ELIZABETH DAWSON-SMITH
With a First Class Honours accreditation in nineteenth century burlesque traditions (2014), Elizabeth's flair for subversive entertainment has made it's mark on the vaudeville, cabaret and burlesque circuit, with two Green Room Award nominations for 'Best Ensemble' (2015) and 'Innovation in Cabaret' (2012), a Fields Award nomination for her 'Contribution to Australian Vaudeville' (2015) and act direction for the winning entries of Miss Burlesque Australia 2014 (Zelia Rose) and Mr Boylesque Australia 2015 (Egson Ham).
Elizabeth's dance work has been featured alongside Adelaide Fringe 'Best Music' (2012) recipients, Rapskallion (AUS) 2008-2014, Underscore Orchestra (USA) 2014, Slamboree (UK) 2015 & Woohoo Revue (AUS) 2014-16.
Through her production company, Miss Friby, Elizabeth's work was featured at the 'Immersed Dance Industry Gala' 2013/14, invited to present alongside top international clowns at 'So You Think You Can Clown' (Comedy Festival Hub 2012) and was a featured finalist on Channel Nine's 'Australia's Got Talent' (2013). Miss Friby has also featured at top Australian festivals, Woodford Folk Festival (2014), Splendour in the Grass (2014/15), Falls Festival (2013-16), Rainbow Serpent Festival (2010-16), Apollo Bay Festival (2014) and The National Folk Festival (2013) as well as high end theatre venues such as the National Gallery of Victoria (2012) and the World Famous Spiegeltent (2009).
Currently Elizabeth works as both a performer/show maker and freelance producer for a range of clients developing work with/for fellow artists and working behind the scenes of major arts festivals and creative projects including The Village Festival (2017), The Town Festival (2018), Leaps & Bounds Festival (2018), Dropbear Films (2018) and The Melbourne Showboat (2017-18).
BIOGRAPHY
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Adelaide Fringe 2021 'Best Cabaret' Weekly Award Recipient
Adelaide Fringe 2020 'Best Dance' Weekly Award - 'Catch Jazida'
Green Room Award nomination 'Best Ensemble' (2016) & 'Innovation in Cabaret' (2012)
Finalist Field Award nominee for 'Contribution to Australian Vaudeville' (2015)
Act coach for winning entry 'Miss Burlesque Australia 2014' (Zelia Rose)
Act coach for winning entry 'Mr Boylesque Australia 2015' (Egson Ham)
Finalist on Australia's Got Talent (2013)
National delegate for the China Exchange Convention (2012)
Winner of 'Best Film' for short flm, 'Two Breathe', Queen Street Film Festival (2011)
PRODUCTION CREDITS
& CLIENT LIST
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
THEATRE PRODUCTIONS
Absolute Riot
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2021)
High Society and Other F*ckups
Alice Springs Desert Festival (2019), Palais Hepburn (2019), 24 Moons (2019), Rainbow Serpent Festival (2019)
Miss Friby: A Late Night Revue
Alice Springs Desert Festival (2018), Rainbow Serpent Festival (2018)
Bubble Show for Adults Only
Adelaide Fringe Festival (2020/21)
The Promotion
Rainbow Serpent Festival (2018)
Island Vibes Variety Show
Island Vibes Festival (2017)
Miss Friby - All Alone ...AT Last
Bigwest Festival (2015)
Top Spot
Ruby's Music Room (2015)
Miss Friby's Box
Fall Festival (TAS, NSW, VIC 2013-16), Woodford Folk Festival (2014), Splendour in the Grass (2014/15/17), Phoenix Bar – monthly residency (2014)
Two Pound Parlour
Revolt Productions (2013), Revolt Productions (2014), Rainbow Serpent Festival (2014)
Miss Friby's Charming Vignettes
Apollo Bay Music Festival (2014), Rainbow Serpent Festival (2013), Byron Bay Community Centre (2013), Woodford Folk Festival (2012/14), Castlemaine Teatre (2012), National Gallery of Victoria (2012), Red Bennies (2011) Aphrodite's Bordello - Melbourne Fringe Festival (2012)
Table
Dead House Walking (2011), The Village Festival (2012)
Milk
Royal Melbourne Show (2010), Rainbow Serpent Festival (2010), National Dance Week (Brazil 2008/9), National Teatre Week (2009),
Cara's Da Rua
National Dance Week (Brazil 2008/9), National Teatre Week (2009)
ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION
The Town Festival
Narrative Director (2018/19)
Dragon Dreaming Festival
Electro Swing Troupe (2015/16)
Steamphunk
Vignettes (2016)
Ballarat Laneway Festival
Roving Fire Performer (2015)
Crown Palladium
'Storm Troopers' (2018), 'A Night In Paris' (2017), 'Rock'n'Roll Flash Mob' (2015), 'Stars of the Silver Screen Roving Performers' (2014), 'Wild West Roving Performers' (2013)
The Annual Tarantino Ball
