Top Picks for 2025 Adelaide Fringe

With more than 1,300 shows across comedy, theatre, cabaret, music, visual arts, interactive experiences and more spread across 500 venues throughout South Australia, this year’s Adelaide Fringe program invites audiences from near and far to immerse themselves in the iconic festival’s spirit of creativity, accessibility, and innovation. With so much so, Australian Arts Review takes a look at twenty events worth checking out!

All These Pretty Things
Georgie’s Bar at Woodville Town Hall: 23 February – 7 March
What do you do when your husband leaves you for your teenage goddaughter? You dye your wedding dress black, write some killer songs and make a show – #TrueStory – An emotionally raw blend of memoir and song, Tracey Yarad’s All These Pretty Things is a phoenix rising from the ashes story, taking the audience from Australia and the fallout of a devastating divorce following her husband’s affair with their teenage goddaughter, to New York City and an inspiring new life. An evocative portrayal of one woman’s capacity to come back stronger than ever, it is an inspirational testament to the human spirit.

Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry
Various Venues: continues to 23 March
From Tim Motley, winner of TWENTY Fringe Festival awards & creator of Prohibition… Experience the wonder of world-class wizardry in a realm of messenger owls, robed wizards, and flying broomsticks! Witness feats of sorcery in person, as a grown-up wizard delves into an untold story… with jokes!

Cabaret Unscripted
Hetzel Room at State Library: 18 – 23 March
Prepare to be dazzled, delighted, and utterly disarmed by Cabaret Unscripted, the unique and hilarious musical comedy. This isn’t just any cabaret; it’s your cabaret, creatively crafted each night from audience suggestions and transformed into an evening of music, comedy, and improvised charm. Isabella Valette and Greg Lavell draw you into a world of 1930s cabaret, melding razor-sharp wit with stellar musicality in this award-winning show.

Delusions and Grandeur
Ayers House State Dining Room: 26 February – 23 March
In a classical cello recital meets performance art clown show, Karen Hall skilfully walks the line between artistry and insanity. Featuring Suite Number One in G Major by JS Bach and personal comedic pieces crafted in Idiot classes, Karen fuses in a healthy dose of pathos as she tackles identity, expectations, and success through the eyes of a fool. Karen boasts a diverse resume having graced the stages of Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to behind the scenes work in studio sessions for everything from indie singer/songwriter albums to work on soundtracks for Emmy-nominated shows. Karen most visibly spent four seasons on camera as the Cellist on the TV show, Glee, and performs regularly with various symphony orchestras throughout the Los Angeles area.

Ember Flame: SOLO
Little Reid Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios: 27 February – 1 March
What does love mean when you’re a prudish stripper and ageing queer always nursing existential heartbreak Australia’s burlesque poet Ember Flame explores her longing for connection – and equal fear of it – at a time when human connection may be all that can save us. Solo is fresh from a sell-out season at Sydney Fringe. Expect comic storytelling, seductive dancing and poignant poetry in a show that will make you laugh, think, possibly cry – and hopefully feel less alone.

FLOP
Spiegel Zelt at The Garden of Unearthly Delights: 4 – 16 March
Arthur Hull uncovers some of the best songs from the worst musicals ever written. The neon lights aren’t always bright on Broadway, for every hit there are 50 flops. This show is a love letter to the rollercoaster world of musicals and the people who make them – people who need people. From commercial and critical failures to obscure and forgotten gems, Arthur sets out to prove that every musical can be proud of at least one song. Maybe. Since graduating from the famous Flying Fruit Fly Circus in 2023, Arthur made it all the way to Adam Lambert’s Top 3 on The Voice Australia, won the two top awards at the National Busking Championships, and was a Judge’s Pick at the Melbourne Fringe.

Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play
Arts Theatre, Adelaide: 11 – 23 March
Crack open the Tia Maria and put on some footy franks, Fountain Lakes is coming to Fringe! It’s August 2021. Fountain Lakes has been in lockdown for 18 months. Kath is up to pussy’s bow in sour dough bread. Kim’s been asked to work from home (though that happened before the pandemic). Sharon has had a severe reaction to all the hand sanitiser. Relive the uniquely Australian pandemic experience through the eyes of these uniquely Australian characters hilariously parodied by Art Simone (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Thomas Jaspers (Granny Bingo), Leasa Mann (Club Broadway) and Scott Brennan (skitHOUSE, Neighbours). Direct from sold out seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Sydney Opera House – with quick wit and camp tunes, this is a fabulous night out for everyone so book those tickets toot suite!

KINDER
Goodwood Theatre and Studios: 27 February – 4 March | The Warehouse Theatre: 9 – 16 March
After an unexpected call from a library derails the headliner of a drag reading hour, Goody Prostate must scramble together a new act for a crowd of unruly children and their parents. But as they race against the clock to pull off a new number in time, they spiral into a chaotic interrogation of childhood, memory, and an overdue examination of what it means to ‘grow up’. The library is open. So sit down, be quiet, and listen up; there’s a new story to check out. Because sometimes, reading is what? Fundamentalist.

Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence
The Kingfisher at Gluttony: 4 – 9 March
Step onto the court of this contemporary turmoil that entangles the timelessness of Shakespearean drama with hot, sporty, girl power like you’ve never seen before. Supported by the Adelaide Tour Ready Award, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is coming to Adelaide Fringe to give you electrifying dance-party experience of modern-day musical theatre. A cautionary tale where deadly ambition meets treacherous scheming when a Netball team of gutsy misfits train for their Inter-School Comp. This show is underpinned by the synth-pop genius of PROJECT BEXX, presented by Crash Theatre Co as they assemble an all-female powerhouse team of WA artists. See you on the court, b**ch!

