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South African Acts At Fringe World Perth 2025

South African Acts At Fringe World Perth 2025 - Reeva Cutting

Looking for South African acts at Fringe World Perth 2025? I’ve got you covered!

Here’s my roundup of all the South African acts performing this year at Fringe World Perth – on between 17 January and 16 February 2025.

South African Acts At Fringe World Perth 2025

Soweto Gospel Choir – Hope

About The Show

3x Grammy®-winning Soweto Gospel Choir celebrates songs & anthems from South Africa’s Freedom & the American Civil Rights Movements. South African protest songs with works by legendary artists James Brown, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder & Aretha Franklin. Celebrating the unique & inspirational power of African Gospel music, the Choir draws on the best talent from churches around Soweto, sharing the joy of faith through music, the choir has earned critical acclaim & audience adoration for their powerful renditions of African American spirituals, gospel and folk music. Hope is a concert that will sing forever in your hearts!

About The Act

The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in Soweto, South Africa, by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, and producers Andrew Kay, David Vigo and Cliff Hocking in 2002. The choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African gospel music. The choir draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto, South Africa’s famous township, mixing earthy rhythms with rich harmonies to uplift the soul and express the energy of their homeland. By blending elements of African gospel, traditional spirituals, and American popular music, the choir shares the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world.

Soweto Gospel Choir – History of House

About The Show

Award-winning music sensation History of House returns by popular demand. A collaboration between Australia’s original superstar DJ Groove Terminator and the world’s greatest gospel choir, Soweto Gospel Choir, its Perth premiere packed out dancefloors. In 2025 the show celebrates their debut ARIA-nominated album, a global reimagination of dance music through the decades.    

I saw this show at the 2024 Fringe World Perth and it was SPECTACULAR – highly recommend this if you love old school house music and want to relive your youth!

Conrad Koch – Despicable Hehe

About The Show

Deadly funny and monstrous laughs, this roller coaster ride of puppets and comedy will have you LOLing in the aisles. Conrad Koch, South Africa’s double International EMMY nominated comedy ventriloquist, brings his latest hour of hilarity. Including celebrity South African TV puppet, Chester Missing, Mr Dixon, high school teacher, Hilton, party ostrich; Gunter, the German mosquito & the world’s most dangerous dummy; Vladimir Putin, Vampire; and DJ Hoodie, the musical maniac. They will even turn your friend into a talking chicken live on stage. With over 130 million views on TikTok alone, this is not to be missed. 

I saw Conrad perform a few years ago at Fringe and he was fantastic – super funny and the puppets are amazing to see up close in real life. As one of the most well-known comedians from South Africa, this is an act to add to your must-see Fringe list!

About The Act

Conrad Koch is a double International EMMY nominated South African comedy ventriloquist. His most famous character, Chester Missing, is a celebrity in South Africa in his own right. Chester made world news as the first puppet in history to win a court case, no really, and is well known in South Africa for roasting politicians to their faces on TV. Conrad has appeared on the likes of Comedy Central, Comedy Network and at Just For Laughs Montreal. His accessible puppets-for-big-people style and hilarious take on the world have garnered him 5 star reviews globally.

Devin Gray – How To Get Away With Marriage

About The Show

South African born international comedian Devin Gray (Comedy Central) brings his debut solo stand-up show to Australia!

How To Get Away With Marriage” is a plot for laughter, cryptic culture clashes, and a daring dash of… suspicion? Devin’s razor-sharp wit pierces cultural barriers in this suspiciously funny cloak-and-dagger comedy show. Expect dual (or duel) citizenship jokes that transcend international borders.

Arm yourself for a humourcidal experience as Devin attempts to navigate his marriage to his German partner in crime. Don’t understand German? Don’t worry – neither does he! Secure your alibi and grab your ticket for “How To Get Away With Marriage”: a fresh, relatable and strangely thrilling take on modern matrimony.

About The Act

Devin Gray is an international headlining comedian straight out of South Africa. Having served laughs from the southern tip of Africa to the heart of Europe, Asia and everywhere in between, his comedy journey spans diverse cultures and audiences. 

Devin’s style of observational humour with a touch of silly makes him a relatable talent that takes you on a self-reflective journey leaving everyone thinking “I’ve been there!”. 

It’s Devin’s first time in Perth so let’s give him a warm Saffa welcome! He’s performing in Kalamunda and the city so get your tickets now – South Africans in the east and hills, I’m looking at you!

Chris Pucillo – A South African Son

About The Show

In this sharp, laugh-out-loud stand-up show, Chris Pucillo dives into the bizarre and chaotic experience of growing up in 90’s South Africa. He unpacks the strange intersections of history, trauma, and family. Blending absurdity with poignant reflections, this show hilariously explores how surviving an upbringing during the birth of a nation shapes a new generation of parenting—and why some scars just have to be laughed off.

