Roving FCFN reporter John Armstrong heads south and reflects on some highlights from the Dunedin Fringe Festival, which ran from 12 – 22 March 2026.
Dunedin Fringe has sadly come to an end. Yesterday marked the end of an incredible eleven days of stand-up, theatre, sketch comedy and live music, with morethan ninety shows all packed into nearly forty different venues across the city. What makes Dunedin Fringe special is a real DIY energy from the whole city. Every store seems to have posters in their windows. Much like the student city, the fringe feels young, chaotic and unconcerned with polish. This is emphasised by workshops such as ‘City Planners’, which asked people to help redesign the new Dunedin hospital in clay, as well as the shows themselves.
Whilst I only scratched the surface of what was on offer, I’ve come away from the festival feeling super excited about what Dunedin Fringe brings to Te Waipounamu. Below are some humble recommendations. If you’re ever in the same area as the following performances, make sure you get along.
Sadomusical – A Similar River
At first glance, this show sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Improvised musical comedy whilst the performers electrocute, handcuff and damn near drown themselves… all for the love of art.
I couldn’t look away. The more unhinged and painful the show got, the more we couldn’t help laughing. The relationship between actor and spectator was always fun rather than cruel or mean. Pain endurance musical comedy. Who would’ve thought?
Highlight: Lee Apsey trusting an audience member with a shock collar remote whilst the final musical number is being written.
Motion Sickness – a2 Company
Given that FCFN already contains some top tier writing on this show, I’ll keep it brief.
One of my favourite shows of the festival, a2 delivers once again. Mere months following their NZ tour of Running into the Sun, they deliver their signature existential overwhelm mixed with upbeat electronica and trippy projector visuals.
Highlight: The well placed moments of group choreography and saxophone solos by Toby Leman.
[Read more of John’s thoughts about this here.]
Coro – Mon Platon Productions
I’ll admit some healthy skepticism going into this one. It’s been a long time since I watched Coronation Street as a child and I was convinced the humour wouldn’t land if I was only semi-familiar with the source material.
How wrong I was. This show was pacy, witty and absolutely ridiculous. Audience members threw costumes at the performers whenever a character’s name was called, guaranteeing direct buy-in. They’ve picked an absolutely killer format for a kiwi theatre going audience. The whole audience clearly knew and LOVED Coronation Street. Even if they hadn’t, this show was sure to have made them cackle.
They’re going to be touring the rest of the country throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled.
Highlight: Austin Harrison’s waddle and Nina Hogg’s wig work.
[Read our review of the development season here.]
Comedy is king
Comedy carried this Fringe, with 35% of the acts being a mix of stand-up, sketch, alt comedy and mixed late night bills.
Harriet Moir’s sold-out run of Dear Stalker is a good example of why comedy is so cherished. Whilst I sadly missed her solo show, feel free to direct your attention to the various reviews scattered around the internet. I did, thankfully, get the chance to check out a range of comedians including Moir at the Late Night Line Up on Friday the 20th of March.
Late Night Line Up is a great way to get an idea of what’s happening at Fringe. Many acts use it as a way to promote their work. Other featured comedians that night included the chaotic Alan McElroy, clinically dry Raybon Kan and host Lily Catastrophe.
Highlight: Alan McElroy’s last minute song addition about a man pissing on a plane.
Fringe Favourite: The Sensemaker / Embarrassed Naked Female – Elsa Couvreur
The Sensemaker is one of the most precise and inventive solo works I’ve ever seen. Almost entirely non-verbal, it navigates capitalism and consent without ever over-explaining itself.
There’s no character-switching or heavy exposition, just a tightly controlled performance that trusts the audience to come along for the ride. It’s somewhat creepy and dystopian in a way that feels completely right.
This show finds the humour in a situation most of us recognise (a lengthy job interview process), then slowly pushes it somewhere more surreal. A lone figure is determined to have their request acknowledged by an unseen system, persisting through every obstacle put in their way. You end up really cheering the character along. I left really chewing over the intricacy of what I’d seen.
Then barely an hour later Embarrassed Naked Female turns everything on its head
Framed as a kind of theatrical TED Talk sequel to The Sensemaker, this performance is centered around the unauthorised recording and online circulation of Couvreur’s work in that show, which includes nudity. The themes of control, consent, and ownership suddenly feel as though they have higher stakes. It’s a confronting follow up having just seen the piece it was centered around.
Seen side by side, I’m left with icky feelings about the place of the artist in the world we live in and absolute awe of Couvreur’s vulnerability.
Highlight: A section of The Sensemaker that includes a quote from Trainspotting to mimed dance. ‘It’s shite being Scottish!’
Final thoughts
It’s hard not to come away from Dunedin Fringe feeling good. Although it’s impossible to see everything, the ambition and love for live performance is impossible to miss. Huge congratulations and thanks to the artists, venue coordinators, volunteers, and organisers who make it all happen. Without their work, the festival simply wouldn’t exist. I’m already looking forward to the next Dunedin Fringe.
You can see the festival’s full 2026 lineup here.
Flat City Field Notes 