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End Game: A Thought-Provoking Theatre Journey

24 March 20258 March 2025 Emma Bennett

End Game Rating

★★★★★

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Katie Reddin-Clancy’s Australian premiere of End Game is a bold and original dramedy that seamlessly blends theatre, comedy, and philosophical musings into an engaging experience at Adelaide Fringe in Victoria Park.

With her wit, impeccable accent work, and commanding stage presence, Reddin-Clancy takes audiences on an introspective yet often humorous journey through the afterlife, asking big existential questions: Why are we here? What truly matters in life?

At the heart of End Game is Joanie, an eccentric cabaret performer who arrives in the afterlife for her soul review. The stakes? Determining whether she’s learned the lessons of Earth School or simply gotten lost along the way. But the real mystery revolves around Eva—an unknown woman whose life was profoundly shaped by Joanie’s choices.

Reddin-Clancy, a seasoned global voiceover artist, brings each character to life with remarkable authenticity. While some British cultural references seemed to fly over the heads of the Australian audience, her commitment to character and storytelling kept the crowd engaged.

The script is cleverly written, balancing humour with deeper reflections on the ripple effects of our choices.

That said, End Game did face some external challenges. The venue’s lack of a microphone, combined with intrusive background noise from traffic and sirens, occasionally made it difficult to catch every word. Despite this, Reddin-Clancy’s stage presence remained captivating, and her storytelling prowess ensured that the emotional weight of the narrative was not lost.

Overall, End Game is a compelling and imaginative piece of theatre that invites audiences to reflect on their own life choices while being thoroughly entertained. As the show continues through the season, it may find an even more receptive audience ready to dive into its mix of humour, drama, and existential exploration.

To book tickets to End Game, please visit https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/end-game-af2025

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Emma Bennett

Mel McGlensey’s Motorboat: A Hilarious High-Seas Adventure

7 March 2025 Emma Bennett

Mel McGlensey Is Motorboat Rating

★★★★★

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If you’re in the mood for a wildly absurd, delightfully unhinged, and incredibly physical comedy experience, then Mel McGlensey Is Motorboat is your perfect Fringe vessel. Docked at the Bally in Gluttony, this boat-woman hybrid performance is a riotous ride through high-energy clowning, audience interaction, and some very “nautical but nice” humour.

McGlensey, a 2024 Golden Gibbo nominee and winner of Best Comedy at Adelaide Fringe 2024, fully commits to her larger-than-life character. With a sailor’s outfit ingeniously doubling as boat parts—including some particularly buoyant “floatation devices”—she embraces every wave of ridiculousness with infectious enthusiasm.

From the moment Motorboat sets sail, the audience becomes her crew, each assigned a boat type in a flurry of improvised banter that McGlensey expertly weaves back into the show for maximum comedic payoff.

The story? Motorboat dreams of leaving the dock and venturing into the great unknown, but she’s held back by the booming, omnipresent voice of Captain Daddy. But as any good Fringe audience knows, staying anchored is never an option. What follows is a rollicking, often improvised voyage where McGlensey’s quick wit, expressive clowning, and razor-sharp comedic instincts keep the crowd both on edge and in stitches.

The humour is far from subtle—expect a bit of salty language and some audience participation—the energy and commitment of the performance keeps things afloat for the entire show.

With her formidable improv skills and natural comedic presence, McGlensey delivers a show that is as silly as it is skilful. Whether you’re a tugboat, an ocean liner or a lowly kayak, Motorboat is a high-spirited, side-splittingly funny voyage well worth embarking on. Just batten down the hatches—things are bound to get a little choppy!

To book tickets to Mel McGlensey is Motorboat, please visit https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/mel-mcglensey-is-motorboat-af2025

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Emma Bennett

Bec Pynor’s Someone Else’s Story: A Mesmerising Musical Journey

3 March 2025 Emma Bennett

Someone Elses Story Rating

★★★★★

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One of the great strengths of the Fringe is the sheer variety of venues, ensuring a stage for all manner of performances.

Bec Pynor’s Someone Else’s Story found its home in the intimate setting of Star Theatre Two, a perfect choice for this deeply personal production. Following a sell-out run in 2024, the show has returned by popular demand, and on opening night, the venue was packed with a diverse audience of devoted music lovers.

The set is simple and tasteful—no gimmicks, just exquisite music.

