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53-558: The museum opened on August 2, 2008, ceased operations for a brief restructuring on February 19, 2014, and reopened on June 7, 2014, as Harry Mohney's Erotica Museum . The museum is managed by Harry Mohney Erotic Museum LLC, a Nevada corporation. The Harry Mohney Erotic Museum is designed to perform educational, scientific, and literary functions relating to sexual, emotional, mental, and physical health. The museum features erotic art of multiple genres, including commercial art, pornographic art, folk art, pop art, and fine art. The second floor

106-482: A clock tower . When it opened on Saturday 23 February 1929, the cinema had the largest seating capacity in Australia, holding 3,371 people. A dual-console Wurlitzer organ of style 270 was installed, the first to be built 'west of Chicago', featuring 21 rows of pipes and a grand piano attachment and oboe horn. The organ was opened in 1928 by Frank D. Lanterman , for two years the resident organist, with Renee Lees on

159-506: A Florentine walled garden, complete with a cerulean-blue ceiling sprinkled with lights like twinkling stars, mimicking a twilight sky. It was renamed the Forum Theatre in 1962, converted into two separate cinemas in 1963, then after the cinemas' closure used for religious services for several years; however, since 1995, it has operated as live music and events venue Forum Melbourne , more commonly known simply as The Forum . The sites of

212-449: A complaint from a viewer and launched an investigation into alleged television broadcast indecency. The FCC concluded that Young Broadcasting of San Francisco, KRON-TV's proprietor, was liable for a fine of $ 27,000 for violating federal restrictions regarding the broadcast of indecent material. This was the maximum fine for a breach of this nature. The Commission rejected Young Broadcasting's claims of bona-fide news coverage immunity, on

265-455: A performance show consisting of body-based genital comedy. The show involves two nude men who bend, twist, and fold their penises and scrotums into various shapes. The theatrical contortion of the male genitalia accompanied by comedic narration has since spread internationally. It is humorously termed "dick trick" or "genital origami ." Puppetry of the Penis was first performed on stage at

318-623: A review of the production at the Whitehall Theatre in London, published in The Independent , Sarah Barrell said "[the show] is certainly one of the more playfully subversive pieces of theatre to come within reach of the capital's centres of power". The show has received positive reviews from major international news outlets. Lyn Gardner of The Guardian called the production a "gently witty, surprisingly charming little show", and remarked that

371-421: A series of genital contortions . The show was initially conceived as the title of a highbrow art calendar released by Australian Simon Morley in 1996. The calendar showcased twelve penis "installations" (the manipulation of male genitalia into a variety of recognisable forms). In response to increasing requests for live demonstrations, in 1997 Morley enlisted fellow Australian, David "Friendy" Friend, to devise

424-445: A source of amusement. Academic Elizabeth Stephens notes that Puppetry of the Penis represents a change in the "representability" of the penis, with its contortions rendering the organ as "humiliated, tortured or laughed at". She writes that while the penis is noticeably visible in the show, the phallus appears only in a distorted form, making it unrecognisable as a penis. According to Stephens, "this freakshow spectacularization of

477-612: A subsequent 8 week run of the show from 13 July 2010 to 4 September 2010. The production has also established a flagship show in Las Vegas , which runs up to five nights a week at the Erotic Heritage Museum . At one stage, the Puppetry of the Penis production managed eight franchises across the globe. The show has performed in a diverse range of venues during the course of its international tours. The UK tour included performances at

530-465: Is a historic theatre and former cinema now used as a live music and event venue located on the corner of Flinders Street and Russell Street in Melbourne , Australia. Built in 1929, it was designed by leading US 'picture palace' architect John Eberson , in association with the local architectural firm Bohringer, Taylor & Johnson. Designed as an ' atmospheric theatre ', the interior intended to evoke