'Kill Bill Burlesque Show' (2015)
Cairn's Casino
'Sina King's Burlesque 54' (2014)
Electro Swing Club
'House Dance Troupe' (2013-16)
Melbourne Comedy Festival Hub
'Spaghetti Slobs' (2013)
The Village Festival
'Variety Show Host' (2013-14), 'How to woo a bogan cooking class' (2015) Immersed Dance Industry Gala – 'Boots' (2013), Spaghetti Slobs (2012)
Rainbow Serpent Festival
'Synchronised Sunbakers' (2011), 'The Promotion' (2018), 'Ferociuos Fandango Island' (2017)
EVENT PRODUCTION & PROGRAMMING
The Lady Cutler Melbourne Showboat
All Boutique & Signature Event Production (2017-20)
The Town Festival
Narrative Direction & Casting (2018/19)
Rainbow Serpent Festival
Saturday Night Cabaret (2018/19)
Leaps & Bounds Music Festival
'Femmes on Fire ' (2018)
The Village Festival
Sunhouse Theatre Programming (2017)
Electro Swing Club
Casting and programming (2015-16)
Summer of Love
Marketing (2013)
Dead House Walking
Producer/Programmer Melbourne (2011)
Fora Do Tempo Festival
Producer/Programmer 'Opening Ceremony' Brazil (2006-9) Danca no Laboratorio – Producer/Programmer Brazil (2008)
*ALL MISS FRIBY EVENTS are self produced (see above)
MUSIC COLLABORATIONS
Woohoo Revue
Performance (songwriting and vocals) (2016)
Candy Royalle
Performance & Vocals (2016)
Bonnie Love
Songwriting and performance (backing vocals) (2015-16)
Rapskallion
Songwriting & performance (backing vocals) (2010-2015)
Kill Ya Darlings
Songwriting & performance (lead vocals) (2012-14)
The Desert Thieves
Performance (backing vocals) (2014)
Underscore Orchestra
Songwriting and recording vocals (2014)
COACHING/OUTSIDE EYE & CHOREOGRAPHY CLIENTS
Jazida
'Catch Jazida' Creative Development/Direction (2019)
Cece Shabam
Web series script development (2017/18)
Andaala The Hooper
Hoop Act
Casa D'anka
Contortion Act Choreography (2017)
Dolores Daquiri
Choreography for Burlesque Festival Touring
Zelia Rose
Winning acts for 'Miss Burlesque Australia' (2014), 'Ruby Blue' & 'Blanc De Blanc'
Egson Ham (Daniel Ham)
Winning acts for 'Mr Boylesque Australia' (2015)
Joana Simmons
'Tinserella' Melbourne Fringe (2015)
Aleisha Manion & Jonathon Morgan
Double's trapeze act for 'Gasworks Circus Showdown' (2015)
Jessie Mckibbon
Fire Show 'Zoo Twilights Program' (2014)
Hayley Murphy (Bam Bam Circus)
Outside Eye 'Hoop Dog' (2013)
WORKSHOP FACILITATOR/TEACHER
Spin Circus Festival
'Broadway Dance'& 'Movement' (2018)
'Performance (2017)
Congress on Undress
'Act Development' & 'Showgirl Lines & Technique' (2017)
BB's House of Burlesque
'Vaudeville/Broadway Dance' & 'Act Development'
Creative Bootcamp
'Circus, Spin & Performance' (2017)
Rainbow Serpent Festival
Cabaret (2016-18), Beginners Tap, Vaudeville/Burlesque Dance (2012-15) Splendour in the Grass – Burlesque Dance (2011-15)
Platinum Health and Pilates
Afrobics (2015)
Crunch Fitness
Burlesque (2015)
Apollo Bay Music Festival
Chorus Line (2014)
Soul Brasil
Burlesque (2015)
Boston Consulting Group
Corporate Creative Development (2013)
Victoria University
'How to get a creative project of the ground' (2013),
Bushwa and Hooey
Physical Comedy (2012), Latin Dance (2010-11)
Kommisar Kabaret
Tango (2010)
Footscray Community Arts Centre
Latin Dance (2009)
'Elizabeth has incredible instincts for face to face audience engagement - people love her shows. She can play an audience very well - and is able to direct her artists accordingly'
- Marcia Ferguson, Artistic Director, Bigwest Festival 2015
PUBLISHED REVIEWS
'the Friby brand of dance is humorous, energetic, and underpinned by a real appreciation for an eclectic range of dance styles.'
- The Age, 'Two Pound Parlour' 2013
'A wickedly funny and creative hour of entertainment'
- Beat Magazine, 'Top Spot' 2015
'Effortlessly melds an impressive array of genres to create a mesmerising and enjoyable audience experience'
- Artshub, 'All Alone - At Last!' 2015
'An array of entertaining acts that result in a very enjoyable night'
- Theatrepress, 'Top Spot' 2015
'Unexpected and brilliant'
-Dance Informa, 'Spaghetti Slobs' 2012
'I have presented Elizabeth's work multiple times since 2012. Over the years I have been impressed with her company's professionalism and the quality of works available within the Miss Friby repertoire'
- Ian Pidd, Artistic Director, The Village, Falls Festival
'When I hire Elizabeth to work on my performances, I expect to achieve highly polished routines, with a focus on character work and clean dancing.'
- Egson Ham, Mr Boylesque Australia 2015