Fringe World Festival

Casey Filips: Virtuoso

Casey Filips: Virtuoso

Casey Filips: Virtuoso Rating

★★★★★

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My favourite part of Fringe each year, is walking into a show blind. Purely based off reviews from friends, a cool poster, the fringe feed, anything – I love not at all knowing what to expect, and being totally surprised. Casey Filips: Virtuoso is the perfect example of this.

A one man play of sorts, we follow the eccentric Tobias Frazier-Finlay through the audition of a life-time. Now, I want you to picture every exuberant, quirky, dramatic character you know combined into one, and that’s the kind of guy we’ve got. Mr. G, Sharpay Evans, even a little Miranda Sings it’s all in there.

The black-box rehearsal room at the State Theatre centre sets the scene perfectly, with Tobias strutting in from the back of the room as if really entering an audition. As with any standard casting call, he opens with a bit about himself, and of course his headshots, giving us a quick taste of his skillset (of which there are many!).

 

Casey Filips: Virtuoso
Casey Filips: Virtuoso

 

We then jump into a scene read, where he of course displays his natural ability to take notes from the panel (or in this case audience!). Naturally, hysteria ensues. I was amazed by Filips’ ability to not only perfectly mimic audience members but seamlessly taking on their daring requests.

For his final display of talent, we are treated to a – rather interesting – self-devised piece inspired by the majestic life of a manatee that left audiences doubled over with laughter. A big shout out must of course go to the gentlemen called upon to form part of the demonstration, the true star of the show (much to Tobias’ dismay).

Audiences also enjoy brief glimpse into Tobias’ future and where his career lands, a perfect crescendo for a man whose clearly given his life to the arts, but I’ll keep the exact details a secret for audiences to enjoy.

If you ever remember being told by your drama teacher “you have to fully commit to the bit, doing it 50% makes you look more ridiculous” this performance is a fine example. Offering a barrel of laughs and complete and utter tom-foolery in the best way possible from begin to end, this is a fringe favourite certainly not to be missed. Perfectly titled, Filips’ in fact, a Virtuoso.

To book tickets to Casey Filips: Virtuoso, please visit https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/casey-filips-virtuoso-fw2026.

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Campfire @ Fringe World Perth

Campfire

Campfire Rating

★★★★★

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Campfire is a hilarious jump-scare comedy currently showing at Fringe World Perth. With a rich mix of physical theatre, clowning, acrobatics and floor work, it’s wildly entertaining. This show will delight every member of the family, so pack your bug spray, and let’s head deep into the bush for some hilarious and playful camping chaos.

The premise is simple and instantly relatable. Best mates Louis and Griffin head out on a camping trip, armed with enthusiasm but very little practical skill. They fumble through the basics, but they’re just so excited to be spending time together that doesn’t really matter. After a series of missteps – including a highly relatable moment involving a camping tent that made my day, and a rather awkward moment running out of water – they settle in for the night, toasting marshmallows by the fire. As darkness falls, the tone subtly shifts. A curious, lonely, animalistic bush spirit begins to follow their every move. What starts as intrigue soon becomes a fight for survival, as from sunrise to sunset the friends stumble through the wilderness, their survival skills, masculinity and friendship tested at every turn as the spirit causes escalating high jinks.

 

Campfire
Campfire
Campfire

 

Created by Melbourne/Naarm collective Split Focus, Campfire is a confident showcase of multidisciplinary performance. The storytelling is driven almost entirely through the body, with dynamic acrobatics, aerial work, tumbling, floor work and clowning woven seamlessly into the narrative. The physical skill on display is impressive, with very movement serving the story.

The music and sound design build cinematic tension, while the clever use of lighting and shadow kept the audience on its toes as they are guided through moments of joy, fear and tenderness. I really enjoyed how the performance used clowning to move the audience through this story of hilarious emotional ups and downs. Performed in the close quarters of the Gold Digger tent, the audience is close enough to the action to feel every near-miss, every moment of trust, and every comic pause. There was raucous laughter, punctuated by audible gasps and soft “awws” during the more tender moments.

At its core, Campfire is a playful and generous exploration of friendship, vulnerability and connection, and, importantly, how to perfectly toast a marshmallow. This show is very well executed storytelling. It’s funny, impressively physical, and a joyful Fringe experience. By far one of the best shows I’ve seen at Fringe, pack your bug spray and join this trio into the bush.

To book tickets to Campfire, please visit https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/campfire-fw2026.

