With FRINGE WORLD 2020 starting ever so soon, Gutter Culture has scoured the guide to bring you the inside word on six of the best shows coming to Perth.
Image by Emma Holland
ANNA PIPER SCOTT: QUEER AND PRESENT DANGER
What We Say: The Queen of Snark herself Anna Piper Scott opens FRINGE WORLD with her latest show, Queer and Present Danger. She’ll be taking a deep dive on what it is to be trans—busting myths and making her audience burst into laughter. It’s not just hilarious but also deeply moving and, finally, uplifting. This show was nominated for Best Comedy at Melbourne Fringe and won Best of the Fest at Hobart’s Fringe at the Edge of the World. Plus, there’s an Auslan interpreted show on 24 January!
From The Guide: “Anna Piper Scott: Queer and Present Danger is everything you've ever wanted to know about being a trans woman, courtesy of one of Melbourne's sharpest comedians. Anna shares real life experiences that are awkward, empowering and everything in between: from trying to understand the arbitrary nature of women's sizing or people suddenly being very curious about your genitals.”
Image by Nayt Housman
CLAIRE SULLIVAN: TOAST RAT
What We Say: This is a show that defies any reasonable categorisation. It’s obviously comedy—as demonstrated by taking out Best Comedy in Hobart last week—but is it stand-up? Story-telling? Sketch comedy? Yes, it’s those. And so much more. Sullivan effortlessly smashes through genre boundaries and has her audience writhing in abject pleasure at every turn.
From The Guide: “Claire Sullivan returns to FRINGE WORLD with her latest cardboard-filled sublime creation—Toast Rat. Like the Mighty Boosh meets Fleabag. Toast Rat will answer the question—am I the only person that thinks this weirdly? You're not alone. Claire is like you! You will laugh without understanding why what Claire said and did was funny, just that she is funny. Toast + Rat = Toast Rat?”
Image courtesy of Wil Greenway
WIL GREENWAY: THESE TREES THE AUTUMN LEAVES ALONE
What We Say: Wil Greenway consistently delivers the sorts of shows that leave an audience reeling, uplifted and amused. This year’s offering promises to be on song. Greenway’s command of language and minimalist movement combine into an essential experience. With a seemingly innate ability to connect deeply and immediately with an audience, this is a performer for whom there is no peer.
From The Guide: “This is a story about courage and cowardice. It is about the number 11 tram. It is about a cat. It is about a man named Ernie. It is about a proper Melbourne Autumn storm. It is about being brave when you've been alone. It is about being together. Internationally acclaimed storyteller, and perennial hit of the Edinburgh Fringe (sold-out five years straight), Wil Greenway returns to the Blue Room with a show to wash the rest of the world away.”
Buy tickets to Wil Greenway: These Trees The Autumn Leaves Alone
Image courtesy of Clara Cupcakes
CLARA CUPCAKES: TOP BITS
What We Say: Clara Cupcakes won’t be back at FRINGE WORLD for at least a few years after this one, so her show Top Bits is the last chance Perth audiences have to see her manic comedy burlesque. After last year’s improv theatre show, I Made This For You, a return to a more traditional (well, slightly, this is Clara Cupcakes after all) format should be a gorgeous (and we hope, temporary) send-off.
From The Guide: “Award-winning satirical burlesque performer/award-nominated serious nude comedian Clara Cupcakes is throwing a party to celebrate her career and showing you all her top (and bottom) bits. She answers all the big questions about her job with karaoke ballads, pass the parcel and pinata punching. It's a comedy, it's a burlesque and most of all, it's a total blast.”
Image courtesy of Gillian English
YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, DR PIRATE
What We Say: Gillian English is renowned for her satisfyingly angry feminist comedy, and for good reason—it’s amazing. But this year English gives us her first show without the fire that we’ve come to know and love. Well, the first one that doesn’t scream it from the poster, anyway. Astrology, prophecies, and self-determinism might not be the standard go-to for storytelling comedy, but with English’s track record our expectations are sky high.
From The Guide: “For Gillian English's 30th birthday, she had a session with a famous astrologer. A prediction was made, a prophecy was revealed, & a series of events set in motion that would change her life forever. Do we control our fate, or is it written in the stars? What should we believe and where should we put our faith?”
Image courtesy of Cam Venn
CAM VENN: SHARK HEIST
What We Say: Cam Venn shocked and delighted audiences last year with Charles Horse Lays an Egg—a show without even a hint of metaphor in the title. How will he top (or bottom) that with his latest offering to Perth audiences, Shark Heist? Whatever he brings, we know Venn will be doing it with the refined stagecraft and physical comedy that has him firmly on our radar from now unto perpetuity.
From The Guide: “A precious jewel. A killer shark. A retired thief back for ONE LAST JOB. From the maker of Balls Deep and Charles Horse Lays an Egg (Peep Shog).”