In this the first of our Adelaide Fringe 2025 articles, we let you know about shows with direct French links whether they be French, French-inspired, or from the Francophonie. We’ve digested the program of 1422 shows to find the 33 shows with links to France and the Francophonie. There truly is something for everyone whether it be cabaret, circus, comedy, food and wine, something hands on for the kids, or theatre and physical theatre.
Later in the week we will let you know about shows by artists who have trained in France or the Francophonie such as renowned clowning schools Ecole Philippe Gaulier and Ecole Jacques Lecoq in France.
CABARET AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
Madame Martha’s After Dark : The Parisian Cabaret
4-9 March, Gluttony *Fringe Membership 2 tickets for the price of 1 (“FM 241”) available
Step into the sensational underground Parisian cabaret where Vogue-posing, Fosse-popping, French-lace-drenched club kittens take you on a wild ride of intoxicating elegance and hilarity. Following sold out seasons across Australia, this electrifying explosion of Moulin Rouge glamour and Berlin grunge unfolds into a dazzling spectacle of music, dance, burlesque and drag that captivates and transports you from start to finish
Madame Martha’s is an outrageous romp through the risqué and ridiculous, sweeping you away with stunning live vocals, flawless choreography, and spectacular costumes.
18-23 March, Gluttony *FM 241 available to some shows
FRENCH LINK: A show about fashion inevitably takes us to Paris.
Glynis Traill-Nash lives a double life: fashion writer by day, jazz singer by night. Now the two collide for the first time in this soirée of chic! Dressed to thrill and accessorised with a set list of stylish chansons, Glynis will take you from Perth to Paris to unpick the world of fashion. She will answer your most pressing questions: What’s in? What’s out? Can I eat fries in that? Plus! Practical tips including how to (over)pack and why you should always Think Pink! With ever-dapper musical director Josh Haines on piano, the show comes to Adelaide after playing to sell-out houses at the 2024 Sydney Fringe Festival and Perth International Cabaret Festival.
14 February – 23 March (except Mondays), The Garden of Unearthly Delights
FRENCH LINK: The show name is French and one of the artists has performed at Folies Bergère in Paris.
An international grande variété of circus extraordinaires
Be seduced by the world’s very best variety artists, blending the exquisite, the elegant and the extraordinary, the twisted and the utterly delightful in this world premiere trip. Step into a world where identities blur and boundaries vanish, where artists, dreamers, aristocrats, and thieves collide in a captivating carousel of love and mischief.
Journeying with you in the round will be a ground-breaking Vegas performer, circus luminaries from Europe and America, a sweetheart coming direct from the prestigious Folies Bergère in Paris, and the darlings of the European cabaret scene.
Hold on tight—unexpected twists and irresistible allure await at every turn. Your seat is ready. Remember… Life, is better in the Round.
CIRCUS AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
16 & 23 March, Woolshed Brewery
Step into a world of excitement and cultural celebration with this multicultural African performing arts group! The show is a thrilling blend of acrobatics, mesmerizing circus performances, and the powerful beats of African drumming and dancing. They bring the rich heritage of Africa to life through dynamic choreography, daring stunts, and rhythmic music that stirs the soul. Each act reflects the vibrant diversity of African cultures, from the pulse of traditional drums to the awe-inspiring acrobatic displays.
This is more than just a performance, it’s an invitation to feel the spirit of Africa, full of joy, energy, and unity. Prepare to be amazed and uplifted!
AVCon Present: Cirque du Cosplay
21 & 22 March @ Gluttony
FRENCH LINK: French aerialist Sarah performs in this show
Cirque Du Cosplay is an extravaganza of circus skills and sex appeal, featuring burlesque, drag, fire twirling, and aerial arts — all with a nerdy cosplay twist.
Join local burlesque clowns and renowned nerds Diana Divine and Starling Strix on this journey through fandom, as some of South Australia’s most talented dancers and aerialists bring their favourite pop culture characters to the stage.
21-23, 28 February – 2 March, Fool’s Paradise *FM 241 available for some shows
FRENCH LINK: A French themed show.
