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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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Melbourne International Games Week x Melbourne Fringe

Power Move


Name: Power Move
Subtitle: Move your body, power the party. This dancefloor turns your groove into green energy.
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance
Vibes: Dynamic,Joyful,Uplifting
Programs: Curated Program,Civic
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Melbourne Fringe and Fed Square
Concept by Linda Catalano for Quiet RIOT
 
Description:
Dance floor in Fed Square.


Free Events

Curated Program

Pushing the comfort zone

Parties & Social Events

Civic

Dance

Community

Participatory

Move your body, power the party. This dancefloor turns your groove into green energy.

Dynamic

Joyful

Uplifting

Handle With Care by Ontroerend Goed


Name: Handle With Care by Ontroerend Goed
Subtitle: Theatre stripped down to its essence. No actors, no technicians. Just a box. And you.
Tags: Interactive
Vibes: Dynamic,Insightful,Mysterious
Programs: Curated Program,Festival Hub,Passport
Guides: 
Credits:
Concept by Alexander Devriendt, Karolien De Bleser, Samir Veen, Leonore Spee & Charlotte De Bruyne
With Design: Nick Mattan & Edouard Devriendt. English Translation: Samir Veen & Tiffer Hutchings (editor). Voices: Silvio Vovk (HR), Jong Wook Yang (KR), Gina Beuk (DE), Karolien De Bleser, Leonore Spee, Samir Veen, Charlotte De Bruyne, Aurélie Lannoy, and Alexander Devriendt. i.a. Translation: Martine Bom (FR), Aurélie Lannoy (FR), Samir Veen (EN), Tiffer Hutchings (editor EN), Lore Meesters (DE), Hong Zhan (CN), Tai Yin Chang (CN), Mima Simić (HR), Dayoung Jeong (KR), Andrea Romano (IT), i.a.
Presented by Melbourne Fringe
Description:
Essentially an Escape Room contained within a box: audience approach, open, and explore the contents. Individual tasks are assigned, and the participants come together in collective artmaking and community action


Member Discount

Outside the comfort zone

Theatre

Festival Hub

Passport

Experimental

Theatre stripped down to its essence. No actors, no technicians. Just a box. And you.

Insightful

Mysterious

The MNY


Name: The MNY
Subtitle: Find faces in the city and be part of a mystery that unfolds across a whole landscape!
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Interactive,Unusual Location
Vibes: Epic,Mysterious,Surreal
Programs: Curated Program,XS
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Melbourne Fringe
Created by Jessica Wilson and Tom Holloway
 
Description:
The MNY involves children finding faces in built environments, photographing them and overlaying drawings to express their characters, before uploading them to a collective map where they can be found and experienced as collated AR animations. The voices of MNY can also be experienced by game players.


Short & Sweet

Young Kids (5-9 years)

Pre-Teens (10-12 years)

Kids

Immersive

Site Specific

Find faces in the city and be part of a mystery that unfolds across a whole landscape!

Epic

Surreal

RPG-IRL


Name: RPG-IRL
Subtitle: Your World. Your Fate. Your Choice.
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Interactive,Climate Change,Politics,Religion & Spirituality,Global Affairs
Vibes: Challenging,Disruptive,Provocative
Programs: 
Guides: 
Credits:
Devised by Planet Arts Theatre Ensemble (PATE)
 
 
Description:
5 teams of 5 players will have to negotiate and trade 'power' in order to prevent (or cause) catastrophic disaster in these live role play games. There are 5 rounds and new information on the state of affairs will be provided between each round which will affect the decision making of the teams and their ongoing interactions. Teams are allocated by the creators and participants are advised prior to the event by email, as well as being given important information before the coming to the games.


Open Program

Interactive

Live Art

Your World. Your Fate. Your Choice.

Challenging

Disruptive

Provocative

Love Machine


Name: Love Machine
Subtitle: An intimate, human-to-computer installation for one.
Tags: Interactive,Unusual Location,Chronically Online,Real Stories
Vibes: Heartfelt,Intimate,Nostalgic
Programs: Festival Hub
Guides: 
Credits:
Created by Tom Richards
In Association With Rebekah Carton
 
Description:
An installation for solo participants.
A participant enters and is guided through a short digital experience via an old school desktop computer (exeperience being questions, animations, text), the participant is then requested to hand write a short reflection on their first love and scan that writing in.
The writing is then digitised in an abstract way (image/sound).
The experience takes around 10-15 mins.


Installation

One-on-one

An intimate, human-to-computer installation for one.

