Fringe Shows to watch out for!

Afghanistan is Not Funny
15 February – 13 March
The Studio, Holden Street Theatres

He had machine guns pointed at him. He narrowly dodged a landmine. He was abducted by a local militia and threatened with murder by a war criminal…’Afghanistan Is Not Funny’ is an autobiographical show about comedian Henry Naylor’s shocking 10-day trip to bomb-damaged post-Taliban Afghanistan in 2002.  Invited by a war correspondent friend, Naylor travelled to post-war Kabul see the damage with stills photographer Sam Maynard. But after seeing bomb destruction, landmine victims and refugees – his life was transformed. He metamorphised from a stand-up comedian – into a playwright obsessed with the West’s interaction with the Middle East. 

Subsequently, his series of shows – entitled ‘The Arabian Nightmares’ – have been some of the most decorated in the history of the Adelaide Fringe. Four of his ‘Arabian Nightmares’ have played here – three have won the Overall Adelaide Critics Circle Awards, another Best Overall Theatre, and in total they have won 7 Weekly Awards. The plays have been translated into 12 languages, and in all, have won 39 major theatre awards world-wide – in France, Edinburgh, Los Angeles, Prague and Norway.

Naylor himself will be performing this autobiographical show, which describes his transformative, and dangerous trip – and it will premiere at the Holden Street Theatres. 

On Screen Series at Holden Street run of Fringe
Holden Street Theatres

Four specially filmed international productions from East Vancouver screening in a 10 ‘gold-class seat, cinema’  Three screenings per evening, 170 across the full run of the Fringe. 

The productions include One Hour Photo (the Holden Street Award winner for  2021) Acclaimed writer and performer Tetsuro Shigematsu (creator of hit play Empire of the Son) tells the story of Mas Yamamoto, whose life was swept up by major currents of the 20th century. An award-winning work from Canada’s leading Asian theatre company saturated with the most vivid colours of our times.; Inside Outside Patrick Keating’s captivating new play is the real-life story of years spent in and out of Canada’s penitentiary system; a story about a man’s search for community: the community of the street, the community of prison, and of the theatre; Do you Want What I Have Got; A Craig’s List Cantata Your personal ads, set to music! Join a hilarious cast of wild and wacky characters from the Craigslist community attempting to buy and sell online, while longing and searching for human connection. One of the most popular and critically acclaimed musicals to come out of Vancouver in the last decade!… and The Darlings; A Provocative Evening of Drag from Vancouver Meet The Darlings! Canada’s multi-disciplinary, non-binary drag performance collective whose boundary breaking works challenge conventional drag, exploring genderqueer, nonbinary, and transgender experience through the use of movement, poetry, performance art, theatre, and immersive/interactive installation that has shocked and stormed the Vancouver cabaret and theatre scene.

The Showmen return to Gluttony
18 Feb – 20 March
3 updated productions

Following the sell-out success of their 2020 and 2021 seasons across Australia, securing the award of BEST MAGIC SHOW in the Adelaide Fringe Weeklies; Showmen Productions are once again returning to GLUTTONY for Adelaide Fringe 2022 with three shows The family orientated Greatest Magic Show and Circus and Adults Only Magic

With more whimsical wonders than ever before! Having garnered international acclaim in countries such as Scotland, New Zealand and England; the stars Sam and Justin will be hitting the stage with brand new illusions direct from purchased direct from the same Vegas builder who worked with David Copperfield and Lance Burto! This year at the Fringe, The Ringmaster will be played by the award-winning internationally acclaimed stand-up comedian, TAHIR. 

Circus will be adding a variety of more acts to the cast as the date approaches closer, including hula hoop extraordinaries, aerialists, jugglers, acrobats plus so much more variety circus acts! CIRCUS is an Australian trailblazer in children’s entertainment featuring world-class illusions, tumbling acrobats, highly skilled jugglers, breath-taking and elegant aerialists, comedy and an endearing clown.

The Greatest Magic Show and Circus play weekends and public holidays only

Naomi
The Studio at Holden Street Theatres
March 1-20. 

This Adelaide Fringe, Frank Ford award-winner Patrick Livesey (The Boy, George, Gone Girls, DIRT) returns with an original solo performance, Naomi, about the life of their late mum, Naomi Jean Fornarino, who died by suicide in 2015. In this world premiere directed by Bronwen Coleman (DIRT), Livesey uses verbatim interviews as the basis for this gripping and, at times, heartbreaking new play about love and mental illness. The work began as a personal project for Livesey at the onset of the pandemic. Utilising people’s sudden infinity with Zoom, Livesey, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, began interviewing Naomi’s family and close friends about their memories of her life.

Venus in Fur
The Arch at Holden Street Theatres
March 1-20. 

Adelaide Critic’s Circle and Frank Ford award-winner Wil King (DIRT, ABC/Netflix’s Why Are You Like This) returns for Adelaide Fringe 2022; this time opposite rising star Bridget Gao-Hollitt (Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Superpumped). The pair will star in David Ive’s Tony award-winning Venus in Fur… a witty, barreling examination of sexual politics in the workplace. This smash hit text will be directed by Green Room award-nominee Daniel Lammin.

Nanna stasia
8 – 19 March
The Rhino Room

 When Eleanor Stankiewicz was seven she watched the film Anastasia and imagined that it was the story of her grandmother. She would later discover as an adult that she wasn’t so far from the truth, and so the show Nanna-stasia was born. The NIDA trained actor debuted the show to sold-out houses at The Sydney Fringe winning two awards; Best Writer and the Perth Fringe World Tour Ready Award.

Steven Oliver Bigger and Blacker
Tuesday 8 March – Sunday 20 March
at Gluttony

Comedy star/writer, icon, television and cabaret sensation and self-styled ‘Faboriginal’, Steven Oliver, will make his Adelaide Fringe debut in Steven Oliver: Bigger & Blacker, his cheeky Cabaret Festival hit. The (16+ rated) show will play nightly at 8pm for 12 performances in the Melba Spiegeltent (no show 14 March). Bigger & Blacker is an autobiographical comedy cabaret exploring Steven’s lived experience as a gay First Nations person in the public eye. The show, which has dazzled audiences around the country, delves into stories from Steven’s own life, traversing queer spaces, racism, love, loss and fame, blending his trademark comedic wit with unflinching honesty.  Adelaide’s Helpmann Award-winning performer and musical director Michael Griffiths, will join Steven on keys and harmonies.