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Melbourne Fringe respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we live, work, play and hold our Festival and events. We pay our respects to the people of the Kulin Nations and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present.

2026 Festival 29 Sept-18 Oct

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Meat Market

DECADENCE: 10 Years of YUMMY


Name: DECADENCE: 10 Years of YUMMY
Subtitle: An unmissable, wild night out celebrating a decade of world class cabaret.
Tags: Drag,Gender Diversity,Line-ups & Variety Nights,Queer Culture,Pop Culture
Vibes: Cheeky,Raunchy,Uplifting
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: LGBTQIA+ Guide to Fringe
Credits:
Presented by YUMMY Productions
 
 
Description:
A drag, burlesque, and circus variety show.


Open Program

Member Discount

Pushing the comfort zone

Cabaret

LGBTQIA+ Guide to Fringe

Variety

Drag

Burlesque

An unmissable, wild night out celebrating a decade of world class cabaret.

Cheeky

Raunchy

Uplifting

CAKE - Late Bite


Name: CAKE - Late Bite
Subtitle: Serving world-class circus, burlesque, and outrageous queer chaos, CAKE is glamour clown guaranteed
Tags: Drag,Gender Diversity,Interactive,Line-ups & Variety Nights,Queer Culture,Pop Culture
Vibes: Absurd,Exhilarating,Outrageous
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Produced by Memphis Mae & Leopold Pentland
 
 
Description:
Liberation for all. A safe space for LGBTQIA+ performer and audience members to dive deep into their most vulnerable, queer self and all share the space. Parts of the audience will be involved in immersive acts though they will remain in their seats the performers being well versed in consent. A variety of circus acts and performances using the strength of the body in ways not always shown in mainstream shows. Outrageous and at times not for the faint hearted. High energy from top to tail.


Circus

Clowning

Comedy

Serving world-class circus, burlesque, and outrageous queer chaos, CAKE is glamour clown guaranteed

Absurd

Exhilarating

Outrageous

Elixir Revived


Name: Elixir Revived
Subtitle: This is Cirque du Soleil meets Magic Mike—Elixir is the wild, raw and rowdy. You can't miss this.
Tags: Science,Pop Culture
Vibes: Exhilarating,Rowdy,Uplifting
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Performed by Head First Acroabts
Directed by John Walton
Devised by Thomas Gorham and Callan Harris
Description:
4 person acrobatic show
Aerials included
comedic in style


Acrobatics

This is Cirque du Soleil meets Magic Mike—Elixir is the wild, raw and rowdy. You can't miss this.

Staged Violence,Drug References,Use of Replica Weapons

Rowdy

Bubble Show For Adults Only


Name: bubble show for adults only
Subtitle: Why should kids have all the fun with bubbles?
Tags: Gender Diversity,Queer Culture,Sex Love & Dating,Science,Pop Culture,Horror
Vibes: Chaotic,Compelling,Epic
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Bubble Laboratory
Performed by Kurt Murray
Performed by Iulia Benze
Description:
9 vignettes performed non verbally but bubble artists making high level bubble skills. Built to entertain and show off what is possible with the art of bubbles whilst trying to keep a smile or awe on the audience with faced paced action and bubble trick execution. Makes a lot more sense after you see it as it is the only show of its kind globally in bubble performance. One audience volunteer is brought on during the show and either has the time of his life or questions his life choices.


Physical Theatre

Why should kids have all the fun with bubbles?

Drug use,Drug References,Sexual References

Chaotic

Compelling

Epic

Madame Martha's Parisian Cabaret


Name: Madame Martha's Parisian Cabaret
Subtitle: WINNER of BEST CABARET in 2024, be swept away to Paris through drag, burlesque and live-music.
Tags: Drag,Feminism,Gender Diversity,Queer Culture
Vibes: Joyful,Poignant,Timeless
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Created and Performed by Meg Hickey, Iva Rosebud & Jens Radda
Presented by Jens Radda
 
Description:
Madame Martha's Parisian Cabaret is a 60 minute cabaret performance featuring three live-singing drag artistes (Jens Radda, Iva Rosebud, and Meg Hickey) who present a blend of live music, dance, poetry and burlesque. The show reimagines classic French chansons alongside contemporary songs, incorporating elements of Parisian cabaret traditions, the indulgent spirit of nightlife culture, and the looming sense of impending doom.


