THE STORY
A new unsophisticated sex comedy set to tickle audiences’ fancies with an X-Rated story of strange desires and carnal misadventures. An upwardly mobile couple’s comfortable marriage goes down the drain when a very specific desire is revealed. Fuelled by booze and curiosity, they attempt to find common ground, save their relationship, and come to terms with the fact that all’s fair in love and perversity.
Having stepped away from a life of crime, Thomas and Florence have found themselves entrenched in a suburban lifestyle. All is well in the world of the Bastiens, until a salacious secret threatens to upend their world and change forever the dynamics of their marriage.
What happens when the unrefined mixes with those hopped up on power in the dire social setting that is the urban adult trap? A hot-headed romp through the ups and downs of a stable relationship, the perils of being comfortable, the lure of unspeakable acts, and the raunchiness of Lemon Drizzle Cake.
"Through an unfortunate and complex series of events, the private correspondence of Florence Bastien found its way into the hands of her husband, Thomas…” – THE VULGARIANS
THE PLAYWRIGHT
Louis Viljoen - Writer/Director
Louis Viljoen is a Cape Town based playwright and director. Recently described as “one of South Africa’s most exciting playwrights”, Viljoen’s gripping writing is known for its intricate use of language and an uncomfortable intimacy that keeps audiences enthralled.
He has written and produced numerous plays including, The Bile Boys, The Frontiersmen, The Verbalists, CHAMP, Porno 88, The Kingmakers, The Pervert Laura, Oh Baby, I’m A Wild One, The Emissary, The Eulogists, The Demon Bride, The Hucksters and most recently the acclaimed The Grass Widow, The Visigoths, The Sin Drinkers and Mrs. Mitchell Comes To Town.
Viljoen has won the Fleur Du Cap Theatre award for Best New South African Script for CHAMP (2013) and The Kingmakers (2015). He was the recipient of the Rosalie van Der Gucht Best New Director award for his plays, The Kingmakers and The Pervert Laura and was nominated for Best New South African Script for The Baxter Theatre’s productions of The Hucksters and The Outlaw Muckridge, as well as Rob Van Vuuren’s international touring play Dangled.
A compilation of his plays will soon be published by Karavan Press.
THE PERFORMERS
Emily Child - Florence
Emily plays the character of Florence in THE VULGARIANS.
Emily graduated from UCT in 2007 with a Theatre and Performance Degree, after which she then joined repertory theatre troupe – The Mechanicals.
She has performed throughout South Africa for almost 20 years in memorable productions such as Steven Berkoff’s Decadence, directed by Chris Weare, William Shakespeare’s King Lear, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Guy De Lancey, and Athol Fugard’s The Road to Mecca starring Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers and directed by Greg Karvellas.
Emily’s work has garnered her numerous awards and nominations including the 2024 Fleur Du Cap award for Best Actress for the role of Blanche DuBois in the Tennessee Williams classic A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Chris Weare. She has worked with Louis Viljoen on numerous productions over the past two decades including CHAMP, which toured Edinburgh, The Hucksters, and the acclaimed The Pervert Laura for which Child also won a Fleur Du Cap for Best Actress. She recently performed opposite Nicholas Pauling in Scott Sparrow’s Dinner with the 42’s directed by Greg Karvellas.
Emily can be seen in numerous film and television roles, including as Lucy O’Hara in seasons 1- 3 of the HBO and Netflix series Warrior conceptualized by Bruce Lee. She also recently joined forces with Donovan Graham and Daniel Rutland Manners to launch their own film production company – Invert Pictures.
Nicholas Pauling - Thomas
Nicholas plays the character of Thomas in THE VULGARIANS.
Nicholas has appeared in a wide range of theatre productions since graduating from UCT, such as A Steady Rain, Zoo Story, The Rangers, Blue/Orange, Epstein, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare in Love and Dinner with the 42s. He has also acted in five plays by Louis Viljoen: The Pervert Laura, CHAMP, Porno 88, The Frontiersmen and The Hucksters. He won the 2007 Fleur Du Cap Award for Best Actor for his role as Mozart in Amadeus. In 2008 he was named one of two winners of the Brett Goldin Bursary award.
Apart from gracing South African stages, Nicholas has also toured the UK with The Tempest and Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Canada with Waiting for the Barbarians, and the United States with a production of The 39 Steps.
Nicholas' television credits include Black Sails, Dominion, You Me and the Apocalypse, Bluestone 42, Book of Negroes and most recently the HBO series Warrior and Resident Evil. His film credits include Black Butterflies, Doomsday, Death Race 2, Challenger and was recently seen in The Dark Tower with Matthew McConaughey.
He currently resides in Canada, but is returning to South Africa to reunite with Emily Child and Louis Viljoen for the much anticipated THE VULGARIANS.
THE DESIGNER
Kieran McGregor - Set & Lighting Design
As a versatile Production Designer, Production Manager, and Creative Producer, Kieran thrives across multiple disciplines and roles. He brings a holistic, hands-on approach to every project. Guided by what live performance can uniquely give an audience that no other medium can, each production’s needs are shaped and defined to create worlds that viewers can fully immerse themselves in.
With experience and expertise from a variety of roles in many mediums, from small indie projects to large-scale events and international tours, Kieran’s portfolio showcases a diverse range of highlights:
Moya, Zip Zap Circus’ international touring production, recently returned from Off-Broadway, New York, The Father, directed by Greg Karvellas for The Fugard Theatre, Grounded, directed by Chris Weare at The Baxter Theatre, Peppa Pig! Live in South Africa!, presented by EFX International and Hasbro UK, Design Indaba Festival and Conference, presented by Interactive Africa, as well as Expelled, directed by Craig Freimond and My Name is Lucy Barton, both for How Now Brown Cow Productions.
He has previously partnered with Louis Viljoen as designer on The Eulogists, The Grass Widow, The Visigoths, The Sin Drinkers and Mrs. Mitchell Comes to Town. They reunited again to bring audience the comedy offering, THE VULGARIANS.
Kieran's unwavering commitment to his craft ensures that each project not only tells a compelling story but also leaves a lasting impact on its audience.
