Adelaide Fringe is officially underway so it’s time to discover the French trained artists at Adelaide Fringe 2025, and some artists with other French connections. As you’d be aware, two internationally renowned French clown schools are Philippe Gaulier and Jacques Lecoq. Many of these artists have trained there. Similarly, what France does for clown schools, Quebec does for circus schools and you’ll also find some Adelaide Fringe 2025 artists with Quebecois circus training. You’ll also discover a sprinkling of artists who are originally from France.
If you’re looking for shows with French and Francophone links, such as shows with French music, discover them here.
CABARET – DRAG
Gaulier trained Jens Radda is in three shows this Adelaide Fringe including solo show Skank Sinatra. Expect “powerhouse vocals, razor-sharp wit, and explosive stage presence, Skank Sinatra takes audiences from the smokey jazz clubs of New York to the streets of Melbourne, from the underground cabarets of Berlin to the savannas of South Africa.”
11-16 March at Gluttony
One of Jens Radda’s group shows, together with Iva Rosebud and other guests is Madame Martha’s After Dark: The Parisian Cabaret. They invite you to enter “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.”
4-9 March at Gluttony
Jens Radda and Iva Rosebud are in a third show which you will find under the variety banner.
CABARET – MUSIC
In Crying Contralto: Falling Diamonds, Gaulier trained, contralto chanteuse clown and crier, Alison Eaton, “sings crying anthems. Fusing jazz standards, blues, vintage pop and antics… this genre blurring cabaret is a celebration for all the criers out there. “
18 & 22 March, The Warehouse Theatre
CABARET – VARIETY
London Calling features three Cirque de Soleil artists in its Adelaide Fringe 2025 line-up. “Step aboard and be swept off your feet in a high-octane celebration of cabaret, circus, magic and comedy”
25 February – 23 March (except Monday 3 and Monday 17 March) at Gluttony
French aerialist Sarah Zaglia performs in three shows this Adelaide Fringe, one of which is Pop Culture Cabaret: “Expect gut busting Comedy, incredible Circus, scorching Fire and Variety Arts”
7 & 8 March at Fool’s Paradise
Sarah Zaglia is also in Tarot: Arcana which promises “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.”
26 Feb & 10 March at Arkaba Hotel
CIRCUS – CABARET
Coco Churton grew up in France and is part of a several shows this Adelaide Fringe 2025. Cirque & Sip is one of them and it’s a boozy, cheeky circus-fuelled cabaret”. In this show, Coco is the tipsy MC.
22 & 23 March at Fool’s Paradise
CIRCUS – SCI-FI
Mathew James Brown is part of the After Dark Theatre troupe which is presenting its worldwide premiere season of Nightrunner. It’s being billed as “a groundbreaking circus spectacle where the boundaries of reality and illusion vanish under a mesmerizing blend of laser, light, and acrobatics.“
Mathew was a performer for renowned company Dragone, and has trained and worked with leading Montreal circus companies.
Wednesday to Sunday throughout Adelaide Fringe 2025
CIRCUS – VARIETY
French aerialist Mathilde is one of 55 artists to perform in French themed aerial show C’est la fête
28 February – 2 March at Fool’s Paradise
Read our interview with Mathilde here
COMEDY
Gaulier trained Elf Lyons brings us “the first ever comedy show performed entirely by a horse. Made by award-winning Elf Lyons, performed by Treacle” with Elf Lyons: Horses
25 February – 2 March, 4-9 & 11-15 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
COMEDY – ABSURDIST
Gaulier graduate Belinda Anderson-Hunt directs Absolute Drip Drop starring Tristan Haze, which is billed as a “50-minute absurdist stand-up show in 12 parts” in which questions such as “Where were you when you were first born? Were you, or were you not, a baby at that time?” are pondered by Haze.
24 February at Arthur Arthouse
Damien Warren-Smith has trained with Philippe Gaulier, and is bringing his show Garry Starr: Classic Penguins to Adelaide Fringe 2025. Character Garry Starr is “hell-bent on saving books from extinction by performing every Penguin Classic novel ever written. In an hour. Mostly naked (but with flippers).”
