The Flea

The Flea

By James Fritz

4 Feb 2025 - 8 Mar 2025

Sydney

New Theatre

Synopsis

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE, PRESENTED AS PART OF MARDI GRAS+

“You’re going to tell the police that the future king was frequenting a gay brothel? They’ll ruin you.”

London, 1889. Charlie Swinscow, a young post office worker, gets busted with 14 shillings in his pocket.

But the twist? He didn’t steal it. That cash was payment for his body. Sold to a wealthy aristocrat at a secret gay brothel with ties to the Royal Family.

What starts as a petty arrest spirals into something much bigger. Charlie and his mother get caught in the middle of a national scandal that shakes the very foundations of the British Empire.

This is a wild, unfiltered, unpredictable trip through power, deception and disgrace. Raw, funny and sexy, in this true story about the notorious Cleveland Street Scandal, ​nothing is what it seems and everything feels like a fever dream.

This isn’t history; it’s a whole vibe. Get ready for the ride.

“Gloriously surreal” Time Out

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Public Reviews

Reviewed by: Daniel

4 stars

Fantastic premise for a play and really well done.
Really nice performances and production for amateur company.