Music

Dance

WINNER of BEST CABARET in 2024, be swept away to Paris through drag, burlesque and live-music.

Joyful

Poignant

Timeless

Bare


Name: Bare
Subtitle: Where the truth is naked (but the dancers are not)
Tags: Disability Stories,Feminism,Gender Diversity,Queer Culture,Real Stories
Vibes: Cheeky,Subversive,Vulnerable
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: Deaf and disability Guide to Fringe
Credits:
Created by Dancekin
Directed by Tristan Sinclair
 
Description:
A contemporary dance performance by a small ensemble of disabled and non-disabled artists. The show features collaboratively devised movement, with varied sections ranging from solo to group work. Some sections are abstract, others more literal or emotionally expressive. 

A simple production- no props or sets.


Short & Sweet

Inside the comfort zone

Dance & Physical Theatre

Deaf and disability Guide to Fringe

Contemporary

Where the truth is naked (but the dancers are not)

Subversive

Vulnerable

Réquiem


Name: Réquiem
Subtitle: I twist my umbilical cord. It hums
Tags: Disability Stories,Queer Culture,Death/Grief,Artists 55+,Original Music,Real Stories
Vibes: Evocative,Nostalgic,Surreal
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Created and Directed by Lucy Eidelson
Performed by Allen Laverty and Lucy Eidelson
Produced by Vicki Nguyen and Lily Harding
Description:
A dance theatre show involving dance, theatre, videography and 3 live opera singers. As the audience enter, the work has already begun. Lead artist lucy eidelson hangs in a womb onstage with sound and visuals. As the show progresses lucy birthes themselves from the womb, and an exploration of grief, death and rituals unfurls with a second performer - weaving choreography, opera, and dance.


Experimental

Devised

Immersive

I twist my umbilical cord. It hums

Evocative

Nostalgic

Surreal

FreeSteps - Swinging Years


Name: FreeSteps - Swinging Years
Subtitle: A decade-long dance journey by an acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer.
Tags: Artists 55+
Vibes: Contemporary,Dynamic,Profound
Programs: Curated Program,Passport,Fringe Focus Taiwan,Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Melbourne Fringe
Created by HORSE
Choreographed by Wei-Chia Su
Description:
A gentle dance work with dancers from the community who are all over 60 years old.


Curated Program

Passport

Fringe Focus Taiwan

Participatory

A decade-long dance journey by an acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer.

Dynamic

Profound

Mass Effect


Name: Mass Effect
Subtitle: Pushing past the limit! Pumping the theatre full of energy and joy.
Tags: 
Vibes: Exhilarating,Joyful,Vibrant
Programs: Curated Program,Passport,Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Himherandit Productions, in association with Melbourne Fringe
Directed by Andreas Constantinou
Performed by Aris Papadopoulos, Elise Ludinard, Heli Pippingsköld, Paola Drera, Theo Marion- Wuillemin.
Description:
Five performers fill the stage with relentless motion, their breath and footfalls the only sound. As exhaustion sets in, sweat flies and their physical struggle becomes raw and visible. Just before reaching their limit, 10–20 local volunteers join them, energizing the finale as the first and only music blasts—fueling a final, explosive push. 
NB! The performers undress during the performance and end up dancing completely naked.


Pushing past the limit! Pumping the theatre full of energy and joy.

Vibrant

The Ache


Name: The Ache
Subtitle: Touching the edges of intimacy, desire, transformation, and the space between longing and becoming.
Tags: 
Vibes: Intimate,Poetic,Refined
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by M.Collective
Produced by Arianna Marchiori
Performed by Jessica Thompson, Mia Theeboom, Nicole Corea, Arianna Marchiori, Chimene Steele-Prior
Description:
The collective is founded on the strong belief that movement art is for everyone. Our shows welcome audiences of all ages and backgrounds who are curious about creative exploration and share our love of dance and artistic collaboration. M.Collective sees dance as a living language of resistance, unity, and hope. It helps us reclaim our bodies, honour our stories, and challenge limits. Dance invites presence, empathy, and connection - where movement becomes message and change feels possible.


