10 theatre shows to start your Adelaide Fringe
From traditional theatre to innovative experimentation, here are a dozen shows to get your Fringe started
Adelaide Fringe is just weeks away, and with a packed programme of events it can be daunting knowing where to begin. We’ve picked out two handfuls of theatrical shows taking place across the opening weekend and beyond, from one-person, intimate storytelling to musical spectaculars.
Crush: The Musical
Gemini Creative Arts presents this 1960s musical set in an all-girls school. Expect messy heartbreak and queer love as Camilla, Susan and the others try to navigate the travails of growing up.
Eliza Hall At City Of Prospect – Payinthi, Sunday 22 February-Sunday 22 March.
Dust
In 1973, an English town faced disaster when a mine flooded, killing seven people. Following a sold-out 2025 Fringe, this inSPACE Award-winner returns to take audiences back into the darkness.
The Breakout At The Mill, Saturday 21 February-Saturday 7 March.
Eat The Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates x)
This hilarious one-person story of a young, working-class Liverpudlian woman at Cambridge University recalls some of Willy Russell's most enduring characters. In our review last year, we described lead character, Jade, as ‘a heroine of our time’.
The Studio At Holden Street Theatres, Tuesday 17 February-Sunday 22 March.
Holy O
A woman struggles to balance the strictures of her religion with her yearnings for pleasure in this immersive drama-comedy from Lauren Hance.
Studio Theatre At Goodwood Theatre And Studios, Thursday 19 February-Sunday 1 March.
Kirsty Mann: Corpse
A spooky ghost story is interspersed with humour in this performance from the actor, writer and comedian.
The Gallery At The Courtyard Of Curiosities At The Migration Museum, Thursday 19 February-Sunday 15 March.
The Pink List
From the creator of Fabulett 1933, this one-man musical tells the shocking story of a gay concentration camp survivor struggling to live his life in 1950s West Germany.
Ruby's At HST At Holden Street Theatres, Friday 20 February-Sunday 8 March.
The Pole Shebang
A ‘neurodivergent gender rebellious Asian-Canadian/Australian’ pole dancer faces down middle age by entering the biggest pole dancing competition in the land.
The Lab At Fool's Paradise, Wednesday 18 February-Sunday 1 March.
The Routine
Performer Joylyn Secunda channels Mr Bean in this surreal comedy. In our five-star review last year, we described it as ‘hypnotic, hilarious and deeply thought-provoking’.
Studio Theatre At Goodwood Theatre And Studios, Saturday 21 February-Sunday 15 March.
Séance
Theatre-makers Darkfield have established a reputation for their short, innovate, immersive productions. Séance is one of their most popular shows and it returns to Adelaide to unsettle anew, using binaural audio within a pitch-black shipping container.
Darkfield – Séance At The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Friday 13 February-Sunday 22 March.
Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England
Inspired by real events, this Best Theatre Show winner returns to explore fandom and masculinity. In our review we said ‘alongside the humour are moments of intensity and brutality.’
The Studio At Holden Street Theatres, Saturday 21 February-Sunday 8 March.
Adelaide Fringe, Friday 20 February-Sunday 22 March.