Life’s A Playground
The Vault at Fool’s Paradise: 9 – 23 March
In a world where playgrounds have turned digital, young people are more connected than ever, yet often feel isolated. In this heartfelt performance, eight young performers put their phones down to rediscover the power of PLAY. You don’t need thousands of followers or endless likes—just yourself and your imagination. Through acrobatics, circus, aerials, and pure connection, they transform life into a vibrant playground where fun, risk-taking, and discovery come alive.

LIMBO – The Return
The Spiegeltent at The Garden of Unearthly Delights: continues to 23 March
After debuting at the Adelaide Fringe in 2013, LIMBO has toured around the world and been seen by hundreds of thousands of people. (Including Madonna, twice!) Internationally touring sensation LIMBO rebooted in 2024 after a five-year hiatus and is coming in HOT, fresh from residencies in Sydney and Brisbane. From Strut & Fret, creators of Blanc de Blanc and countless other headline shows, LIMBO is a genre defying spectacle that combines a fresh and intoxicating mix of cabaret, circus and acrobatics to the beat of New York composer Sxip Shirey’s ecstatic heart-pounding live music. Whether it’s your first time seeing LIMBO or your tenth, you will leave with the sounds of the live band and the sights of the world’s best acrobats playing in your head for weeks to come.

Madame Martha’s After Dark: The Parisian Cabaret
The Kingfisher at Gluttony: 4 – 9 March
Step into the sensational underground Parisian cabaret where Vogue-posing, Fosse-popping, French-lace-drenched club kittens take you on a wild ride of intoxicating elegance and hilarity. Following SOLD-OUT seasons across Australia, this electrifying explosion of Moulin Rouge glamour and Berlin grunge unfolds into a dazzling spectacle of music, dance, burlesque and drag that captivates and transports you from start to finish Madame Martha’s is an outrageous romp through the risqué and ridiculous, sweeping you away with stunning live vocals, flawless choreography, and spectacular costumes.

Mike Blaha: International Joke
Little Reid Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios: 27 February – 15 March
Written and performed by Mike Blaha, join him on his global travels in search of the best joke in the world. On the way, have a good laugh with him (or at him – hey, a laugh’s a laugh) as he avoids getting murdered in Sarajevo, gets mocked by a monkey in Bali, and gets mugged on the Paris Metro… all in the name of comedy. Mike Blaha is a comedian, performer, writer and producer whose previous credits include writing and performing Spank the Monkey (**** – The Scotsman) and Shagadelic (Top Ten/Recommended bstagraw.com) at the Edinburgh and Hollywood Fringes. He is currently a nomad!

Press Play
Marion Cultural Centre: 9 & 16 March
A band of insects, echoes in a chime forest, playing planet ball and chasing daydreams … what happens when you press play? An accessible and sensory-friendly interactive live music concert for kids aged 0-7, with music performed live on stage by Alice and friends. Join in with singing, dancing, movement and fun!

Shellshocked – An Explosive New Play
Holden Street Theatres: continues to 23 March
From the creative team behind the five-star, multi-award winning plays Jesus, Jane Mother and Me, and Heroin(e) for Breakfast. The horrors of war have broken young Wesley, but could the madness he encounters beyond it save or destroy a soldier’s shellshocked mind? A powerful new play from multi award-winning playwright Philip Stokes, recognised by the British Library as a culturally important playwright of the 21st century, and Olivier, Tony and Emmy award-winning producer Richard Jordan. Starring Jack Stokes and Lee Bainbridge.

Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote
The Mercury Cinema: 5 – 16 March
Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote is a unique and hilarious night featuring games, prizes and audience participation, with special permission from NBC Universal Television. The show has played to sell-out audiences across the UK and Australia including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023 and 2024. Critically-acclaimed, the show was rated by Time Out as one of 50 Great Nights Out in London. Hosted by super-fan Tim Benzie, Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote is an interactive screening of an episode of Murder, She Wrote and features a race to solve to the crime, via the Fameometer and the Suspiciometer.

Strange Chaos
Haus of Ooze, North Adelaide: 6 – 16 March
A punk clown sits in the headlights of an old Ute. Tonight he will make the biggest decision of his life. Returning by popular demand, the underground hit of 2023 – a site specific work of clown and physical theatre that will amaze and seduce audiences looking for poetry, emotion and humour. Take a wild ride into the show-biz escapades of a self-destructive circus punk as he battles with responsibility and maturity to realise the importance of love. Told in Oozing Future’s lyrically gritty style of Alt-Circus, and taking place in a boutique venue hidden in a leafy corner of North Adelaide, this is sure to be the talk of this year’s Fringe.

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The 2025 Adelaide Fringe Festival continues to 23 March. For more information and full program, visit: www.adelaidefringe.com.au for details.

Images: Tracey Yarad – photo by Rachel Brady | Charlee Watt (supplied) | Tim Motley stars as Barry Potter (supplied) | Isabella Valette and Greg Lavell star in Cabaret Unscripted (supplied) | Definitely NOT A Hungry Game: A Parody Musical (supplied) | Karen Hall – photo by Jeremy David Creative | Ember Flame – photo by Rachel Mia | Arthur Hull – photo by Nic Fenton | Fountain Lakes in Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play (supplied) | Ryan Stewart as Goody Prostrate in KINDER – photo by Alex Winner | Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence – photo by K Darius Photography | Life’s A Playground (supplied) | LIMBO – The Return (supplied) | Jens Radda, Iva Rosebud and Meg Hickey star in Madame Martha’s After Dark: The Parisian Cabaret – photo by I Got Shot By Charlie | Mike Blaha stars in International Joke (supplied) | Press Play (supplied) | Shellshocked (supplied) | Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote (supplied) | Oozing Future presents Strange Chaos (supplied) | Alex Hill as Billy in Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Ar** For England – photo by Rah Petherbridge