Outside The Box

Aggressively Helpful: The Rise
And Fall Of The Romance Empire

17 & 19 Sep, 8.15pm, Factory Theatre

Alice Fraser, Justine Rogers and Alex Wasiel are three upstanding young ladies who are here to help you, whether you need it or not. This time around they are offering up advice on your love life, as they navigate love, loss and every conundrum in between. These girls may look sweet as pie but underestimating them would be a mistake; they’re witty, sharp, and not afraid to get more than a little ridiculous. As well as receiving some very sound advice, expect an explosion of sketch, stand-up, song and dance.

The Bear Pack

24 Sep, 8pm, Giant Dwarf

Get ready for a night of improv, with a double bill of Improv Soap Opera and The Bear Pack. Set on the grounds of a prestigious university, the team will create a Bold And The Beautiful-esque soap opera featuring a cast of Sydney’s most exceptional improv talent. The second half of the show will be the collective genius/quick thinking of The Bear Pack, aka Steen Raskopoulos and Carlo Ritchie. It’s 60 minutes of improvised storytelling inspired by suggestions from the audience, so don’t be afraid to stick your hand up.

Nick Capper & Jack Druce: Capper-Jack

17 & 19 Sep, 9.30pm, Factory Theatre

How does one get fired from stand-up comedy? It seems that Nick Capper and Jack Druce have found a way to do so, and have joined forces to give sketch comedy a crack. They’ve hired a depressed German author called Wilhelm to write the greatest sketch show of all time. This is it.

The Bookbinder

11 – 13 Sep, 7pm, Better Read Than Dead

Award-winning theatre company Trick Of The Light Theatre bring you a story of mystery, magic and mayhem with The Bookbinder. The play incorporates shadowplay, paper art, puppetry and music into the theatre performance, creating a whimsical and imaginative story. Like getting lost in a good book, The Bookbinder is set to be enchanting and inescapable, as the New Zealand production company performs their show for the first time in Australia.

Sydney Underground
Film Festival

4 – 7 Sep, Factory Theatre

If Sydney Film Festival wasn’t weird and wacky enough for your taste, then SUFF should have you covered for independent, experimental and subversive cinema. Highlights of the program include Opening Night comedy-horror film Housebound, Closing Night gross-out film Wetlands, and the kooky and hilarious Suburban Gothic. Now in it’s eighth year running, SUFF will feature over 100 films, performances, music and workshops.

Yes Dance

16 – 20 Sep, 8pm, Dickson Street Space

Rennie McDougall has danced with the likes of Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc and Belvoir Theatre all over the country and across the globe, but yes dance will be his choreographic debut in Sydney. Yes dance is all about looking deeply into the surface of things, and trying to find the substance from little more than the aesthetic. McDougall will collaborate with Leah Landau and Harrison Hall for the show that explores choreography for free-thinking bodies.

Ursula Yovich, Benny
Walker and Leah Flanagan

4 Sep, 8.30pm, 505

If it’s live music you’re after at this year’s Fringe, these three performers have got musical talent and storytelling skills in spades. Ursula Yovich, who was recently listed in the Top 21 most iconic Women Of Australian Stage, Page And Screen by The Age, is an undeniable talent and mesmerising to watch. Benny Walker from regional Victoria will perform his deep groove-infused songs about the land and the people he encounters. Finally, Leah Flanagan’s soulful self-penned songs are heartfelt, emotional and totally engaging.

The Lab

4 – 14 Sep, 20 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst

For ten days of the Fringe, Art Pharmacy will open The Lab, the visual arts hub of the festival. The interactive gallery space will house undiscovered contemporary art, all of which is for sale in case you’re in the market. The work featured includes paintings, photography, illustrations, prints and sculptures. Artists include Catherine Nolan, Haejin Yoo, Shannon Johnson, Mr Will Coles, Be A Bellingham, Mulga The Artist, and many other talented folk.