Fringe Brisbane 2022

Overview

Whenever a festival hits town, it's the shows that are meant to be the big drawcard, especially when that fest spans everything from music, comedy and theatre through to cabaret, burlesque and spoken word performances. That's still true at Fringe Brisbane when it returns this spring, but attendees can be forgiven for being just as intrigued by the event's range of venues.

For its 2022 run, which takes place from Friday, October 14–Sunday, November 6, Fringe Brisbane is popping up at more than 25 spots — and hosting over 300 performances of 102 different productions in them, in fact. That hefty lineup includes gigs in bars, boats, parks, homes and the planetarium, as well as a festival hub in Stefan's old South Brisbane base.

Yes, between shows, you can spend your time in former old hair salon, and even enjoy an immersive experience in its tanning room. Or, to see a performance, you can soak in the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium's domed surroundings, hit up West End's Orleigh and Bunyapa parks, mosey around Birrunga Gallery in Adelaide Street, float on the river, visit greenery go-to Plant Empire and sink brews at Felon's Barrel Hall, among other locations.

That's where you're heading, sprawling across South Brisbane, Stafford, Moorooka, Woolloongabba, Yeerongpilly, Seven Hills, Fortitude Valley and more. Traditional venues such as Big Fork Theatre, Brisbane Arts Theatre and Backbone are also on the list.

Now, this is what you're seeing. On the bill: a one-night-only rehearsed reading of All My Friends Are Returning to Brisbane, a sequel to the play and film; a live performance of the original version of Gustav Holst's The Planets, on two pianos, at the planetarium; bite-sized takes on Macbeth, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet; a comedic mystic for Halloween; and, for the same occasion, David Massingham's one-man Little Sketch Book of Horrors.

There's also open mic nights, French cabaret, queer cabaret, a comedy devoted to female pleasure, a sketch comedy set up like a date night, ImproMafia completely improvising a whole show, and the wonderfully named dance and physical theatre piece A Love Letter From Frozen Peas. Similarly on offer: glittery circus productions, a primer on Bollywood, J-pop, and a play described as Shakespeare meets Quentin Tarantino.