The Heart Beats in Counts of Eight review | Monash Uni Student Theatre (MUST) | Monash University

In a dystopian future where synthetics are virtually indistinguishable from humans, the line between the two becomes increasingly blurred. Drawing on science fiction, body horror and comedy, Madeleine Willshire’s The Heart Beats in Counts of Eight examines identity, belonging and what it means to exist in a society that was not built for you. Its premise offers plenty of scope to explore the connections between artificial intelligence and neurodivergence, though bringing these ideas together in a way that delivers dramatic force and emotional resonance proves challenging.

There is considerable ambition underpinning the work, and moments when the production makes effective use of its futuristic setting. However, the tension is inconsistent, with several scenes missing the conviction or atmosphere needed to ensure their stakes land. Music heightens the intimate conversations, making its absence elsewhere noticeable. Esmé Stripp’s direction could do more to sustain the suspense and give the characters’ actions impact. A-31’s attempt to rob the synthetics, for example, lacks the intensity to make the encounter be genuinely threatening. Stripp’s direction of the actors playing the four Hivemind synthetics is particularly impressive, including a well-executed dance sequence that lends the show an eerie sensibility.

Not Soooo Fresh review | Frenzy Theatre Co | Melbourne Fringe Festival | Trades Hall

 When I was invited to review Not Soooo Fresh, I immediately said yes, having been an avid purchaser of the So Fresh compilations over the years. But then I looked at the track listing for So Fresh: The Hits of Winter 2010 and realised I knew less than half the songs. I also discovered I’d never heard of the 2008 film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. However, Frenzy Theatre Co’s melding of these two pop culture references made Not Soooo Fresh not only the perfect way to end my Fringe Festival experience, but also a perfect night out to laugh and enjoy myself.

Created by Belle Hansen and Sarah Bowers, this is a scrappy re-telling of the coming-of-age film, capturing its teenage angst, romantic misadventures and awkward journey towards figuring out who you are. The catch is that they’ve chosen to tell this story using the So Fresh album in track listing order. Honestly, it’s like witchcraft, with the songs fitting into the plot so perfectly you’d think they were written for the show.

So while there's not a choice in what songs are played or when they are played, there is a creative choice in how they are slotted into the narrative. As Musical Director, Bowers does an exceptional job in finding ways for these songs to be the voice for specific characters. Vanessa Amorosi’s "My Mysterious" introduces fraternal twins Robbie and Tom to the school as the girls fawn over them. Train’s "Hey, Soul Sister" as the love theme between Robbie and Georgia is hilariously on the nose, while Lady Gaga’s "Alejandro" during the 'snogging lessons' is ridiculously inspired.

Yellow Fever: An Original Musical Cabaret review | Kelly Lim Harris | Melbourne Fringe Festival | Trades Hall

In Yellow Fever, Kelly Lim Harris turns the racism, fetishisation and sexism she has come up against as an East Asian woman into a sharp, funny and personal cabaret. Through original songs and candid storytelling, she explores the absurdity of being desired for your ethnicity while confronting the attitudes and experiences that make the subject far from light-hearted.

If the title doesn't give you an indication of its tongue-in-cheek humour, the opening number, also titled "Yellow Fever", certainly does. It also showcases Lim Harris's impressive vocal skills as she moves between styles and genres, including pop-rock, ballads and opera. Her opera performance is particularly captivating, and I'd have loved to hear more, given her evident passion for the style.

Crush the Bug review | RUFF AS GUTZ | Melbourne Fringe Festival | Trades Hall

There’s a sense of mischief to Crush the Bug, with performers Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin and Daniel Nodder setting the tone before the show has even properly begun. We’re drawn into their peculiar little world as soon as we arrive, tasked with folding origami cockroaches and rolled up newspapers being frantically passed around. From there, the silliness gathers momentum, with physical comedy, audience participation and loads of unpredictability.

Inspired (very) loosely by Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the narrative follows a father and his son, who happens to be a bug. When Dad takes his son to work, things take a turn that raises questions about responsibility, morality and forgiveness. But this isn't a solemn literary adaptation. It's one fuelled by frenetic clowning with a dash of substance to give you something to chew over.

The pair are wonderfully responsive, picking up on the room’s energy and finding opportunities for spontaneous comedy that ensures the laughter in the room keeps coming. They draw us into the action, inviting us to provide sound effects and to also weigh in on what takes place. This involvement makes us feel almost as much a part of the show as the performers themselves.

Jellyfish review | Cherese Sonkkila | Melbourne Fringe Festival | The Motley Wherehaus

Underwater adventures make a big splash in Jellyfish, a physical theatre show by Cherese Sonkkila that brings an unusual sea creature to life. With an expressive performer and an ocean world populated by colourful marine life, the production invites us to follow the jellyfish on its journey beneath the waves.

Sonkkila has excellent facial expressions and, in a largely non-verbal piece where the central figure never speaks, does a good job of conveying its emotions and depicting its escapades to the audience. When it falls in love with a human diver it encounters one day, Sonkkila brings warmth and personality to the role, making the growing attachment easy to understand.

Its costume is quite impressive, adding to the fantasy and mystery of the ocean. The jellyfish’s head is illuminated from within, silver tinsel forms its tentacles, and an ice-blue gown drapes over Sonkkila. The design helps animate the jellyfish, enhancing the visual appeal of the deep sea setting. But the starfish could benefit from a more elaborate outfit. Given the narrator uses words such as incandescent, dazzling and beguiling to describe how it looks, it would be great to see these qualities reflected in its design.