Virginia Gay
- Writer
Internationally acclaimed, Logie nominated, and one of Australia's most beloved performers and creatives across both stage and screen.
Most recently, Virginia has directed Bell Shakespeare’s knock-out new show, Mackenzie which will tour in 2027 after its 2026 run. Virginia wrote and starred in Cyrano. A gender-flipped retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand at the Melbourne Theatre Company in 2022 and Black Swan Theatre Co x Melbourne Theatre Company for Perth Festival in 2023. In 2024, Virginia reprised Cyrano for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, winning her the Scotsman First Fringe Award for Outstanding New Writing, and in London’s Park Theatre (2024-25) produced by Roast Productions.
She is the co-creator and writer of the upcoming play Mama Does Derby for Windmill Theatre Company (South Australia), set for its Brisbane season later this year.
Virginia was also the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival for 2024/2025.
Virginia is attached to direct The Fig Tree, book, music and lyrics by Gillian Cosgriff. It had a development production at Hayes Theatre Company in 2024.
In 2021, her play The Boomkak Panto, which she wrote, co-directed and starred enjoyed a critically successful season at Belvoir St Theatre.
In late 2019, she performed a sold-out season in London’s West End hosting La Clique in The Famous Spiegeltent (Leicester Square over December and January). In addition to her performing and writing achievements, in 2024 and 2025 she has been the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
From 2018 to 2019, she starred in and assistant produced Calamity Jane with One-Eyed Man Productions directed by Richard Carroll, the tour included performances at Hayes Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company.
She has written two solo cabaret shows, Songs To Self-Destruct To and Dirty Pretty Songs, both of which sold out at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and which toured nationally and internationally, most notably headlining the Famous Spiegeltent at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe.
In 2018, she wrote and directed her first short film Paper Cut, a horror-comedy about toxic masculinity and a demonic printer, which made it to the prestigious Tropfest finals.
The Boomkak Panto is currently available for licensing. Mama Does Derby and Cyrano are not currently available for licensing.
Select film and television acting roles include, Mother and Son S1 &2, Colin from Accounts S2, We Interrupt this Broadcast, After the Verdict, Savage River, Safe Home, Judy & Punch, Winners and Losers and All Saints.
Select theatre acting roles include, Calamity Jane, The Wharf Revue, Vivid White, On the Production of Monsters, Minnie and Liraz, Gaybies, The Producers, High Society, Mame, Cautionary Tales of Children and Death of A Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf.
Plays
- Cyrano (after Edmond Rostand): 4F, 2M (unavailable for licence)