Heartfelt

Intimate

Nostalgic

MAFIA The Game: The Show


Name: MAFIA The Game: The Show
Subtitle: It's kill or be killed as the Fringe cult hit returns for two nights only!
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Line-ups & Variety Nights,True Crime & Cults,Pop Culture
Vibes: Chaotic,Mysterious,Unpredictable
Programs: Festival Hub
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Nick Robertson
 
 
Description:
It's a games night meet late night comedy show. It's PAX meets Jimmy Kimmel. It's Poirot meets Catan. It's a late night variety show that's fun, silly, loose, wild and satiates every whodunnit itch. 

The show is six guest comedians being guided through a game of MAFIA, they bullshit their way through a set of 'day time' and 'night time' rounds as they try and figure out who the traitor amongst them is. 

For lovers of comedy, game nights. Definitely don't need to know the game to love the show


Inside the comfort zone

Comedy

Variety

Improv

It's kill or be killed as the Fringe cult hit returns for two nights only!

Chaotic

Unpredictable


Name: MAFIA The Game: The Show
Subtitle: It's kill or be killed as the hit role-playing game comes to life in a hilarious late night show!
Genre: Comedy
Tags: Line-ups & Variety Nights,Pop Culture
Vibes: Absurd,Loose,Silly
Programs: Festival Hub program
Guides: 
Venues: Festival Hub: Trades Hall - Solidarity Hall
Locations: Carlton 

Credits:
Presented by Ashley Apap & Nick Robertson
 
 

Accessibilities: Relaxed, Wheelchair Access

Description:
The Mafia has taken over our town! No one is safe. Civilians are dying every night and we're running out of time. We've recruited seven comedians to help us uncover who the cold-blooded killers are and bring them to justice. Though our problems are only getting worse, the Mafia have infiltrated the investigation, there are moles among us and are silencing our comic detectives one by one. 

After a critically acclaimed debut season at last year’s Festival, the Fringe cult hit MAFIA The Game: The Show returns to Melbourne Fringe for a strictly limited run. 

Come watch the hit role-playing game come to life in a hilarious live show! Based on the hit role-playing strategy game Mafia, come watch a late night panel show like no other, as we pit comedians against each other in a comedy show filled with as many laughs as there are lies. Split into two teams, the Mafia go head to head with the civilians in an argumentative joust of wits and deceit as the civilians try and bring the mafia to justice - but there's just one catch, the civilians don't know who's on their team and who belongs to the mafia. 

Who will survive? Only one way to find out! Come watch the hilarious whodunnit unfold in front of your eyes. Four shows only!

Special relaxed matinee session added for 3.30pm Saturday 12 October. 

"One of the most enjoyable things about Fringe" - The Age

Co-Programmed as part of Melbourne International Games Week

All performances hosted by Ashley Apap & Nick Robertson

Oct 4
- Trixie Collins
- Matthew Jackson
- Robyn Reynolds
- Pedro Cooray
- Lauren Bok
- Matt Jenner
 
Oct 11
- Hannah Camilleri
- Charlie Lewin
- Dylan Murphy
- Laura Trenerry
- Taylor Griffiths
- Noah Szto
 
Oct 12
- Stuart Daulman
- Maddy Weeks
- Mel McGlensey
- Jon Walpole
- Josh Chodziesner
- Suren Jaymanne
 
Oct 18
- Isaac Haigh
- Rowan Thambar
- Han Arbuthnott
- Lena Moon
- Randy Adeva
- Gabby Anderson


Festival Hub Program

It's kill or be killed as the hit role-playing game comes to life in a hilarious late night show!

Absurd

Loose

Silly

We Have Been Called Many Things


Name: We Have Been Called Many Things
Subtitle: Interactive exhibition sharing Chinese-speaking Australians' evolving identities and stories
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Interactive,Global Affairs,Real Stories
Vibes: Contemplative,Contemporary,Evocative
Programs: 
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Footscray Community Arts
Presented by Melbourne Fringe Festival
Produced by Curatorial Ensemble
Description:
A collaborative exhibition by Footscray Community Arts, Melbourne Fringe Festival, and Curatorial Ensemble, showcasing four Chinese-speaking Australian artists/groups. Stemming from 2023 Jizha Atelier workshops, each artist/group presents an interactive or community-engaged work sharing their personal story. The exhibition runs from October to December at Footscray Community Arts, opening in early October. Each artist/group also hosts a free workshop, with Footscray Community Arts


