Fringe World 2025: From circus to comedy, there’s something for everyone at Perth’s favourite festival

Get ready for a sweaty summer in a Speigletent — WA’s favourite festival is back. Fringe World launches on January 17 with more than 500 weird and wonderful shows. Catch everything from an 18th century pan-sexual songbird singing pop classics to competitive flat-pack furniture building to a man recapping the entire Penguin classics book series wearing nothing but penguin flippers. And if watching people bend themselves into impossible shapes on a trapeze is more your style — there is plenty of that too. The team behind Fringe favourite Briefs is back in town and are bringing a new show with female performers, called Knickers. A group of Fringe circus stalwarts have put together a sexy new show called Sinsuality, and seventh generation circus performer, Merrik Ashton from the Circus Joseph Ashton family, is bringing a major new circus show, Lassu. Chief Executive of Fringe World production company Artrage, Jo Thomas, says more shows are still being added to the program, but there are already 300 new-to-Perth productions on offer. This is Thomas’s first year fully overseeing Fringe after starting in the role just weeks before last year’s festival. Thomas said it is incredible how much Fringe World is embraced by WA audiences. “It’s such a big festival. I don’t know if people in Perth realise just how massive this festival is and the fact that it takes place in Perth is absolutely extraordinary,” she said. “We got 593,000 people to the festival last year. I would love it if we could break 600,000 this year.” The main Fringe World hub returns to Northbridge this year in the form of The Pleasure Garden in Russell Square, but there will be performances staged in 101 venues across 18 metro council areas. “People have the choice of coming into the city to Northbridge and enjoying the big hubs we have, but they can also just walk around the corner from their home or in their neighborhood and experience Fringe,” Thomas said. “And that’s what’s great about a fringe festival, is the democratisation of access. Anyone can be an artist and anyone can be an audience member. “I think that helps us all. Art brings us together. We’ve all seen the troubles in the world, particularly lately. The more community cohesion, the more we can come together, the better.” Tomorrow’s edition of PLAY magazine is a Fringe World special edition, with deep dive into the massive program and hot tips on the best shows to see at the festival. JO THOMAS’S PICKS OF THE FRINGE. Fountain Lakes in Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play If you ever wondered what Kath and Kim got up to during the COVID years, a crew of Australia’s top drag artists have the answer. Kath has gotten really into sourdough, Kim is figuring out working from home and Sharon has had a bad reaction to hand sanitiser. “I think this is going to be a head of fun,” Thomas said. The Jazz Hub at The Ellington Jazz Club Perth’s premier jazz venue, The Ellington is being transformed into a Fringe hub this year with an excellent line up of acts encompassing all forms of the genre. Highlights include local jazz singer Jessie Gordon reworking classic songs with a modern twist in All of Me. “I personally love jazz so I’ll be checking out some things there,” Thomas said. Soweto Gospel Choir: Hope The Grammy winning South African choir is back, performing songs from the American and South African Freedom and Civil Rights movements. “If you have never seen that choir, they just are uplifting and breathtaking,” Thomas said. Garry Starr: Classic Penguin Garry Starr performs the Penguin Classics book series - from the Little Prince to Moby Dick - naked apart from a set of penguin flippers. The Guardian UK described this show as “joyfully silly”. Thomas described the show as “fabulous.” “I can’t wait to see that,” she said.