House Of Oz Announces Shortlist For The Purse Prize From Adelaide Fringe 2025 

Adelaide Fringe in partnership with House of Oz has revealed the five extraordinary productions shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 House of Oz Prize Purse.

This initiative, which  provides Australian artists with an unparalleled opportunity to take their work to Edinburgh  Festival Fringe, has quickly become one of the most significant career-launching platforms for  performers at Adelaide Fringe. 

This year's shortlist features a diverse lineup of bold, original works that showcase the depth  and creativity of Australian performing arts: 

Flick, written and performed by the award-winning Madelaine Nunn is a darkly funny thriller  about life, death and really bad decisions. This exciting one-woman show takes audiences on a  journey through blurred boundaries and intersecting lives. It follows the story of a nurse looking  after Mark, a patient with terminal cancer. Directed by Emily O'Brien-Brown, this twisted tale  subverts what we think we should feel, with impeccable comic timing and an all-consuming  storyteller. 

Skinny, which made its world debut at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival to rave reviews and  standing ovations, is written and performed by the multi-award-winning Michelle Pearson. It is  a testament to the societal chokehold in an absurd universe of shakes, shapewear and shifty  surgeons. This empowering show fuses pop, power ballads and biting comedy, to encourage us  to face the mirror and embrace our bodies for all they are. 

Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence by Crash Theatre Co steps onto the court of contemporary  turmoil; this production entwines the timelessness of Shakespearean drama with hot, sporty,  girl power like you've never seen before. An electrifying 2025 award-winning dance-party  experience of modern-day musical theatre, it tells a cautionary tale where deadly ambition  meets treacherous scheming. A netball team of gutsy misfits train for their inter-school  competition, underpinned by the synth-pop genius of PROJECT BEXX. This all-female  powerhouse of WA artists is receiving acclaim on the court. 

A solo autobiographical show, NIUSIA by Beth Paterson, weaves together memories, handed down stories, and interviews to examine the precarity of identity. The show explores the  haphazard cultural legacy that second, third and fourth generation immigrants inherit.  Paterson's grandmother, Niusia, was a Holocaust survivor, but all her granddaughter remembers  is an angry, dying woman. Eager to learn more about Niusia's stories, Beth uncovers more  questions than she ever knew existed—and ones she wasn't allowed to ask. The aspiration  becomes assimilation after fleeing war and devastation for belonging and safety.  

Content for Meatfolk by Samwise Hemmings sees a comedian and a human (meatfolk)  grappling with a confusing reality. The performer finds himself attempting to wriggle joyfully  under its crushing mass. With a skillful yet casual blend of musical comedy and his unique brand  of surrealism, Samwise Hemmings has quickly built a radical following of concerned citizens in  comedy venues across the country. His jokes have been described as absurd, articulate, and  alarming by crowds and medical professionals alike. 

Each of these productions has captivated audiences with their artistry, compelling narratives,  and innovative performances. The House of Oz Prize is designed to open global doors for  Australian artists, providing international exposure, industry connections, and opportunities for  long-term touring success. 

Michelle Pearson, who was a recipient of one of last year's prizes (along with Gravity & Other  Myths: Ten Thousand Hours, Yozi: No Babies in the Sauna, Lewis Major Projects: Triptych,  Clockfire Theatre Company: Plenty of Fish In The Sea) for Down Under: The Songs That Shaped  Australia, reflected on the transformative impact of the program, I'm incredibly grateful—you've  literally changed my life with the 2024 Purse Prize for Down Under: The Songs That Shaped  Australia. Thanks to you, I've booked two years of AUS tours, employing seven SA artists in  2025–2026. 

Now in its second year, the partnership between House of Oz and Adelaide Fringe continues to  strengthen pathways for Australian artists to reach international audiences. The productions  selected from this year's shortlist will be announced soon and will go on to represent Australia  at the world's largest arts festival, Edinburgh Fringe in 2025. 

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