New Brisbane show to expose the sordid world of Queensland hospitality

The world has become obsessed with the inner workings of the hospitality scene in movies like The Menu, now a new Brisbane production is set to lift the lid on what really goes on in local eateries.

Movies looking into the sordid depths of the restaurant industry, such as The Menu, Boiling Point and PIG, have take the world by storm in recent years, now two Brisbane hospitality workers are trying to tap into that success with their own television series.

Hospo alumni-turned-actors and writers Olivia Scott and Patrick Hogan have teamed up with internationally renowned casting director Tom McSweeney to film Back of House – a comedy based on the chaos and shenanigans that occur behind the scenes at eateries everywhere.

Patrick Hogan and Olivia Scott will star in the new series Back of House filmed in Brisbane.

The two have more than their fair share of hilarious antics to draw from for the new show, with Scott from the award-winning hospitality family behind top Brisbane venues Farmhouse and Miss Sophia’s Gelateria in Kedron and Oh Boy Bok Choy in Stafford; while Hogan’s family previously owned Brisbane City stalwart Jade Buddha.

“There’s a whole underworld of drama, comedy, pathos, scandal, and raw humanity behind the scenes of any hospitality venue,” Scott said. “Customers come out for a bit of food and beverage theatre; but the best shows are always before and after the venues open and close.”

The two came up with the concept for the TV series driving home from acting class.

“It’s a fictional portrayal inspired by many of the true events and real life venues that we and our friends have experienced in hospitality over the years,” Scott said, although she insisted names would be changed “to protect identities”.

The duo will film the pilot for the series at the end of the month at Scott’s family restaurant Oh Boy Bok Choy, which will remain the main venue for the show.

The pair hopes to sell the ­production to one of the major streaming giants with the help of McSweeney, who has launched the careers of actors such as Mia Wasikowska (Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland), Finn ­Little (Yellowstone) and Phoebe Tonkin (Vampire Diaries).

“Naturally, the ultimate goal would be to align ourselves with one of the streaming giants, however, we are not limiting ourselves to any one particular distributor,” Scott said.