Famous Sharron to bring glitz to the scandals and secrets of Perth

Secrets, scandals, and hidden histories await at this year’s Fringe World. WA local and ‘Perthonality’ Famous Sharron joins the team at Hidden deTours for a musical and historical romp through the history of Perth as Perth Secrets History Tour—starring Famous Sharron—takes to the streets of Perth from Friday, January 17, and runs every Friday and Saturday until Saturday, February 15, plus Galentine’s Day on Thursday, February 13—with tickets on sale now. BEC WELDON sat down with Famous Sharron to talk about the salacious historical tours.

Hi Famous Sharron, thank you for joining us! You’re back with Hidden deTours for a second year! How are you feeling about your return to Perth’s delectable scandals and delicious secrets this Fringe?

Oh, dolls I’m tickled pink and positively giddy. Turns out a good piece of gossip goes a long way, dolls, especially with the magic of silent disco headphones and a VIP party of Fringe fans.

I love doing TV, but nothing compares to those balmy summer evenings, getting laughs from the audience as I show them a version of Perth they’ve never seen or heard of before.

A historical walking tour of scandalous secrets and salacious scandals with silent disco headphones and tunes—not your average history lesson—what do you and Hidden deTours have in store for Fringe audiences?

Salacious stories, surprising history, and shocking scandals, with a surround-sound soundtrack that transports you to a different era of Perth.

Monique Boucher from Hidden deTours is the master of digging up unusual facts and incredible stories, and I’m fabulous at keeping everyone’s attention. It’s a power combo.

She’s also worked with Whadjuk Noongar colleagues to include the impact of colonialism on Noongar culture and people in the tour too. Side note… she actually does an incredible Moordiboordip Cultural Tour in Rockingham with Whadjuk Tour Guide, Steven Jacob, from In Culture Tours. And I think that tour should be more famous too!

Ok, back to me. Next question?

You’re no stranger to the stage, or to Fringe World, but a silent disco history tour is certainly a unique show experience! How did this partnership with Hidden deTours come about? 

I’ll do anything for attention. When I was first getting famous, Monique was launching her tour company and wanted to do bus tours with a comedian hosting. Most comedians require a spotlight, stage, and a warm-up act… but I bring my own spotlight; the world is my catwalk, and I’m always pretty warm in five layers of tulle… so it was a match made in heaven.

But… then I got too famous, and she got too booked up, and we went our separate ways. A decade later we caught up at a book launch about one of our fave WA scandals, one that we talk about on our tours.

Audrey Jacobs shot her ex-fiancé at a big charity ball in the Government House Ballroom, in front of a room full of people, then a few months later was set free by a jury. It’s a wild story, with so many scandals in it…

At the launch, we were reminiscing about how fun the tours were, and I said, “Let’s do it again.” I thought it would be fun to see what we could make 10 years on. Monique had launched a new silent disco format, and we could do a longer walking version instead of being on a bus. Monique thought I was joking! She assumed I was too famous to have time, which I am.

I messaged her to follow up a few days later, and she said, “Were you serious?” And the rest, as they say, is history.

Hidden deTours’ Monique Boucher is the passionate brains behind the company’s engaging historical tours. Tell us about the collaboration process to create the experience and bring it to life.

She’s the brains; I’m the bling! She digs up all these scandalous stories and finds the facts, and I sprinkle on the sparkle. Together, we’ve created something that’s informative, cheeky, and just so much fun. It’s why we’re doing it for a second season!

Were you a history buff coming into the show? If not, would you say you are now?

(Laughs) Definitely not. I didn’t even know Google history existed. But now I’m a well-heeled historian… literally. Although I do the walking tours in flats… don’t worry, they’re sparkly… think comfort-couture.

After all, why suffer when you can sparkle?

You’re certainly a Perthonality around these parts. Tell us about your journey as a performer in Western Australia.

I’d been telling people I wanted to be famous for years, but it was Sugar Blue who gave me a stage to host their Hollywood Gala. I was trying my hand as a talent agent in Morley Galleria at the time—and they loved the way I talked up the acts on my ‘books.’

After that I just kept being asked to host things, like Hyper Festival, Beaufort Street Festival, and even dog parades, which are still one of my favourite things to host.

Then a local producer, Jacob Fjord, spotted me and offered to put on a season at Fringe World to see how it would go. It was a hit! I was chosen to host VIP tours, the Fringe World Awards, and be interviewed on The Project and had a host of celebrities join me on stage. Since that first Fringe World season, it’s been a whirlwind, and I still haven’t pinched myself, in case I wake up and it was all a dream!

I still remember the day someone in my local shopping centre, the Galleria, stopped me and said, “Wait, aren’t you Famous Sharron?” And I replied, “Yes! Yes, I am!” Then they handed me a flyer for paintballing, and I knew that I’d made it.

Are there any juicy historical tidbits from the show that didn’t make the cut but are worth a mention?

(Laughs) Of course. But Monique has them in a secret vault for her other bus tours and walking tours. She does gin tours, wine tours, brewery tours, whisky tours, hidden bar tours, cultural tours, and stargazing tours, from Perth to Rockingham—so that’s a lot of facts and fun!

Speaking of secrets, how do you conquer 2.7 km and two hours of non-stop history and tunes and still manage to look absolutely fabulous?

Setting spray that could survive a cyclone, a personal spotlight to show my best side—they’re all my best side—and a ball gown that’s functional and fabulous.

What part of Perth are you most looking forward to revealing for Fringe audiences?

My favourite part of the tour is watching Perth transform in front of people as we walk past places and spaces with incredible stories in them, and most of us—my past self included—have no idea! I love the glitz and the glamour of the city side and the wild west of the Northbridge side. The city is basically a mullet: party at the back (Northbridge) and business at the front (CBD).

In the maelstrom of exciting 2025 Fringe shows, this is certainly a unique offering, but what would you say to punters who maybe need a little more convincing?

Apart from the awards and the rave reviews? This is a special show, and it’s not just Monique and I that think so. It won’t run forever, but people will talk about it for years. Don’t be the person that missed it.

Perth Secrets History Tour—starring Famous Sharron hits the streets from Friday, January 17, and runs every Friday and Saturday until Saturday, February 15, plus Galentine’s Day on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au