583-544: Is a smaller 550-seat theatre-style amphitheatre. Today, it is used for concerts by many artists, having hosted performances by One Ok Rock , Oasis , Madonna , Ozzy Osbourne , Katy Perry , Cat Power , Jarvis Cocker , Dirty Three , Sufjan Stevens , Dizzee Rascal , Tame Impala , Lily Allen , The Yeah Yeah Yeahs , Harry Styles , Noname , Mac DeMarco , Regurgitator , Methyl Ethel , Meg Mac , Bachelor Girl , Spiderbait , Alison Wonderland , Mr. Big , Extreme and Living Colour among others. In more recent times,

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636-581: Is also a venue for the annual Melbourne International Film Festival . In 2016, the Forum underwent a major internal renovation to restore many of its original features and fixtures, including uncovering and restoring the mosaic tile entrance, remoulding and repairing statues, and moving the interior walls back to their original 1929 position. The Forum officially reopened 5 September 2017. The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006. The award for Best Venue

689-503: Is mainly devoted to erotic art, some of it available for sale. The presented pieces range from classic to abstract and include paintings, sketches, watercolors, porcelain figurines, sculptures, and carved wood objects. Since 2015, the museum has hosted Puppetry of the Penis , a nude live comedy show, up to 5 nights per week. Puppetry of the Penis Puppetry of the Penis is a comedic live performance-art show featuring

742-501: Is used to allow audiences to view the acts close-up. The installations are projected, 20 times life size, onto an upstage screen for audience viewing. The show also includes a brief instructional demonstration for audiences to replicate the contortions, as well as an audience participation segment. The show debuted in 1998 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to sold-out audiences, where it won

795-454: The New Criterion magazine called the production as "a juvenile example of the normalisation of deviance", likening it to toilet humour. Kimball said that the show was nothing more than a repulsive "publicity stunt". Performance shows outside the pornography industry that feature genitalia risk breaching obscenity laws , even when legitimatised as genuine works of art. The Puppetry of

848-761: The Grand Opera House in Belfast and the Arts Centre in New Milton. As of 2003 , the show had played in over 15 private venues in the U.S., with the country-run theatre in Rosslyn being the first public arts facility in the country to host the show. Puppetry of the Penis has grossed over fifty million dollars, and performed in 35 countries in six different languages. Puppetry of the Penis has been noted for its controversial material amongst theatre critics and journalists. In

901-575: The Morning Post building (on Flinders Street) and State Migration Office (on Russell Street) were purchased in 1927 by Rufe Naylor, with the goal of building a sister theatre to his Empire in Sydney. In 1928 the site was purchased by Stuart F. Doyle , managing director of Union Theatres , for development as the State Theatre . The building features a Moorish Revival exterior, including minarets and

954-573: The National Trust of Australia in 1994. In 2013, the Marriner Group proposed an apartment tower to be built on the adjacent site to the north which they had bought, which was 32 levels (107m) in an area where an advisory height limit of 40m applies, and which would cantilever over the stage tower of the theatre, with restoration of the facade of the Forum as part of the project. This was approved by then Planning Minister Matthew Guy , but opposed by

1007-634: The Royal Wanganui Opera House , New Zealand. The mayor, Chas Poynter , said "the community is aghast and upset about this show". While the council was not able to prohibit performances of the show in other venues in the municipal, city authorities retained the power to ban the production at the civic opera house. In June 2002, the show was barred from being staged in civic theatres in the Cairns and Bundaberg Councils in Queensland. Despite reviewing

1060-562: The Twelfth Night Theatre in Bowen Hills, Brisbane. While the ad featured no nudity, the complainant protested the "thrusting of the male genital part into the public area". The ASB deemed the use of anatomical words acceptable in the context and the complaint was dismissed. The use of comedy as a method of subverting or critiquing traditional assumptions and social dynamics has been commented on by several theorists. Puppetry of

1113-453: The "Outright Best Show" award. The success of the initial performance prompted an eight-month tour of Australia that covered 20,000 kilometres. The national tour was captured in the 2000 documentary Tackle Happy , directed by comedian Mick Molloy. Puppetry of the Penis returned to tour Australia in March 2001, with a new cast consisting of Daniel Lewry, Steve Harrison and Jim MacGregor, under

