Sydney Fringe Festival Reveals Program of Over 400 Events

Sydney Fringe Festival, the city’s largest independent arts festival, has announced its full program of over 400 events and 12 festival hubs across the city from 1 - 30 September 2023. Tickets are now on sale for the full line-up of events, with highlights including a special performance by iconic Australian band Rogue Traders for Fringe Ignite, acclaimed local and international shows presented across Made in Sydney and the Touring Hub, Fringe’s first ever Dance Hub at Sydney Dance Company, and the return of the pioneering micro-festival LIMITLESS celebrating d/Deaf and disabled artists. 

On Saturday 2 September, the Festival kicks off with Fringe Ignite in The Rocks, a free street party headlined by the iconic Rogue Traders. Showcasing the best of Fringe comedy, cabaret, music, dance and more, artists will descend on the historic cobblestone laneways, sandstone buildings, and pop-up stages. The Rogue Traders will take to the Argyle mainstage, alongside live performances by The Great West, False London, MUNGMUNG, PEPTALK and DJ Victoria Anthony.

The Sydney Fringe Cabaret Club returns to the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel with a month-long program of fabulous cabaret shows, including legendary Australian cabaret performer Naomi Eyers, creator of the acclaimed cabaret group The Fabulous Singlettes, who brings her show GlamourPussy & The Hip Replacements. Sparkling with glamour, the show will feature well-worn favourites, original songs as well as rewritten classics. Plus join drag royalty Hannah Conda, Charisma Belle, and Carmen Geddit for an unforgettable night of glamour, empowerment, and fierce talent; and experience a mass karaoke sing along at Loafaoke, where everyone is encouraged to join in, and the only options are Meatloaf songs. 

An eclectic and vibrant line-up of First Nations artists will present works throughout the Festival, including proud Ngarrindjeri/Bungandidj man and choreographer Lewis Major, who brings his intimate one-to-one performance work Lien to Fringe’s first-ever Dance Hub. Presented at Sydney Dance Company’s Neilson Studio across 48 sessions, Lien is an intimate exchange between Major and one audience member, who come together on an empty stage for a singular ten-minute encounter, never to be repeated. Further highlights include Wiradjuri artist Brianna McCarthy’s solo show Dragon Hearts playing at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta, a magical retelling of the ancient mythology of dragons through shadow puppetry, and weaving workshops with Wiradjuri woman and artist Peta-Joy Williams. 

Chinese-Australian writer, comedian, and food enthusiast Jennifer Wong hosts FEAST at Hurstville Entertainment Centre on Thursday 14 September. A sumptuous night of storytelling, laughter, and Filipino food, FEAST features Wong and six of Sydney’s funniest comedians, writers and a chef, as they guide audiences through a family-style feast with stories about how we eat, and how we live. Plus on Friday 15 September, Hurstville Plaza will come alive for Fringeville, one huge night of live music, dance and spectacle, celebrating the local flavours and creativity of Southwest Sydney.   

Made in Sydney is back from 5 - 9 September at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, with an incredible program of three locally made works by Sydney’s most exciting independent theatre-makers and artists. The program includes performing artist, writer and composer Almitra Mavalvala’s genre-bending, one-woman show Blacklisted. A heart-warming, autobiographical tale of borders and belonging, the show features an original score inspired by South Asian classical music, jazz, rock and blues. Also featured is Plenty of Fish, a darkly humorous and physically adventurous contemporary fable about finding the perfect catch, created and performed by theatre-maker collective Clockfire Theatre Co featuring Emily Ayoub and Madeleine Baghurst; and Betty is a Butcher, an unmissable debut play written and performed by Thomas Campbell exploring the need for love and the power of family.  

Bringing to Sydney smash-hit shows from the international Fringe circuit, the Touring Hub at PACT Centre for Emerging Artists from 12 - 30 September features award-winning productions from the USA, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and all across Australia. Highlights include creator, performer and founder of Kropka Theatre, Jolanta Juszkiewicz’s solo show The Mother, an absurdist exploration of the relationship between mother and son; and comedic storyteller Jon Bennett’s acclaimed show Playing with Men examining toxic masculinity in Australia’s football culture. 

Now in its second year, the pioneering LIMITLESS micro-festival returns to Sydney Fringe. With a dedicated hub at 107 Redfern from 4 - 16 September, LIMITLESS celebrates d/Deaf and disabled artists while offering an inclusive and accessible space for audiences and artists to enjoy. Highlights of the program include Crips & Creeps, an inclusive comedy showcase; The Reckoning, a poetic theatre piece by Sue Jo Wright performed entirely in Auslan; and a screening of short films curated by queer, disabled artist and advocate Emily Dash.  

The above highlights join a packed program which includes the Spiegeltent Festival Garden at the Entertainment Quarter Showring in Moore Park from 1 - 30 September, featuring headline acts musical comedy The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical, acrobatic show GODZ, immersive, interactive comedy performance Titanic: The Movie, The Play, presented by Act React, and Fringe icon Garry Starr in the award-winning show Greece Lightning, a hilarious attempt to perform all of Greek Mythology in less than 60 minutes in order to save his Hellenic homeland from economic ruin. 

CEO and Festival Director Kerri Glasscock said: “We are incredibly excited to present the full program for this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, which has shaped up to be one of our most dynamic and diverse. Now in my tenth year as Festival Director and CEO, I have seen our festival community continue to expand, explore new terrains and push boundaries with each iteration. We can’t wait for audiences to experience the innovative works as part of the festival-first Dance Hub, our hand-picked shows for Made in Sydney, plus our fabulous new precinct takeover at Entertainment Quarter. Taking over the city for an entire month, Fringe has something for everyone!” 

Tickets are now on sale for these Sydney Fringe Festival events at https://www.sydneyfringe.com/  

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