Dive into a world of enchantment with “C’est la Fête”! Adelaide’s leading aerialists come together to create a French-themed celebration in the sky. Dance the night away as if you’re wandering through Parisian streets. Don’t miss ‘C’est la Fête’ at Adelaide Fringe and join in the spectacle!
Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque
8-12, 14-16, 19-23 March, Gluttony *FM 241 available for some shows
A show by Yamoussa Bangoura, inspired by daily life in Guinea. This performance shares the beauty, youth, and artistry of African culture. A colourful show beyond its scenery, costumes, and staging, that will make any theatre vibrate with energy. It represents strength, agility, and life’s joys of young Africans. The audience will see these acrobats execute gravity defying moves and human pyramids, all to the contemporary sounds of Afro-Jazz, percussion, and Kora. Welcome to the universe of Kalabanté Productions and prepare for an unforgettable journey.
Read our review of the show from Adelaide Fringe 2024 here
20 February – 23 March (except Mondays) at Infamous Theatre, Ellis Park
FRANCOPHONIE LINK: Artist Merrik Ashton performed at the prestigious Monte Carlo Circus Festival “New Generation “ and was awarded 3 different prizes by HRH Princess Stephanie. Simon and Mimi have both travelled extensively and are very fond of France. The new styles of circus are often influenced very much by French and Italian physical theatre.
Step into the sultry, thrilling, and daring world of ‘Infamous’, where jaw-dropping acrobatics, seductive performances, and outrageous comedy collide! In this electrifying fusion of circus, cabaret and burlesque, ‘Infamous’ brings you a night of non-stop entertainment that breaks all the rules.
From death-defying stunts performed with precision and artistry, to cheeky humour that will have you laughing out loud, ‘Infamous’ is the ultimate night out. Get ready for a wild ride where the glitz, glam and gasp-worthy acts come together in a high-energy experience you’ll never forget.
You’ll be seduced by the bold energy and breathtaking feats, set against a backdrop of dazzling lights, pulsing music, and an atmosphere charged with excitement.
7 & 8 March @ Fool’s Paradise *FM 241 available
FRENCH LINK: French aerialist Sarah performs in this show
Strap in for the world’s most shagadelic show!
A mesmerizing journey into a world where your favourite Pop Culture heroes are brought to life by the astonishing talents of Australia’s multi-award-winning Cabaret performers.
Expect gut-busting comedy, incredible circus, scorching fire and variety arts. For those spicy cravings, they solemnly swear that they’re up to no good, with Australia’s most flirty and glamourous burlesque performers that’ll lure you into your naughtiest desires, leaving you shaken, not stirred.
Gandalf said “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us”; It’s time for an adventure to Pop Culture Cabaret!
26 February & 10 March @ Top of the Ark, Arkaba Hotel
FRENCH LINK: French aerialist Sarah performs in this show
Tarot cards are the symbolic language of the soul, each one reflecting the energies, experiences, and emotions that shape our lives. In our fast-paced, chaotic world, it’s easy to feel lost or uncertain about the path we’re on. Tarot offers clarity, meaning, and guidance when we feel adrift, revealing life lessons, deep experiences, and startling revelations along the way.
After winning “Best Circus” in 2024, Rising Phoenix returns, inviting you to the world of Tarot: Arcana. What do the most powerful cards in the Tarot Deck hold for you? A night of breathtaking aerials, impressive acrobatics, and enchanting burlesque paired with deep revelations that challenge the way you see yourself and your journey ahead.
Remember, the cards hold the answers, but you decide the outcome!
COMEDY AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
Back by popular demand, this show will take you through some of the very …confronting French swear words. Be ready for a shock if you have just done school French or learnt a few words for a trip. Confronting but with some poetry…..from the street ! Public participation ? Oh! Oui !
Read our review of the show from Adelaide Fringe a few years ago
DANCE AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
African Drum and Dance for Wellbeing
27 February – 28 February The Farm for Wellbeing, Flaxley, Peramangk (in native bushland); 1 March, Irish Harp, Prospect
Immerse yourself in traditional African Drumming and Dance rhythms with Mala Majo and One Spirit Africa collaboration for an authentic master drum and dance teachers who will lead you through a dynamic workshop of rhythms, dance, history, healing, and rituals designed to uplift and connect with nature.
