As the Adelaide Fringe reaches the final quarter of its four-week life, the tempo of the event changes. The audience and the artists are tired and weary. Some are elated. Some are just waiting to be newly discovered. With over 1500 shows on offer, it can be difficult to be heard above the noise of…
From the producers of burlesque show The Delinquents, their new show Fafi D’Alour is just as fun and exciting. A five piece band sets the tone of the evening in the upstairs room at the House of Delinquents in Adelaide’s Pirie Street. It’s a feature of the Adelaide Fringe that venues are created all over the…
As the audience take their seats in the Speigeltent, the atmosphere is already electric. Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is described as the hottest cabaret, East of Berlin! The three piece “haus band” are already on-stage, filling the tent with upbeat tunes. Meanwhile, dazzling performers sashay through the assembled throng, handing out flags emblazoned with “Slut”,…
The darkened stage contains little but a white telephone upon a table. It rings. Young dancers, clad in harlequin-style outfits race to answer it, reminding us of the time that was commonplace in our homes. It becomes a dance of calling, answering and connecting, setting the scene for what is to come. The young Taiwanese…
The circus spectacular, La Ronde made its debut at the Adelaide Fringe last year to rave reviews. Since then it has toured and transformed and is back at the Fringe better than ever. Created by the producers of Blanc de Blanc and LIMBO and with a blend of familiar and new characters, it is sure…
Virtuoso acrobatics, debaucherous drag, hedonistic humour, heart-stirring heights, insane fire breathing. Club D’Amour: Encore has it all. By the end of the show, it’s hard to believe they actually packed all that into 80 thrilling minutes. But time flies when you’re having fun, right? Even after a 30-minute delay on opening night with a sell-out crowd…
Seductive. Sultry. Sensual. These are just a few words to describe the luxurious ambiance of Piper’s Playhouse; a new, bespoke Parisian cabaret club at the heart of Crown Melbourne. Travel up the escalators and step behind the velvet curtain to be transported to a night of intrigue, awe and immersion, where jazz, burlesque and circus…
Teleportation may not be possible just yet, but Maho Magic Bar is the closest we’ve come! Situated in the newly opened Spiegel Haus Melbourne precinct, step into a bespoke space that stimulates the senses and transports you to an authentic Tokyo magic bar without ever leaving your backyard. Combining dazzling magic, classic cocktails and laughs…
What better way to celebrate the grand opening of Spiegel Haus Melbourne, a new entertainment venue in the heart of the CBD, than with a sexy, sultry and seductive adults-only spectacle? Blanc de Blanc Encore is a sensual mix of cabaret, circus and comedy, turning this eclectic Melbourne venue into a Parisian, champagne-fuelled delight for…
Walking through the doors of The Grand Electric was like stepping back into a 1920s speakeasy. A circular stage dominates the centre of the room, with chairs and tables scattered around it. Above the stage, like the crowning jewel, sits an enormous disco ball, that showers the room in dancing bursts of light. The mood…
Charlie Chaplin has long been recognised as a worldwide silent movie icon and is considered one of the film industry’s most important figures. In the theatre comedy show “Smile”, talented artist Marcel Cole brings to life the story of the Little Tramp and the man who created him. The Courtyard of Curiosities is a small…
To sum up Spyhard, suave English agent Antonio Tranderas (Anthony Tran) and the captivating Russian operative Faytasha Romanov (Fay MacFarlane) are caught up in a world of acrobatics and high-flying stunts. As a tribute to the action spy movies from the 80s and 90s, Spyhard ticks all the boxes. The duo, known as Circus Sorbet,…
As the audience files into The Flamingo Tent at Gluttony, a Deadpool like voice is making wisecracking commentary. We soon discover that there is indeed a Deadpool character seated amongst the unwitting patrons, and he is just as irreverent as the Marvel movie character. What ensues is essentially Deadpool reading us a naughty bedtime story,…
Tom Weil is a magician and mind reader with 20 years of experience. This makes for a satisfying series of gasps and applause from the Adelaide Fringe audience packed into the Kingfisher tent in Gluttony. His particular speciality of mentalism leaves many wondering if, indeed, he can read minds. How did he predict where people…
Strut and Fret company have two shows in the Spiegeltent in Garden of Unearthly Delights this year, Limbo the Return and La Ronde. Both are extravagant ventures into circus, trapeze and aerial performances. Under director Scott Maidment’s keen eye for detail, La Ronde is a spectacular and captivating performance that keeps the energy levels high…
