The Butterfly Club Changes Ownership

The iconic Melbourne cabaret venue The Butterfly Club today announced a change of ownership into a safe pair of hands.

The new owner, Enter Closer Pty Ltd, is headed by professional performer, composer, teacher and producer, Mr Simone Pulga.

"Having been involved in the arts and entertainment industry since the age of 10, I immediately recognised the important position The Butterfly Club holds in the industry, but also how much it is loved by audiences and performers," Simone said.

"The arts is my life, the life of my friends, and my passion is to provide audiences with great shows, and offer performers an accessible outlet for their talent. Therefore I plan no changes, except to build on the excellent work and reputation of the venue."

Longstanding Venue Manager, Alexander Woollard, remains in charge at the venue and all staff positions are secure. All 2011 performer and function bookings have been honoured.

Over the past almost 12 years, The Butterfly Club has become synonymous with cabaret, presenting more than 1,000 new works and discovering and nurturing many performers who are now house-hold names such as Tim Minchin and Eddie Perfect.

Former owners David Read and Neville Sice said "We feel incredibly privileged that performers, audiences and staff have invited us into their lives over the past 8 years. When we saved the venue from closure all those years ago, we set out a vision to make it sustainable in its own right with no public subsidy and it now serves as a model for other arts organisations."

"The sale allows us to focus on producing the annual Melbourne Cabaret Festival, and of course The Butterfly Club remains a key component to the success of that Festival."

Photo Credit: Alex Motta Photography

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