2024 coming to an end can only mean one thing: Perth’s/Boorloo's most loved celebration of all things dazzling, delightful and downright strange, FRINGE WORLD, is back. And, if the 2025 lineup is anything to go by, it's back with a vengeance.
With a range of banging shows to pop on your radar, don’t wait til the pink flags go up on 17 January to start planning your festival fun. So you can lock in your festival itinerary nice and early, we've teamed up with the FRINGE WORLD crew to give you the intel on this year's shows that you need to book stat.
Soweto Gospel Choir: Hope
Drawing on the best talent from churches around Soweto, the triple Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir are all set to take the FRINGE WORLD stage with a celebration of songs and anthems from South Africa's Freedom and the American Civil Rights Movements. From protest songs to works by legendary artists James Brown, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin, if you want a chance to let music transcend you into the deepest of feelings, this show is the one for you.
Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play
Ever heard of a foxy moron? Fountain Lakes In Lockdown is your chance to find out what the foxiest of Australia’s morons got up to during the pandemic. Prepare to take yourself back to August 2021 with this spectacle of quick wit and camp tunes. Kath is up to her knees in sourdough, Kim’s been asked to work from home and Sharon has had a severe reaction to all the hand sanitiser. Offering you the chance to relive the uniquely Australian pandemic experience through the eyes of our most iconic Aussie characters who are hilariously parodied by the likes of Art Simone, Thomas Jaspers and Club Broadway’s Leasa Mann, we can almost guarantee this performance will have you in stitches.
Garry Starr: Classic Penguins
Hitting the stage with a skit hell-bent on saving books from extinction, FRINGE WORLD’s finest Garry Starr is set to step into the heart of all things literature through his performance of every Penguin Classic novel. Before we forget, it's worth offering up a pre-warning that he'll do this while wearing little to no clothing except for a pair of iconically large flippers. From The Little Prince to Moby Dick, all you have to do in anticipation is prepare for some hilarious renditions of the classics. Trust us when we say, nothing is off limits for this comical genius.
Skank Sinatra
Fresh from a sell-out season in Edinburgh, the award-winning and ultra-glam Jens Radda is bringing the powerhouse show that is Skank Sinatra to the beloved His Majesty for the very first time. Receiving rave reviews internationally, this show will have you embarking on a rollercoaster of emotions as you're dazzled by soaring vocals, razor-sharp humour—and as the gen-zs have coined it—some serious on-stage ‘rizz.
LASSÙ
Step into LASSÙ and immerse yourself in a story where past and future collide in a spectacular, risqué circus experience led by the 7th generation circus performer Merrick Ashton. Set at a Cosmic Cabaret Saloon perched on the galaxy’s edge, this spectacle sees space cowboys, alien drifters, and the legendary Rodeo Sisters shine with out-of-this-world acts. All you need to do is rock up, get comfy and prepare to embark on a journey with Rodeo Clown Rusty as he makes his way through the golden days of Lassù.
Apple Saucy
Did someone just say, sexiest clown ever? As the last show of a trilogy about toxic masculinity, this performance is the return of David Eriksson’s 7-year hiatus and it's a little saucy. Apple Saucy is all about redemption, confession and giving back. Serving up a feast of tricks, jokes and stunts, Eriksson does leave room to strip back to his core to assure you that he has understood his wrong-doings.
A Simple Space
Backed by the driving rhythm of a live percussionist, this stripped-back performance is a sure-fire tug on the old heartstrings. Forget makeup, lighting and contrived theatrical overlay; A Simple Space is all about witnessing seven incredible acrobats push themselves to the wildest of physical limits. Referred to as a Cirque du Soleil style performance but with more grit, this one is an absolute must.
Queens of Soul: The Legacy Starring Claire Fahie
Following a sold-out FRINGE WORLD in 2024, award-winning Soulstress Claire Fahie and her 9-piece band are back to captivate audiences for another year. This time around, these legends are hosting an evening of soul classics, exquisite harmonies and a powerful horn section to take you on a journey through time. Expect to hear soul anthems such as Midnight Train to Georgia, It's A Man's Man's World and RESPECT. I mean, need we say more?
Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett
Okay, good news, the darkest, funniest and most debauched kabarett show of all time is making a comeback. Don’t miss your chance to join the salacious and hilarious award-winning queen of Weimar punk, Bernie Dieter and her brand new troupe of what she calls ‘bombastic Bohemians’ for an unmissable night in the IceCream Factory. You can prepare for their gin-soaked haus band to soundtrack a night of dangerously funny kabarett, breathtaking circus, gender-bending aerial and even a touch of fire-breathing. Set to get a little risqué. Expect no fourth wall, no rules, and no safe zone in this dark and defiant den of iniquity.
Lewis Major: Triptych
This unique performance sees the rising star of Australian dance, choreographer-director Lewis Major and his mentors, legendary British dancemakers, Russell Maliphant and Hofesh Shechter join forces and take the stage. Expect an evening of mixed repertoire pieces as they delve into various poetic possibilities, universal rhythms and cycles performed by Major's world-class dancers. Keen to be captivated by an evening of dance, connection, and incredible design? This one is a no-brainer.
The Details
What: FRINGE WORLD 2025
When: 17 January to 16 February
Where: Venues across Perth.
Whether you're a Fringe first-timer or a diehard long-term Fringe friend, it's time to dip your toes into the sparkly waters this summer, and get ready for the most wonderous season yet.
Editor’s note: this article was produced in partnership with FRINGE WORLD. Thank you for supporting the partners who make Urban List possible. To read our editorial policy, click here.
Image credit: FRINGE WORLD Perth, Supplied