Nightly (except Mondays) until the end of Adelaide Fringe in The Garden of Unearthly Delights
COMEDY – CABARET
Gaulier trained Laura Trenerry, part of character comedians and drag superstar duo The Beryls, is in Cattle Call. “Broke, unemployed & rejected by the beauty pageant world for reasons they legally can’t disclose; ageing starlet, Victoria Beauvoir and her desperate sidekick Roger Seahorse have reluctantly returned to their hometown of Schlumpsville” and hope to “prove their worth to the humble people “of the town.
4-9 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
COMEDY – CLOWN
Italian Gaulier trained clown Andrea Barello is bringing his show Tonight! A clown who wanted to be loved? to Adelaide for the first time. “Slow-motion boxing, tape measure tangles, wild pizza dancing. In a playful and absurd crescendo, a hopelessly romantic (and sometimes a little naughty) Italian clown who doesn’t speak English tries everything he knows to get the only thing he wants. To be loved?”
26 Feb – 2 March at Fool’s Paradise & 5,6, 8 & 9 March at The Warehouse Theatre
École Gaulier trained American Chase Brantley presents his show Don Toberman: Ping Pong Champ which is a “clown spectacle spoofs all things sports” in which Dan Toberman “attempts to become the world’s most decorated ping-pong player. Facing off against the entire audience, he must win 21 points before he can claim this title.”
11–16 & 18-23 March, The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Darius Emadi is a Polish/Iranian American New York based clown, who discovered his unique style of performing and comedy under the guidance of master clown Philippe Gaulier from 2016 to 2018. Darius Emadi: Mixtape “is a tale of love, desire, and the lengths one might go to win their beloved. Performed by a romantic idiot in relentless pursuit of adulation.”
13-15 & 20-23 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Jeromaia Detto was at École Philippe Gaulier from 2019 to 2021. He is back at Adelaide Fringe 2025 with two solo shows: When I grow up, “his most ambitious show yet, full of absurd characters, wild whimsy and a healthy sprinkle of silliness”.
4-9 & 11-16 March in Gluttony
Jeromaia’s other show is A Work In Progress where he will try out “some new ideas”.
15-16 & 22-23 March in The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
He is also in a third show which you’ll find under the kids and family banner.
London based, British Australian Jessica Barton is home from a two-year creative sabbatical in France and London, including training with Philippe Gaulier. She presents the show Dirty Work at Adelaide Fringe 2025: “Mary Floppins has cracked the s**ts. Wipe the wee from the toilet seat and pick up your dirty undies, because The Perfect Nanny is back to teach all you little boys – and girls – a thing or two about running a prim and proper household.”
11-16 & 18-23 March in The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
London based American Gaulier trained clown Lillian Wenker presents Lil Wenker: Bangtail in which the Baddest Cowboy in Texas discovers “what happens when a Badder Cowboy-er Texas-er (AKA his nemesis) rides into town and steals his title? BANGTAIL is an epic tale of a man in search of his manhood. “
11-16 & 18-23 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Mel McGlensey is Motorboat is the latest show from Mel McGlensey. It’s billed as “the silliest, most outrageous, naughty and nautical show ever made about someone who is part boat, part woman… and full clown.“
4-9 & 11-16 March in Gluttony
Polish clown Piotr Sikora presents Furiozo: Man looking for trouble which is billed as a “disturbing yet absurdly funny portrait of toxic masculinity. You will love him. You will hate him. You will experience the presence of the beast.”
11-16 & 18-23 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
He also presents Furiozo 2: Man Who Breaks the Cycle – Work In Progress, “the second chapter of Furiozo, a tale of rage, fury, and transformation. Can one break the ancestral cycle of trauma? Can a hooligan find redemption? Find out in this gripping new adventure”.
15, 21-22 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
American Toph Epany trained with Philippe Gaulier for two years and is the creator and star of Wo. Both the name of the show and what they say will be the way you describe what you just experienced after watching “this wild mix of clowning, storytelling, and a few surprises”.
1-2 & 8-9 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
École Philippe Gaulier graduate, LA based, American-Venezuelan artist Veronica Osorio presents Medicine Woman who “arrives with a suitcase of remedies to conduct a shamanic ceremony. This self-proclaimed “dumb B of shamans” channels sexy, raw, and wildly unpredictable Y2K energies to heal everyone who crosses her path”.