NOTSAMO (Continuation) Ghana & Ivory Coast West Africa
23 March, Goodwood Theatre and Studios
This embodies the liberation of ancient traditions and ancestral legacy, marking the moment when old and new traditions, along with traditional practitioners of deep cultural heritage, come together to celebrate and usher in a new universe.
This show aligns with One Spirit Africa based in Melbourne, album launch Australia tour, providing engaging and epic energy through their live shows while Mala Majo Entertainment brings a unique cultural experience with terrific empowering performance straight from Ghana West Africa and The Sun of Africa Adelaide based, with powerful and colourful smiles and powerful performance.
FRENCH FOOD & WINE AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
Food & Wine of Avignon with Rosa Matto & David Crossman
15 March, WEA
Join SA food identity Rosa Matto and WEA wine tutor David Crossman for this special Fringe session.
The food of Avignon et Provence is rooted in the tastes and textures of land and sea, redolent of seasonal, fresh ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, saffron, peppers, anchovies, olives, olive oil and wild herbs.
Sample pissaladière, green olive tapenade and ratatouille with la fougasse, bouillabaisse, market salad, and almond calisson. Enjoy GSM wine blends which originated in the vineyards around Avignon. The juiciness of Grenache is balanced by the spiciness of Shiraz and the bold tannins of Mourvèdre. Compare a generic Côtes-du-Rhône with a higher rated village wine. Try also a dry, crisp style of Rosé which has a refreshing, cleansing mouthfeel well suited to the Mediterranean climate.
FRENCH MUSIC AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025

22 February & 2 March, Plant 4,
Celebrated French musical act Lou Blackwell and the French Set returns to Plant 4 Bowden with their ever-evolving variety showcase of songs from the Great French Songbook. Backed by a magnificent five-piece band including Mark Simeon Ferguson on keys, Julian Ferraretto on violin, Thomas Pulford on saxophone and clarinet, John Aué on double bass and Zed Crawford on drums, singer Lou Blackwell performs songs written or performed by many legendary songwriters and singers including Jacques Brel, Léo Ferré, Yves Montand, Barbara, Charles Aznavour and more.
French Suite is a musical celebration of the great cultural city of Paris, including songs inspired by this mecca for jazz and world music. Winners of Fringe weekly awards for music and cabaret, this band is a true delight…à ne pas rater!
Read our reviews of some of Lou Blackwell and the French Set’s previous Adelaide Fringe shows: A night in Paris and Love on the Left Bank
12 & 14 March, Ayers House; 15 March Red Cacao Chocolatier
Join standout Adelaide vocalist Tiffany Gaze for the return of her 2024 sellout show ‘Jazz Under the Skies of Paris’. This night of French Jazz will feature the music made famous by Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Michel Legrand and many more. French Jazz is adored by audiences around the world for its romantic appeal, truthful vulnerability and, of course, the touch of ‘je ne sais quoi’. Tiffany will take you on a journey to the other side of the world to explore the intersection of French and American Jazz traditions. Experience this incredible, sellout show with Tiffany and her band: pianist Solomon Young, bassist Jacob Phillips and drummer Bailey Hall.
23 February, Star Theatres *FM 241 available
Deux Vieux Copains (Two Old Mates) present a selection from the hundreds of wonderful French songs that they have sung over the past 60 years. Chris Simpson and Andrew McKenzie have been regular performers in Alliance Française and Panache Adelaide French Theatre productions for decades, and have an extensive knowledge of many French musical traditions, in particular the chanson française tradition which flourished in the cafes and cabarets of Montmartre and the Left Bank of Paris after World War II.
Their repertoire ranges from traditional French songs to songs which celebrate the rich regional variety of France to songs by major French singer songwriters – Brassens, Brel, Vian and many others. Songs will be presented in English, sung in French and supported by surtitles.
21 February & 16 March, Norwood Hotel
Les Flâneurs Volants have taken it upon themselves to rewrite The Tempest as a musical in the earnest belief that the original work written way back (possibly in the 50s!) by some old Englishman was entirely without ambition.
