Diary of a Magician: Year One performing at The Garage International @ Adelaide Town Hall as part of The Adelaide Festival Fringe is not just a magic show – it is an entertaining blend of magic, physical theatre, performance art, Chinese poetry and verse intertwined with engaging storytelling.
The journey that Taiwanese magician Mu-Syuan Chang takes the audience on begins as he contemplates an entry in his diary, opening the audience’s imagination to the possibilities that unfold before them.
Chang’s incredible dexterity is mesmerising as the audience is captivated by his nimble sleight of hand magic work enhanced by an enchanting soundtrack that complements each section of this magician’s year long journey in search of inspiration.
Classical Chinese poetry appears as cross-cultural dialogue at the back of the black box styled stage setting, which looks to have been constructed intentionally simply so as not to distract from the mastery of skill that Chang displays seemingly with ease.
His ability to wordlessly tell the story of a journey over time through mime held the audience’s intrigue for the fifty-minute performance which included Chang’s unique blend of physicality and clear technical skill that was thoughtfully choreographed and gracefully executed to the accompanying music.
Chang’s performance of Diary of a Magician: Year One was almost seamless. It was certainly captivating, unique, cleverly constructed and entertaining. For lovers of magic, it is a must see; however, even if you are not a lover of this artform, Diary of a Magician: Year One is a uniquely entertaining night out.
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.
The Holden Street Theatre is in full swing, hosting numerous shows in this year’s Adelaide Fringe(running from 21st Feb to 23rd March), and we were very privileged to be granted the opportunity to review three distinct but high-quality shows in one day.
Shellshocked Shellshocked has its Australian Premiere at Holden Street Theatre for the Adelaide Fringe 2025. This play is by Phillip Stokes, an award-winning playwright from Leeds. The British Library recognises him as a culturally significant playwright of the 21st Century.
This production stars Jack Stokes and Lee Bainbridge as Wesley and Mr. Lupin (Sir). It opens with Mr. Lupin on stage, staring at a blank canvas on a large easel. The rest of the settings are a desk, a table, a solitary chair, a coat stand, a carafe of whisky, and two glasses.
Wesley has returned from serving in the military in WW2 and needs a job to support his single mum and three sisters. So, he applies to the local portrait painter for an apprenticeship, and his mother delivers his portfolio.
Wesley suffers from PTSD, but he is happy to get the position at a very decent wage. As Wesley gets to know Mr. Lupin, or Sir as he sometimes likes to be called, you start to notice that something is not right in their relationship. You sense that Mr. Lupin, who had polio as a young lad, feels that he has been deprived of the war experience and all it entails.
Wesley is taunted by Sir quite a few times through the course of the play. We begin to see why there is a blank canvas on stage and no other completed artwork. And we begin to wonder who the better artist is.
It becomes evident that Lupin is a bully. Slowly, this story builds up to an interesting climax, which you need to see to know the outcome. Jack Stokes as Welsey is brilliant; his character development is intense. He is certain to be an actor to watch out for in the future. He is cast well against Lee Bainbridge, who is a very accomplished actor.
This show is a must-see at the Adelaide Fringe before it goes to Broadway. A 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Dear Diary For about 75 minutes, Kay Proudlove entertains us with a collection of stories and a few well-crafted songs. This entertaining production is a look at Kay’s adolescent life. It starts with Kay being called back to the family home to empty her childhood bedroom, as her mother wants a sewing room. This is well represented with three costume racks filled with her clothes.
A key element is the diary from which her memories spring. Here, we hear her stories of being a teenager and all the issues that entails. It starts with Kay having a night off from work and a gig being cancelled, and therefore, she is at her family home going through the detritus of teenage years.
The delivery is nice and gentle—it is like chatting with an old friend. Kay draws the audience in with her humour in her stories and songs. We hear about boyfriends, girl power, and lost music gigs. The whole story is very relatable to the audience.
The audience appreciated this show’s gentle storytelling approach, effectively conveying the narrative without being overly forceful.
So, join the journey of self-discovery, and you will enjoy the show.
4.5 out of 5
Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse For England This rollicking production well portrays the decline of a footy (round ball) fan. Alex Hill plays Billy and is directed by Sean Turner. Alex uses the full stage at Holden Street. Alex plays multiple characters, with Billy being the main one.
This is a very physical one-man show that leads us through the story of Billy, a shy, introverted lad who is introduced to football.
Football helps him overcome his shyness and takes his mind off his job. His interest in football leads him to a gang of football hooligans. This is all set against the Euro 2020 competition at Wembley, and for the first time in a long time, England is in the comps with a chance to win.
The title of the production is based on a true incident that involved a flare and someone’s posterior. His life becomes more aggressive as he follows the gang of football fans. He feels he is fitting in and belongs to a crowd of like-minded people.
He becomes intoxicated by the stupid stunts and violence that is part of the culture of football thugs. He is introduced to cocaine, and that releases him from his cocoon, and he meets a girl. Now he must juggle a more complex lifestyle, between a girlfriend or football and mates. There is a theme of fascism in the football gang as you are expected to join in, whether you like it or not.
This production gives you an insight into the football hooligan mentality but in a wonderfully humorous way. It is a worthwhile production. Alex is an amazing talent. He holds your attention for over 75 minutes, leaving the audience feeling nearly as exhausted as Alex. 5 out of 5 stars from me.
These shows alone are well worth getting out to see, but by all means, we recommend getting down to see as many Adelaide Fringe shows as you can. To book tickets to any of the upcoming Adelaide Fringe shows at the Holden Street Theatres, please visit:- https://www.holdenstreettheatres.com/
Murder on the Magic School Bus (Fringe World) Rating
★★★★★
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In a fun re-imaging of a nostalgic children’s favourite – Murder on the Magic School Bus is precisely what it makes out to be, promising just under an hour of laughs, twists and schoolyard drama.
In what could best be summarised as ‘The Breakfast Club’ meets a murder mystery, the show follows a class excursion to a crime scene-turned-disaster with the group left to resolve the death of one of their own.
Kate O’Sullivan is at the helm as the iconic Miss Frizzle, confidently leading pupils through a masterclass in criminology with great gusto.
The student pool is rounded out by the distinct archetypes of a typical school environment – a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal – if you will.
Clare Boon earns a lot of laughs as ‘miss popular’ Lexi, bouncing well off Jasmine Ward’s brooding Ash. The pair share great chemistry with a fun, albeit unexplored, enemies to lovers type side plot.
Dominic Depiazzi shines as brainiac Jamie – commanding the stage with his strong presence. While Genevieve Wilson and Sarah-Beth Aldridge nicely round out the group as the sporty Sam and quiet Charlie respectively.
Callum Fairweather provides a good neutral ground among the smorgasbord of personalities, offering frank narration as victim Xavier.
While good use of the stage was made, with some particularly enjoyable ‘appearing’ props, blocking sometimes felt repetitive and lineal. The pacing could also be improved (though this could have been opening night jitters), with actors often interjecting one another in a bid to keep up with the quick-fire dialogue.
Props, however, must go to the cast for seamlessly adapting to the night’s chosen killer, in what appears to be open-ended every night, offering the right dose of audience interaction whilst still leaving enough to the imagination to bring keen audience members back for more.
Overall, this production is a fun concept, with sturdy foundations that I’d love to see further fleshed out, but nevertheless makes for an enjoyable night out to see some promising local talent take the stage.