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1166-660: The 1998 Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Australia , featuring the creators, Morley and Friend, as the premiere cast. The show has since appeared on the international stage, featuring productions in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Argentina. The initial Australian tour was the subject of Australian comedian Mick Molloy 's 2000 documentary Tackle Happy . The duo has recruited supporting production teams and actors across Australia,

1219-570: The Big Mac, the Loch Ness Monster, the wristwatch, the pelican, the Eiffel Tower, the hamburger, the bulldog, the windsurfer and others. The show consists of approximately 45 genital manipulations, accompanied by sound effects and comedic narration. The performers wear only sneakers and velvet magician's capes and stand with their backs to the audience. A large-screen live-action projection

1272-769: The Canberra Theatre in Canberra and in March 2007 at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. The show continued to perform each year at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, hosted at the Athenaeum Theatre , produced by A-List Entertainment production company. In 2008 Puppetry of the Penis premiered at the Adelaide Fringe Festival at the Royalty Theatre, which has hosted the show in subsequent years. In 2000,

1325-589: The City of Melbourne and local objectors, who took the matter to VCAT and won. An appeal by Marriner to the Supreme Court was not successful. In early 2024, the Marriner Group applied for a permit from Heritage Victoria for urgent works because some decorative elements of the exterior were unstable and likely to fall. Forum I, or Forum Downstairs, is located on the ground floor and is generally used for concerts and other large-scale performances. The second-floor Forum II

1378-621: The Forum has been used as a venue for numerous acts during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival , including local favourite Akmal Saleh and international acts, such as Mark Watson , Jason Byrne , Arj Barker and Megan Mullally among others and in September, Tyler Oakley's Slumber Party. From 2009 to 2012 the Forum was the primary contemporary music venue for Melbourne Festival in expansive programs featuring scores of international and national music artists. It

1431-770: The IMB Theatre in Wollongong, Tivoli Theatre in Bowen Hills, Brolga Theatre in Maryborough, Pilbeam Theatre in Rockhampton and Enmore Theatre in Sydney. The show appeared again at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April 2002, with performers Brett Hartin and Richard Sutherland. In 2003 Puppetry of the Penis was hosted in Armidale at the University of New England Arts Theatre and

1484-699: The Orange Civic Theatre in Orange before returning to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in March 2003, with a new Director's Cut version of the production, featuring performers Brett Hartin and Aaron Bloomfield. The Puppetry of the Penis Director's Cut tour continued in Australia throughout 2003 and 2004, adding to the cast performer Barry Brisco from New York and featuring the return of Morley and Friend from their U.S. tour. The show briefly halted touring in Australia, temporarily reopening in April 2006 at

1537-490: The Penis possesses a cultural value beyond its outwardly superficial subject matter. The show demystifies and demythologises the male sexual organ by displaying it with hyper-visibility and boldness. In her book, Maria San Filippo states that displaying the penis "to spectacular effect ultimately renders it de-fetishized". She comments that in Puppetry of the Penis , the phallus is desexualised and separated from its traditional symbolic connotations, instead becoming purely

1590-406: The Penis presents in its performances. She comments that conventional representations of the penis allude to power, dominance and violence, and states that the show "challenges preconceived notions of the penis and its function as an object of sexuality and symbol of power". According to Kovacs, audiences are drawn to such productions as they challenge social norms and transfer taboo subjects from

1643-421: The Penis production employs practical measures, such as having performers stand with their backs to the audience, in order to avoid claims of public obscenity, and to enable the show to be performed in mainstream and civic theatres. In its production history, the show has faced bans from several international venues on the grounds of indecency . In May 2002, Puppetry of the Penis was banned from performing at