Visual Arts & Film

Exhibition

Interactive exhibition sharing Chinese-speaking Australians' evolving identities and stories

Contemplative

Contemporary

Evocative

Holographic Charizard


Name: Holographic Charizard
Subtitle: A comical music show about the greatest Pokemon. Every song is about Charizard!
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Original Music,Travel,Millennial Culture,Pop Culture,Real Stories
Vibes: Chaotic,Heartfelt,Nostalgic
Programs: 
Guides: 
Credits:
Presented by Thomas Begg
Mentor Lindsay Webb
 
Description:
A Solo cabaret style show. The twist is that every song is about the pokemon Charizard. The songs are mostly instrumental and played on a nylon acoustic guitar. In-between songs There are stories, jokes, and other gags that break up the performance, kind of like a one man variety show. There is a good amount of crowd interaction, that is all positive in nature. It is a weird and chaotic show, but enjoyable throughout, even for non Pokemon fans.


Music

Cabaret

A comical music show about the greatest Pokemon. Every song is about Charizard!

Mel McGlensey is NORMAL


Name: Mel McGlensey is NORMAL
Subtitle: Mel is determined to achieve the most normal hour of comedy ever... but she needs your help.
Tags: Feminism,Games or Gamified Performance,Interactive
Vibes: Cheeky,Subversive,Unpredictable
Programs: Festival Hub
Guides: 
Credits:
Performed by Mel McGlensey
Design By Douglas Wilson
Directed by Sharnema Nougar
Description:
Mel McGlensey is Normal is a clown show in which Mel performs a "choose your own adventure" style hour made up of increasingly weird and unhinged physical comedy and clown bits. Melissa’s clown is desperate to make a “normal” show - so much so, that she’s decided to outsource that critical judgement to the audience. They get to decide which is the most normal option. The audience continually votes on what she should be doing and how, based on a projected display of options.


Clowning

Mel is determined to achieve the most normal hour of comedy ever... but she needs your help.

Cheeky

Subversive

Gayme Show


Name: Gayme Show
Subtitle: An unhinged game show hosted by two gay guys. Expect guests, confusion, and maybe a prize
Tags: Line-ups & Variety Nights,Queer Culture,Sex Love & Dating,Death/Grief,Chronically Online,Pop Culture
Vibes: Chaotic,Dark,Outrageous
Programs: 
Guides: 
Credits:
Performed by Carmelo Costa and Chris Demos
 
 
Description:
Gayme Show is a live game show hosted by two comedians. The show features a series of improvised games and challenges involving special guests from the audience. Points are awarded arbitrarily, and prizes are given out at the end. The hosts provide comedic commentary throughout.


Stand Up

An unhinged game show hosted by two gay guys. Expect guests, confusion, and maybe a prize

Violence,Self Harm or Suicide,Drug use,Drug References,Alcohol Use,Queerphobia or Homophobia,Sexual References,Death,Mental Health

Dark

Outrageous

Forests of Ash


Name: Forests of Ash
Subtitle: Every tree is beautiful. Every tree is kin. Become a part of the forest here.
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Interactive,Science
Vibes: Beautiful,Contemplative,Transcendent
Programs: Festival Hub
Guides: 
Credits:
Created by Gabriel Bethune
 
 
Description:
An interactive Projection Work where audience members play with the environment. By moving in front of the projection surface, their movement is captured and interpreted into the scene. This art work uses projection and Game Software.


Digital

Projection Art

Every tree is beautiful. Every tree is kin. Become a part of the forest here.

Beautiful

Transcendent

Giuseppe's Game Time Wonder Show


Name: Giuseppe's Game Time Wonder Show
Subtitle: WOW, LET'S PLAY! WHO WILL WIN??? COMEDY! ....... FUNNY TIMES FOR YOU! - THank y0u Gisueppe.
Tags: Games or Gamified Performance,Interactive,Line-ups & Variety Nights,Millennial Culture,Pop Culture
Vibes: Absurd,Chaotic,Exciting
Programs: Festival Hub
Guides: 
Credits:
Created by Jeromaia Detto
Performed by Giuseppe Alfresco
 
Description:
This is a very loose late night game show featuring a range of fringe festival favourites. The show will contain 5 - 6 rounds with 3 or so players on each team. There may be some clean up, involving lots of hats.


WOW, LET'S PLAY! WHO WILL WIN??? COMEDY! ....... FUNNY TIMES FOR YOU! - THank y0u Gisueppe.

Exciting

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Fringe x Melbourne International Games Week team up for an epic fusion of performance, play and participation. 