Sydney Fringe Festival preview

"I think people are mostly stunned that it doesn't already exist," says Kris Stewart. "We're such a major city. I think, outside of our town, the idea of a Sydney Fringe is a no-brainer."

Stewart is enthusing about the forthcoming inaugural Sydney Fringe Festival of which he is artistic director. The Fringe will take place in theatres, pubs and public spaces in Newtown, Enmore and Marrickville, and will feature theatre, concerts, circus, cabaret, film, visual arts and parties.

Stewart says the Fringe is for artists who are taking risks and creating exciting, unexpected work, mainly in the inner west. "It's a real priority for us to programme folks working in urban Sydney. About 60 per cent of the stuff is from within 10km of Newtown, although there are international acts, things that premiered at the Adelaide Fringe and a couple of shows from the Edinburgh Fringe."

The Fringe will launch with a Pop Up Fest - a surreal nighttime tour of Newtown with performances and music along the way.   

Cabaret performances will include Monica Trapaga in Monica Goes to Rehab, featuring songs by drug-addicted divas like Amy Winehouse and Billie Holiday. Adelaide Festival award-winner Mrs Bang will sing songs of the gutter, while Sally Hackett presents her intriguingly titled Just Another Cunt with a Guitar.

John Paul Young (yes, really) stars in musical comedy Van Park, while a rent boy attempts to fleece his wealthy client in black comedy Never Mind the Bumwhore. Based on the format of vaudeville variety shows, Vari-a-tease will feature burlesque dancers Miss Cherry Valens, Kitty van Horne and Danica Lee.

And that's only the barest fraction of what's on offer during the irreverent two-week festival. "There's 150 performing arts events, 60 music events and 40 visual events plus one-off things for the parks and King Street," says Stewart. "There is a lot going on."

Stewart may talk of the underground and edgy, but he brings strong professional entertainment credentials to this ambitious event. He founded and for five years ran the New York Music Theatre Festival, where he commissioned, developed and produced 133 new musicals. He is the ‘resident director' on the Australian production of Wicked, running the rehearsals and quality control for the blockbuster musical for its Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane runs.

Stewart says the Sydney Fringe with fill a gap in Sydney's cultural life. "There are so many working artists, musicans and performing arts companies that live in the inner west and the Fringe is grown from the ground up here in Newtown. It's a vibrant part of what makes Sydney unique." Dennis Chaplot

More on Sydney Fringe Festival?Check out Time Out's top picks.

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