Deviant Dinner Parties for Deep Thinkers
Forget small talk. Forget pretending you care about someone’s job title or those “how good’s this weather?” conversations. Come dive into something a little deeper.
Cue NEUROTICA:The Contemporary Confessional Salon of your dreams (or nightmares).
NEUROTICA is a dinner-party where psychology, art, and pop culture collide. A gathering for deep thinkers, big feelers, and creative misfits who’d rather talk about desire, power, regret, and what it means to be human than the weather.
Each session, a curious crew dives into unexpected, juicy themes guided by provocative prompts and bold questions ~ the kind that spark confession, connection, and the occasional existential crisis.
Think martinis and mind games. Candlelight and confessionals. Conversations that leave you raw, buzzing, and a little undone.
No icebreakers. No echo chambers. Just real talk, bold ideas, and the freedom to say the quiet parts out loud.
Upcoming Events
Sick of the same tired conversations?
Craving connection that cuts deeper than “So, what do you do?”
NEUROTICA is a gathering for deep thinkers and curious humans who want more than polite chatter and name-tag networking. This is your invitation to explore ideas that challenge, connect, and disrupt— over good food, cold bevs, and conversations that leave you oozing with insight.
This session’s theme is:
LOSING CONTROL
Deliciously destabilising. Addiction. Sex. Motherhood. Anger. Fame. Nervous breakdowns. Spiritual surrender. Control is the fantasy that keeps high achievers upright. What happens when it cracks? This session explores the difference between chaos and liberation. Between dissociation and letting go. Between erotic abandon and self-sabotage.
WHEN:
5-8pm
[Dinner from 6pm]
Wed 22 July, 2026
WHERE:
The Ace Hotel,
47-53 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000
Each session brings together a mix of fascinating people to unpack unexpected, juicy topics over some tasty food. You’ll be guided by provocative prompts, mind-bending questions, and the kind of dialogue that sparks self-reflection, fresh perspectives, and maybe even cool new friendships.
Sick of the same tired conversations?
Craving connection that cuts deeper than “So, what do you do?”
NEUROTICA is a gathering for deep thinkers and curious humans who want more than polite chatter and name-tag networking. This is your invitation to explore ideas that challenge, connect, and disrupt— over good food, cold bevs, and conversations that leave you oozing with insight.
This session’s theme is:
HUSTLE OR DIE
Work. Create. Collapse. Repeat. The nervous system on caffeine and comparison. A culture that confuses exhaustion with ambition and treats burnout like a badge of honour. In a world obsessed with optimisation, visibility and endless output, capitalism starts to feel less like an economic system and more like a personality disorder. This session interrogates the cult of productivity, the quiet panic of falling behind, and what happens to the human body and psyche when hustle becomes the only acceptable way to exist.
WHEN:
5-8pm
[Dinner from 6pm]
Wed 28 Oct, 2026
WHERE:
The Ace Hotel,
47-53 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000
Each session brings together a mix of fascinating people to unpack unexpected, juicy topics over some tasty food. You’ll be guided by provocative prompts, mind-bending questions, and the kind of dialogue that sparks self-reflection, fresh perspectives, and maybe even cool new friendships.
What to expect…
A drink on arrival (beer/wine/non-alc)
A high-end pub dinner spread
Guided provocations to fuel meaningful, unscripted conversations
Grown-up party games with a philosophical twist
Unexpected topics that get you thinking
A warm, low-pressure space to connect—whether you’re an overthinker, under-talker or just craving something more real or raw
Meet Your Host
Dr Ash King is a psychologist, writer, and host of the podcast INTERFERING NEUROTIC. She works closely with creative arts workers and runs an intimate peer community for mental health professionals. Equal parts brainy and blunt, Ash believes that carefully curated conversation helps us explore life’s most unruly terrain—intellectual, emotional, and existential. (And yes, she also believes wine sometimes helps.)
Spaces are limited. Curiosity essential. Cynicism welcome.