Make it quick..
Check out our guide to the best shows at Adelaide Fringe 2022!
As I update this, we visited a plethora of Adelaide Fringe 2022 events spanning Comedy, Cabaret, Magic, Circus and Dance shows until Saturday 5th March.
We barely touched the surface of the 1000+ Adelaide Fringe shows available to see and we spent hours going through the Adelaide Fringe website to decide on the ones we’ve selected here. So we understand all too well, how overwhelming is it to decide what to choose.
Our final roster includes an eclectic mix of some of the best Adelaide Fringe 2023 shows.
To help you pick the shows you’d like to see, we’ve rated the ones we’ve seen at Adelaide Fringe 2022, based on the following; Humour, Entertaining & Our Overall Experience.
Furthermore, the handy ‘Make it quick’ menu will take you straight to the genre you are most interested in.
Why Trust Our Adelaide Fringe Guide 2023?
A little background on us; we are two London girls who thrive on being entertained.
We spent years in London seeking out the best pop-ups, theatre experiences and basically anything that would transport us away from our boring 9-5 jobs.
We’ve been transported through a waterfall, surrounded by alcoholic smoke, which led into a bar hosted by mermen. This is actually where we first met Reuben Kaye! Furthermore, we have joined immersive experiences through Alice’s Adventures and Goosebumps. We’ve even kept up with the Jones’, eating dishwasher tablet-shaped macaroons and swimming in baths filled with rubber ducks. Not forgetting, of course, we’ve grown up enjoying West End shows too.
What we are trying to get across is that it takes a lot to entertain us! With this in mind, you can trust our honest scores for each of the shows we’ve seen below.
We’ve also added in a few honourable mentions, which we sadly won’t get to see as we couldn’t extend our stay in Adelaide any longer (we’ve already extended a week!).
We are currently living and working in New South Wales, although honestly, Adelaide Fringe 2022 was such an incredible experience, which left us feeling so empowered within our bodies and as females. Not only do we want to return this year, but we also feel it is one of the single most impactful experiences we’ve had in our lives. It’s a BOLD statement which we will always stand by! Feel free to reach out and we will share our passion and excitement with you too!
Adelaide Fringe Guide to Cabaret Shows
Whilst we haven’t touched the surface of the Cabaret shows available at Adelaide Fringe 2022, the ones we’ve seen have been incredible! Keep an eye on this page as we will be updating it with new Adelaide Fringe 2023 shows that we are seeing day-to-day.
The Kaye Hole hosted by Reuben Kaye
Cabaret / Circus
Dates: TBA
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park
Price: $42
As an Adelaide Fringe 2022 Ambassador, Reuben Kaye’s show did not disappoint! A cabaret/variety show of impeccable talent, you’ll be in for a treat if you choose to see the awe-inspiring Reuben Kaye.
Reuben Kaye addresses a series of political issues with such flair that the message is clear but yet you’re still left laughing! It will surely leave your un-woke uncle speechless. Additionally, the talent changes weekly so you can just keep coming back for more!
It’s on at 11 pm, so if that’s a bit past your bedtime, Reuben Kaye has another show earlier in the evening called ‘The Butch is Back’.
Reuben told us himself that his earlier show includes a full brass band, however, he also added that in the laterfrontw you get to see his bum! Just in case that makes the decision any easier for you.
Reuben Kaye is an award-winning performer at Adelaide Fringe and across the world. We absolutely loved him when we saw just a snippet of his performance in London and we can honestly say this is one of the best entertainment shows we have ever seen.
- Humour – 10/10
- Entertaining – 10/10
- Performance – 10/10
Briefs: Club Culture Cabaret
Cabaret / Compilation
Dates: TBA
Venue: Arts Theatre
Price: $30
We LOVE seeing positive Black and Queer representation in the arts industry. As a result, we were so happy to see Briefs: Club Culture Cabaret provides the perfect space for these incredibly talented individuals to share their magic with all of us. Also hosted by the one and only, Kween Kong, who you may know from Rupauls Drag Race Down Under! She is an incredible talent and a wonderful personality too!
We were left in awe by Milo Hartill performing Strange Fruit, laughing along with Victoria Falconer singing Disney songs with the help of a Bunnings saw (?!) and Sarah cried hearing Rob Edwards sing about searching for his culture and ancestry here in Adelaide.
