Ross Mollison: Creativity, Risk, and Reinvention
Host Anna Robb sits down with Ross Mollison—the audacious producer, creative risk-taker, and founder of Spiegelworld, the trailblazing company behind Absinthe, Atomic Saloon Show, DiscoShow, The Hook, and the psychedelic dining experience Superfrico. With roots in rural Australia and a career spanning children’s theatre, global touring hits, and Las Vegas mainstays, Ross has redefined what it means to build entertainment ecosystems—from pop-up tents to surrealist desert towns.
In this preview, Anna and Ross trace his journey from university musicals to multimillion-dollar spectacles, unpack the art of reinvention in live performance, and explore what it takes to stay creatively fearless in a business-driven world. From Vegas Strip risks to visionary experiments in the Mojave, from intimate dinner shows to immersive spectacles, they discuss how boldness, intuition, and audience connection fuel the Spiegelworld machine.
Enjoy this glimpse into their high-energy conversation—and be sure to tune in next week for the full episode.
How did you transition from a small-town Australian performer to an international entertainment producer?
Ross Mollison:
My journey began in Victoria, Australia, where I grew up surrounded by people who loved circus. I was into music as a kid—electronic organ, piano, violin, then chorus and musicals. I always thought I might be a doctor or musician, but producing became my path because I loved putting things together and creating live moments. At university, I spent far more time in the campus theatre than in my economics classes, producing shows like West Side Story and touring children’s theatre. That experience taught me both the art and the business of performance. The show Puppetry of the Penis was my first big international break—it brought me to the U.S. and proved that something inexpensive and provocative could also be wildly successful. It taught me how to produce fearlessly and creatively.
What sparked the creation of Spiegelworld, and how did it evolve into a Vegas powerhouse?
Ross Mollison:
Spiegelworld began in New York with a bold decision to launch under the Brooklyn Bridge at Pier 17—totally off the beaten path. It looked incredible and defied conventional wisdom. We were inspired by the intimacy of David Bates’ La Clique at Edinburgh and wanted to move away from arena-scale productions like Cirque du Soleil’s. But in 2008, the financial crisis hit, and we lost a deal with the Fontainebleau in Vegas. That led to legal and financial chaos. Eventually, we started over by putting a small tent in front of Caesars Palace—a move many thought was crazy. But launching Absinthe in 2011 worked because nothing new was happening in Vegas post-crash. Our scrappy audacity gave locals something fresh, intimate, and unlike anything else on the Strip. It stood out in a city dominated by spectacle.
How do you keep each new Spiegelworld show unique and creatively daring?
Ross Mollison:
We never try to recreate the same formula. After Absinthe, we knew there was no point in making another version of it—we couldn’t outdo “O” by Cirque or our own work. Instead, we develop shows based on what excites us. DiscoShow, for instance, is driven by music, dance, and immersive tech—a massive departure from Absinthe. We have a design group called NUDE (Nipton Office of Design) that focuses on everything from venue architecture to creative direction. We work with a broad mix of directors, choreographers, and artists, allowing the creative to shape the business model—not the other way around. That freedom ensures each show feels entirely fresh. Whether it’s a restaurant, bar, or 50-seat theatre, the creative comes first, and we build the venue around the vision.
Does audience demographic influence your creative decisions, and how important is venue location?
Ross Mollison:
Yes—but not in the traditional way. We’ve had massive success in what many would call “bad locations”: Superfrico is buried behind a theatre at The Cosmopolitan, Atomic Saloon is hard to find on the third floor of The Venetian, and yet they’re hits. Our belief is: if the experience is exciting, people will find you. That said, we do have rules. For example, I don’t like to produce shows where the average ticket price is higher than the average hotel room rate. But even those rules get broken. Demographic awareness matters—for example, DiscoShow appeals to both nostalgic baby boomers and curious 20-somethings. What we aim to do is create buzz—if the product is compelling, the audience will come regardless of the neighborhood or price point.
What’s next for Spiegelworld—and what’s the vision for your new project, “Circus Town” in Nipton?
Ross Mollison:
During the pandemic, we bought Nipton—a tiny town 45 minutes from Vegas. We had already done a retreat there, loved it, and thought: What if we created a surrealist circus town? Now we’re building it out with artist residences, a ceramic studio, and renovated Spartan Imperial Mansion trailers. The vision includes big tops, sculpture parks (we’re rebuilding the Bloom sculpture from Burning Man), and immersive accommodations. Artists can stay for a night or a month. We’ve already workshopped shows there, like our Formula One performance and Lady Magic, which premieres in Edinburgh but might tour to Vegas, Macau, or Australia. It’s a creative playground—a radical way to support new ideas and live differently. We’re not just making shows—we’re building community and infrastructure for imagination.
Key Insights from the Podcast
Creative Risk Is Central to Spiegelworld’s Success
Ross builds shows around passion and instinct, not formulas. Each production—from Absinthe to DiscoShow—is intentionally distinct, designed to surprise audiences and break the mold of traditional Vegas entertainment.Location Matters Less Than Excitement
Whether tucked behind a theatre (Superfrico), hidden on a third floor (Atomic Saloon), or staged in a tent (Absinthe), Ross proves that if the experience is exciting enough, audiences will find it—sometimes making the journey part of the story.The Business Model Follows the Creative Vision
Spiegelworld doesn’t start with a financial framework. Instead, they lead with creativity—building venues, shows, and even restaurants around the experience they want to create. This inversion keeps the work original and audience-focused.Ross is Building a ‘Circus Town’ in the Mojave Desert
In Nipton, California, Spiegelworld is developing an artist haven and creative campus with boutique accommodations, rehearsal spaces, artist residencies, and sculpture parks—a surreal playground for innovation, training, and development.Audience Insight Is a Strategic Priority
Ross pays close attention to demographics, pricing, and market rhythms, but never lets data override creative daring. He considers how to excite specific audiences without diluting artistic integrity—and isn’t afraid to challenge industry assumptions.
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
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