Newcastle Fringe, Australia’s biggest little fringe festival, is set to take our the city next month. And it’s going to be a big one!
The 8-year-old festival continues to grow year after year, but 2023 is yet again, the biggest organisers have presented to date.
“Our stellar line-up includes 13 side-splitting comedians, 14 musical artists covering both original and much-loved compositions from baritone to soprano and from ukuleles to rock bands, 9 flirty adult-only cabaret and burlesque shows, 9 serious and not-so-serious theatre acts and an award-winning flamenco dancer, 6 community choirs and, ta-da, 4 shows specially designed for kids of all ages,” Newcastle Fringe Chair, Brooke Twyford said.
While many of the shows on the festival program will play across multiple festival dates, there are a handful of shows that you’ll only get one shot at seeing.
And many of these shows are the ones you don’t want to miss!
So we’ve put together a guide of some one-off Newcastle Fringe shows we think will be the hottest tickets in town come festival time. You can check them out below.
Dane Simpson in Didgeridoozy
Hailing from Wagga, Dane Simpson has racked up a multitude of awards and regularly graces television screens, fringe festivals and comedy clubs. Dane’s one-off festival opening night performance is sure to be one of the highlights of the 2023 program.
Chicks Cover the Chair
There’s no doubt that Silverchair holds a significant place in the hearts of Novocastrians. This one-of-a-kind showcase will pay homage to the band that put Newcastle on the international music map and influenced a generation of musicians, Get ready to relive the memories and sing along to the classics as these talented musicians pay tribute to the icons of Newcastle’s music scene.
The Whole SheBang
This all-female comedy showcase sold out during the 2022 Fringe festival and is likely to do the same again this year, so don’t leave it too long before you secure tickets. Plus you’ll be doing a great thing as well as treating yourself to some lols. 50% of proceeds from the show will go directly to local crisis non-profit organisation Jenny’s Place.
The Quokkas
Keen to take the kids along to experience the Fringe? This one is for you. And with over one million streams and views online, there’ll be stiff competition for tickets for this Fringe festival show at Hamilton Uniting Church towards the end of the festival.
Chopin’s Last Tour
Not only is Phil Aughey the founder of the Newcastle Fringe, but he’s also an extremely talented performer. Phil will present this intimate and intense show, which has been performed at fringe festivals across the world, for one night only during the 2023 Newcastle Fringe Festival.