Brief: Club Culture Cabaret is the platform we’ve all been eager to see and the talent we witnessed on their opening night was astounding. They have a few more shows this week so be sure to join them to enjoy some wholesome, hilarious, queer, and raw talent! We promise you’ll come away with a smile on your face… and maybe a tear down your cheek.
- Humour – 8/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 9/10
Same Penis Forever
Cabaret / Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $25
Rebel Lyons the scriptwriter and solo performer of ‘same penis forever’ is a lady with a STORY! Having dated, loved, married, and divorced her college/uni boyfriend all within a couple of years… She overcame her pain by making a show out of a shit situation! It is full of laughs, and interesting facts about the history of marriage and the societal expectations placed on us all for the “perfect day”. Rebel keeps it real with all of us and even got the audience involved too. a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’ was possibly one of the funniest and most scandalous things I’ve ever seen! Marlie and I even discovered a few things we didn’t know about each other too!
- Humour – 9/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 8/10
Not your Average Asian Girl
Cabaret / Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: Nexus Arts at West Village
Price: $24
Kira Yang is a girl telling the story of her life as a girl brought up in Australia by strict Asian parents. She ticked all the ‘stereotype boxes’ of a shy, studious Asian Girl, except, eventually, Kira strayed from her parent’s expectations. It all started when she finally plucked up the courage to swear out loud! The show is filled with incredible talent and music from your favourite Disney shows and popstars too. It won multiple awards at Adelaide Fringe 2022 and we hope it returns for Adelaide Fringe 2023 so more people can see the hilarious Kira Yang in action!
- Humour – 9/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 9/10
B.A.Bz World Tour
Dates: 8th March – 18th March
Venue: Wonderland Spiegeltent
Price: $20 – $39
If you haven’t watched Season 2 of Drag Race Down Under… Where have you been?! Just kidding.. except, Kween Kong, Hannah Conda, and Spankie Jackson were the top three contestants and have joined forces to share the love of Drag with us all! They all bring a little different spice and together, I’m sure they are going to be unstoppable. The show will be bringing the laughs, the realness, and the Blak representation to Adelaide Fringe. We cannot wait to see this show! Get your tickets now using the link above.
Best Adelaide Fringe Circus Shows
The Détectives in Cirque Noir
Circus / Clown
Dates: TBA
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $40
A slapstick circus show featuring a trio of performers who are detectives working to solve a murder mystery.
There is a range of entertaining stunts and some funny comedic moments to keep the story going.
There’s also a sprinkle of adult and nudity themes throughout, including a moment where one detective is performing with a huge cannabis joint. Something to consider if you have small children in tow. We had two kids sitting in front of us who looked pretty embarrassed at times!
In all honesty, slapstick comedy isn’t completely to our taste and our reviews reflect this. However, a huge congratulations to the show for receiving the BankSA Best Circus Award in the Adelaide Fringe weekly awards!
- Humour – 6/10
- Entertaining – 7/10
- Overall Performance – 7/10
Bubble Show for Adults Only
Burlesque/Circus
Dates: TBA
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $20.90 – $28.90
One of the most unusual shows at Adelaide Fringe 2022, the Bubble Show for Adults Only is really quite the spectacle!
Filled with some impressive stunts, including the use of smoke screens and even bubbles skirts and square bubbles too! It will certainly keep you entertained throughout.
Sarah is obsessed with bubbles and honestly, it’ll make the child in you sooo happy if you choose to see this shows at Adelaide Fringe 2022.
There are plenty of humorous moments and the two performers have a great rapport on stage. We were so impressed with the things you can do with bubbles. Now, Sarah’s on a mission to be able to hold and create bubbles straight from her hands too!
Humour – 8/10
Entertaining – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Defiant
Circus / Acrobatics
Dates: 17 February – 19 March 2023
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $35 – $39
Defiant was an incredible spectacle to see, featuring an entire cast of femme and non-binary people, the strength and talent wrapped up into one performance was an epic and empowering moment to witness. The show is loosely based on a post-apocalyptic world with multiple acrobatic performances we’ve never seen before in our lives. This was one of our favourite shows which we’d highly recommend seeing at Adelaide Fringe 2023. As the show wasn’t aimed at being funny, I will add a new rating here.
