Sammy J on how Melbourne Fringe helped make his show happen

Originally published in Fringe Magazine 2025

"Fringe is the place I return to when I want to feel scared as an artist again," says comedian, composer and Fringe Funded-artist Sammy J, who is deep in the development of his new work for this year's Festival. It's a show that's pushing him out of his comfort zone - "I am trying many things for the first time. Playing with a band, writing songs for other people. It's terrifying, but I believe in it."

Sammy's Fiasco: A Burke & Wills Musical is being supported by the Fringe Fund, a vital initiative that provides direct financial support to independent artists. In an industry where creative ambition often exceeds available resources, the Fringe Fund exists to help big ideas reach their audience. It helps artists find the money they need to bring bold ideas to life, offering a mix of big and small cash commissioning opportunities, and microgrants to cover participation costs for artists who face barriers to accessing the Festival. It backs ideas that could only happen at Fringe, making space for experimentation, play and risk-taking within the Festival. For many artists, it's the difference between an idea staying on the page or making it to the stage.

"This upcoming show would not exist without the Fringe Fund," says Sammy, "because it's not a show I would have had the confidence to stage without the funding. I'm trying to pay five cast members for rehearsal and performance, which is an expensive gambit." Sammy's shows are known for drawing strong crowds, but even solid ticket sales can't make the numbers stack up on their own, meaning the Fringe Fund's role is an essential one. And the funding hasn't just made the show viable, it's created the space for deeper, more ambitious creative development. "It means I can go deeper with the work. The dream of any artist is to have space and time to create, and that's what this has given me."

Melbourne Fringe has been a creative touchstone for Sammy throughout his career. "It's where I started, as a fledgling comedian using music and video elements and trying to work out who I was and who my audience was. In other festivals that sort of experimentation eventually gives way to a more commercial imperative, to sell tickets and put on increasingly mainstream shows - but Fringe for me is the place where I can shed those expectations and truly have a crack at creating something pure."

The Fringe Fund means that this spirit of creative freedom isn't just an ideal but is structurally supported. With initiatives such as Ralph Mclean Microgrants reducing financial barriers and investing directly in artists' visions, the Fringe Fund empowers artists and makes a game-changing contribution to our independent landscape.

"Melbourne Fringe gives you the complete freedom to try, and aspire, and to fail if you need - and the audience will be there for the journey."

Want to help make great art happen?

Sammy J's show happened because people backed it. When you donate to Melbourne Fringe, you help make bold, independent art possible. You back the ambition that independent art runs on, and get daring new work in front of the audiences it deserves. Your donation keeps the door open for the next big idea and the artists brave enough to bring it to life. 

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