What’s My Scene: Maybelline Celles Spinley San Juan is an arts industry ‘Hannah Montana’
In our regular Q&A column What’s My Scene, InReview speaks to emerging and established local artists to get their take on the South Australian creative scene and their place within it. This week, Maybelline Celles Spinley San Juan reveals how a real life Mad March romcom – turned revenge arc – sent her back to the stage.
Where was your first gig, and how did it go?
I suppose you could say that my first gig was on my sixth birthday because of the pixelated video evidence from our 2000s camcorder. My parents placed an inflatable “rockstar” stage in the middle of the community hall, plugged in a box TV with our Magic Sing karaoke machine, and I sang ‘…Baby One More Time’ by Britney Spears in front of all my reception-aged friends and their parents. I remember religiously rehearsing the lyrics and matching the choreography with my mum. In hindsight, performing a concert at your own birthday party to a not-so-age-appropriate song is giving toddlers and tiaras, but I remember being completely unfazed by it, and so a star was born.
Officially, I do consider my first cabaret gig at the 2018 Adelaide Cabaret Festival when I was a part of the Class of Cabaret. I had watched my best friend Tayla in 2017 and she both inspired me and supported me to follow her lead. I had written a roast about my grandma, but cleverly disguised as an ode and loving tribute. I remember feeling butterflies, but if they were made of concrete and were beating their PB in a Hyrox competition in my stomach. The HD video evidence from this performance admittedly is embarrassing to watch, but with more time, I become more fond of the innocent teenage Maybelline.
What is your artist origin story?
After the Class of Cabaret, I realised that the life of a showgirl wasn’t for me – I found it so hard to write seven minutes of material, my brain couldn’t imagine writing a whole hour for a show (nor could my stomach imagine performing it). But, I still loved the arts and so desperately wanted to be part of that world. When I looked around at all the people working behind the scenes, it made immediate sense to pursue my professional life in producing. I cut my teeth on the Adelaide festivals circuit, even working for my cabaret mentor Amelia Ryan’s company Amplified House, before moving to Sydney in 2023.
In 2024, during a work trip to the Adelaide Fringe, I classically mixed business with pleasure and was swept off my feet by a comedian. It was the perfect start to an early 2000s romcom; big city career girl goes back to her charming hometown and falls in love. Except with a horror twist when he invited me to stay with him for the Melbourne Comedy Festival and then kicked me out of his house because he was “stressed” from his full-time job as a comedian.
The finale is oh-so Elle Woods, because I then thought ‘What, like it’s hard?’, and reinvigorated my love for performing, jumping back on stage to learn stand-up comedy. Now I live a Hannah Montana life as a professional producer 9-5, and artist 5-9 (feminism, women can do anything etc etc).
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What was your impression of the Adelaide creative scene when you first started, and how has that changed?
One of the most valuable things that Michael Griffiths, my Class of Cabaret mentor, taught us was that bagging on Adelaide for being boring was uncouth, unoriginal, and false. He immediately transformed my worldview. Adelaide often gets bad PR amongst the 16-25 age demographic, but I believe that the Adelaide creative scene is one of the greatest in the world.
Even though I’m a Sydneysider, I’m an Adelaidean at heart and make my annual pilgrimage back home for ‘Mad March’ because it’s the most electric place to be. There are so many insanely talented artists here in Adelaide, and also as Adelaide expats, so it’s truly a privilege to be part of this generation that is creating great art.
How has your own work evolved since you first started?
I’d still consider myself quite young in my arts practice, having only started a few years ago, so I’d say that my work is still developing. I love stand-up, and I love cabaret, but I would say what I’m currently inspired by and am working to develop in is clown.
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I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time in Los Angeles, and I’ve truly fallen in love with the clown scene there – shout out to the Elysian Theater. The deepest belly laughs that bring me to tears have been from watching clown shows. It’s an underestimated art form and skill to be able to use silliness and idiocy to create great joy.
What is it about your next show that you’re most excited or nervous to share with the world?
I’m simultaneously nervous and excited to share my family’s story at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. While I have inherited my roasting humour from my grandmother, and some of my family members are the most unintentionally funniest people I know, they are nervous to hear my jokes about them. They’ve made a list of things I can’t share- but as the eldest daughter, they know that I’ll do my whatever my heart desires anyway (anything for the punchline, I say!)
Who are the artists around you that inspire or challenge you?
Millicent Sarre is a powerhouse Adelaide cabaret artist, and I’m so grateful to call her a friend and mentor. I’d consider her writing as prose because it’s so beautifully layered, and her ability to weave humour into significant feminist issues is beyond impressive.
Elouise Eftos is ‘Australia’s First Attractive Comedian’ and my idol. I’m inspired by her hustle and humility. The way she uses comedy to empower a crowd of women is a masterclass. Elf Lyons is an international clown who creates bonkers work with a lot of heart. Her show Horses brought tears to my eyes both from laughing and from feeling connected to her sincerity.
Favourite venue to play?
Anywhere in Adelaide. Hometown shows where I have friends and friends of friends in the audience makes my heart so happy.
Dream artist to perform alongside?
Ali Wong was one of my first comedy idols, so it would a dream to be on a lineup with her.
Favourite artist to collaborate with?
Unconventional, but I genuinely love working out material with my best friends and ‘Close Friends’ story on Instagram – especially because a lot of them are artists and creatives in their own right.
Where is your performance, and how do you hope it will go?
It’s the final stop of my tour for Maybelline is in her Slut Era, performing at the Hayes Theatre in Sydney on Friday 3rd July at 6.30pm. This show was my debut and so it’s very near and dear to my heart. I haven’t performed it in Sydney for over a year, so I’m thrilled that Sydney audiences and friends get to see the 2.0 version!
The work-in-progress show Maybelline Wasn’t Raised Like This, But She Is Born With It will be performed at the Quartet Bar on June 11 as part of Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
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