You won’t be hard pressed to find magic, comedy or performances dripping with innuendo at Adelaide Fringe, but The Purple Rabbit delivers all three and more.
“We’re all here to push our boundaries and try something new,” professes Spanish performer Kerol on The Roundhouse stage at the Garden of Unearthly Delights.
Photo: Jacinta Oaten
And that something new comes in the form of sexual psychic-cologist Harper Jones, played by Frankie McNair. Harper plucks an innocent viewer out of the crowd and the mentalist goes to work revealing his innermost secrets.
The most raucous laughs of the night are extracted from audience member Leroy, who is quick with the wit and delivers fast quips for every question he’s asked.
The international cast of “world-class misfits” includes Australia’s Dom Chambers, who might be best known for making beer appear from thin air and for Broadway show The Illusionists. He’s joined on stage by New Zealander Emma Phillips, one of the only Western artists who perform Chinese-style foot juggling.
Kerol wows with beatboxing that inhumanly emanates from his vocal chords, and his juggling skills allude to his time at the Crazy Horse in Paris and Cirque du Soleil.
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Unfortunately, the cheeky innuendo in The Purple Rabbit wears thin quite quickly and we can’t help but be left wanting more of a display of the talents the performers clearly possess.
The show is charming and it’s a pleasant hour, but if you want to see production company Strut & Fret’s finest work, you’d be better off heading to the Spiegeltent for Blanc de Blanc Encore.
The Purple Rabbit is in The Garden of Unearthly Delights until March 20.
Read more 2022 Adelaide Fringe stories and reviews here.