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Situated in homely Ayers House Library, there is nowhere to hide for Stella Kappos and Jackson Grant, and they know it. Instant awkwardness abounds upon entry, driven in desperate small talk by Stella while Jackson hides himself behind a curtain that conceals absolutely nothing to the majority of the room. To one eye, it would be very easy to write this show off upon entry as uncomfortable and strange. However, I would invite viewers to probe deeper, as within this show lie two very funny comics who will do anything for the internet fame they simultaneously crave and malign. At first glance it may appear to need some polish, but it could also very easily be the craft these two comedians have pulled together to prove that stand-up doesn’t need confidence, it just needs to be funny. These two are clearly ones to watch for this year and future years, if Stella can drag herself away from her cubes and Jackson stops watching convicts on Youtube.

***^ - 3.5/5 stars

As someone who grew up in a post-industrial city in Northern England, I had heard similar stories before, but never one with such a razor’s edge. This is not an easy play. This is a confrontation. Mark Thomas will not let you look away as he surges across the stage with the desperate urgency of someone who needs us all to understand. As he digs down into his own psyche, we see a shell of masculinity and British post-Empire, post-Thatcher, ‘BOSH’-esque behaviour be stripped away to reveal a scrawny child who just wants his dad to truly love him. Whoever reads this review must see this play. A dirty, battered gem tucked into the corner of Holden Street Theatre, this show will hit with the bite of an oik outside Wetherspoons on a Saturday.

- 5/5 stars

Loc’ally Theatr, in their first production, provide a serviceable rendition of a play that occupies a special place within my heart. As with lots of companies’ first productions, this one appears to have been unable to avoid the pitfalls of over-direction. The actors all provide enjoyable performances, with particular credit going to Gwydion Rozitisolds for their versatility. However, my main qualm with this play lies within the direction, which has resulted in over-stylisation at the cost of emotion. Every movement is calculated, even when raw emotion must overtake. While a valiant first effort from a budding company, who clearly know how to pick great plays to produce, I wish they had placed more confidence in the quality of their actors and allowed the raw emotion that simmers under this script to escape a bit more. That being said, the quality of set was remarkable for a first production, with a homely aesthetic being instantly recognisable upon entry to the theatre, with cozy yellow lights illuminating the stage and audience.

**^ - 2.5/5 stars

The Yurt provides the perfect setting for Wright&Grainger’s Helios, a modern-day retelling of the classic myth. Set in rural north Yorkshire, Alex Wright’s penchant for performance storytelling and poetry are inescapable as you find yourself sucked into a world of youthful pride, love and loss. This vibrant mythos is informed by an ancient sense of ritual, and hearkens back to the earliest times of stories, situated around a campfire in the dark. These old tales teach us lessons, and Wright&Grainger want to take these lessons and shine a ray of sun on them. This searing production sets alight the old story of Phaethon’s hubris and reinvigorates it around a young boy desperate to find his way in the backroads maze of pastoral England. Another must-watch for this year’s Fringe.

****^ - 4.5/5 stars

My first Cabaret show of the fringe, and it did not disappoint. Raunchy, athletic and saucy beyond belief, featuring an all-star cast of some of Australia’s best and brightest performers, they slither and pounce across the stage with a vicious animal energy that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In between performances hilarious MC Hew Parham chairs the evening with a slimy charisma that settles him right in with the best of them. The only downside was the seating of the octagon which made it difficult to see the stage. Soaring and scintillating, this is a Cabaret that won’t let you fall, no matter what.

****^ - 4.5/5 stars

The Lark provides the ideal performance space for Daddy Algorithm, which follows a pair of chronic online daters whose partners continue to disappoint. The question that has to be asked however is will they disappoint each other? Definitely not disappointing in performance, though some of the comedy starts to strain by the end. However, overall it was still a really enjoyable experience, full of wisecracks and some really top-notch buffoonery.

***^ - 3.5/5 stars

I’ve struggled to write this review over the last day or so, simply because it was a lot to process. Crammed in a stuffy room, having had to sprint to make it on time, I was already sweating by the time the show began. And what a show it was. Dazzling technical prowess added to Wundes’ already dynamic range and instant presence. However, the technical skills clearly needed a budgetary boost, which doesn’t detract at all from the incredible show that I experienced. A place of queer experience and joy in a world that is in dire need of it.