The cold Melbourne winter may be on its’ way out, but the Melbourne Fringe Festival has made a fiery return with over 400 shows. We know that’s a lot of choices so we’ve narrowed it down to the top 10 cream of this year’s performance crop between September 15 – October 2. It’s better to be kicking the seat in front of you than kicking yourself for missing out.
FRINGE WITH FRIENDS
Love Letters to Fuckbois
We all want R-E-S-P-E-C-T. But sometimes we get more 3AM booty call texts asking ‘u up?’ instead. Love Letters to Fuckbois is for anyone who has tried and failed in their conquest for romance – so absolutely everybody. You might not find the one, but at least you’ll know the next one to swipe right to.
Improv Against Humanity
If you enjoy a raunchy party game but would rather have someone hilarious play, let Improv Against Humanity do it for you. The cards are already morbidly funny but who knows how far the improvisers will take it. Every horrible idea will be brought to life with a performance that will leave you clutching your moral pearls.
The Virtual Reality Fringe
Move over 3D! The Virtual Reality Fringe is here to stay. Whether it’s sailing on an 1800’s ship or stepping into the mind of an architect, you’ll be fully immersed in a fantastical world doing things you can only dream of.
FRINGE DATE NIGHT
The Curiosity Experiment
Not for the faint of heart, The Curiosity Experiment takes you through a haunting night with the supernatural Delamere family – blindfolded. There’s a theory that any object that has been intimately associated with strong human emotion is able to communicate with a sensitive mind. How sensitive is yours? Your stomach will flip, your spine will chill, and your eyes will be closed.
Sky Light at Arbory
Look up in awe as Melbourne’s most iconic buildings across the Yarra become connected with powerful beams of laser light. Sky Light promises to be a visual and audial delight full of electronic soundscapes and beams of light. The best part? You can enjoy it with an espresso martini in hand.
Undertone
You won’t find a creepy clown or the same old tightrope here. Undertone combines fresh electronic music with dangerously sleek stunts that’s sure to make your heart stop. After experiencing the winner of the Perth Fringe soundscape, you’ll never want to go to a regular circus again.
SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Lisa Skye: Art, Sex and Snacks
Every night Lisa-Skye will be serving up something new, hilarious and just a bit naughty in the form of her carefully selected panel of the most intriguing and renowned artists. They’ll discuss their art (duh!), but also sex and snacks?! Last year we discovered the disgusting favorite late night snack of puppeteers, stranger-than-fiction sex stories of dancers and how award-winning actors ‘unwind’. Who knows what we’ll find out this year!
Annex
For their Fringe debut, The Space School of Performance Art will push boundaries and dive into the experimental. Four interconnected physical dance theatre works will explore four vastly different concepts ranging from the comedic to the deeply conceptual. Each work will leave you with pieces of a puzzle to discover and weave together.
Can’t Be Tamed
Imagine being Miley Cyrus but not actually having to deal with Miley Cyrus. Can’t Be Tamed is the best of both worlds as you grow up and fall down the rabbit hole with the starlet that twerked her way into our hearts. Walt Disney might be rolling in his grave, but you will be rolling in your seat.
Soula’s Kitchen
Soula’s English skills aren’t the best. In fact, they’re non-existent. But food is a language we can all understand. Be her guest, grab a seat at the table and watch her attempts to fit in and become part of Australian society. She’ll make you laugh. She’ll make you cry. She’ll stuff you silly.
SPECIAL MENTION
And of course, we could absolutely not talk about the Melbourne Fringe without mentioning our friend who is always On The List. There’s storytelling, then there’s Sammy J and his Hero Complex. He will take you from his mysterious childhood all the way to the birth of his daughter. Sammy J is a star so make sure you’re there for the journey before he’s out of our orbit!
We love taking trips down memory lane, so here’s a throwback to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival when Sammy J made his debut On The List.
Still on the hunt for other Fringe shows? Jewish-ish, Matt Stewart and I Wish I Owned a Hotel for Dogs will have you laughing your heart out in classic comedy style. While ApocOlympics comes from left-field with a scorching parody of everyone’s favourite (or least favourite) sporting event. Finally, cabaret lovers must check out Not Another Indie Cabaret and Mama Alto for their take on the musical genre.
Written By:
Trung Le is a screenwriting student at the Victorian College of the Arts. If he is not watching Sex and the City, then he is eating at the Elizabeth Street Schnitz. Follow his instagram if you love yourself.
Nadine is a recent graduate of media communications and psychology from the University of Melbourne. In her spare time, you’ll typically catch her reading a good book, hitting up Melbourne’s coolest restaurants and bars, or finding her next adrenaline rush. She also can’t say no to a good scoop of gelato or pizza slice. See what she gets up to on her Instagram.
