Australia’s Biggest Little Fringe Festival, Newcastle Fringe (NFF) is turning 10 this year. Widely considered to be the largest and fastest growing grass-roots regional arts festival in New South Wales, this ‘little festival that could’ punches above its weight and is located just a short two-hour journey down the M1 from Sydney. It’s also connected by rail and air, enjoys an enviable food and wine scene and a spectacular coastline. Voted by Time Out as one of the most under rated travel destinations in the world, Newy is experiencing a renaissance that is attracting notice.
This year’s NFF program features an extraordinary celebration of creativity, diversity and artistic expression with 235 shows of 97 acts and 612 artists performing at 15 venues over ten days across the city from 20 to 30 March. Visitors to the city can walk between many of the venues, drive or hop in an uber for a short ride to other venues. With the program running over two weekends, loads of boutique hotels to stay in and a growing reputation in the Australian food and wine scene with award-winning restaurants and the Hunter Valley wine region on the doorstep, this is the perfect opportunity to come and explore this beachside city.
There are several international acts performing this year, mostly from the UK including Pommie Funny Fillies (award-winning comedy ‘thoroughbreds’ who are UK TV/Radio regulars on BBC, Comedy Central, C4), Norman: A Big Beat Ballet – a whimsical journey of dance, acrobatics and comedy and feminist comedian Kate Smurthwaite with her hilarious satire of toxic masculinity in Milo Standards: Penis de Milo. The Giant Balloon Show for kids is an hilarious spectacle of controlled chaos the whole family will love.
Domestic highlights include comedy legend Jean Kittson who returns to the stage with her intimate and only occasionally strident new show – Jean Kittson Bangs On. And don’t miss a musical satire Gladys – A Musical Affair, about the ‘woman who saved Australia’, Gladys Berejikian and Logie award winning actor Rob Carlton in Willing Participant, a 5-star Adelaide Fringe hit.
There are no less than 20 cabaret and burlesque shows that will have your temperatures soaring including the return of popular NFF award winners Red Light Confidential, winner of the Best Cabaret at Melbourne Fringe Madam Martha’s Parisian Cabaret – a contemporary blend of Moulin Rouge charm and Berlin grunge, Parlour Noir with genre-benders Jude Bowler (aka Marlene Dietrich) and Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio, Circus Oz) inspired by the femmes fatale of noir cinema and Disenchanted Returns – a raunchy, operatic ‘Into The Woods’, that’s also original, quirky, funny, smart and downright entertaining.
With at least ten kids shows featuring bubbles, balloons, circus and magic, and 17 theatre and dance shows that will have you laughing, crying and everything in between there’s something for everyone. There are a whopping 21 different comedy shows that will have you laughing every night of the festival. Musically there are 23 shows in total to shake your booty, funk your folk, melt your face, sing your favourites or wonder what it’s all about!
To explore the full range and diversity of what’s in the program this year, you can download it from the website. Tickets go on sale February 1 with prices ranging between $10 and $43.
The NFF experience is affordable, authentic and surprising. Stay at one venue each night or venue hop around town. Trying to fit in as many shows as you can is more than half the fun! Â Do something different. Gather your friends, visit Newcastle and be part of the action!
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