Inspirational – 10/10
Entertaining – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Other Great Adelaide Fringe 2023 Circus Shows
Blanc de Blanc ENCORE
Circus / Cabaret
Dates: TBA
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park
Price: $85 – $95
360 Allstars
Circus / Family
Dates: TBA
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $35
Best Adelaide Fringe Comedy Shows
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience
Physical Theatre / Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: Botanical Room at The Terrace Hotel
Price: $90 – $113
This was one of our favourite shows at Adelaide Fringe 2022!
Whilst you could argue it’s not a show and more an experience. The acting was brilliant and very akin to the TV programme.
The Faulty Towers dining experience is a must-see for any fans of the series and is tastefully executed (pardon the pun!) to really make you feel like you are in the Faulty Towers restaurant, without feeling tacky or cheesy.
We didn’t stop laughing throughout. Did I mention already that the acting was impeccable? It was, and the food was good too.
A small warning for those who are vegan or vegetarian (like us!) you might get a little picked on, but it’s all part of the fun!
- Humour – 10/10
- Entertaining – 10/10
- Performance – 10/10
Boats & Bogans
Comedy/Stand-up
Dates: TBA
Venue: Gluttony at Rymill Park
Price: $20
A collection of comedians from far seas and local bogans too.
The calibre of comedians on this lineup varies greatly, however, for the majority both the Boats & Bogan comedians are really good!
We particularly loved Paul the Black, Lukey Baker and a special guest comedian Amna. Although Amna isn’t on the main lineup, she deserves a mention too.
This is also the perfect after-work show to start your Fringe evening off right with an early 6:15 pm start.
- Humour – 8/10
- Entertaining – 8/10
- Performance – 8/10
Late & Loose
Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: Producers Hotel / The Nairobi Affair Lounge
Price: $24
This was a little quick comedy insert which we were very glad we could attend! The calibre of comedians for Late & Loose was similar to Boats & Bogans, the likes of Lukey Baker were in the roster alongside a hilarious Queensland lady with firey red hair… she was brilliant too and if you see this please shout out your name too!
- Humour – 8/10
- Entertaining – 8/10
- Performance – 8/10
Joe White: Ethiopian & still not hungry
Comedy / Stand-Up
Dates: TBA
Venue: The Howling Owl
Price: $30
This was a brilliant performance from Joe White, an award-winning comedian on the scene and really growing in popularity both in Australia, England and the US too. We loved seeing Joe and Emo Majok share stories of their different cultural upbringings and their lives growing up in Australia. Definitely not to be missed! He had the whole crowd laughing and got a standing ovation too!
- Humour – 10/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 9/10
Plastica Fantastica
Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: The Austral Hotel
Price: $26
We are SO here for a show with a strong underlying message to help look after our planet! This single-woman comedy show was absolutely hilarious with so many one-liners, you’d miss them if you were laughing too long from the one before! The storyline is based around a 34-year-old lady named Nunny, who finds out she’s allergic to plastic, the one thing she loves the most. Jennifer Ann Laycock captured the audience throughout, with hilarious participation and off-the-cuff banter when things didn’t go ‘as planned’. Arguably, this show left us feeling like we were best friends with Nunny and kept us laughing all the way home!
- Humour – 10/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 9/10
Other Great Adelaide Fringe Comedy Shows
Emo Majok is Black Santa
Comedy / Stand Up
Dates: TBA
Venue: The Howling Owl
Price: $25
Aboriginal Comedy Allstars
Comedy / Stand-up
Dates: TBA
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park / Murray Bridge Performing Arts & Function Centre
Price: $42 – $44
Best Adelaide Fringe Magic Shows 2022
Adults Only Magic Show
Magic / Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $29-$35
A dynamic pair of friends who have been making magic together for over a decade!
Sam & Justin showcase a wide variety of fun magic tricks using cards, mind games and Houdini-style escape tricks too!
Honestly, we are still questioning how they did most of it. They have won a number of international awards for their performances and had a sell-out show at Adelaide Fringe last year.
The Adults Only Magic Show is definitely one of the best magic shows we’ve seen. If you are looking for a family-friendly magic show, the pair also star in ‘The Circus’ and the ‘Greatest Magic Show’. Both of which, we guarantee will be 100% better than the Moscow State Circus we had growing up!