11-16 & 18-23 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
COMEDY – DRAG
Kate Smurthwaite lived in France as a teenager and speaks French. This Drag King of comedy presents two shows this Adelaide Fringe: Milo Standards: Penis de Milo
The terrifying alter-ego of feminist comedian Kate Smurthwaite unzips the trousers of truth and lays it on the table.
5-10 & 12-16 March at Fool’s Paradise
COMEDY – SOLO SHOW
Casey Filips has studied clowning with Philippe Gaulier and has performed at the Palais des Glaces in Paris. He brings Casey Filips: Virtuoso to Adelaide Fringe 2025: “an award-winning one-man comedy hour following actor Tobias, a pretentious yet charming idiot doing anything he can to in the audition of a lifetime”.
4-9 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
COMEDY – SKETCH SHOW
Callum Robertson, who has studied French at advanced level and spent a considerable amount of time in France, is both the producer of and a performer in the show Business and Pleasure. For this sketch comedy they say “We need investors, but we don’t want your money. We want your energy, involvement, and OPTIONAL participation.”
22-23 & 26-27 February at Fool’s Paradise
Hannah Camilleri is bringing her latest show What I’m going for : “Bodies flying, limbs flailing, a whirlwind of action and a cacophony of voices. This is what I’m going for—except that it’s just me up there.”
4-9 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
COMEDY – STAND UP
Gaulier trained Josh Glanc is performing his show Family Man which was a hit at Edinburgh Fringe
17-23 March in The Garden of Unearthly Delights
COMEDY – THEATRE
Gaulier trained Norwegian Karen Houge “takes you on a journey through personal stories and unexpected moments, exploring the topic of trust” in Karen Houge: Dreamgirl
4-9 & 11-16 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Yoz Mensch is Gaulier trained and presenting his show Yozi: No Babies in the Sauna. “Get in the tiny car, loser—we’re going to clown school. Sit shotgun with this feral raconteur for a multi-award-winning joyride of physical comedy, peculiar rules, and chaotic characters.”
4-9 March at Gluttony
Stay tuned for an interview with Yoz soon
COMEDY – WORKSHOP
French teacher Arnaud will teach a French class unlike any other you’ve ever taken in Talk Dirty Stay Classy as he takes you through some of the very “confronting French swear words.”
8 & 22 March at Club de Pétanque d’Adélaïde
Read our review of a past version of this show here
KIDS & FAMILY – CIRCUS
Lecoq trained Caesar is also in Swash Buckling Circus which invites you to “Prepare to set sail on a laugh-filled voyage of acrobatic amazement and rib-tickling fun. This isn’t your ordinary circus – it’s a pirate extravaganza where the seven seas meet side-splitting comedy and high-flying feats.“
22 & 23 February and 1-2 March at Fool’s Paradise
Coco Churton who we mentioned above is also in Magic Toy Box Circus, in which she performs hulahoop numbers. It’s billed as “a delightful circus adventure where tumbling teddies and acrobatic dolls leap from the toybox to the stage”
22 & 23 March at Fool’s Paradise
Coco Churton is also in Storybook Circus which “combines the wonder of storytelling with the thrill of circus artistry.” In it she performs hula, acrobatics and bounce juggle.
22 & 23 March at Fool’s Paradise
KIDS AND FAMILY – IMMERSIVE
Nicola De Rosbo-Davies presents Spark, in which her clown character Étincelle on a magical journey through water, caves and space as she searches for her Spark. Nicola’s mother is French and Nicola speaks it a little
12-16 March at Fool’s Paradise
KIDS AND FAMILY – IMPROV
Both Jon Walpole and Jeromaia Detto (see his two solo shows under comedy – clown above) are Gaulier graduates, who create interactive stories not just for kids but with them in Jon & Jero: The Forgotten Tales. “Jon & Jero love telling stories, but they’ve forgotten how they go! These bumbling brothers need your help to figure out what stories to tell, where to go and who to meet!”
