrahan
PRODUCER – Sasha Leong
STAGE MANAGER – Teri Steer
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER – Claire Le Blond
DRAMATURG – Matthew Bostock
MUSICAL DIRECTOR & SOUND DESIGNER – Ben Keene
LIGHTING DESIGNER – Viv Hargreaves
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER – Christina Logan-Bell
VISUAL STORYTELLING – Jordan Hanrahan-Carnay
Ticket Prices:
Preview: $42
Full: $55
Concession: $45
Group 6+: $45
Mob tickets (discount for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island mob): $42
Concessions:
Pensioners/Full-time students/MEAA members
Ticket sales are subject to a booking fee of $5.00 per ticket plus any merchant charges for payments by American Express
Ticket fees are charged reluctantly. As an unfunded CBD located venue, our expenses continue to rise. If fortyfivedownstairs is to survive, we are obliged to increase our revenue without inflicting costs on already struggling artists. Without support, we risk losing artists or having to close our doors. We do hope for your understanding!
Across the season, MR BIG aka Tatay, A Transwoman and That Tiring Tune! features two dedicated community performances, each followed by a facilitated post-show conversation. These sessions create safer, community‑centred spaces for reflection and connection. Allies are welcome.
Saturday 27 June, 4pm – Migrant & Asian Australian Communities
A dedicated performance for Migrant and Asian Australian communities, followed by a post‑show conversation facilitated by Slanted Theatre.
4 July, 5pm – MR BIG & TGV: Trans/Form
Saturday 4 July, 7.30pm – Trans and Gender Diverse Community Night
A dedicated performance centring Trans and Gender Diverse audiences, followed by a facilitated post-show conversation with Transgender Victoria.