Every year during Adelaide Fringe, I try to put together a list of shows that I'm looking forward to or that I think people who like my shows will like. Mostly I try to focus on the smaller, quieter shows outside the big hubs. One truth about the Adelaide Fringe is that it can be very hard for small shows to cut through the noise. But people do find us!
My newsletter Sunday Night In focuses on theatre and literary happenings in and around Adelaide and South Australia. It's a way of highlighting local writers and performers. So this year, my recommendations are focused primarily on local artists and companies. And the main focus is theatre and performance and writing because that's what I know about. During the Adelaide Fringe, I'm sending out Sunday Night In every week, so if you want it delivered straight to your inbox follow the link and subscribe. Otherwise, check back here each week and I'll be listing them here too.
Herewith: Tracy Crisp's Adelaide Fringe 2024 Recommendations #1
I’m really looking forward to Trail’s End. Exploring issues of family and identity, it’s a story of two brothers who take one last camping trip before one of the brothers moves overseas. Led by a team of Aboriginal creatives, it’s presented by Junnali Jones who has a growing list of outstanding writing credits. I think this will be one of those 'I saw them when … ‘ experiences.
I saw Britt Plummer’s Fool’s Paradise last year at the great new venue, the yurt at the Migration Museum. It was a work-in-progress then, and already a quite wonderful auto-biographical story about a wedding with no groom. It’s a lot more fun than that sounds. Britt’s an amazing talent—acting, clowning, and producing a lot of good theatre through her company, Frank.
Another of our state’s talented theatre-makers, Peter Beaglehole, is staging his one-person show, The Tumour Show about his spinal tumour. It promises to be “full of existential whimsy” which is definitely my cup of tea and I’ll be getting along to this.
Fandango is a one-night-only evening of spoken word artists with a lineup including some of my favourite poets and writers. Held at an outdoor venue in Port Adelaide, this will be a lot of fun.
I’ve been sharing a venue with Sarah Kwong for the last couple of years, and her work is wonderful. Original and nuanced, this year’s show is Daughters of Eve reflecting on her relationship with the Catholic church through the reimagining and retelling of stories of Biblical women. Also in our theatre this year are ‘Disney tragics’ Casmira Lorien and David Salter with Distopia two best friends saving the world with the help of their Disney heroes. It sounds brilliant.
Close to my current interests, Menopause the Masterclass, presented by Megan Dyson and Jillian Smith, is a neat concept at a very middle-aged friendly time.
Back at Holden Street for a return season is Demagogue by Safari Street Creative. It’s a fast-paced social satire based in a university. I didn’t see it last year, but everyone I know who did see it said it was fantastic. I saw a reading of their new work earlier this year and the script was sharp and very funny. Demagogue is on my list of things to get along to.
Libby & Matt are some of those people who really make fringe happen. They run a venue, Prompt Creative and stage original, sparkling cabaret. They’re doing a repeat of last year’s Extra Curricular—a must-see for anyone who has ever stood in front of a classroom. They’re also staging a new show, Fashionably Late which carries the message that it’s never too late (for romance, artistic success, dreams). Again, close to my current interests.
My friend Jon Brooks is very funny and very smart and has a great podcast, Gabbin in the Woods with his friend, Liz Allen. It’s a spooky stories podcast and they’ll be doing some live recordings in a bunch of different locations across the month of fringe.
And finally I want to give a shout-out to two young women in my life (not young relative to themselves, but young relative to me). Tori Crisp doing her solo stand-up show, Flying Solo, and Hannah Homburg in the jazzy band Fuja presenting the greatest horn sections of all time (what a brilliant concept!). You’ll see me at both their shows, not only because I love them both but because they are super-talented and I can’t wait to see where their careers go.
