2023 Adelaide Fringe Form Guide 2 – Steve Davis On FIVEaa

Throughout the 2023 Adelaide Fringe, Steve Davis will be sharing tips about shows to investigate, especially South Australian grassroots shows, to help punters try something a little different.

The segment today, happened at 12:50pm with Richard Pascoe. Steve’s notes are below, covering these shows:

Comedy Picks – Adelaide Fringe Form Guide

Oscar-Winning Improv

Changing Jennifers is a local improv group that does improvised comedy really well.

They have a show this fringe in which they will be challenging themselves to improvise your favourite Oscar-winning movies in the hope they can win their own gong at the end of the show.

Good improv takes discipline and these guys have really honed their craft well.

It will be a good, local show, on at The Bally in Gluttony.

The Good Italian Girl Presents – Italian Love is a Battlefield

Based on her bestselling book “The Good Italian Girl” Claudia Callisto presents a show that basically strips her Italian upbringing bare.

It is absolutely fascinating, hearing how ethnic females with immigrant parents had to use all sorts of tricks to leave their homes, spread their wings, and dance to 80s music.

Claudia makes that case that despite those battles, the experiences made her generation strong, resilient and family focused, and as mothers themselves these days, they’re negotiating similar but different battles with their own children.

Her point is, the new generation doesn’t realise how lucky they are but she doesn’t mind because she wants her kids to grow up feeling like they truly belong and not burdened by guilt.

It’s on at different locations throughout the Fringe season.

Tinder’s Least Wanted

Tinder and dating apps have been solid fare for comedians for ages, so I almost didn’t mention this one but there’s something quirky about it, so I’m throwing it into the mix.

Sophy Nassar and Jono Makai have plunged the muddy, murky, downright stinky depths of dating apps and apparently have stories to tell like:

‘Girl meets boy, boy is her cousin’; and

‘Boy meets girl, girl’s mum works for Pauline Hanson and OMG you’ll never guess what happens next’ (pending legal approval).

Each show will have a special guest with an extra story but I must say, Jono’s Tinder profile photos and videos with fish are pretty funny.

They even have a meme on their socials that says: Give a man to fish and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish and he’ll have up-to-date Tinder pics forever.

It’s on at Gluttony this first week of the Fringe.

The Early Late Show

A quick mention that Professor Sebastian Longsword will be at Gluttony this afternoon, on stage with comedians Vladimir McTavish (from the UK) & Adelaide’s Wendy Torbet.

This is an insight into Fringe.

Originally, he was told to prepare a 5-minute comedy set and then he’d be interviewed but now he’s discovered it’s straight into the improvised interview and then he’ll be subjected to a series of hilarious improv games and challenges.

Not really what he signed up for, so spare a thought for him and the other comic guests.

That’s 3pm at The Piglet at Gluttony.

Theatre Picks – Adelaide Fringe Form Guide

Amplify

An original production of three newly devised theatre pieces from important South Australian disability theatre company, No Strings Attached.

Commedia Dell’Arte was developed in Italy in 1500’s. It’s a comedy framework in which the actors use stock characters to create scenes, usually with a few props. This production though, will be an Australian (or world) first: 31 disabled actors have not only created a Commedia show but are presenting it in a Festival!!

These original works are directed by local theatre practitioners, Dr Corinna Di Niro, Cat Purling & Mitre Khammash. Main Hall at St Peters Youth Hall, Stepney.

That Spying Game

Spangled Aura Productions was set up by Sarah Gooda in the UK when she was 21, to produce her full length musical ‘Limelight’. Since then, she’s produced short films and plays. She was based in Brisbane for 7 years but has moved to South Australia. So, welcome Sarah!!

This show is physical theatre, called That Spying Game. Here’s the plot:

Fitzpatrick and Lancaster were never the first choice of agents to track a group of criminals around the world. But their persistence and ability to cope with any situation allows them to do what no other agents have managed to do, providing some hilarity along the way.

It’s a spy spoof play complete with gadgets, mishaps and a good dose of British humour. And it’s family friendly.

It’s on tonight at 6pm, at The Warehouse Theatre, 8 Unley Rd, Unley

PS If you miss this, Sarah has two other shows: Sand Sea Surf and Murder, and The Secret Quest.

Music Picks – Adelaide Fringe Form Guide

Crowded Blouse

Am I allowed to describe Lil Miss Mel as a pint sized performer who packs a punch?

She has been entertaining audiences since she was a teen. She has done comedy, sung in bands, duos, trios and dodgy tribute acts. She plays guitar, she waves maracas and tambourines about with great enthusiasm. And now, she is bringing her Crowded Blouse to the Fringe.

I saw this show during the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe and it was truly worthy of 5 stars.

Basically, she tracks back through her life on the stage, digging up some classic songs from the 80s and 90s along the way. And her reworkings are very very clever. At the Garage International and The Jade.

Magic Picks – Adelaide Fringe Form Guide

Barry Potter and the Magic Of Wizardry

Some of you might remember Dirk Darrow & Prohibition, well the man being that, Tim Motley, has a new magic show based on the concepts of Harry Potter.

There’ll be messenger owls, robed wizards, and flying broomsticks! And some “mind blowing mysteries” with cauldrons, goblets, scrolls, and talking snakes.

Tim has been performing professionally for 20 years in 49 countries as a comedian, mentalist, magician, actor, radio show host, improvisor, busker, and variety performer, and now he calls Adelaide home.

WILDCARD – Interactive Pick – Adelaide Fringe Form Guide

Electric Dreams: temping

First things first. Temping is part of a whole programme of shows called Electric Dreams – that all use technology in interesting ways. So if you search that term – Electric Dreams, you’ll find them.

In a basement office somewhere in Illinois, there’s a job waiting for you. Sarah Jane is on vacation, and you’ve been hired to fill in. In this interactive show for one, you’ll explore her cubicle, answer her phone, and receive her faxes as the story of Sarah Jane unfolds around you. Sit down, send an email, and experience a meditation on life and death between the cells of an Excel spreadsheet. TEMPING was created by narrative technologists Wolf 359.

This show is an immersive theatrical experience for one audience member at a time, and it runs about an hour.