OBSERVER: Mr Big
The Tayo Tayo Collective and fortyfivedownstairs present Mr Big: aka Tatay, a Trans Woman and that Tiring Tune written by Dax Carnay-Hanrahan from June 24-July 5 at fortyfive-downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Set between 1990s Manila and contemporary Melbourne, Mr Big follows Diana, a trans Filipina woman juggling her upcoming wedding and the funeral of her estranged father.
Her plans fall apart when her late father reappears as a singing ghost who will not stop belting Mr Big’s 1991 hit To Be With You.
Fusing music, comedy, and absurdity, the play dives into gender, grief, and immigrant duty, navigating the chaos of a fractured family legacy.
This heartfelt and hilarious Filipino-Australian story forces an unavoidable, ridiculous confrontation with the ghosts of the past.
“When my estranged father died in Manila, I didn’t feel sorrow. I felt the sudden weight of being the eldest ‘son’ in a Filipino family crashing into my full feminine fantasy in Melbourne. “Organising his overseas funeral while planning my wedding was an absurd collision of duty and champagne. Mr Big is the rhythm I found in that wreckage. The soundtrack to playing the bride, the mourner, and the reluctant patriarch all at once. Also, it’s just very funny,” says Dax Carnay-Hanrahan.
The production also features the largest professional all Filipino cast in Australian independent theatre history. The ensemble includes dance artist and choreographer, Trevor Santos (In The Heights, Jagged Little Pill, Miss Saigon, and Hamilton) who has collaborated with artists including Guy Sebastian, Mo’Ju, Missy Higgins, Hayden Calnin, Sheppard and Hangeng.
Aiden Gale Miranda is a Filipino-born performer now based in Melbourne whose recent credits include A Transgender Woman on the Internet Crying and ensemble in Rent (Midsumma Festival 2026).
Ken Paolo is a queer Filipino performer who trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with recent credits including Cruel Intentions: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Songs for a New World.
Anna Buenaseda is a Melbourne-based performer who believes it’s never too late to answer the call of the stage. A Nurse Practitioner by profession and an artist at heart. This performance is part of her ongoing journey to live boldly, create fearlessly, and connect deeply with every audience.
Ayril Borce is excited to be working amongst talented Filipino artists and creatives to bring such a vibrant, brilliant, and authentically Filipino story to stage.
Performance Season: June 24-July 5
Preview: June 24 and 25. Opening night: Friday June 26
Ticket Prices: $42-$55
fortyfivedownstairs.com/event/mr-big
mrbig.tayotayocollective.au/
Cheryl Threadgold