Adelaide Fringe 2016 promises to be the biggest yet with more venues, more genres and a record breaking 1,100+ events from more than 5,000 artists.
The festival kicks off on Friday, 12 February. Fringe Illuminations opens with a special Kaurna Sunset Ceremony at the SA Museum on 12 February. While North Terrace will light the night as digital projection transforms the State Library, Art Gallery, Museum and University of Adelaide into a kaleidoscope of colour.
{youtube}chKtqC-Db_k{/youtube}
Other free Fringe events include the Fringe Parade and the Digital Playground; where the State Library will provide virtual reality headsets to explore works by Australian and International artists. The Google Cube will also bring story to life through six-sided moving image. Plus the traditional freeby events will continue to delight, including: the Fringe Street Theatre programme, Hybycozo, Fringe In The Mall, Fringe At The Airport, Hospital Hilarity, Desert Fringe, Fringe At Westfield, and Fringe At Flinders University.
MUSIC
Music lovers will rejoice at a diverse programme with big names like Colin Hay of Men At Work, ARIA-nominated iOTA and alternative superstar Kate Miller-Heidke. Key acts include:– California Crooners Club with Hugh Sheridan: Sinatra meets Sia in the must-see fusion of jazz classics with modern hits.
– Massaoke: all the fun of karaoke without the self consciousness; sing along to the greatest hits in a dance floor mosh pit.
– Local artists such as The Germein Sisters, Max Savage and Louise Blackwell.
{youtube}kvu1Uwa9x78{/youtube}
CIRCUS
Ever the highlight of festivals, there are plenty of circus acts in 2016:– Fringe favourite 'Luminous' returns for more breathtaking fluorescent acrobatics.
– 'Barbu Electro Trad Cabaret' features scantily-clad, extensively-bearded men in a tongue-in-cheek performance backed by a frenetic electro-trad band.
– World-renowned Dream State Circus provide the ultimate fire and acrobatic spectacle in 'Fuego Carnal'.
– 'The Pianist': solo performer Thomas Monckton demonstrates everything that can go hilariously wrong in a surprisingly acrobatic piano recital.
– 'Les Femmes Circus': an all-female cast fuse contortion, dancing and singing.
MAGIC
– Five year running Adelaide Fringe award winning mentalist Matt Tarrant returns in 'Honestly Dishonest'.– The crowd becomes the act in 'Comedy Hypnosis! Entranced'.
– 'Minor Miracles': a laugh out loud magic show with the Nordic Champion Of Magic and winner of 'Sweden's Got Talent'.
THEATRE
– 'Echoes': from internationally renowned playwright Henry Naylor comes a tale of two English women separated in history – one a Victorian, the other a school girl jihadi.– Receiving an Adelaide Fringe Cultural Fund Grant, the world premiere of 'Beautiful Words' by South Australian Youth Arts weaves together narratives of refugee experience throughout history.
– 'Longing Lasts Longer': undisputed queen of the underground, Penny Arcade explores love, longing and loss with her trademark wit and exuberance.
– 'Beowulf: The Blockbuster': a one-man poignant modernization of the old epic poem Beowulf.
– 'Hart & Bruce' is a powerful exploration of the stolen generation by multi-award winner Noongar man Ian Michael.
FILM
Film buffs should not miss the provocative Australian pokie documentary 'Ka-Ching' and the Fringe Pilot Film Festival – an amalgamation of five minute films by many Fringe artists.
Judith Ludy's 'Ask No Questions Of The Moth'COMEDY
– Fringe favourite and ABC 'Gruen' host Wil Anderson with 'Fire At Wil'.– 'Ask No Questions Of The Moth' by the ever-witty Judith Lucy.
– World premiere of 'The Joy Of Mincing' by Fringe Ambassador Julian Clary.
– Danny Bhoy, Sam Simmons, Dave Hughes, Stephen K Amos, Tessa Waters and Hannah Gadsby. Need we say more?
CABARET
In cabaret, local favourite Michaela Burger celebrates the life of French singer Edith Piaf in 'Exposing Edith'. Award-winning local cabaret performer Michael Griffiths also returns with the songs of Cole Porter in 'Cole'. More highlights:– 'Hans & Willsy: Twins': high camp reigns supreme with the infamous Hans. Now with double the trouble.
– 'PULPSHOW': Push the boundaries with dark comedy, anti-burlesque and cynical pole dancing.
'PULPSHOW'DANCE
For dance and culture try the deep rhythm of 'African Show Boyz', the flamenco flair of Tablao or the acrobatics of the Tesaa Cultural Troupe.VISUAL
Visual art exhibitions abound with Emma Hack – 'New Works, the Emma Hack Art Prize', 'Border Crossings', 'Grit', and crowd favourite 'WTF Renaissance'.If you need a break from all the excitement, you can explore the Adelaide Botanical Gardens with Otanical or literally lie down with Hammocktime. And don’t miss out on the hidden gems of the Little Rundle Street Street Party, Salisbury Secret Garden and Central Market Challenge.
With more than 290 Fringe first-timers, Adelaide Fringe Ambassador Julian Clary encourages taking some risks – “I’m all for sticking a pin in the program and going to see something random and obscure”.
