YOUR CHAMPION
IMAN INAWIG
Welcome back to altimate.SHOWDOWN Meanjin! It’s Season 2 and we are ready to make even more loud, positive noise!
Presented by alt. and Mara Maraschino, altimate.SHOWDOWN is the genre-spanning competition unapologetically celebrating everyone who is different and uniquely fierce, with a focus on showcasing diversity and local performers. 75 performers from the underground performance worlds of Drag, Burlesque, Sideshow, Comedy, Music, Performance Art, Dance entertainers (AND MORE!) will battle it out to earn the title of Champion and walk away with the grand prize worth over $10,000!
Taking place across 6 nights in February and March in the heart of Fortitude Valley at the iconic alternative venue The Brightside, each night will be hosted and judged by local legends of Meanjin’s fringe entertainment world.
Our first seasons in Meanjin and Naarm were incredible community bonding, camp, masterclasses in diverse artistic talent and queer excellence night after night. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your tickets NOW!
YOUR FINALISTS
(so far)
These amazing performers have proven their worth and will be heading straight to the Grand Final on Thursday, 21st March to battle it out for the coveted Champion spot and walk away with over $10,000 worth of prizes
HEAT ONE
HEAT TWO
 ELI PEELI TURPENTINEJUDGE'S CHOICE - HEAT ONE |  LADY SASSCROTCHAUDIENCE CHOICE - HEAT ONE |
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 ROXXY TOCINSHOWDOWN WINNER - HEAT ONE |  HELEN WHEELSSHOWDOWN WINNER - HEAT ONE |
 DELORES CUMBRIDGEJUDGE'S CHOICE- HEAT TWO |  BAMBAM BAMBIAUDIENCE CHOICE - HEAT TWO |
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 ARACHNIESHOWDOWN WINNER - HEAT TWO |
HEAT THREE
 IMAN INAWIGJUDGE'S CHOICE - HEAT THREE |  LIZ ANYAAUDIENCE CHOICE - HEAT THREE |
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 ZELPHIA MANNSHOWDOWN WINNER - HEAT THREE |  DIAMANTSHOWDOWN WINNER - HEAT THREE |
HEAT FOUR
 JA'MIE DISPLAYSJUDGE'S CHOICE - HEAT 4 |  DOLLY DE VILLEJUDGE'S CHOICE - HEAT 4 |
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 BILLIE BRASHAUDIENCE CHOICE - HEAT 4 |  MISS TASHOWDOWN WINNER - HEAT 4 |
HEAT FIVE
 YORK LIT |  SENORA PATRIZIA FELLABELLA |
|---|---|
 WILLOW |
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE FUSS IS ALL ABOUT
MEET THE CONTESTANTS
HEAT ONE
HEAT TWO
HEAT THREE
HEAT FOUR
HEAT FIVE
HOSTED BY
MISS SYNTHETIQUE
Miss Synthetique is a drag legend in Meanjin and Australia wide, keeping crowds spellbound for decades with her own special brand of polished and poised drag! She's the regal queen of the smoking area and of our hearts!
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She's an icon that will still attempt the worm and is not afraid of a little pole dancing.
LORD SEVERUS
Lord Severus is the dildo-slinging disabled drag daddy, a leather-clad sex nerd and cabaret queer haunting the gay and metal bars of Meanjin (Brisbane) Australia.
Sev regularly rocks his mobility aids on stage and is deeply committed to disability advocacy and visibility in the arts and LGBTQIA+ community. He’s proud to champion body neutrality, fat liberation, trans excellence and disability representation through his style of sex positive, kink charged, low brow yet sincere as hell tomfoolery.
JUDGED BY
SELLMA SOUL - HEAD JUDGE
Sellma Soul is the phenomenal singing smiling nightmare. One of Meanjin's most eccentric performers and prodigious singer/songwriter/musician/Devil's very own nightmare, as featured on The Voice, Triple J and stages grand and intimate. Sellma boasts an array of talents from singing to MCing, drag to performance art, with her most notable ability to tickle the soul out of your body and play with it until she's done.
HOLLY SPIRIT - RESIDENT JUDGE
From stages across Australia, New Zealand, England and Japan, Holly Spirit lives life as a total twat and is completely unapologetic about it. Co-Founder and producer of alt., Holly has been part of the limelight for almost 15 years and she's now creating platforms for emerging queer artists to have their time.
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Having evolved their artistic expression, she used to be a blonde bumbling bimbo and now... well, we don't even know what to call her.
MARA MARASCHINO - RESIDENT JUDGE
Meanjin burlesque and hosting sensation Mara Maraschino is often described as luxurious, salacious, camp and kitsch – just like a Maraschino Cherry! Awarded Mx Burlesque Brisbane 2022 - you are guaranteed some raucous razzle dazzle! Mara is a time travelling dame known for delivering chaotic pop culture references in an addictively disreputable, delicious and devilish way. She gives Oomph!, Ooh La La and “Oh my goddess, did she just say that?”.
MADELINE GLASSEATER - GUEST JUDGE HEAT ONE
Mommy and mentor to many, creator of Cult The Show and performance style “Entertainment from the other side”, Madeline Glasseater is The Human Choking Hazard, a prodigious producer and Meanjin’s most in-demand sideshow showgirl. With a wealth of sideshow, burlesque and performance art gravitas, no alternative competition is complete without her perspective and expertise.
GOGO BUMHOLE - GUEST JUDGE HEAT TWO
Gogo Bumhole is the drag gremlin that will entice, frighten and maybe even arouse you too. Gogo is your Starlet 2023 competition runner up and has slammed themselves onto every queer stage they can find including The Princess Theatre, The Triffid, The Wickham, The Tivoli and Woodford Folk Festival. There’s no stopping this hole on a mission to rid the world of “normal” and celebrate the freak inside everyone.
PHOENIX KNIGHT - GUEST JUDGE HEAT THREE
From ember…to flame…to blazing inferno, Phoenix Knight burns all the stages he performs on. Once upon a time, a middle aged suburban dad stepped into the fire only to re-emerge into a true bear-lesque powerhouse. Smashing societal norms and embracing genderfuck, watch as this bearded beast celebrates his love of all things burlesque in his unique, fiery way.
CHOCOLATE BOXX - GUEST JUDGE HEAT FOUR
Chocolate Boxx is the FABoriginal dancing diva of Meanjin, lighting up stages all over town and the country. Queer Sister Smackdown 2016, Miss Sportsmans Hotel 2017, Miss First Nation 2019 along with Brisbane’s 58th annual Queens Ball Awards 2019 Drag Performer of the Year and The First Nation Leadership and Engagement Award recipient. Most recently, a Triple Sash winner in Miss First Nations Supreme Queen at Sydney World Pride 2023. Chocolate is a hard-working, powerhouse queen who knows what it takes to achieve excellence on any and all stages - we are so honoured to have her offer her invaluable insight.
LILA LUXX - GUEST JUDGE HEAT FIVE
Lila Luxx is Brisbane’s Striptease Supreme: a passionate and polished powerhouse performer. Known for her diverse repertoire and undeniable connection to her audience, Lila is equally at home in a rock and roll dive bar as a grand theatre. She is a stripteaser for all seasons!
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Not content with being one of Australia’s most in demand showgirls, Lila is also Brisbane’s Burlesque Fairy Godmother in Louboutin’s, as director of The Bombshell Burlesque Academy and Bombshell Burlesque Events. Here, she has created opportunities for and shared education with thousands of emerging burlesque artists, including producing stage competitions Mx Burlesque Queensland & The Apprentease Queensland.
SPONSORS