About The Act

I couldn’t find much about Chris online, just that he’s South African-born but now lives in Perth. You can check out his Facebook page here to see some clips from his shows and give him a like.

Stuart Lightbody – Mysterious Moments

About The Show

International master magician Stuart Lightbody enacts a multitude of magical moments that merge into a momentous marvel of mystery. Enter a waking dream where impossible illusions unfold, thoughts are plucked from spectators’ minds, and the audience is immersed in strange and delightful wonders.

About The Act

Stuart Lightbody has spent over 27 years studying and sharing the art of magic.
Stuart tours his theatre shows across 3 continents. As a South African Magic Champion, Stuart has represented his country at the World Magic Championships in Sweden and at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas.

He has also won numerous local and international awards, including two “Silver Ovation Awards” and a “Spirit of the Fringe Award” at the South African National Arts Festival, the overall “Best Magic Award” at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the “Creative Award” at the Prague Fringe Festival and the “Theatre Award” at the FRINGE WORLD Festival.

He spends his life pondering, practicing and performing moments that are beautifully impossible.

I saw Stuart perform one of his first runs at Fringe Perth years ago and it was an amazing show full of oohs and aahs at his sleight of hand tricks. If you love a bit of magic and being left wondering how he did things, this is the show for you.

Stuart Lightbody – The Man With The Golden Hands

About The Show

Winner of Best Magic Award at Adelaide Fringe (2024) and a Weekly Theatre Award at FRINGE WORLD (2023). Stuart Lightbody tells the fascinating true story of John Mullholland: a magician recruited into the CIA in 1953. An enchanting mix of magic and storytelling filled with impossible demonstrations of sleight of hand and mentalism. But as Stuart leads the audience through this dangerous game of cat and mouse, you might find yourself asking… who is trying to catch who?

The Outsiders – Our Stories, Our Motherland

About The Show

Step into a realm where storytelling comes alive, blending cultures and identities in unity. This captivating show celebrates African women, honouring their stories and heritage through a vibrant tapestry of poetry.

Experience the magic of words as we weave together journals, poems, songs, and spoken word, embracing creative freedom and expression. This event aims to educate and connect communities, providing poets a platform to share their emotions in a safe space.

As we explore themes of identity and resilience, audiences will reflect on their own journeys and the rich cultures around them. Join us for a night of poetic magic that will move your soul and celebrate the beauty of identity. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration at FRINGE WORLD 2025—where storytelling unites us all!

About The Act

The Outsiders are a dynamic fusion of art and performance, created by African Diaspora creatives Mohammed ‘Ayo Busari, Lisa Watson, and Kuda Ndlovu. This collective champions underrepresented Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) voices, providing a platform to share unique stories and identities.

Rooted in the ethos of The TOOL Event and Our Collective Dream (OCD), The Outsiders empower youth through authentic storytelling. Since 2017, The TOOL Event has united creative minds in an inclusive environment, while OCD promotes a thriving multicultural community.

Together, they celebrate the diversity that enriches them and the connections that unites them all exploring themes of identity, migration and cultural resilience through storytelling and performances on stage.

Jens Radda – Skank Sinatra

About The Show

Winner of Best Cabaret in Adelaide and fresh from a sell-out season in Edinburgh, the ultra-glamorous Jens Radda brings the powerhouse show that is Skank Sinatra to His Maj for the first time.

The elegant, hilarious, and fiercely clever show takes audiences on a whirlwind journey from South Africa to Berlin to Australia reinventing Sinatra’s classics with electrifying modern twists.

Following an international tour with rave reviews, this WAAPA Music Theatre graduate returns to Perth with a much-anticipated season that’ll dazzle audiences with soaring vocals, razor-sharp humour, and explosive charisma. 

About The Act

Jens Radda is a singer, actor, drag artist, and cabaret performer. Originally from South Africa, Jens grew up in a trilingual household speaking Danish and Afrikaans before moving to Australia in 2007. He made his TV debut in ABC TV’s “All My Friends Are Racist” and later played Memphis in “Single, Out” (Seasons 2 and 3). His cabaret credits include collaborations with Finucane & Smith and Dolly Diamond and performing in “She Slayed: The Drag Murder Mystery.” Jens regularly hosts shows at Melbourne’s Speakeasy Theatre. His ongoing productions include “Madame Martha’s Hush Cabaret” and “Skank Sinatra,” which won Best Cabaret at the Adelaide Fringe Weekly Awards. A WAAPA graduate, he furthered his studies with Philippe Gaulier in Paris and the Complete Vocal Institute in Copenhagen.

And there’s my roundup of the South African acts at Fringe World Perth this year! I hope you’ve found something new and exciting to check out this year at the festival – get your tickets online here now!

About Author

Helping you move to, settle in, and explore your new home in Australia. Avid reader, beach lover, and horse addict. As someone who has emigrated, not once, not twice, but three times, I know exactly what you’re going through. The ups and downs of emigration are faster than a rollercoaster and I’ve been there – three times!

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