KID FRIENDLY ADELAIDE FRINGE REVIEW: We were taken to the colourful depths of the ocean and the opulence of the Royal Palace in the South Australian Children’s Ballet Company’s Adelaide Fringe performance of The Little Mermaid… and Children’s Ballet has never been brighter!
KID-FRIENDLY ADELAIDE FRINGE REVIEW: KIDDO reviewer Carla Caruso got back in touch with her inner disco diva at this musical extravaganza, headlined by Paulini and Timomatic.
KID FRIENDLY ADELAIDE FRINGE: Much beloved and classic fairytale, The Little Mermaid, presented and performed by the South Australian Children’s Ballet Company (SACBC), brings the original Hans Christian Anderson fable to life in an enchanting narrated ballet for audiences both young and… not so young!
ADELAIDE FRINGE REVIEW: KIDDO reviewer Carla Caruso booked a babysitter and headed out on the town to see NT comedian Amy Hetherington in her comedy show about trying to make a baby! She gives us her review on how many LOLs to expect from the show!
WORDS: CARLA CARUSO I first saw Matt Hale’s live hypnosis show last year and was adamant I wouldn’t volunteer to go onstage. I prefer to observe from the shadows than be in the spotlight. But after I saw a bunch of youngsters rush the stage at Matt’s last show – and saw the fun that they had – I thought maybe I would give it a go a second time around. (Also enticing was Matt’s disclosure that participants would feel like they’d had a deep sleep afterwards – music to the ears of sleep-deprived parents like myself.) But I took along a friend, who was a first-timer and a skeptic, and she was as adamant about not going up as I had been my first time. So, with her help, I chickened out again. And yet, I still had a blast. Matt makes it hard not to have a good time with the thumping songs he uses for a backdrop – ranging from Jason Derulo to Queen classics – and his humour peppered throughout. (On his stage manager wife, Kathryn, he quipped: “It’s all right; she still thinks she’s married to George Clooney.”) It was a hoot watching participants onstage being lulled into things they wouldn’t normally manage without laughing, from vibing to Fleetwood Mac like that famed skateboarder to imagining they’re acting in an ‘80s movie montage. Nicely too, the format had been changed from last year. As Matt said: “There’s nothing that can keep you from being hypnotised except yourself.” And some participants did seem more immersed in the experience than others. Those who were less submerged or, alternatively, too chilled-out got a tap on the shoulder and were whisked offstage. (I imagine being made to make a quick exit if I had gone up.) This action helped whittle the group down to an entertaining core. At one point, Matt described the whole experience as “absolutely, incredibly joyful” and indeed it was (including for a few kids in the crowd, who’d stayed up to catch the show with their ‘rents). During the performance, Matt also commented on the tough time artists had had during the pandemic. Along with joking about JobKeeper, he said: “We just took a massive hit in Perth with the lockdown and had to cancel a ton of shows … We’ve had a crazy year, so we’ve got to have some fun.” Right on. Maybe third time will be a charm for me in braving the stage? Sidenote: The air-con in The Virago tent was turned up quite high, so it could be worth packing a cardi! COMEDY HYPNOTIST MATT HALE’S BONKERS! Venue: The Virago (Gluttony – Rymill Park, Adelaide, SA) Dates & times:Tue 23 Feb – Sun 28 Feb: 8pmTue 2 Mar – Sun 7 Mar: 8pmTue 9 Mar – Sat 13 Mar: 8pmSun 14 Mar: 5pm, 8pmTue 16 Mar – Sat 20 Mar: 8pmSun 21 Mar: 5pm, 8pm For tickets: adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/comedy-hypnotist-matt-hale-bonkers-af2021
The Fringe Caravan will be hitting the road throughout the season, bringing a taste of the fantastic four weeks of festival fun to suburban and regional destinations across SA, providing a pop-up hit of Fringe flavour. We’ve got a run down on what’s happening on the road as Fringe on Tour brings free family fun to you!
The Adelaide Fringe highly values being inclusive and welcoming. The team behind the event wants everyone to experience the magic of Fringe, and are committed to ensuring that artists and audiences of all abilities can make the most of the program. 2021 brings many new access initiatives to support audiences with diverse accessibility needs and we have the run down on just a few of these.
KID FRIENDLY ADELAIDE FRINGE: After a SELL OUT season at the last Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Big Tops & Tiny Tots Circus Show returns to Adelaide Fringe to delight the next generation of preschoolers in this show made just for little ones… and parents tickets are selling for half price!
ADELAIDE FRINGE: EGG is a hilarious, topical, and moving new solo work from Erin Fowler. A show combining dance, clowning, some bagpipes, a cheeky life-sized egg, and a pulsating 80s soundtrack to question all things fertility and motherhood in a powerful exploration of how we make (and live with) the big decisions in life!
ADELAIDE FRINGE: Darwin’s Comedy Queen AMY HETHERINGTON returns to the spotlight in 2021 for a run of 12 nights at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in a show about making a baby and the ‘ducking terrifying’ prospect of parenthood!
ADELAIDE FRINGE: From the masterminds behind 2019’s Garden hit, House of Mirrors, comes a new invitation to lose yourself and find something else in the process ‘1000 Doors – Door Within A Door’.
KID FRIENDLY ADELAIDE FRINGE: After three sell out seasons Star Academy is back for the Fringe 2021! The Performing Arts Academy, currently in their 10th year of business, will be performing their 4th Fringe show in a row but this time they’re doing things a little differently with their show Star’s Got Talent!
Kid friendly Adelaide Fringe: Grab your rainbow sequinned onesies, and all your family members, as the friendliest baby-disco in town, Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall returns to Adelaide for Fringe 2021!
Adelaide Fringe show, Bubba-Licious, is a stage show specifically written for infants aged between 6 months and 3 years. It brings together lighting effects, puppetry, music and a variety of other sensory stimulations to awaken wonder for the babies and toddlers in the audience!
Australia’s favourite family puppet show is back in the Garden of Unearthly Delights. The Amazing Drumming Monkeys have been wowing audiences around Australia and internationally for the past 17 years. Although the show is for little kids, it has something for everyone. Cute & funny monkeys for kids, hilarious comedy for adults, funky live drumming for all ages, and a message for the world. Kids and parents will be laughing, dancing and drumming together!