Adelaide Fringe
Jennifer Wong transmutes her diagnoses of depression and degenerative eye disease into a quick-flowing hour of self-deprecating, hilariously absurd situational stand-up. ★★★★½
Adelaide Fringe
Feisty and feminist, Helen of Troy lobs some truth bombs about unattainable beauty standards and the problems of being female in both the ancient world and this one. ★★★★
Comedian Mel Buttle’s social media followers know her largely as her suburban mum character Lynn, and in her hour-long Adelaide Fringe show she gives us that and more. ★★★★½
In an elegantly decorated room at The Jade on Flinders Street, Lauren Edwards steps up to the microphone to share her gripes with the modern world and today’s broken capitalism, and sing a song or two. ★★★ ½
Lano’s recounting of Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick is disjointed as Woodley, in his typical role as earnest but annoying sidekick, constantly threatens to derail proceedings by helping out. This show is a joy. ★★★★★
A comedian recounts the experience of trading a live audience for the blank walls of a warehouse studio in this compelling exploration of art, creativity, and mental health in the age of COVID. ★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
Blisteringly anarchic and devilishly clever, Creepy Boys would like you to attend a birthday party for some very horny twin teenage brothers in a yurt. ★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
Comedians Greg Fleet and Krutika Harale have merged their skill sets of writing, acting, and stand-up comedy to create this original reworking of A Star is Born. ★★★
Adelaide Fringe
Not-for-profit theatre group Iran Saye Theatre is presenting an intriguing, though difficult to follow, experimental multimedia performance at this year’s Fringe. ★★★
Adelaide Fringe
Beat looping magician Adam Page borrows drum samples from artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Led Zeppelin and Taylor Swift to create a one-man symphony, but it’s when he picks up the sax that his show really sings. ★★★ ½
The class of Year 7C takes audiences on a musical trip back to school PE classes – and perhaps the dread that came with them. ★★★★★
Millicent Sarre is Opinionated is an entertaining, emotional and, for many, eerily familiar journey through modern feminism, the ridiculousness of prejudice, and the damaging role patriarchy has played in all our lives. ★★★★★
Unabashedly joyful and devilishly close to a copyright violation, Reclaiming Harry fights to reclaim the multi-million-dollar franchise for those who love it most – the fans. ★★★★
In this memoir show wearing stand-up comedy clothes, Colin Ebsworth searches for laughs, larger meaning and a sense of understanding amid the detritus of his years spent growing up in a cult. ★★★ ½
Adelaide Fringe
The perfectly paired Nat Harris and Hannah Camilleri present a selection of delectable comedic treats in their new sketch show. ★★★★ ½
Adelaide Fringe
A team of top creatives has brought together some of Australia’s most talented theatre and opera performers to present this vaudevillian production that is right at home in the circus-like Wonderland Spiegeltent. ★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
A mesmerising, immaculate contemporary dance production overflowing with emotional resonance, the Australian debut of Taiwanese company Hung Dance’s internationally acclaimed work is a Fringe gem of heart-stirring beauty. ★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
Over a cringe-inducing hour, actor Ellen Graham takes audiences on a tour of egregious objectifying encounters that lead to an absurdist and logically extreme end. ★★★
With the strong reputation of the Best of the Edinburgh Fest from previous Adelaide Fringe festivals, there was good reason to hope it would be a winner again in 2023. Happily, we can tick that box. ★★★★
This focused and captivating ode to one classic album of gritty realism, melancholy tales and raw social commentary is an enervating and uplifting experience, in the best tradition of The Boss himself. ★★★★ ½
Making fun of a contestant’s nerd-factor is an artform Tom Gleeson has mastered in his knowledge-based game show Hard Quiz, and never has it felt so right to laugh with the tormenter. ★★★★ ½
Alex and the Babes spin a three-act play from three lines of poetry and thin air as five rapid-firing minds combine to create improv comedy gold in Haiku For You. ★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
This uplifting hour of well-known Beatles tunes is delivered with theatrical flair, musical punch and, importantly, feeling. It’s not just a tribute show but also great entertainment. ★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
Adventure Rooms Adelaide takes players into the seedy underbelly of the organised crime world in the live escape-room experience Mafia. ★★★ ½
Showcasing some of the top acrobatic talent in Fool’s Paradise, Crème de la Crème offers an evening of flirty theatrics, impressive feats and hilarious antics. ★★★ ½
Sarah McLeod and Carla Lippis are electrifying as the Adelaide Fringe’s favourite supergroup returns to rock audiences with their finely tuned hour of rock, grunge and soul, paying homage to famous musicians who never saw the age of 28. ★★★★
They walked among the gods in the hit 2022 Adelaide Fringe show Oracle; now, Bass Fam Creative return to drag audiences down to the depths of hell with the frightening Adelaide premiere of Mansion. ★★★★★
Rubber-limbed and deadpan, New Zealand mime wizard Thom Monckton makes an hilarious return as the selfish king whose only subject is himself. ★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
It’s not the Fringe without a maze to conquer, and this year Kaleidoscope is all about reflection, perspective and dizzying optical illusion. ★★★
Adelaide Fringe
French pyrotechnic percussionists Les Commandos Percu kicked off the Adelaide Fringe with a bang – literally – as they lit up the riverbank with a primal storm of percussion, flame and fireworks. ★★★★
The ever-energetic Umbilical Brothers keep the laughs coming as they return to the Fringe with their daftly hilarious, award-winning mash-up of live performance, real time footage and green-screen-trickery. ★★★★ ½
The title of this show describes Ross Noble’s wild, stream-of-consciousness style, but doesn’t do justice to the hilarious ingenuity of the content. Celebrating his 21st tour, the comedian again proves himself the virtuoso of improvisational stand-up. ★★★★
Are the rumours of Sherlock Holmes’ demise true? Has he met his end at the hands of his arch nemesis? All is revealed in this gripping solo stage show starring British actor Tim Marriott. ★★★★★
Peter Goers takes a trip through Adelaide’s nostalgic past with jokes, friendly faces, and a surprise appearance. ★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
We are always in need of new ways to explore heartbreak, and Mustard – through the art of storytelling and the aid of potent symbolism – provides us with just that. ★★★★★
Adelaide Fringe
This high-energy, tightly professional and foot-tapping slice of soul, jazz, blues and more blends rich melodies, driving rhythms, and global and local talent for a lively hour of captivating music. ★★★★
Adelaide Fringe 2023 Ambassador Penny Arcade – an icon of Andy Warhol’s Factory crew – tells it like she lived it in a ‘memoir show’ at new city-centre venue The Pyramid. ★★★★
‘Where does the body end and the avatar begin?’ In a series of absorbing interactive spaces, FLEX plays with the links between our physical selves and the environments we inhabit. ★★★★
