MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Victoria Falconer is an award-winning musical director, composer, performer and multi-instrumentalist. She is based between London and Adelaide.

★★★★★ “Led by an immensely talented musical director, Victoria Falconer, all 11 cast members play an instrument (and some play multiple) and their skills result in a rich wall of sound filling the Eternity Playhouse, doing absolute justice to the show’s wonderfully-crafted songs.” Broadway World (Once, 2019).

As a musical director in 2020, Victoria will be working on and performing in the debut of Bourgeois & Maurice’s Insane Animals (HOME Manchester), the Australian premiere of the musical adaptation of Amelie (Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney), a queer reimagining of Oklahoma! (State Theatre of Western Australia) and the new show from international drag superstar Gingzilla. She is also currently engaged as associate composer/arranger and band leader with the Australian-based WOC political performance ensemble Hot Brown Honey.

★★★★★ “Victoria’s musical prowess was a highlight of the show as she transitioned seamlessly between instruments and appeared to masterfully improvise along with the banter of the audience.”
Theatre People (Fringe Wives Club, 2018)

As a musical director, Victoria has previously worked with Roddy Bottom of Faith No More (Sasquatch The Opera, Summerhall Edinburgh), Courtney Act (Channel 4 UK Christmas Special, Under The Covers) and Jonny Woo’s Unroyal Variety (Hackney Empire London). In 2019 she was Musical Director for the Australian re-staging of the musical Once (Darlinghurst Theatre, touring nationally in 2021) for which she was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award, and in which she also played the role of Reza.

“Falconer stands out as the star all-rounder, with musical versatility, alluring jazz vocals and the impish shtick of a born comedienne.” – The Age (Fringe Wives Club, 2019)

Victoria is co-creator, composer/lyricist and performer with critically-acclaimed feminist firebrands Fringe Wives Club, and she has just been nominated for a Green Room Award for Music Direction (2020) for their production of Glittergrass, which debuted in 2019 at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne. Formed in 2017 on receiving the Moosehead Development Grant, the original trio have received multiple awards including the Best Cabaret Award at Adelaide Fringe 2018, the Spirit of The Fringe Award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018, and nominations for Best Newcomer (Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017), Best Cabaret (Melbourne Fringe 2017), Best Ensemble (Green Room Awards 2017), Best Overall Show (NZ Fringe Festival 2019) and for two Wellington Theatre Awards (2019). They have performed sell-out seasons at Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Soho Theatre (London), Malthouse Theatre (Melbourne), BATS Theatre (Wellington, NZ) and Griffin Theatre (Sydney), and have been invited to perform at Darwin International Festival, Southbank Centre London, Woodford Folk Festival and the Famous Spiegeltent at the Melbourne Arts Centre.

In a previous incarnation (known as Victor Victoria), she composed, scripted and performed as one half of EastEnd Cabaret, the salacious cult musical comedy duo. Playing cabaret and festival stages around the world, the pair sold out shows for 7 years at Edinburgh, Adelaide, Brighton and Perth Fringe Festivals, winning Best Cabaret (Adelaide Fringe 2012), Best Musical Act (London Cabaret Awards 2015) and described as “irresistible… shades of Victoria Wood and Julie Walters via Liza Minnelli” by The Guardian (2014).

As a collaborative musician, Victoria’s appearances in London include the Royal Albert Hall, the National Theatre’s River Stage and the Barbican, as well as playing the musical saw for Amanda Palmer at KOKO with Neil Gaiman, the Tiger Lillies and Richard O’Brien. Festival performances include Glastonbury, Latitude and Bestival (UK), Buskers Festival (NZ) and Clockenflap (Hong Kong). She has contributed violin and voice on the award-winning debut album of chamber-pop artist The Anchoress (produced by Paul Draper), synthesizers and strings to electro-dance act The Correspondents, and has played for recording sessions in famed London studios including The Church, Sofa Sound and Abbey Road Studios. In 2018 she played theremin, violin, accordion and musical saw for a Tom Waits-inspired gala at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, accompanying John Cameron Mitchell, Ali McGregor and Joey Arias amongst other cabaret luminaries.

As a composer, Victoria has most recently written and recorded the score to the award-winning short animated film, Double Portrait by Ian Bruce. It received prizes for Best Animation at Aesthetics Short Film Festival and Best in Category at the London International Animation Festival, as well as being longlisted for a BAFTA. She was composer and sound designer for award-winning mime artist Trygve Wakenshaw’s new show Only Bones, which debuted at Soho Theatre for the London Mime Festival in January 2020.

Victoria is festival director and curator for the inaugural feminist art festival R.O.A.R. at Darlinghurst Theatre in Sydney, to be held in May 2020. She has previously curated a series of comedy and cabaret for the Bush Theatre London (Unwrapped, 2018), and was co-curator/producer for rocknroll cabaret show Midnight Marauders (2018).

TV appearances include The Courtney Act Show on Channel 4 (UK), BBC Three’s Live at the Electric (UK), ABC’s Comedy Up Late (Australia) and NBC’s Before The Morning After (US).

Victoria has been named one of Time Out London’s Top 10 cabaret performers, and was on the Hospital Club’s h100 list 2014 as one of the top 100 influential and innovative artists working in the UK creative industries. She is very active as a Bi Pride UK advocate, loves to live out of her suitcase, and will eat almost anything if it’s pickled.

★★★★ “Victoria Falconer is an exceptionally talented woman… her musical skills are mesmerising… her creativity is impeccable.” The Advertiser (Oxymoron, 2018)

For musical direction and performance enquires, please contact hello[at]victoriafalconer.com
For commissions and music publishing enquiries, please contact info[at]dyadcollective.com