The Tempest sends hapless hero Jacques on an escapade down the east coast of the Americas, taking in the boot stomping music of Louisiana, the joyous sounds of Mexico, the pulsing rhythms of Brazil and the sensuous tangos of Argentina.
Jacques leads a merry band of 6 musicians playing all the instruments you would expect in those exotic destinations…& some! Music, comedy & pathos rolled up in a big tortilla!
Recitals on the Fringe: Angus McBride, bassoon “The Basson of the Paris Conservatoire”
19 March 6.30pm, North Adelaide Baptist Church
No further information has been made available yet.
13 February and 6 March at Club de Pétanque d’Adelaide, 22 February at Temple@Henley, 23 February at South Australian Maritime Museum, 27 February at Newland Memorial Uniting Church, 1 March in Auburn, 2 March at Café Komodo, 7 March at INC Café, 8 March at Caitlin on Magill and 9 March at Fullarton Retirement Village *FM241 available for some shows
FRENCH LINK: The programme features some Debussy, among others.
Pianist Tim Barton returns with a new ‘Rhapsody in Chicago Blues’ 2025 program. This year hear ragtime, classical, original jazz and lots of boogie n’ blues as well as old favorites Rhapsody in Blue, Claire de Lune and the Maple Leaf Rag. 5 stars in Perth, Adelaide and Edinburgh at the beautiful Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.
MUSIC FROM THE FRANCOPHONIE AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
22 February, 1 & 9 March, Wakanda Multicultural Bar *FM 241 available for some shows
FRANCOPHONIE LINK: Adane Best is from Ghana
Adane Best is one of the most original and unique musicians in contemporary Ghana. His talent is so rich and evident that his siblings—Daniel Frimpong, Ken Amoah, and Victoria Amoah—vowed that it would never go to waste; something that rarely happens in Ghana. As providence has it, his first album, “Ayitey” became an instant hit and 7 albums later, he is still at it. His albums including Se Wu Bre, Wa nu Pe Asem, Rabbi, Maafio, Soja Go Soja Come, Ayekoo and Mamamia have all enjoyed a lot of airplay. His last album, ‘Adesa’, won the Best Highlife Album of 2008 at the Ghana Music Awards.
8 & 9 March at Pop Up Park’ in Mount Barker *FM 241 available
FRANCOPHONIE LINK: The band is promotes the Ghanian cultural values and identity.
The Aklowa drum band are part of the Aklowa UK Organization, the organization set up by the late Felix Cobbson (Founder and Artistic Direct of Aklowa). He introduced the element of Traditional African Culture to thousands of people who visited the African Village at United Kingdom.
Having firmly established Aklowa the African Heritage in 1977. The arms promote the understanding of African Culture and societies through the study and participation in music, folklore, dance and the arts of Africa, Aklowa band group is made up of versatile professional’s artistes who provide high class African music and dancing spectacular distinct in natu
The group seeks to use art as a tool to concertize the youth into Ghana’s cultural values and identity. To promote African cultural heritage locally and internationally through drama performance music and dancing as well as create awareness of other dying art forms and promote foreign audience to gain deeper insight into African ways of life.
21 February & 23 March, The Wheatsheaf
FRANCOPHONIE LINK: Bortier Okoe is from Ghana
Bortier Okoe & El Noni have teamed up to deliver an enigmatic inter-cultural experience. African and South American. A wondrous night of polyrhythms and mellifluous melodies. “Dzeng Sane” – World Matters.
Bortier Okoe is a Ghanaian musician renowned for his high energy musical performances. He will be introducing his latest releases that he has been busy in the studio recording: songs and video clips .El Noni is a Chilean charango and guitar modern folklorist pushing the boundaries of tradition and modernism, a blend of the past dressed in the now.
Come for a night of inter-cultural madness.
