A lot of people have been asking if we’re doing anything for Fringe. Are we ever!

While we might not be presenting a show from wit incorporated, we’ve a whole lot of fingers in pies. (Did someone say something about artists and working hard?)

Fringe Westside

Bluestone Church Arts Space

First up, and already well underway, we’re thrilled to have been asked by Arts & Culture Maribyrnong to look after Bluestone Church Arts Space and the Fringe artists in there for Fringe Westside. And what a line-up the team has programmed!

Have You Tried Yoga?

Created from verbatim interviews and shaped with music, physical theatre, and passive aggression, this ****½ star "gem of a production" (Adelaide Theatre Guide) explores what it's like being disabled when surrounded by empty gestures, echoing platitudes and wannabe heroes. Have you tried yoga? is one part autobiographical, nine parts necessary.

"Real and Raw" - ABC Radio

Closes Saturday 29 September

Night Terrors

You’re entering the darkest of nights, where strange sounds pervade the air, empty halls reek of decay and something in the shadows is watching. Four classic tales of literary terror are brought together in this atmospheric and intimate one-woman performance.

Directed by Braybrook’s own Simon J Green, starring rising star Caitlin Mathieson. Featuring The Tell-tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Keepsake by contemporary Tasmanian writer Briony Kidd, and The Open Window by Saki.

“The audience was breathless,” – The Age

Closes Sunday 30 September

Box and Cox

Mrs Bouncer, a lodging-house keeper, is rubbing her hands together, making double the rent for the one apartment. Mr. Cox, a hatter who works during the day, is unknowingly living in the same room as Mr. Box, a printer who works at night. This ingenious plan of Mrs. Bouncer finally hits a flaw as the hatter is given the day off by his boss and returns home for a holiday and the inevitable consequences.

Written in 1847, this British farce is guaranteed to give a truly honest laugh.

Closes Monday 24 September

Game Changers: The Show Must (Not) Go On

VU at Metrowest

Everyone’s favourite* Company Manager is heading to VU at MetroWest for their next Game Changers conversation. You can join our own Jennifer Piper along with Candy Bowers, and Sapidah Kian in a panel conversation facilitated by Tasneem Chopra as they discuss the #MeToo movement, and the emerging era coined #NotSoFast by the New York Times.

Where are we now, and how do we continue this important conversation without giving undue voice to the perpertrators? This Game Changers Conversation will take a localised look at the issues to unveil women’s experiences of working in the Theatre Industry in Australia.

Continuing on from Theatre Network Victoria’s forum earlier this year, which delved into theatre culture in the wake of the #MeToo movement, we will further explore the impact the movement has had in Australia, changes that should happen in the industry and where we want to get to.

6pm, Wednesday 19 September (doors and bar open 5.30pm)

*Sure, she’s our only Company Manager, but we love her anyway.

How I Met My Dead Husband

Gasworks Arts Park

Who doesn’t love a comedy cabaret funeral? Lansy Feng is with us for Ophelia Thinks Harder, but before we get to Denmark, she’s taking you to Taiwan.

1950, Taiwan, funeral.

Chuen-Jiau is giving a eulogy for her dead husband, Yueh. She is cursed and has kept a secret for a long time…

When reincarnation is not a choice but fate, do you still know what love is?

When a hard-headed woman is chasing her love, even Buddha can’t stop her. But is it love?

This cabaret tells an engaging story, woven with songs in Mandarin, English and French, spanning jazz, pop, music theatre, leading to a climax of a heartfelt original song. What’s real behind all of these?

Thursday 20 to Thursday 27 September

Worth

The MC Showroom

Before she brings you the greatest Ophelia ever seen** our very own Sarah Clarke is heading to Prahran for Worth.

Maggie, a retired career nurse, has recently lost her husband. The funeral - two months prior - is not the only thing on her mind, though. An addicted gambler, her husband has left her with mountainous debt, in addition to a mortgage and bills of everyday life. Upon discovering this, Maggie's two sons and daughter-in-law make adjustments to help alleviate the debt. However, their efforts don’t count for much when Maggie is diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.

With her options rapidly vanishing, she must act fast and decisively to access treatment and keep her in good health for the birth of her grandchildren. Through her own digging, she finds an answer. It's her best shot, maybe her only shot, but one with enormous consequence. The only question left is: When is her life worth more than another?

"Worth" is the debut production of local, up-and-comer Chris Kalandadse. With a strong cast filled with Howard Fine Acting Studio students and alumni, "Worth" looks to approach a topic largely unnoticed by the public, but an issue plaguing families and communities across Australia. Be sure not to miss a 2018 Melbourne Fringe Festival production 'worth' your time! #WorthAtFringe #FringeWorthy

Wednesday 19 to Sunday 23 September