Peepshow Inc’s distinctive style of performance is the culmination of several years of collaboration. The group have been working together, in various guises, since 1998. Peepshow Inc grew out of Rocketship Theatre, a group of multi-disciplinary theatre practitioners who met, worked and studied Creative Arts together at the Victorian College of the Arts. Established in 1998 for the production of Lally Katz’ original scripts, Rocketship awakened the group’s fascination for puppets and imaginative theatre.

The Angel Show, originally a Rocketship production, was the group’s first specifically non-text-based performance (LaMama, 2001). Supported by her mentors Pauline Cady and Sandra Ayache (Snuff Puppets) Melinda Hetzel co-founded the company in 2003, along with Juanita Pope and other core members.

Peepshow Inc has a history of international collaboration beginning in 2001 with the invitation of some core members to attend Arena Festival in Erlangen, Germany, as part of the Germanic Players’ production of Heiner Müller’s Die Hamletmaschine. The following year the group was invited to return to Erlangen to create Arena’s annual co-production. This work, Einst zu einer Zeit… received the 2002 Audience Award.

Puppet Peepshow – Underneath, as part of 2004 Next Wave Festival was the inaugural production of Peepshow Inc. Peepshow Inc has been operating as an incorporated association since 2003 and has been based at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne since 2005.

Melinda Hetzel – Showreel (2003) from Peepshow Inc on Vimeo.