FAIRLITH HARVEY
dreamer | writer | creator
photo by chelsey stuyt
about
A graduate of New York’s American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Fairlith has been sharing her imagination, directing, writing, and performing professionally for over fifteen years. She is passionate about themed entertainment design and immersive art, creating opportunity after opportunity for audiences to lose themselves.
Described by Link Magazine as the 'Nerd Queen of Burlesque', Fairlith is an award-winning creator and writer. In 2012, she founded Geekenders, for which she wrote and conceived of over 60 original dramatic works, burlesque plays, musical parodies, cheeky variety shows, and immersive productions including her 2019 hit, 'Alice in Glitterland'.
Fairlith's work has been experienced by over 150,000 Canadian audience members and over 10 million YouTube viewers. Her productions have been described as having a 'cult following' in Vancouver (Vancity Buzz). Fairlith mixes glitter, inclusivity, warmth, and irreverent humour to create a dreamy onstage world examining perspectives that have been repressed.
Fairlith has created programming for New York’s immersive Times Square dining experience, Mars 2112, Barkerville Historic Town, The Railway Museum of British Columbia, Whistler Village, Disney Cruise Lines, and Playland's Fright Nights. She is the founder of New York City’s ‘Company 1B’ theatrical troupe.
“People like Fairlith Harvey...are taking the ropes and giving opportunities for females to be cast in non-traditional, male-dominated spaces. In doing so, they’re changing the fandom for the better while remaining true to its roots.”
-Cecilia Lu in Living Myth Magazine
some things i've made
ALICE IN GLITTERLAND
What does 'we're all mad here' mean in 2019? The fourth full-scale immersive show I've created (written and directed), but the only one I have video of. In this show, audience members enter and explore a retro cabaret palace inhabited by some familiar characters -- a Red Queen, a White Rabbit, a Hatter. With 94 scenes happening concurrently over 70 minutes, every guest had a different adventure. "The seamlessness and elegance of the 70-minute performance led me to feel that I was in a dream..." - The Capilano Courier http://www.capilanocourier.com/2019/10/06/alice-in-glitterland/
PORTAL 2: THE (UNAUTHORIZED) MUSICAL
A musical parody of contemporary musical theatre conventions using a popular puzzle game. This show explores the insidiousness of abusive behaviour, how abusive men charm women into trusting them, and how the abused can turn to abuse themselves. This show went viral on Reddit and Tumblr, and has a huge online fan base, which is really fun and overwhelming. I wrote and co-directed this show, and appear as GLaDOS and Caroline.
I directed and conceptualized this production, with the aim of showing off the material without encouraging people to think of the film (which I love), and nuancing staging and interpretations to emphasize the importance of consent. I'm immensely proud of this show. "The most fun I've ever had in a Vancouver theatre." - Patrick Kearns
While history’s most infamous killer stalks the streets of Whitechapel, a remarkable trio of women must take matters into their own hands and learn to find, fight, and destroy a murderer. Written when I discovered how few scripts there are for female-led stage combat-centric stories. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the World Premiere Tour of Kill the Ripper launched in summer 2022. Kill the Ripper opened in Washington DC at 'We Happy Few', October 2023.
I have weird ideas. I've been so privileged and so lucky and so delighted to be able to bring these visions to life over and over. Check it out!
A surrealist take that gets weirder as it goes on, featuring showgirl dinosaurs, a de-construction of movie tropes, and sly commentary on one of the greatest movies of all time. I wrote and co-directed this show, and appear as a Velocitapper as well!
The eighties were not a particularly socially progressive time, and that's reflected on film. This send-up of all the tropes present in eighties teen movies was conceptualized, directed, and had a book written by me. This is my favourite of all the musical parodies I've created.
An immersive, covid-conscious walkthrough experience examining themes of discovering what adulthood means to you, loving yourself, and self-parenting. Both productions sold out in advance, August and September 2021.
The above portfolio is comprised of some favourites; in my professional career, I have written/directed/produced over 60 original works from small-scale cabarets to enormous immersive events. Please download my CV for an in-depth look!
what's in the works?
'Dr. Tomorrow and the World of Yesterday', an original immersive production commissioned by 'Banging Rocks'. Combining immersive, interactive storytelling with cutting edge virtual reality technology, the show places the audience in the roles of time agents working for a secret government agency that uses chaos theory to make major historical events occur like they're 'supposed' to.
'The Last Resort' will be a transformative immersive experience designed to resonate with audiences on multiple levels. This unforgettable journey seeks to unsettle, provoke thought, and encourage introspection, all while transporting participants to the lavish world of Elysium Island Eternal Resort. The two-hour experience leads audience members through an exploration of death and the process of self-actualization as seen through the eyes of recently-deceased guests of a tropical party resort in the early 1970s. The story unfolds through an awe-inspiring blend of sensual choreography, vintage exotica soundtrack, three themed bars with cocktails crafted just for Elysium Island, and several rooms of lushly-detailed atmosphere. Coming November 2024.
Follow me on instagram for wacky updates in real time.
contact
Questions? Want to license one of my plays? Need some production consulting? Want to learn about the process behind creating an immersive show? Just want to say hi? Do you know where my glasses are!?
Currently based out of Vancouver, Canada.
Dramaturgical fees start at $30.00/hr.
Consultancy fees start at $40.00/hr.