Touching the edges of intimacy, desire, transformation, and the space between longing and becoming.

Intimate

Poetic

Refined

TMI - A Night Of Oversharing


Name: TMI - A Night Of Oversharing
Subtitle: A ritual of radical honesty.
Tags: Disability Stories,Gender Diversity,Queer Culture,Sex Love & Dating,Deaf Culture,Real Stories
Vibes: Heartfelt,Intimate,Provocative
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Curated by Sarah Ward and Bec Matthews
 
 
Description:
TMI is a 75-min spoken word event hosted by Sarah Ward & Bec Matthews with live drums, piano, and voice. Five guests share raw, personal stories—queer voices, first-timers, and artists with disabilities. It’s relaxed, Auslan interpreted, and boldly curated with care. Expect honesty, not controversy. Low-tech needs; high-impact vibes


Words & Ideas

Storytelling

Community

A ritual of radical honesty.

Heartfelt

Provocative

New Home


Name: New Home
Subtitle: A house building show demolishes the life of a young couple in this satirical and surrealist play.
Tags: Death/Grief,Pop Culture,Horror
Vibes: Poignant,Surreal,Unsettling
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Five Bells Collective
 
 
Description:
A new play about a couple who are building a house for a TV show. 60 minutes long, involves live cameras, live switching to a screen on stage and a set that is built as the production progresses. The play has surrealist and tragic elements and dark comedy as the life of the protagonist falls apart. The play has five actors and a fast paced narrative that tracks the progression of an episode of a TV show like Grand Designs.


Theatre

Satire

New Writing

A house building show demolishes the life of a young couple in this satirical and surrealist play.

Emotional Abuse,Domestic Violence,Alcohol Use,Misogyny,Sexual References,Death,Mental Health,Smoking on Stage

Unsettling

The Migration Office: An Ethnic Comedy Hour


Name: The Migration Office: An Ethnic Comedy Hour
Subtitle: An hour of ethnic comedy that is thought-provoking, absurd and just the right level of spice.
Tags: Line-ups & Variety Nights,Millennial Culture,Real Stories
Vibes: Cheeky,Joyful,Silly
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: IBPoC Guide to Fringe
Credits:
Produced by Benzir Siddiqui and Beray Uzunbay
Performed by Benzir Siddiqui, Beray Uzunbay, Lee Ton, Shannan Tamby Lim, Jamie Yung, Ece Musatoff, Esma Yucel, Jess Ciancio and more.
 
Description:
A variety hour comedy show featuring stand up, improv, clowning, sketch and storytelling that focuses on ethnic experiences and humour. Each show features an MC, two openers (stand up, clowning or sketch) and an improv set in the last half with a guest storyteller whose stories inspire the cast of improvisers. The show aims to highlight the experiences of ethnically diverse people and also find the humour in these experiences. The show is aimed towards both ethnically diverse people and allies.


IBPoC Guide to Fringe

Improv

Stand Up

An hour of ethnic comedy that is thought-provoking, absurd and just the right level of spice.

Silly

THE MACHINE


Name: THE MACHINE
Subtitle: Gym. Protein. Gains. Emotions? Never heard of them! Can Maddy make vulnerability her strength?
Tags: Feminism,Gen Z Culture,Pop Culture,Sport,Real Stories
Vibes: Exciting,Heartfelt,Silly
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Performed by Jaz Hosken and Chloe McShane
Created by Jaz Hosken
 
Description:
THE MACHINE is a dynamic two-woman show, following Maddy, your friendly neighbourhood gym bro, and her best friend Pip, who wears her heart on her sleeve. Through snappy dialogue and bold physicality, Maddy is forced to confront the feelings she’s been pushing down. She relies on the support of Pip, and together, Maddy learns to embrace her vulnerability, and Pip finds her own strength. THE MACHINE is silly and playful, with minimal set and some audience address.


