From cabaret to comedy, music to dance, theatre to the visual arts and a lot more, diversity is the key to the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

That was on display at the opening night gala at the Capitol Theatre, which gave us a taste of the almost 500-strong show lineup in this, the festival’s 43^rd year.

It is a cavalcade of the weird, the wild, the wacky and the wonderful.

Photo by  Casimaria

With Sammy J. as the engaging compere of the gala, he introduced us to more than a dozen acts.

Among them, his own: Fiasco: A Burke & Wills Musical at Trades Hall.

It is a song-driven take on the disastrous 1860 Burke and Wills expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Festival Creative Director and CEO Simon Abrahams took to the stage dressed as Astro Boy.

That was in line with the festival’s theme, Action Heroes, which encourages audiences and artists to be agents of positive change in shaping the future.

Next up, a nod to Madame Martha’s Parisian Cabaret at the Meat Market.

Winner of Best Cabaret 2024, think the French capital, drag, burlesque and live music.

Stand-up comic Danielle Walker will blend chaos with charm in Tinkering, at Trades Hall.

Wearing a puffer jacket with caterpillar-like extendable arms, cabaret legend, singer/songwriter Geraldine Quinn will present Bastard Joy at Trades Hall. 

Bold Asian futurist dance theatre is the domain of Carmen Yih in To Disappoint a God at Sylvia Staehli Theatre.

In it, a Chinese creation deity confronts a world in turmoil.

Vidya Makan was front and centre performing a song from her original musical at Southbank Theatre, The Lucky Country.

Fresh off an international flight earlier in the day, Hawaiian hurricane Lilikoi Kaos twirled a truck load of hula hoops. Her show, at Trades Hall, is named Too Much.

Opera singer turned cabaret artist Piera Dennerstein opened up her lungs and how, a pointer to Pursuing Pleasure at Chapel Off Chapel.

Comedian Joshua Ladgrove acknowledged his musical shortcomings as a pointer to “Joshua Ladgrove is your guest host on tonight’s Christmas Eve edition of The Denis Walter Show” at Trades Hall.

Punchy new dance theatre is the domain of Social Beast at Trades Hall, whose act began in the aisles, before they took to the stage.

Arguably my favourite act of the gala was Amos Roach, who will head to Carlton Gardens on a musical storytelling tour of Getrude Street.

His didgeridoo playing was stellar. Catch him again at the Yalinguth Live Music Tour.

The last act of the night, a memorable one, involved musical improviser, comedian and cabaret artist Isabella Valette.

She will present Cabaret Time Machine at the Meat Market, where you could find yourself in Ancient Rome.

The Melbourne Fringe Festival is on until 19th October, 2025.

For information about the full program and to book tickets, go to https://melbournefringe.com.au