Vashti Hughes

Vashti goes backstage with Regina Botros to talk about her life as a writer and performer. Vashti Hughes is a writer / actor and originally trained at UWS Nepean, graduating with a BA in Performance. Vashti has written and self produced works that are based in Sydney’s local history. Currently Vashti is performing in Kate’s final home, a site specific piece “Dinner with Kate Leigh the Gangster Queen” at 212 Devonshire St, Surry Hills, now the Jazzy Café Bar . “Dinner with Kate Leigh the Gangster Queen” is a spin off of work that she wrote and performed ten years ago - “Mum’s In : Stories from Razorhurst”. Mum’s In was a dark cabaret about five of Sydney’s most notorious underworld characters in the 1920’s –Kate Leigh, Tilly Devine, Nellie Cameron, Frank Green and Guido Calleti, with Vashti playing all of them. This played at the Bordello Theatre, Kings Cross Hotel every Sunday for a year in 2011-12. Mum’s In : Stories from Razorhurst : https://youtu.be/lSjn9BbBbOU Vashti also wrote “Piccolo Tales’ which played for 6 months at the Piccolo Bar, where she played the part of Vittorio the 80 year old owner of this famous Sydney café. It was a rollercoaster ride through 50 years of the Kings Cross as told by Vittorio, played by Vashti. 80 year old Vittorio also ended up being in the show. It made it into the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald’s “10 Best Sydney Shows”, and was nominated for the 2016 GLUGS. Vashti wrote and performed “Dictionary by a Bitch” about the infamous Bea Miles, Sydney eccentric and bohemian rebel, famous for reciting Shakespeare in the streets for money. This was performed at the State Library of NSW. Vashti has created a lot of cabaret characters and shows, one being the all women comedy cabaret group “Six Quick Chicks”, which has been performed in various Sydney venues   Photo cr: Roz Sharpe