15-16 & 22-23 March at Gluttony
KIDS AND FAMILY – SCIENCE
Kate Smurthwaite who we mentioned above also presents her show Evolution Revolution, an “interactive games show all about evolution using the audience themselves as raw materials”.
8-10, 15-16 and 22-23 March at Gluttony
MUSIC – STORYTELLING
Born to Jamaican parents in Toronto, Duane Forrest’s “exposure to reggae shaped both his music and life”. Bob Marley: How Reggae changed the world will take you “on a journey through the history, cultural impact, and timeless songs of the reggae icon”.
22-23 February, 1-2, 8-10, 15-16 and 21-23 March at Fool’s Paradise
THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE – ABSURDIST
Both Artistic Director, Emily Ayoub and Associate Artistic Director, Madeline Baghurst of Clockfire, the theatre company presenting the work are graduates of École Jacques Lecoq. They created, directed and act in Plenty of fish in the sea, “a darkly humorous and physically adventurous contemporary fable about finding the perfect catch.”
4- 9 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE – CIRCUS
Caesar trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq and is part of two shows including Grapes of Bacchus: “Through laughter, wonder, and tender moments, the grapes [that this clown stumbles on] will be a powerful metaphor for the struggles and triumphs of mixed cultures, the inevitability of loss, and the desire to stay connected despite life’s many separations”
5 – 10 March at Fool’s Paradise
Zola Allen, who was awarded the Carclew Fellowship to study clowning at Ecole Philippe Gaulier, together with Arran Beattie, making his directorial debut, present Me, Myself and Hand, “an hour of light-hearted laughs as absolutely nothing goes wrong and Pinocchio’s hand that we bought off the black market definitely doesn’t try to possess Linda and reveal her deepest darkest secrets”.
11–16 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE – CLOWN
Gaulier trained Poppy Mee is presenting her show Pyschopomp at Adelaide Fringe 2025. “The God Between Life and Death, Conductor of Souls, Usher of Oblivion, is visiting living souls for the first time through the vessel of a lowly mortal – Poppy”
28 Feb – 2 March, 7-9, 14-16 March at The Mill
THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE – COMEDY
Gaulier trained Joshua Ladgrove is part of the A Slightly Isolated Dog troupe which is bringing their unique retelling of Jekyll & Hyde to Adelaide Fringe for the first time. The entire troupe perform the show pretending to be French.
11-16 & 18-23 March in Gluttony
Marcel Cole has studied clown at École Philippe Gaulier and is presenting his new show Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin at Adelaide Fringe. “This is the story of the Little Tramp and the man who created him”
11-16 & 18-23 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Read our interview with Marcel Cole before he debuted the play at Sydney Fringe last year.
École Jacques Lecoq trained Maroussia Vladi brings her real mother and daughter show In Small Doses back to Adelaide Fringe 2025. It is “a dark comedy about family relations made all the more complex as unique cultural values come into play.”
We saw this show last year and really enjoyed it (we didn’t write a review though)
23-25 February at The Mercury Cinema
THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE – HISTORICAL
École Jacques Lecoq trained Christopher Samuel Carroll returns with The Cadaver Palaver: A Bennett Cooper Sullivan Adventure billed as “another thrilling tale of derring-do (and don’ts), cheating death countless times, and damn near losing a cufflink in the process.”
4-9 March at The Courtyard of Curiosities
VARIETY – CABARET
Jens Radda (who is also performing solo show Skank Sinatra and group show Madame Martha’s After Dark Cabaret which we spoke about above), together with Iva Rosebud (Tradie By Day, Drag Queen By Night), both Gaulier graduates, are presenting two shows together. In The Cabaret Hour, they will “take you on a wild, hilarious journey of drag, love, singing, dancing and everything in between, with new surprise guests every night.”
8, 9 & 15 March at Nineteen Ten
VARIETY – PERFORMANCE ART
French aerialist Sarah Zaglia that we mentioned above is also in AVCon Present: Cirque du Cosplay which is said to be an “extravaganza of circus skills and sex appeal, featuring burlesque, drag, fire twirling, and aerial arts — all with a nerdy cosplay twist”
21 & 22 March at Gluttony
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Who is your pick of these French trained artists at Adelaide Fringe 2025?
