Biography:
Sophie deLightful is a versatile performer with a natural wit, cooling demeanour and an unnerving cheek. She is classy yet brash, heavenly yet devilish, and all the time brimming with sparkles and glitter. As a producer and artistic director, she is tenacious, forward-thinking, inclusive and hardworking.
Dipping her stilettoed toe into the burlesque scene first in London in 2009, it was a return to the stage in Melbourne as a cabaret performer which really got things moving for this powerhouse. Since 2015, she has forged a name for herself in the cabaret scene as producer of multiple productions, with more in the pipeline.
Adaptable and reliable, this accomplished cabaret singer, burlesque/fire performer and MC has entertained audiences at festivals including Wide Open Space (Alice Springs), AUM Festival and Twisted Frequency (NZ), Rainbow Serpent (Victoria), Elements, Orin Aya and Earth Frequency (Queensland), and Boom Town (England), amongst others. During the summer of 2018/19, she joined a troupe of international performers as part of the first ever Wandering Circus tour through New Zealand, and in 2019 produced the first troupe’s first Australian tour for five weeks along the East Coast. In collaboration with her creative (and thirsty) friends, she has created boutique alcohol-tasting and life drawing cabarets, and continues to gain reputation as an Artistic Director and curator through works such as the Smokin’ Phoenix Steampunk Circus and sell-out Circus of Light dance parties.
Since the pandemic began, she has secured numerous funding streams to take her contactless, Covid-safe mobile circus Curbside Carnies (created during lockdown) around Victoria, offering free live performances experiences to the public and providing employment opportunities for local performers. This project has also resulted in regular commissions from councils and community organisations to create circus arts programs. Sophie’s biggest project to date, GLOW Fest: A Circus Arts & Lifestyle Gathering, launched in March 2021. Plans are currently underway to expand on other community-based circus arts experiences through the GLOW branding.
Aside from performance and producing, Sophie offers services as a creative consultant, focusing mainly on MC work, production, grant-writing and copy-writing/digital marketing. She now has clients all over Australia, using a combination of in-person workshops, appearances at festivals and digital programs.
She has built an expansive network of performers, venues, booking agents and council contacts from years of dedication in the cabaret and community circus space. Working regularly with festivals, councils, venues and private clients, she is now one of the most sought-after Melbourne producers, MCs and curators.
Mission statement:
Placing utmost importance on the respect between producer and performer, Sophie deLightful simultaneously carries out both roles with utmost professionalism and diligence.
All contact by performers will ALWAYS receive a response and productions will strive to bring a point of difference to the vaudeville entertainment and circus community. Sophie aims to lead the market with fair and transparent payment systems for all performers.
At a typical Sophie deLightful production, you should expect an interactive audience experience carried through a central theme and complemented by a hand-picked cast of disciplines including burlesque, cabaret, fire performance, spoken word, performance art and circus.
Show-goers will be encouraged to dress up and get involved, prices will be kept reasonable and performers will always be paid a guaranteed wage for their valuable contribution.
Being part of a Sophie deLightful production is more than just showing up and performing, it’s becoming part of a community that’s a little bit raw, a little bit polished and an awful lot of fun!
Open your mind and be ready to experience something different. May your world be ever so… deLightful!!! xoxo
Photographer credits:
Sophie has been delighted to work with a number of talented photographers for photo shoots and events. Links to those who have their work featured on this website are found below with much love and gratitude:
Sophie deLightful 