Gym. Protein. Gains. Emotions? Never heard of them! Can Maddy make vulnerability her strength?

Exciting

Conversations with a Fried Egg


Name: Conversations with a Fried Egg
Subtitle: Crack open life’s strangest questions.
Tags: 
Vibes: Absurd,Contemplative,Silly
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Devised by Ivy Crago
Devised by Maxine Palmerson
Produced by Claudia Harris
Description:
A clowning show exploring existential crisis in an absurdist environment through a conversation between an egg and some rats.


Absurdist

Crack open life’s strangest questions.

Staged Violence,Drug References,Alcohol Use,Sexual References,Death,Mental Health,Smoking on Stage

Contemplative

The Village Square


Name: The Village Square
Subtitle: Enter The Village Square. On your left, music and fables. On your right, your own imagination.
Tags: Original Music,Religion & Spirituality
Vibes: Compelling,Poetic,Surreal
Programs: 
Guides: 
Credits:
Created by Robbie Melville
Featuring Robbie Melville, Zoe Knighton & Richard Piper
 
Description:
A simple show featuring music and storytelling. A narrator tells a story which is followed by a related piece of music performed on cello and guitar. This occurs several times. A story, then a song. That's it.


Folk

Acoustic

Enter The Village Square. On your left, music and fables. On your right, your own imagination.

Self Harm or Suicide,Alcohol Use,Death,Murder

MEMBER


Name: MEMBER
Subtitle: An unflinching look at homophobia, masculinity and our need to belong.
Tags: Queer Culture,True Crime & Cults,Death/Grief,Original Music,Real Stories
Vibes: Contemplative,Confronting,Unsettling
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Fairly Lucid Productions
Performed by Ben Noble & Stephen Choi
Directed by David Wood
Description:
This new production with musican underscoring is the first time in Australia having premiered in Edinburgh Fringe and San Francisco International Arts Festival. Starting from a collection of artists responding to source material about the gay hate crimes in Sydney of 70-90s and the case of Scott Johnson, the piece has been collated by Ben Noble from his words, the words of his colleagues and those of the perputrators themselves to create this drama where he plays 13 characters.


Drama

An unflinching look at homophobia, masculinity and our need to belong.

Violence,Sexual Assault or Abuse,Emotional Abuse,Domestic Violence,Queerphobia or Homophobia,Sexual References,Death,Murder

Confronting

Democracy Repair Services


Name: Democracy Repair Services
Subtitle: A play against hopelessness: democracy in action & how young people fight when the world is on fire
Tags: Feminism,Climate Change,Politics,Global Affairs
Vibes: Exhilarating,Joyful,Off-beat
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Written by Noemie Huttner-Koros
Performed by Gabrielle Fallen, Jess Lu, Michelle Rupert, Oriana Morris-Johnson
Design by Dylan Lumsden, Sophie Ness, Nick Rinaldi
Description:
A play with small amounts of audience interaction, written for young people about the climate crisis, democracy, climate anxiety and fucking shit up to try change the world.


Political

A play against hopelessness: democracy in action & how young people fight when the world is on fire

Off-beat

Masterpiece


Name: Masterpiece
Subtitle: No words. One task. Two clowns.
Tags: Interactive,Original Music
Vibes: Joyful,Silly,Timeless
Programs: Meat Market
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by raeandwill
Created and Performed by Rae Colquhoun-Fairweather
Created and Performed by Will Bartolo
Description:
Masterpiece is a wordless physical theatre/mime/clowning piece that sees two silent art installers attempt to hang a singular piece of art for its entire duration. Their every move is live scored by a grumpy classical musician on violin, keyboard and computer. The nails are already on the wall and there are two comically large arrows pointing to exactly where it needs to go. Suitable for age 8 - 108, it uplifts and spreads joy amongst its audience, and has audience participation.


No words. One task. Two clowns.

This Festival, Meat Market is getting a Fringe makeover for a three-week Festival takeover.