12 comedy shows to kick off your Adelaide Fringe
From clown to sketch to stand-up, we've rounded up a dozen comedy shows for your consideration
The country’s biggest arts festival kicks off in just over a month, with more than 1,500 shows across 500 venues. Taking place over the CBD and beyond, the Adelaide Fringe has an an embarrassment of comedy riches on offer over a vast landscape, so we've handily picked out a dozen highlights playing over the opening weekend, from veterans to debutantes, sketch acts to stand-up legends.
The Burton Brothers – Tinseltown
The sketchy brothers performing a full-length (well, 55 minute) feature film. They were Best Comedy Award nominees in 2024, and last year we hailed their ‘supremely silly (and slightly surreal) hour’.
The Lark At Gluttony – Rymill Park, Thursday 19 February-Sunday 1 March.
Celia Pacquola – Gift Horse
The Utopia star is well known for her dry, understated style. Once described as ‘Adam Hills with ovaries’, she’s back with ‘a show about the people we love and the things they give us that we hate.’
The Paragon At The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Tuesday 17-Wednesday 25 March.
Claire Hooper – Fun Show xx
The veteran comedian and host of House Of Games presents an hour in which she intends to find out how to have fun (despite being ‘the least fun person she knows’).
Monocle At The Howling Owl, Friday 20-Sunday 22 February.
Elf Lyons: Swan
The nimble, Gaulier-trained Lyons combines multiple diverse genres into this one-woman interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
The Hetzel Room At The Courtyard Of Curiosities At The State Library, Friday 20 February-Sunday 22 March.
Jo Gowda – Don't Deport The Fun
More cultural musings from the Indian-born, Australia-based comedian who explores notions of family and belonging and the complexities of immigration.
Hell's Kitchen At Rhino Room, Friday 20 & Saturday 21 February.
Jojo Sutherland: The Real Housewife Of Scotland
A stalwart of the Edinburgh Fringe, Jojo Sutherland has plenty to say about the travails of growing up in a world that’s got it in for older women.
The Balcony Room At The Griffins Hotel, Friday 20 February-Sunday 22 March.
Josh Thomas – Work In Progress
A chance to see the seedlings of a brand new show from one of the country’s most popular comedians, the creator and star of Please Like Me. We hailed his 2024 show, Let's Tidy Up, as ‘dynamite’.
Upstairs At Rhino Room, Friday 20-Saturday 28 February.
Kate Dolan: Trout
Winner of last year’s Golden Gibbo award, Dolan examines the idea that in today’s world it would be easier to be a fish than a woman.
The Chapel At The Courtyard Of Curiosities At The Migration Museum, Thursday 19-Saturday 28 February.
.jpg)
Mel McGlensey Is Normal
Winner of Best Comedy Award at the 2024 Adelaide Fringe, McGlensey returns with a collaborative show in which she hopes to escape the simulation that has trapped her.
The Bally At Gluttony - Rymill Park, Friday 20-Saturday 28 February.
Nurse Georgie Carroll: Infectious
With 20 years’ experience as a nurse, this UK-born, Australia-based comedian applies gallows humour to her remarkable stories.
The Roundhouse At The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Friday 13 February-Sunday 22 March.
Adi Parmar: Sunny Boy
Indian-born Adi Parmar is a gay man in his 30s. For his debut Australian hour, he reminisces about his childhood and his unexpected fatherhood.
The Squeaker (Open-Air) At Gluttony – Rymill Park, Friday 20 February-Saturday 28 March.
The Umbilical Brothers – Speedmouse
The legendary comedy siblings (and recipients of BAFTAs and an Emmy) return with their most popular creation.
The Box At The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Friday 13 February-Sunday 1 March.
Adelaide Fringe, Friday 20 February-Sunday 22 March; main picture: Nicole Reed.