CHARACTERS
The Strippers
IAN
Played by Mark Sant

Ian is a gorgeous narcissist, twenty-something year old. He's a talented mover and committed gym bunny. He's also an in your face, vaguely campy gay guy who invariably gets the bitchiest lines of any of the strippers. Ian is a critical perfectionist but very committed to the club and the team as a whole. On top of all that, he's witty, fun and insightful which means he's one of Melissa's favourites, and an occasional confidante. As their relationship grows, we begin to learn a few things about Ian's love-life, which has nearly as much complexity as Melissa's. Of Ian's many admirable qualities, perhaps the most impressive is his fearlessness, he's not shy when it comes to confronting bullies like Cal or tormentors like Finn.

DANIEL
Played by Dion Murphy

Daniel's a hunk but a very caring, sensitive hunk. The classic gentle giant who is also a true romantic. While occasionally prone to angsting about the ills of the world and moping when life isn't going right, it's also very easy to tell when Daniel's happy – it shows in his moves on stage. Dancing comes to Daniel as easily as breathing to most people, and to him it's just as important – he lives to strut his stuff. Daniel's skill means that he's the first to have ideas about how to realise a new routine, and he's the natural choice to take the guys through rehearsals when Tre isn't around. If Daniel has a character flaw it's to do with his second love – money. He just never seems to be able to get enough of the stuff, and this means he's a pushover when more devious types devise some plan to make a quick buck.


CLINT
Played by Craig Hall

Mother nature has been generous to Clint in some ways, rather less so in others. Blessed with a magnificent physique, truly startling in one aspect, it has to be said that Clint's mental abilities are below par at times. This never worried him in his youth since it was clear to everyone else that his time at school was wasted. All he wanted to do was to be around horses. A mutually satisfactory arrangement between his parents and the owner of the Billanbura Riding Academy in Northern Queensland resulted in Clint spending the happiest eighteen months of his life surrounded by the heady aromas of horse sweat and dung. Unfortunately the owner's daughter returned home from her private school in the spring when all horses, and all humans with a strong horsey streak, are feeling a little frisky. Before Clint knew what was happening he'd been thrown off the property. Poverty and shame eventually led him to the door of a strip club in Rockhampton where he went for a job as a bouncer, but one glance at Clint's trousers told the owner that Clint was wasted on the door, and the rest is history. Clint eventually became a little embarrassed with his growing notoriety on the Sunshine Coast strip club circuit, and decided to cross the Tasman for a fresh start. As the Queensland punters mourn their loss, Man Alive acquires a really big, big new star.


RICHARD
Played by Boyd Bishop

As the only child of Sally-Anne, exotic dancer and solo mother, Richard spent his early years being 'farmed out' to a bizarre assortment of grannies, aunts, third cousins, transvestites and other strippers. This bewildering array of indifferent care-givers gave Richard a deep longing to find a true friend, and he found one in Jesus. He rejoiced when he was accepted for Bible College in California but alas, his ministry was cut short by the untimely arrival of his middle-aged mother fresh from the streets of Sodom. Once on the staff, Richard seeks to introduce insights and inspirational thoughts from the Good Book which results in his getting a pretty hard time, but his work mates can't deny his honest and caring nature and this character defect is tolerated – by everyone except Finn.


FINN
Played by Mike Edwards

We meet Finn as a decidedly dodgy drama teacher at Paige's school. She embarks on a bold plan to get rid of him which backfires when Finn shows up at Man Alive - as Mel's newest stripper. He sets out to take reprisals against Paige, and achieves a degree of success because, while he's clearly a trouble-maker, he has the ability to laugh off his mischief and convince others not to take things so seriously. Armed with good looks and his own cheesy brand of charm, Finn settles down to discover ways of manipulating his workmates for his own devious ends. Although Tre quickly gets the measure of him and is able to wrangle him in her own inimitable way, Finn proves to be a wily adversary. Life backstage at Man Alive is a lot more complicated now that Finn is around.


MOSTIN (Series 1)
Played by Taika Cohen

At first glance, even second, Mostin seems to be the least likely stripper in the world. To start with he's more 'skinny' or 'wiry' than 'muscled'. And he's so weird - a strange cross between a puppy and a Italian waiter on heat. Yet somewhere during the bizarre cabaret act which passes for Mostin's normal behaviour there are moments when he manages to be charming, charismatic, even enthralling. He's got 'Mostin factor' - an intangible, appeal that women go for. Because Mostin genuinely likes women. They sense that, and they feel he's an upbeat, gentle, albeit slightly off, disconcerting person to be around. Mostin's biggest test will be winning over Samara.


CAL (Series 1)
Played by Kelson Henderson

From the outset Cal is a bad boy. He arrives late for his audition on his prized Triumph, immediately rubbing Melissa up the wrong way from day one. Cal lives by a simple rule; 'Look out for number one'. He could definitely be described as 'unscrupulous'; putting the moves on the boss's 16 year old daughter is well within the bounds of what Cal would call 'acceptable behaviour', but he wouldn't be much of a threat except for the fact that he has a sleazy charm which means he can get in under peoples' radar. Cal has a primitive, forceful character - at least he knows what he wants. This quickly establishes him as the main backstage rival for de facto 'Head Stripper' Adam, and the stage is set for recurring antagonism between these two.


BILLY (Series 1)
Played by Stephen Handisides

Billy is a sweet, beautiful looking guy in his twenties who isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer but, hey, his heart is in the right place. Billy likes to have a good time and has no qualms about using his career to meet women. He's an outrageous flirt but that's just part of the job according to him, and besides there's a definite distinction between being a 'fun time' guy and a sleazy playboy. And there are things about Billy which are more complex. For instance, although he likes watching sport, his favourite TV show is The Sopranos and he has a pet cat called 'Tuscany'. Pigeonhole that..