Photographer: Ven Tithing

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Joe White: Emotional Blackmale

Joe White: Emotional Blackmale

Joe White: Emotional Blackmale Rating

★★★★★

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Back in his hometown for the 2026 Perth Fringe Festival, award-winning comedian Joe White delivered a semi-biographical performance that combines sharp observational comedy with an unflinching account of displacement, migration, and belonging.

The show is a departure from the regular routine of his other shows. Joe White: Emotional Blackmale is very personable as he reflects on his life from a refugee in Sudan to a stand-up comedian in Australia and becoming a first-time father.

A central theme of the performance is identity. White is Ethiopian, born in Sudan, and raised in Australia from when he was 10. He uses this pursuit for identity and wanting to belong into comedy. White’s delivery makes clear that the “identity crisis” is not an abstract concept but a lived reality and one driven by language barriers, racial perception, and the constant need to change oneself for other people’s comfort, including his name. Born Tilahun Hailu, teachers and children often had difficulty pronouncing his name and so the nickname Joe has stayed with him ever since. The choice of “White” as a surname then becomes the punchline. White explains that he selected it because most of his audience members were all white.

 

Joe White: Emotional Blackmale

 

White does not skirt around the seriousness of his refugee background especially in this present time where immigration is such a hot topic. He touches on his family’s time as refugees in Sudan and the gruelling process of seeking humanitarian visas to come to Australia. These moments in the show shift the tone without derailing the performance.

White, one of six children to a single mother, retells his mother’s determination and strength in providing a better life for her six children. White’s treatment of the visa process is particularly effective because it highlights the procedural exhaustion that is the waiting, uncertainty, and bureaucratic hurdles, and the corruption which was behind his family’s applications constantly being rejected. An account which I found quite insightful.

It is evident from his show how much he truly appreciates his life in Australia, so much so that he proudly displayed his Southern Cross tattoo to the audience.

White is a proud Ethiopian Australian. Now a first-time father of an 8-month girl, he wants his daughter to be proud of her heritage too, Ethiopian-Malteser as he describes her as his partner is Maltese Australian.

Emotional Blackmale is a personable show with plenty of laughs and plenty of audience interaction.

To book tickets to Joe White: Emotional Blackmale, please visit https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/joe-white-emotional-blackmale-fw2026.

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Bush Chook

Bush Chook

Bush Chook Rating

★★★★★

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Currently tucked away behind works in Northbridge, Perth’s stalwart venue, The Blue Room is still vibrant as ever and flourishing as a breeding ground for emerging talent. Performing to a sold-out crowd, Bush Chook is a new work that gives a glimpse into the dynamics and relationship of a young man and woman who meet at a roadhouse on the Nullarbor Plain one December evening.

Written and directed by Hayley Perrin, this contemporary play explores what happens when Angus, a 26-year-old male, tries to seduce Mary, a 19-year-old virgin. They chat, flirt and end up together in a motel bedroom. How does it end? What will Angus do when nobody is watching? How does Mary support him (or not) when he vulnerably shares his life’s problems?

I really enjoyed how this play explores the complexity of enculturation and why people act how they should not. How do our flaws appear? Are our men not heard enough? Do women take on too much emotional burden (especially at Christmas)? What needs to change? And how can we all take responsibility for our actions? The thing I enjoyed about this play was that it not only left a lasting memory but also left us with so many questions.

 

Bush Chook
Bush Chook
Bush Chook

 

I also enjoyed seeing snippets of such modern life on stage — people scrolling on their phones, FaceTiming and using voice notes. It was also interesting to see how communication has changed — the characters often not looking each other in the eye, distracted by technology and being told to see a shrink instead of any real vulnerable connection.

Lea Šimić, in her role of Mary, was nuanced and the innocence she conveyed was palpable.

Matthew J. Young as Angus was incredibly charismatic on stage and had you guessing if he was to be trusted.

The physicality of the direction was also interesting to watch, and the use of animal play was a great comment on how base and animalistic we all can be.

While the script was overall really great, I think it could do with some development in parts to smooth things out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this production and commend the small professional team behind it. Love seeing young graduates creating their own work instead of waiting for it to come to them!

Bush Chook plays in Perth at The Blue Room Theatre from Tuesday the 3rd of February to Saturday the 7th of February 2026, and in Melbourne on Monday the 30th of March 2026 at the Gasworks Arts Park Studio Theatre.

To book tickets to Bush Chook, please visit https://fringeworld.com.au/whats-on/bush-chook-fw2026.

Photographer: Alexander Franklin

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