Fuccbois: Live in Concert and How Not to Make It in America have been named joint recipients of the 2026 House of Oz Purse Prize, recognising exceptional Australian work destined for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Now in its third year, the prize has become a significant career accelerator, selecting leading acts from Adelaide Fringe and offering financial support, industry guidance and a platform at the world’s largest performing arts festival.
This year’s decision to honour two productions reflects the remarkable calibre of the shortlist, highlighting the ambition and diversity of contemporary Australian performance.
Fuccbois: Live in Concert is a glitzy, camp and chaotic pop spectacle following the boyband Brendan, Brandon, Tyler and, also, Brendan. With their frosted‑tip era coming to an end, the group reunites for a final performance as personal and professional rivalries threaten to derail the show. Created by ARIA award‑winning writer Bridie Connell, the production delivers a riotous satire of toxic dating culture wrapped in high‑energy musical comedy.
How Not to Make It in America, by Emily Steel, is a deeply human solo work set in 2001. It follows a young Australian actor newly arrived in New York whose dreams are overturned by 9/11, heartbreak and visa troubles. Performed by James Smith, who transforms into 28 characters, the piece is an intimate and expansive reflection on ambition, identity and resilience.
The shortlist also included I Can Have a Dark Side Too, a one-man black comedy examining trauma and memory; Tilly Does A Show, the debut stage production from comedy creator Tilly Oddy‑Black; and Man Sings The Same Song Over And Over Again For An Hour, an unpredictable live art‑comedy experiment by Conk.
The House of Oz Purse Prize offers vital financial backing, touring opportunities and industry connections, removing barriers for Australian artists aiming to take their work to international stages. Both winning productions will appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026, furthering House of Oz’s mission to elevate Australian voices globally.
More information can be found here.
