Sideshow – more fringe than Fringe!
Image: Brunchersize at Sideshow. Image: supplied
After its flamboyant debut in February this year for the mini-Fringe festival, Sideshow returns, bigger and brassier, to Sydney Fringe. With one weekend down, there are two chunks of the calendar left for the triple weekend program of activations in and around The Rocks precinct.
Sideshow is a diverse collection of shows and activities that cater to every predilection. What’s great about it is that the shows are either free or pay-as-you-can. The pay model offers options from $5 to $40, allowing you to attend those shows and pay whatever you can afford.
The program is spread over venues and spaces in The Rocks that have been commandeered and transformed for the festival. They include: Chatterbox and Lola’s Piano Bar (47 George St), Mise En Place (37 George St) Sideshow Square (The Rocks Square, Playfair St) and Tortuga Gallery (6 – 8 Atherdon).
Here’s the program in a nutshell:
Lola’s Piano Bar The place to wind down, sip your favourite poison and enjoy some intimate live music and performance. Or…get wild and loud. Cabaret, jazz, sing-a-longs and more.
White Rabbit Red Rabbit Unique improv theatre created by Iranian author, Nassim Soleimanpour and performed by someone different each night. Written in 2010, it has been performed around the world by the likes of: Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, John Hurt, Simon McBurney, Stephen Fry, Sinead Cusack and Ken Loach.
Chatterbox Podcast Live Eight shows over two weeks, each with a different theme. Featuring storytellers sharing personal, life-changing stories that will amuse, sadden, inspire and entertain. Hosted by Andy Leonard. Think This is Totally Fucked and The Moth.
Brunchercize There is nothing like an early morning dance to prepare you for a later morning brunch. This is a tutorial in burlesque with a retro trip back to ’70s disco, ’80s pop, ’90s boy bands. Get fit, have fun.
Still Haven’t Found What I’m Cooking For A cooking competition for the ultimate multi-tasker. Participants have 30 minutes to cook a meal while being distracted with questions about themselves, politics, culture, whatever. And it’s all live in front of an audience.
How to make the perfect… Malvina Tan explores perfection through food in this unusual perfomance art concept. Playing around with recipes and techniques, Malvina looks at ritual, tradition, and comfort food as a way to discover self and soul.
QUEER BEASTS Sydney designers Tortuga Studios return to Sideshow along with DEEP SEA ASTRONAUT to deliver this mixed media celebration of the LGBTQIA+ creative community.
It’s drag, it’s edgy, it’s queer, it’s fabulous.
Dolly Parton Dance Party Any event that begins with the words “Dolly Parton” is sure to be a darn-right hoot! Join the line and dance in unison to the tunes of the doyen of country, Dolly.