13 – 15 March at Wakanda Multicultural Bar *FM 241 available
FRANCOPHONIE LINK: The artist is from Ghana
Pat Thomas (born Nana Kwabena Amo Mensah; August 14, 1946 in Agona, Gold Coast (now in the Central Region of Ghana)) is a Ghanaian vocalist and songwriter. He is widely known for his work in highlife bands of Ebo Taylor. His father was a music theory instructor and his mother a bandleader.
Career: He started his musical career in the 1960s when he collaborated with Ebo Taylor. In 1974, he formed the band “Sweet Beans” and with them, he recorded his first album False lover. He recorded his second album “Pat Thomas Introduces Marijata” with the band Marijata. After the coup in Ghana in 1979, he relocated to Berlin and later settled in Canada. He is now touring worldwide with his Kwashibu Area Band. In June 2015 they released the album Pat Thomas and Kwashibu Area Band to mark 50 years of his musical career. Thomas is known as “The Golden Voice Of Africa”. Thomas sings in Fante Language.
OTHER FRENCH RELATED MUSIC AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
23 February at Parker Estate, 24 February at The Jade, 12 March at Woodville Town Hall, 15 & 22 March at The Garage International
‘Let Us Put A Spell On You’
Experience this mesmerising 4pc music cabaret show, honouring the legacy of the legendary NINA SIMONE.“Goddess of Piano” and “High Priestess of Soul”
SA’s own Bonnie Lee Galea in her Jazz in Cheek Quartet take the audience on a journey through her music and her life that blended jazz, gospel, blues, folk, pop and classical, paying homage to this musical genius Nina Simone, who marked history through many of her songs and unique renditions of famous compositions and influenced many other musical legends.
We saw the show at Adelaide Fringe last year and loved it. Bonnie has a great voice and a wonderful stage presence.
A SHOW FOR FOR KIDS AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
Upsound Instruments – Make & Play Workshop Area
Daily from 15 February to 23 March (except for Mondays, with the exception of public holiday 10 March ) in Gluttony
FRENCH LINK: You can make a French horn!
Bang, blow, saw, hammer, pluck, and pull your way to building a unique, playable instrument. Bring your imagination and a grown-up (they get in free). At this fun, hands-on workshop area you’ll craft your own musical instrument from upcycled materials! Transform broken, foraged and found objects, natural materials and even trash … into musical masterpieces. Will you choose to reimagine the classics and make a guitar, horn or drum? Or let your imagination run wild and build your very own, one-of-a-kind creation.
Whatever you choose, you’ll get to take home your own Upsound instrument. Join Dutch sound artist and violinist Jacob Plooij for this Australian premiere that’s sure to strike a chord with the whole family!
THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE AT ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
20-23 February, Fool’s Paradise *FM 241 available
FRENCH LINK: A French title for a show conceived in the French countryside.
A fool is born in the sky. He plunges to Earth, and hatches from an egg. Can he build a tower tall enough to reach home, or will he be consumed by the shadows that pursue him from below?
En Haut (Up Up Up Up Up) was conceived in the French countryside, developed in London and the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, and is ready to hatch at Adelaide Fringe 2025. The show touches on themes of balance: control and loss of control, chaos and order, ambition and aspiration, transcendence, failure, and death. It features a giant egg and a five metre ascent. But don’t let all that fool you. It’s funny. Seriously.
Performances at Adelaide Fringe will feature live Georgian choral music sung by their collaborating choir.
Jekyll & Hyde by A Slightly Isolated Dog
11-16 & 18-23 March @ Gluttony *FM 241 available for some shows
FRENCH LINK: The cast pretend to be French in this hilarious retelling of Jekyll & Hyde.
Jekyll is a man who washes and separates his recycling. Hyde is the man who uses the last of the toilet roll and never replaces it.
Award winning A Slightly Isolated Dog triumphantly return with their original take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella. Raucous, irreverent, funny and delightfully absurd, ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ uses the mayhem of theatre, music, and comedy to celebrate the darkness within us all.
We interviewed Leo Gene Peters, the Artistic Director of A Slightly Isolated Dog about, and reviewed, their other show Don Juan a few years ago. We also saw this show at Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2024 and loved it (but didn’t review it sorry).
