The Factory Theatre is being transformed into a lively hub of comedic wildcards for the return of Sydney Fringe Comedy. After a two-year lockdown hiatus, this chuckle-laden offshoot of the mammoth Sydney Fringe program is back for its 12th year, presenting the best in new comedy.
According to program director, James Declase: “The best way to enjoy Sydney Fringe Comedy is to take a chance on an act you’ve never seen before. With most tickets between $12 to $17, you can see brand new comedy from some of Australia’s best comedians on the cheap. You might even discover your new favourite comedian in the process!”
From August 31 to October 2, more than 125 acts from across Australia will take to the stage for the month-long program including emerging comedic talent alongside established performers presenting new, and in many cases, never-before-seen shows and material. Up to 20 shows will be performed across five venues every night, plus music, food and drinks in the Factory courtyard. It’s a lot to take in, so we’ve rounded up some of our top picks below.
All around legend and friend of Time Out, Matt Okine is back working on a new hour of stand-up, stories, and rap called This Is Not A Stand Up Show (Sep 28-Oct 2, Factory Theatre).
Multi-talented local comedian Natali Caro (whose Sydney Comedy Festival show we declared "a mad genius moment in comedy") has assembled two stacked lineups for Thanks for Having Me (Sep 14+16, Factory Theatre), throwing a necessary spotlight on some of Sydney's best comedians of colour, celebrating diverse voices within Australian comedy.
Proudly queer, Mixed Race comedian AJ Lamarque is bringing back English Breakfast (Sep 10, The Barracks) for a one-night-only appearance after spilling the tea at the Sydney Comedy Festival in what we called “a stand-up show, injected with silly radio play style soundbites, layered with beautiful storytelling, and dusted off with a mix of profoundly honest and vulnerable truths” in our four-star review.
Jared Jekyll makes their return to stand-up with Manic Pixie Dreamboat (Sep 22-25, Factory Theatre), in which they attempt to deconstruct their life as a 34-year-old neurodivergent, non-binary, polyamorous, queer Jew with bipolar and tourettes, the only way they know how; by sublimating all their pain into art for your entertainment.
Award-winning comedian Madeleine Stewart is bringing back Sydney's most accessible comedy night for the fest, Crips & Creeps (Sep 15-16, 107 Redfern), celebrating comedians who are marginalised due to sexuality, race, gender or disability.
Melbourne comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh are bringing two loving odes to the medium of Microsoft PowerPoint to the fest, by way of Presentation is Everything (Sep 14-16, Factory Theatre), an hour of fast-paced stand-up comedy that is visually complemented through PowerPoint, and The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase (Sep 13, Hiway Enmore), a wild showcase with a rotating line-up of comedians who are putting the ‘show’ back into show-and-tell.
Comedian Lisa Sharpe brings an honest and gritty performance to Drown ‘Em Out (Sep 22-24, Factory Theatre), a story about reclaiming her voice now, at 52-years-old, after enduring something faced by far too many young women.
Wagga Wagga’s favourite son Dane Simpson brings Didgeridoozy (Sep 21+23, Factory Theatre), a stand-up comedy show that really blows.
In addition to the bustling hub at the Factory Theatre, Erskineville Town Hall has been transformed into an Emerging Artists Sharehouse. UK comedian Robyn Reynolds brings her sweet, layered, messy, sexy show Cake (Sep 13-17, Erskineville Town Hall) to the Living Room, featuring the true story of how her family escaped the Nazis. Local stand-up sensation Bea Barbeau-Scurla unpacks her bizarre childhood in her signature darkly funny style in I don’t know how this will end (Sep 20-24, Erskineville Town Hall).
And that’s all just for starters! Check out all the shows at fringecomedy.com.au and more funny shows at sydneyfringe.com.