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1696-448: The Penis uses theatrical and absurdist humour to deconstruct conventional representations of male genitalia. The show reduces the penis to a malleable object for the purposes of comedy, disassociating it from the taboo of sex and masculinity . Theatre critic Joe Adcock wrote in his review of the performance, "The strictures of genteel decorum are violated. And so are the dogmas of smut." Critics and academics note that Puppetry of

1749-606: The Penis', was the inspiration for the title of the subsequent performance show, which featured a repertoire of similar contortions. The run-time for the performance is approximately one hour. The main acts are preceded by a 25-minute stand-up comedy act, with varying comedians in different productions. The majority of the show features a series of 'tricks', which are manipulations of the actors' penises into various forms. The creators describe this as "genital origami". The contortions simulate commonly identifiable shapes, such as objects, architecture and people. The tricks include

1802-450: The UK and the U.S., allowing international performance demands to be met. Due to the success of the show, the business was expanded to cater for private parties around Australia. A Puppetry of the Penis TV special has aired in Australia on One . In 1996, Australian comedian Simon Morley created an art calendar that showcased close-up images of twelve penis 'installations'. The concept

1855-484: The United States tour of the production. Subsequent performances began with a multi-media presentation of the show's development over the previous decade. They included video footage of original creators Morley and Friend on tour, performance highlights, and audience reactions. The initial Australian national tour of Puppetry of the Penis was the subject of the documentary Tackle Happy , directed and produced by Australian comedian Mick Molloy. The documentary focuses on

1908-459: The act alongside him, however he had already committed to a part on the Australian TV show Neighbours. Morley enlisted David "Friendy" Friend, a Melbourne resident who had previously run a small entertainment business that catered to bachelorette parties, as his stage partner, and together they developed a comedy routine based on Morley's original concept. The title of the calendar, 'Puppetry of

1961-479: The ban at the request of Executive Producer Thomas Milazzo, the councils ultimately refused to allow the show to use their facilities. In regard to the decision, Bundaberg mayor Kay McDuff said the show was not "appropriate" for the Bundaberg civic theatres. In October 2002, Friend and Morley appeared as guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote their U.S. tour. The U.S. television network NBC permitted

2014-527: The broadcast despite protests from religious groups. Due to controversies surrounding the show, Salt Lake City's NBC affiliate station , which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , refused to broadcast the program. In August 2004, during a U.S. tour of the production, Chicago Citizens for Community advocacy group filed a complaint, claiming that the show was "illegal and subject to law enforcement". The Chicago Police ignored protests to ban

2067-673: The creators performed the show at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, which was positively received by audiences. The show was then booked by a West End producer for a five-week run at London's Whitehall Theatre , but numerous extensions led to the completion of a six-month tour in London's West End . This was followed by performances in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Norway, The Netherlands, Argentina, Switzerland and Iceland. In 2001, Morley and Friend licensed

2120-408: The creators, Morley and Friend, and their production journey. It showcases the complications that the duo experienced during this time, including legal disputes, backstage tension and the difficulties of prolonged touring. The documentary is interspersed with dialogue from comedian Tony Martin and director Mick Molloy. Forum Theatre The Forum Theatre (originally the State Theatre )

2173-483: The episode did not contravene its policies around nudity, as it was relevant and appropriate within the narrative context, but it found The Comedy Network culpable for not running a viewer advisory around the use of four-letter words in the dialogue. In February 2012, the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau received a complaint regarding a billboard advertising Puppetry of the Penis at

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2226-546: The grounds that the puppetry "display was not incidental to the coverage of a news event". The station issued a press release apologising for the incident and paid the fee. An early 2002 appearance by the duo on the Canadian comedy game show Gutterball Alley was also the subject of a complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council that year. The council concluded that the depictions of penises in

2279-857: The management of Ross Mollison Productions. It ran from 30 March 2001 to 20 May 2001 at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, hosted by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The tour continued in July at Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide and in October at the Footbridge Theatre at the University of Sydney . In 2002 Puppetry of the Penis performed at Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, the Playhouse Theatre in Canberra,