21-22, 24-26 February, 8, 11-13, 15, 17-19 March, Adelaide College of the Arts *FM 241 available for some shows
It’s 2021, and Hannah Maxwell has moved back to the suburbs to care for her bereaved grandmother. But this show isn’t about that. It’s about France’s Eurovision star Barbara Pravi, who’s just lovely.
In between cooking, cleaning and daytime television, Maxwell escapes into an intensifying fantasy of ballroom dances, fluent French and definitely-not-creepy plots to engineer a meet-cute with a random foreign celebrity. It’s La La Land meets Mission Impossible with some concerning undertones of Baby Reindeer.
5-6, 12-12 and 19-22 March @ The Mill *FM 241 available for some shows
LINKS: The character had been conscripted to war. One the cast members, Madeleine is based in Brussels, Belgium and works for Nickelodeon doing the voices of Timid and Painter Smurf in The Smurfs (which was originally a Belgian story).
England. 2020. Pinderfields Hospital. Lockdown. 2:20 a.m: A man fights for each breath, determined to make it home to Dot. In his isolated, morphine-fuelled delirium, we witness a frail man reliving his fragmented past: a boxer, a soldier, a boilermaker, a miner—dancing with Lady Luck as he battles to win. But is it fate, or sheer will to survive that determines when we return to dust?
Dust is one man’s unforgettable journey, examining generational trauma, resilience, and survival against the backdrop of post-World War II England. Dust is dedicated to the servicemen who fought for their country, the seven men who tragically lost their lives in the 1973 Lofthouse Colliery disaster, and to every miner who lived their lives in darkness, so we could live in the light. Based on a true story.
FRENCH LINK: Performance available in French by request
13-15 & 17-19 March, Adelaide College of the Arts
A transcendent journey into the world of the unconscious, a light installation in movement that creates an illusionary symphony that shapes and stirs the senses. Shadows transform and dissolve, revealing stories that shift with each angle, while electroacoustic soundscapes emphasise the fragile distinction between reality and illusion. A theatrical experience that invites viewers to immerse in a fluid interplay of light, shadow and meaning; a dreamlike realm where perception, metamorphosis and illusion dance as one. Each moment unfolds like a multi-layered metaphor.
‘Hikaru’, originating from Japanese, translates to Ray of Light. It embodies the concept of a radiant beam that illuminates our journey during challenging times bringing clarity to the aspects of ourselves that remain obscured.
Saturdays and Sundays from 22 February to 23 March @ Holden Street Theatres
FRENCH LINK: The main character is a terrible French teacher
Ron Blair’s great Australian play, ‘THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS’, is the life in a day of a teaching Christian Brother in the 1950s. It’s a funny, heartbreaking, challenging, loving and searingly honest portrayal of a teacher and his faith. It’s a nostalgic vision of a system of teaching which once served Australians. It provides a bravura role for actor Robert Cusenza, directed by Peter Goers.
23 February & 20 March, Goodwood Theatre and Studios *FM 241 available
In the search for a string of pearls, a daughter travels to her abandoned childhood home and a mother travels from Port Pirie to Paris, without ever leaving Australia. Family relics abound: ashtrays, a Princess Diana jigsaw, a commode used as a coffee table. Memories are ignited then questioned. And still the pearls cannot be found. Family fractures deepen until finally a heartbreaking, but healing truth is revealed.
Read our review of this show from Adelaide Fringe 2021 here
What will you see at Adelaide Fringe 2025?
KEY INFO FOR ADELAIDE FRINGE 2025
WHAT: Adelaide Fringe 2025 (the second biggest Fringe festival in the world after Edinburgh Fringe)
WHERE: Various venues across Adelaide and South Australia
WHEN: Officially from 21 February to 23 March but some venues are starting Fringe early from 14 February.
HOW: Purchase your tickets to the above shows via the links provided, or peruse the entire program at www.adelaidefringe.com.au
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices vary depending on the show and session chosen. If you’re planning to see several shows, you may want to consider the Fringe Memberships which give you 241 access to a lot of shows in the program. We’ve marked these with FM 241 above.
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Discover more events with links to France and the Francophonie happening all across Australia this month in our What’s on in February