Forks will bend, Doritos will levitate and pineapples will materialize out of thin air; no laws of the known universe are left unbroken in Afflicted Magic, the captivating Fringe show by American master magicians Richard Kwesell and Nicholas Tweedy. In what is touted as their first show together in nearly a decade, Kwesell and Tweedy would rival Penn and Teller for the title of ‘unlikeliest duo in magic’. Kwesell, a 7-foot monolith of a man, could barely stand on stage without hitting his head, while Tweedy, significantly shorter and sporting a braided beard, looked as if he’d sailed all the way from Middle Earth to be ...Read More

Generally speaking, penises shouldn’t ever be laughed at. Unless, of course, that penis is the star of Tyrannosaurus Sex, a fiercely funny and wildly creative puppet rock opera about an insecure lil’ pecker named Bob. Certainly not one for the easily offended, this adults-only show is like the Avenue Q of the Adelaide Fringe. Originally written, designed and performed by puppet maker Philip Millar for the Melbourne Fringe Festival a few years back, Tyrannosaurus Sex has made its way to Adelaide thanks to the talented puppeteers of the SA-based Pooka Puppet Co. They skilfully animate Bob, a normal-sized penis who has been saturated by ...Read More

Looking like a dishevelled British rocker badly hung-over from an all night bender, Mark Butler seems like the kind of guy who would sooner consider calculus to be a comic book superhero than a mathematical theorem. It turns out, however, that before he became a talented comedian and an Adelaide Fringe regular, he spent four years as a maths teacher in the UK. So why the drastic change in career? If his entertaining debut play Rogue Teacher has any truth to it, Butler’s morals are far better suited to the stage than they are the classroom. Adapted from Butler’s novel ‘A Playground for Disobedient ...Read More

Each time this year, the Fringe Festival hits little old Adelaide in an explosion of art and culture, engulfing the city of churches in a lively bohemian atmosphere. The festival sees live performers from all over the world come to flaunt their stuff, be it comedy, dance, music or theatre. I'll be emerging from the dark depths of the cinema to catch some of the shows on offer, reviewing them for a great site called Buzzcuts. Here is an excerpt from my review of Mada vs. Vegas, courtesy of Buzzcuts: Magic meets melodrama in Mada vs. Vegas, but they don’t exactly hit it off. You’ll ...Read More

Each time this year, the Fringe Festival hits little old Adelaide in an explosion of art and culture, engulfing the city of churches in a lively bohemian atmosphere. The festival sees live performers from all over the world come to flaunt their stuff, be it comedy, dance, music or theatre. I'll be emerging from the dark depths of the cinema to catch some of the shows on offer, reviewing them for a great site called Buzzcuts. Here is an excerpt from my review of  Jason Chong's Reel Life:   Packed with channels of high-definition humour and guaranteed to receive a great reception at this year’s Fringe ...Read More

I'm a huge fan of tapas. You know, the brilliant little titbits of all sorts of yummy goodness, authentically Spanish or otherwise? Fun to share, fun to eat, and if you stumble upon one you're not so crash hot on, don't worry - in a bite or two it will all be over and you can move onto the next one! They're a bit like short films, really. Adelaide goes a little bit crazy at this time of year, and the festivals that are unleashed on the city seem to just get bigger and better every year. The city pulses with a kind of vibrancy like no ...Read More