This is the third year for the successful MAHO Magic Bar in the Garden of Unearthly Delights. The room is set up like the magic bars in alleyways in Tokyo. Many of the show’s performers work or even own one of these magic bars, which is what makes the experience so authentic. While waiting for…
Limbo has been a favourite at the Adelaide Fringe Festival over the years. Director Scott Maidment has presented an acclaimed collection of shows such as Le Gateau Chocolat, The Purple Rabbit, The Party, Blanc de Blanc and of course the original Limbo. Having made its debut at the Adelaide Fringe in 2013, the show has…
In my life, I’m constantly looking for experiences that surprise me. Montreal’s Cirque du Soleil is one such company that helps me regularly tick that box, with their breathtaking touring and residency productions all over the world. And their new production ‘Auana in Honolulu, Hawaii, is no exception. Years in the making, ‘Auana debuted at…
For decades now, Cirque du Soleil has been the king of the Las Vegas strip – producing almost a dozen residency shows for the city since 1993, with close to 10,000 people witnessing the Montreal company’s spectacle every night. Residency shows are typically designed for the destination, usually in a room custom built for the…
Cirque Bon Bon, a 75-minute delightful cabaret-style show packed with exhilarating acrobats, contortionists and dancers, has been a wild success so far. Since its creation in 2021, it has attracted over 14, 000 patrons across Australia. It’s a French-themed yet Aussie-made circus/cabaret act, brought to life by Cirque Du Soleil Assistant Creative Director Ash Jacks…
This week marks the end of a 18 year legacy, as the groundbreaking Cirque du Soleil production Love, celebrating the catalogue of The Beatles, closes this Saturday at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Debuting on 2nd June 2006, the show was Cirque’s first using existing IP, setting up a dream opportunity for publishers to engage…
Celebrating twenty-two years of open-access artistry, the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe presented a VIP preview at Arthur’s Art Bar, promising an exciting program to come. Creating a Cabaret Fringe Festival was the vision of the late Frank Ford AM, father of the Fringe and founder of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Conceived in 2001 as the ‘enfante…
Elf Lyons bounces on stage. The audience is crammed into the basement-like Gallery Theatre, the front row with a plastic sheet “for protection.” In fact the entire set is covered in plastic, looking like Patrick Bateman’s room from one of the murder scenes from American Psycho. We’ve already been warmed up with a soundtrack including…
The Infamous circus tent is a beacon in Ellis Park, on Adelaide’s West Terrace, right next door to Adelaide High. The massive purpose built Spiegel big-top houses the Ashton Family touring circus. The circus was acquired by James Henry Ashton in 1850, and today is run by 6th generation Ashtons and is now known as…
Gravity and Other Myths is the company presenting the show Ten Thousand Hours. The title of the show pays respect to those performers who spend upwards of 10,000 hours honing their craft. It’s generally considered how much time is required to become competent at a craft. In a way there is a nod to both…
The Masonic Hall on North terrace in Adelaide is an imposing building, that has a sense of curiosity to most people. For the 2024 season of the Adelaide Fringe, the Electric Dreams collective have bought together a selection of visual treats. Entrance to the shows are via the front entrance into the basement, where a…
The Adelaide Fringe is spread over several hubs around Adelaide, and indeed around the state. Fools Paradise in Victoria Square, in the city centre is one of those. A couple of large circus tents, a trapeze school, food and drink outlets and some fun installations are dotted around. While it may not have the glamour…
Recreating the feeling of the famous magic bars dotted throughout Tokyo, The Maho Magic Bar has set up shop in Adelaide Fringe‘s Garden of Unearthly Delights. The Garden itself is probably the best known hub of the Fringe, in the parklands east of Rundle Street in Adelaide. While the clientele relaxes in the outside bar waiting…
Most people would be familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby (or at least Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film of the same name) and the story of mysterious and wealthy Jay Gatsby, his love for Daisy Buchanan and his unfortunate end. GATSBY at The Green Light, playing at the Sydney Opera House, transforms…
There are circus performances, and then there are circus performances. Circus 1903, with a very limited run at the Sydney Opera House, is a visual feast, dazzling audiences and leaving jaws on the floor with serious talent. This show has aerialists, contortionists, cyclists, jugglers, strongmen, clowns, and everything in between. Circus 1903, which toured across…