2332-464: The material was handled with "a high degree of decorum". British critic Jill Sharp called the show a "theatrical extravaganza, celebrating with tongue-in-cheek innocence the flexibility of the phallus". The Washington Post noted the performers' "irrepressible wit… [they] will leave you laughing ridiculously". Other reviews were less favourable, criticising the show for its sexually graphic subject material. Conservative art critic Roger Kimball of

2385-705: The minor console. It was removed from the theatre in 1963, and subsequently installed in the Moorabbin Town Hall (now Kingston City Hall) by members of the Victorian Division of the Theatre Organ Society of Australia . In 1962, the building was renamed the Forum Theatre . In 1963, recognising the changing trends in attendance, cinema chain Greater Union converted now-oversized auditorium into two smaller separate cinemas. The Dress Circle balcony

2438-417: The penis, in which it becomes visible only to be constituted as an object of ridicule or amusement… represents anxieties about the role of the penis in the construction of masculinity". Stephens states that Puppetry of the Penis deconstructs traditional assumptions about the phallus and its symbolic attachment to masculinity. Kovacs discusses the subversion of traditional phallic symbolism that Puppetry of

2491-455: The performance. On 4 October 2002, Morley and Friend were interviewed on KRON-TV 's Morning News show to promote performances of Puppetry of the Penis in San Francisco. The duo appeared dressed only in capes and during the course of the live broadcast, one of the performers briefly exposed his penis. The Enforcement Bureau of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received

2544-593: The private sphere "and into the social realm through the agency of humour". The creators published an instructional book, entitled Puppetry of the Penis: The Ancient Art of Genital Origami , in 2000. It features photographs, accompanied by illustrations and text, demonstrating how to replicate 26 of the installations. A Director's Cut version of the show was introduced at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2003. It featured new performers Brett Hartin and Aaron Bloomfield, and showcased home videos from

2597-841: The production, which featured an opening stand-up comedy act by Wendy Vousden. The production ran successfully for over a year, closing on 3 November 2002. In 2003, the duo licensed the show to Foster Entertainment in the U.S. Puppetry of the Penis , presented by David Foster of Foster Entertainment and Simon Morley, returned to New York's 42nd Street on 4 August 2009 at the Bleecker Street Theatre . The cast consisted of Rich Binning, Chris Cannon, Christopher Goodwin and Gavin Stewart, with opening acts by Rachel Feinstein , Giulia Rozzi and Amy Schumer . The show, originally intending to end on 30 August, extended its Off-Broadway engagement and ran until 4 October 2009. Bleecker Street Theatre hosted

2650-507: The show to local production company Mollison Productions, which produced seven supporting companies and a troupe of actors to assist with international performance demands and tours. On 5 October 2001 Puppetry of the Penis made its New York debut at the John Houseman Theatre on New York's 42nd Street . The show was produced Thomas Milazzo and Ross Mollison of Mollison Productions. The original creators, Morley and Friend, starred in

2703-449: Was based on Morley and his youngest brother's creation of a series of party tricks involving various contortions of their genitalia. In order to market the calendars, Morley devised a live routine. Morley's first demonstration, held in a garage in 1997, was received well by audience members, and encouraged him to pursue the creation of a stage show in which to showcase the tricks. Morley originally intended to recruit his brother to perform

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2756-521: Was blocked in, creating the upstairs Rapallo Theatre (with a new entry from Russell Street ) while the Stalls level retained the Forum Theatre name and Flinders Street entry. In 1981 further renovations took place, including the renaming of the cinemas to Forum I and Forum II. In 1985 it was purchased and used by Revival Centres International , a Christian organisation, and fell into disrepair. In 1995 it

2809-531: Was purchased by David Marriner 's Staged Developments Australia, who redeveloped it for use as a film and concert venue operating as Forum Melbourne . It became part of Marriner Group's portfolio of theatres, including Melbourne's Princess Theatre and Regent Theatre , and joined by the Comedy Theatre in 1996. The theatre was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register in 1978 and classified by

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