Pynor, accompanied by the accomplished pianist Daniel Brunner, takes the audience on a moving journey through her life. From the little girl enraptured by musical theatre, nurtured by her grandparents’ shared love of the art form, to her high school years where she first took centre stage as Jasmine in Aladdin, and finally, to her rigorous Music Degree studies in Queensland, which challenged her, broadened her repertoire, and helped shape the remarkable performer she is today.

Her selection of 14 songs spans beloved classics from Mary Poppins, Wicked, and Hamilton, as well as lesser-known gems from The Notebook, Avenue Q, and Waitress. Given the diversity of the repertoire, it would have been helpful to have the song titles announced, allowing the audience to better connect with the music both during and beyond the performance.

Pynor opened the show with a commanding presence—tall, poised, elegantly gowned, and every inch a star beneath the spotlight. Her voice soared with note-perfect clarity, captivating the audience from the outset. Her duet with Brunner provided a delightful shift in tone and pace, offering a charming contrast to the solo numbers. However, while her renditions were undeniably polished, there were moments where I found myself wishing she had leaned more into her own vocal identity, rather than adhering to the American accents of the original songs.

Throughout the performance, Pynor shares what she describes as ‘only the lessons that music can teach,’ encouraging the audience to cast aside fear and pursue their dreams—a philosophy she has clearly embraced herself. Should she choose to return to the Fringe, I have no doubt she will be gracing a larger stage, commanding an even greater audience.

Song List:
1. The Secret of Happiness – Daddy Long Legs
2. Feed the Birds – Mary Poppins
3. Palace Walls – Aladdin
4. Medley (Someone Else’s Story, Fine Fine Line, Heavy Help My Heart, Times are Hard for Dreamers, I Never Knew his Name)
5. The Wizard and I – Wicked
6. Burn – Hamilton
7. When he Sees Me – Waitress
8. No Day but Today – Rent
9. My Days – the Notebook

To book tickets to Someone Else’s Story, please visit https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/someone-else-s-story-af2025

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Emma Bennett

CON 2077: A Wildly Inventive Comedy

27 February 2025 Emma Bennett

CON2077 Rating

★★★★★

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One man. Hundreds of sound cues. A time-traveling plot. That’s all you really need to know before stepping into Con 2077. That, and that Con Coutis is easily one of the funniest performers you’ll see this Fringe season.

The premise? Delightfully ridiculous. In 2027, a meteor strikes Earth, wiping out every comedian—except one. Fast forward to 2077, when an Arctic researcher stumbles upon the lost art of comedy and resurrects the world’s last comedian from cryosleep: Con Coutis. Now, humanity’s fate rests on one man’s ability to rediscover the joke. No pressure.

From the moment Con springs out from behind the red curtain, he commands the stage with an infectious energy that never lets up. Armed with a few props and an impossible number of sound cues, he masterfully blends stand-up, sketch comedy, and physical performance into a high-octane, laugh-out-loud spectacle. His physicality is next-level—flinging himself across the tent, weaving through the audience, dodging invisible ninja spikes, and racing against time to answer a phantom phone call. Very impressive, and the ease at which he moves in and out is a true skill.

Coutis’s ability to balance the absurd with razor-sharp comedic timing is born from natural talent, creativity and dedication to his craft. His deadpan delivery of high-concept sci-fi lunacy—interwoven with spot-on stand-up about everyday life—creates a perfect contrast. One moment, he’s breaking down the price of safes at Bunnings; the next, he’s deciphering cryptic voice recordings left by past Con for future Con. It’s chaotic, it’s clever, and it’s utterly hilarious.

The show’s technical elements are equally as impressive. The precision of its lighting, sound design, and audio effects make Con 2077 feel like a full-blown theatrical production disguised as stand-up. And when the occasional technical hiccup occurs, Coutis rolls with it so smoothly that the audience is left wondering whether it was planned all along.

The real magic, though, is how effortlessly he connects with his audience. The playful participation feels like goofing around with a friend rather than a spotlight interrogation. It’s a testament to Coutis’ warmth and natural charisma—he makes the ridiculous feel relatable and the surreal feel strangely familiar.

So, can Con save the world with comedy? No spoilers here. But one thing’s for sure: Con 2077 is a wildly original, utterly bonkers, and unmissable ride that will have you laughing out loud and leave you in awe. Coutis delivers innovative, fresh, and thoroughly entertaining content. It needs to be seen to be believed, and I encourage you to get yourself to the BankSA Theatre this week.

To book tickets to CON2077, please visit https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/con-coutis-con-2077-af2025

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Emma Bennett

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