The hottest tickets on the Fringe…
[COMEDY]
Jacques Barrett:Is Particularly Good At This
Where:Factory Theatre When:Tuesday September 20, Thursday September 22, Saturday September 24
Confidence is key in comedy and in life. Never doubt yourself. Aim high. Call your show ‘is particularly good at this’. That’s what Jacques Barrett has done, proving that modesty is misery and that nothing beats a bit of self-promotion when you’re doing stand-up.
[PARTY]
Where: The Shift Bar When: Saturday September 3
Get in the spirit of Sydney Fringe Festival’s opening weekend with Drag Disco, where partygoers will be getting their diva on and dancing into the night. Lights, disco balls and drag – this one really will have something for everyone, and it’s all happening on the back of the official Fringe Ignite opening day party.
[STORYTELLING]
Where: Knox Street Bar When: Mondays September 5 – September 26
Across a month of Mondays at Chippendale’s Knox Street Bar, the regular Little Fictions night of storytelling will step up its action for Sydney Fringe. The September themes include Vaginal Spray (feminist tales for men and women), The Great Unknown (the strange and absurd), Sydney Stories (local scuttlebutt and fascination) and Crime Scenes (from some of Australia’s finest crime writers). Little Fictions’ team of actors perform tales introduced by MCs like Monique Schafter, Jack Gow and the BRAG’s own Adam Norris.
[COMEDY]
Jared Jekyll: Young, Dumb And Full Of Pun
Where:Factory Theatre When:Wednesday September 28 – Friday September 30
Who doesn’t love a good pun? Bloody nobody, that’s who – particularly not rising comedian Jared Jekyll, the scintillating surrealist performer who has already won rave reviews for his appearances on triple j and the blistering set he delivered in support for none other than Tom Green. Jekyll’s Fringe Comedy show will feature his trademark wordplay, combined with heavy lashings of rap and beatboxing, proving that music and comedy are better bedfellows than anyone might have thought.
[COMEDY]
Where:Factory Theatre When:Tuesday September 27 – Friday September 30
We’ve all done things we’ve been told not to do. There is something unbelievably enticing about hopping over a fence adorned with a ‘No Climbing’ sign; something deliciously vicarious about sticking yer fingers into a power socket (don’t do that though. Like, seriously.) As far as Greta Lee Jackson is concerned, rules were made to be broken and advice was made to be ignored. Her new comedy show Red Flag is all about breaking the rules and breaking hearts, and is jam-packed with the darkly fascinating material Jackson is famous for. Get to it.
[COMEDY]
Where:Factory Theatre When:Tuesday September 20, Thursday September 22, Saturday September 24, Wednesday September 28, Friday September 30
You can’t beat simplicity, eh? Nothing beats content that is delivered without bells and whistles; entertainment that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than entertainment. James Smith’s what-it-says-on-the-tin style of live comedy is simple, dressed down fun: even the title of his upcoming Fringe Fest show, Live doesn’t beat around the bush. So neither will we – go see this show.
[COMEDY]
Jordan Raskopoulos:Sad, Sad, Super Sad. Oh My God, When Will It End?
Where:Factory Theatre When:Tuesday September 20, Thursday September 22, Saturday September 24
The Axis Of Awesome’s frontwoman Jordan Raskopoulos steps out for Sydney Fringe with a solo show, only it comes with a twist: the aim isn’t to make you cry tears of happiness, but to destroy you with utter sadness. Sad, Sad, Super Sad. Oh My God, When Will It End? is a tragi-comedy inspired by Raskopoulos’ recent announcement of her gender dysphoria following decades of private struggle. Now she’s proud, empowered, and what better way to prove it than “to try and make you all really sad on purpose”? One thing’s for sure: you won’t want it to end.
[VISUAL ART]
Stencil Art Prize [pictured above]
Where:Off-Broadway Festival Hub When:Monday September 5 – Sunday September 25
Founded in 2009 in Sydney, the $5,000 Stencil Art Prize has grown to become the biggest of its kind anywhere in the world. This year’s exhibit features 84 artists from 21 different countries, with the must-see highlights including Pablo Ursua’s 3D painting of a dinosaur and Ralf Kempken’s optical illusions. The winner will be announced on Sunday September 11.
For more info and the full program head to sydneyfringe.com.
