Daddy Daycare
PROVING ITS OWN POINT: FIVE-STAR SHOW RETURNS TO SEE WHICH DADDIES CAN ACTUALLY EARN THEIR WORKING WITH WOMEN CHECK
Written and performed by Steph Crothers
Directed by Sophie Power (CVNT)
★★★★★ "An uproarious success"
- It's on the House
Next season: Melbourne Fringe Festival 2026
October 5th - 11th at The Motley Bauhaus
Tickets on sale August 7th
Part clowning, part puppetry, part feminist satire, the show imagines a daycare for grown men who must earn their "Working with Women" certification, drawing on Steph's years working as both a children's entertainer and a stripper. Audience members (or "Daddies") are invited on stage, and taught the rules of consent through nursery rhymes, games, and an R-rated puppet. Hailed as "an uproarious success" and "eerily perfect," Daddy Daycare returns sharper, funnier, and just as fearless. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea… and that’s kind of the point.
Beneath the playful surface, Daddy Daycare is a feminist satire about male violence against women, power, and entitlement over women's bodies. As the show unfolds, the sweet, sexy package Steph presents at the top begins to crack, revealing the raw, feminine rage beneath. Across the MICF season, Steph experienced inappropriate behaviour from audience members, had to kick “Daddies” off stage, and drew a handful of angry walkouts from men expecting a strip show - exactly the audience the piece is built to interrogate. Daddy Daycare doesn't have to preach its point; it just shines the lights on what's already in the room.
Reviews
Some snippets from Daddy Daycare reviews. Full reviews available via links below.
★★★★★ - 5/5 stars
“Steph Crothers’ Daddy Daycare is an uproarious success. The authenticity of her childish comedy clearly comes from her time as a children’s entertainer. As for her time as a stripper, maybe someone has stripped to the hokey pokey before, but certainly no one has done so with such panache.”
— It's on the HouseFull review★★★★★ - 5/5 stars
“The show is utter chaos and Steph’s comedy is refreshingly unique. With a real gift for simultaneously making people laugh and squirm, Crothers is a talented artist who manages to engage and entertain the audience with her unique style. An absolutely delightful show that has the audience laughing from start to finish.”
— 27 MagazineFull review★★★★★ - 4.5/5 stars
“Daddy Daycare is a practical study proving that consent + play = pure joy. Steph’s stellar writing paired with Sophie Power’s direction makes for an engaging night that never slows, and I’m itching to give details but I just don’t want to spoil it!”
— Stage Door PodcastFull review★★★★1/2 - 4.5/5 stars
“An empowering assault on the senses that is not for the faint of heart, Daddy Daycare is truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and Crothers’s commanding stage presence marks her as a breakout talent and truly someone who is an instant must-see.”
— Tinsel AND Tap ShoesFull review★★★★★ - 4/5 stars
“In applying a comedic lens to a serious issue, Steph’s derision that the matter should be simple felt astute and accurate. ‘Daddy Daycare’ proved its point of necessity and timeliness from the get-go.”
— Hugging ComediansFull review★★★★1/2 - 4.5/5 stars
“In total, this is a show that is great fun, but it has more substance than just this. It does bring up real questions of the consent culture within our society. And my stomach and mouth hurt from smiling and laughing which is never a bad thing. This is a show that deserves a whole lot of love.”
— What's the ShowFull review