The full 2021 FRINGE WORLD Festival program is now on sale! Well not quite. There are in fact over 350 incredible shows now on sale and in the coming weeks there will be some surprises with more shows going on sale.
FRINGE WORLD Festival Director Amber Hasler explained that the Festival usually releases its full program in November, but with the evolving border changes more shows will go on sale as and when artists need them to.
“We’ve made the 2021 FRINGE WORLD Festival the most supportive and flexible platform for our artist’s work and we’re so excited that the Festival will be a shining light to look forward to,” said Ms Hasler.
“For the Western Australian community, the Festival is the best opportunity to celebrate summer, enjoy entertainment and connect with family and friends through the magic of live entertainment.”
Highlights of the shows now on sale include a program heavy with must-sees at Girls School, the Fringe hub that’s a Grand Place for Good Times. Drawcards include the delightful, multi-sensory musical experience of Ballads, Banksias and Beauty by Fringe stalwart Jessie Gordan, and star of the award-winning Abandoman and sketch-comedy king James Hancox returns with his new show Action.
The UK native has been bunkered down in Australia since quarantine hit and is one of the few international artists performing in the Festival with FRINGE WORLD featuring 83% of shows from WA, 6% international (artists who’s permanent address is not Australia but were in the country pre-quarantine) and 11% from interstate.
Also at Girls School is the theatre work FIRE – a world premiere by local Indigenous group Kaylakoorl Collective presenting an authentic look at sisterhood and culture. For some silliness, Swedish clown Oliver Nilsson will charm and titillate in The Baroque – a rollercoaster of slapstick and the sublime.
At Perth’s favourite Fringe playground, The Woodside Pleasure Garden, the mischievous and mysterious male voice choir Men of the West present A Day in the Life of a Man plus Rouge returns for more non-stop, surprising, subversive and supremely sexy circus.
Worship – The Gilded Edition is a gothic, performance- art, burlesque, circus show with a little extra something-something and notoriously debauched Perth cabaret icon Tomás Ford presents Have A Bath With Me? – a late-night show that’s so clean, the host is presenting from inside a bath tub.
The joy of Fringe is for everyone, and Children’s Events are still a big highlight of the program. At The Woodside Pleasure Garden join VIKINGS Ulf and Ragnar on an epic voyage of circus and comedy across rough seas.
At the Kalamunda Hotel and The Landing Alkimos see comedian Simone Springer find the answer to age old the question, who is better parents or kids, in the hilarious Kids vs Old Farts. At the Y HQ is Do The Hibble Hop is a hip hop experience from hip hop artist, qualified school teacher and certified counsellor, Hesh Habibullah.
There are 93 venues spread all over the Perth metro area including some new and returning hubs where you can enjoy multiple shows across the Festival. These include the new State of Play hub at The State Theatre Centre of WA featuring Dr Ahmed Gets Hitched – A Wedding Extravaganza! with his epic retelling of his Greek-Pakistani-inter-faith-inter-racial-same-sex wedding.
Subilicious returns with a stellar musicals program, the new Magic Nation hub at Metro City is packed with comedy and magic and Aces at The Maj promises a quality cabaret selection including Dangerous Game where you enter a thrilling world of espionage and jazz.
New venues appearing for the first time at FRINGE WORLD are After Dark – a touch of New York in the Perth CBD located on the top floor of a formerly derelict building, and Rendezvous Hotel in Scarborough featuring a comedy program and showpieces like Crap Music Rave Party: The High School Ball.
FRINGE WORLD has made a range of changes to support artists and customers to engage fully in the Festival despite the COVID-19 restrictions. For artists and participants some fees have been waivered or deferred until after the Festival, and artists have greater flexibility than ever before to participate.
Audience members will also have peace of mind that if a show is cancelled or if they have COVID-19 symptoms they can get a refund and the Festival has a comprehensive COVID Safe Plan.
The 2021 FRINGE WORLD Festival runs Friday 15 January to Sunday 14 February. For more information, visit: www.fringeworld.com.au for details.
Image: Oliver Nilsson stars in The Baroque – photo by Ramsay Taplin