The winners for this year’s 2023 Spirit of the Fringe Awards have been announced. Celebrating and acknowledging the most talented and inspiring acts across the whole Festival Fringe, Mervyn Stutter’s Spirit of the Fringe awards – aka The MERVs – are chosen from all genres showcased at the Fringe.
This year’s winners are Horizon Showcase: Birthmarked, Ian Stone Will Make It Better, Death Suits You, N.Ormes, Goodbye Uncle Fudgey, Al Porter: A Work in Progress, A Migrant’s Son, and Yes-Ya-Yebo!
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Mervyn Stutter’s popular Pick of the Fringe, as well his Spirit of the Fringe Awards. The showcase of winners on 26th August will include outstanding new music from the gig theatre show that’s rocked the Fringe, Horizon Showcase: Birthmarked. Performed by Brook Tate and his band of five, this pick of the Fringe depicts the narrative of a young Jehovah’s Witness who comes to terms with his sexuality and finds his feet (and high heels…) on the stage.
New musical writing is celebrated with Death Suits You, the dark comedy that follows Death’s efforts to ensure everyone has the send of they deserve with little to no acknowledgement, showing the lighter side of the inevitable. The multi award-winning, critically acclaimed A Migrant’s Son also presents new music to the tale of one of the most colourful times in Australian history: the arrival of the Greeks. This show pays tribute to a true Greek migrant family and the hard-working, fun-loving father who defied all odds.
Comedy and satire take to the stage with Spirit of the Fringe winners Ian Stone Will Make It Better, which always left the audience feeling so much better, and Goodbye Uncle Fudgey, tragicomedy on the childhood privilege and trauma of Tom Greaves. Comedy also triumphs with Al Porter: A Work in Progress, presenting Porter’s return to Fringe after six years having made a mess of his life and career. Here, Al reimagines the comic and person he can be today, following his dreams once more.
The provocative, dysfunctional and tender winners N.Ormes pushes the limits of gender norms, through jaw-dropping acrobatics. Skilfully combining acrobatics and dance, this show follows two protagonists and their relationship, navigating between complicity and power struggles. Yes-Ya-Yebo! rounds out the list of well-deserved winners in a celebration of the 12 official languages of South Africa, all explored through the medium of song and dance, from traditional folk songs and dances such as The Click Song and Kwela-Kwela to modern songs sprinkled with that township vibe!