- Humour – 8/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 8/10
Dom Chambers: A Boy and His Deck
Magic / Comedy
Dates: TBA
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park
Price: $35 – $37
We came away from this show absolutely buzzing; Don Chambers executed the show perfectly. It was so professional, yet unconventional at the same time.
It was great to see that a whole magic show can rely entirely on a deck of cards and still be THAT entertaining. The show takes you on a journey through the early years of Dom’s interest in magic, sharing funny stories and interesting bedroom-related props to share his passion.
We loved that he got the audience involved, not only to pick numbers or assist in some way but to actually perform the magic trick he’d just done himself!
It was absolutely incredible and a must-see in our Adelaide Fringe 2022 Guide.
- Humour – 9/10
- Entertaining – 9/10
- Performance – 10/10
Maho Magic Bar
Magic / Immersive
Dates: 17 February – 19 March 2023
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park
Price: $59 – $74
This Maho Magic Bar is more of an experience than a magic show. The outside of the bar is decorated from top to bottom with neon lights, so it’s certainly hard to miss. We visited Maho on one of our last nights at Adelaide Fringe and it certainly did not disappoint. The guests are invited to sit at tables or small bar areas, each with around 6-10 guests. The magicians come around to each table showing off their unique and sometimes hair-raising tricks. The host was captivating and kept us all keen to see more and the additional tricks which can be bought and performed just to you at the front of the stage are definitely worth purchasing. Alongside plenty of delicious Japanese-inspired drinks to enjoy too, we wish we could have stayed longer!
- Humour – 9/10
- Entertaining – 10/10
- Performance – 10/10
Other Great Adelaide Fringe Magic Shows – Not Reviewed
The Purple Rabbit Rides Again
Magic / Comedy
Dates: 17 Feb – 19 March 2023
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park
Price: $55 – $65
Best Adelaide Fringe Immersive Shows
Séance
Physical Theatre / Immersive
Dates: 2 March – 20 March
Venue: Garden of Unearthly Delights – Rundle Park
Price: $20
Although this was an interesting experience which involved sensory deprivation and a spooky storyline. Our party of four all agreed it is only mildly effective when the whole shipping container of seats is full. Since the experience relies on you thinking that the person next to you or opposite is doing the movements or speaking to the strange man whispering in everybody’s ear. Overall, we’ve heard some of the other Darkfield experiences may be more psychologically challenging such as Flight or Coma.
- Scary – 6/10
- Entertaining – 7/10
- Performance – 5/10
Electric Dreams: VR Swings “Volo: Dreams of Flight”
Interactive / Immersive
Dates: 2 March – 20 March
Venue: South Australian Museum
Price: $10
This is a quick experience which was hosted outside the South Australian Museum. There were 3 different videos to choose and I (Sarah) found mine to be pretty fun, I flew up into the sky overlooking a candy-coloured but also snowy mountain?! Honestly, at times my fear of heights kicked in a little! The feeling of swinging on a VR was very unique and an enjoyable way to break up our back-to-back shows during Adelaide Fringe.
- Immersive – 9/10
- Entertaining – 10/10
- Fun – 7/10
Other Great Adelaide Fringe Immersive Shows
Sky Song
Immersive
Dates: 11 March – 20 March
Venue: Leconfield and Richard Hamilton Wines – McLaren Vale
Price: $35
We were devastated we couldn’t make this Australian premiere of a drone show!
Unfortunately, due to some technical difficulties, they had to change venues last minute to McLaren Vale.
HEre’s hoping they bring it back for Adelaide Fringe 2023 so we can all see it together.
Best Adelaide Fringe Dance Shows
Matador
Dance / Physical Theatre
Dates: 2 March – 20 March
Venue: Gluttony – Rymill Park
Price: $65 – $79
We weren’t able to watch Matador but we’ve only heard incredible reviews of this long-standing Adelaide Fringe performance. We hope we will be able to leave a review here in 2023!
We hope you found our reviews of the Adelaide Fringe shows we’ve seen helpful!
If you loved it, leave us a comment below to let us know what you went to see and help us out if there’s any you want to mention that we’ve missed.
Why not check out some of our other Australian Guides here
We love making new connections on Instagram too. We’re always on the go and have often been told we leave no stone unturned during our travels! All for the greater good of the blog, of course. You can be sure that we will help you plan your next adventure!
