Madame Penelope & Her Pet Lizards
All Ages
29 September - 1 October
Tuesday
29th September
Thursday
1st October
Yagan Square
30 minutes
Born in a Taxi
Free event
Visually striking and highly interactive, the extraordinary Madame Penelope and her exotic pets add spice and humour wherever they go.
Dressed to kill and everybody’s friend, the classy Madame Penelope loves to show off her well-trained pets. That is, if she can catch them! Her ever-curious and playful lizards are off to explore the territory. She has her work cut out for her, trying to get them back off the adoring public.
Creators and Cast
Carolyn Hanna, Penny Baron, Nick Papas
Company Biography
Born in at Taxi is one of Melbourne’s most highly regarded, award-winning physical theatre ensembles and creators of contemporary performance. Recognised for producing highly original, physically driven, and participatory works in theatres, site-specific and outdoor contexts that focus on real-time co-creation.
Renowned for their immediacy, responsiveness, and interaction with their audience, mixing dance with humour, the profound with the profane, and the familiar with the unlikely. Born in a Taxi's co-artistic directors are Carolyn Hanna and Penny Baron, who share a deep investigation into the relationship between performer and audience through the mediums of dance, theatre, live art, visual art, improvisation, and sound.
Taxi love the democracy of working in public space with audiences of all ages and cultures.
In 2019, Taxi performed 150 works at home and abroad and celebrated its 30th anniversary. In 2025/26, they are developing multigenerational work Prime Time and touring their new children's work Velveteen Rabbit nationally, amongst many other things.
Accessibility Guide
Lighting and Sound
Total blackout (audience)
Lighting level
Natural daylight
Flashing lights
Loud sounds
Repetitive noises
Drums
High-pitched tones
Unexpected sounds
Background Music
Interactivity and Participation
Children invited on stage
Artist goes into audience
The Lizards run all over the space and can surprise people sometimes
Manual activity (e.g. read, draw, sing, paint, construct things)
Participants are not required to walk; however, they may do so if they want to follow the action as it moves
Undertake direct movement
Participation in groups/pairs
Parent/carer can support in participation
Capacity for a child slower in their movements to participate
Senses, Emotions and Effects
Distinctive smells
Special effects
Textures
Balloons
Characters express anger
Dialogue driven
Props
Attention Span
Intermission/break
Introduction
Children need to sit in one place
Appropriate to make noise/move around
