Joanne Hartstone Marks 20 Years At Adelaide Fringe With Curated 2026 Program

Adelaide Fringe artist and producer Joanne Hartstone is celebrating her 20th year at the festival with a newly announced 2026 program. Curated by Joanne Hartstone Presents, the lineup includes eight international and Australian productions spanning theatre, spoken word, immersive performance, and family entertainment across four Adelaide venues.

One of South Australia’s most established figures in independent theatre, Joanne Hartstone is marking 20 years as an artist and producer at the Adelaide Fringe with the release of her 2026 program. Presented by Joanne Hartstone Presents, the season brings together eight productions across four venues, reflecting Hartstone’s long-standing role in championing international and independent work within the festival.

Over the past two decades, Hartstone has curated multi-award-winning Fringe seasons and presented touring artists from around the world, helping shape Adelaide Fringe’s contemporary theatre offering. Her 2026 program features theatre, immersive performance, spoken word, and work for children and families.

Among the highlights is the return of Wright & Grainger’s ORPHEUS, which will be presented alongside its companion piece EURYDICE at the Mortlock Library within the Courtyard of Curiosities hub. The company will also premiere SELENE, a new spoken word work performed in the Yurt at the same venue, described as a myth-inspired exploration of the moon’s darker aspects.

Also at the Courtyard of Curiosities, award-winning writer and designer Casey Jay Andrews returns with The Wild Unfeeling World, a reimagining of Moby Dick previously seen in Adelaide in 2020. Andrews will also debut Feast of Words, created especially for Adelaide Fringe in collaboration with composer Jack Brett. Presented in the Treasury 1860 courtyard, the work combines storytelling and music with a three-course tasting menu prepared by the venue’s head chef.

At Holden Street Theatres, audiences will see the Australian premiere of The Soaking of Vera Shrimp by Patch of Blue, a solo work exploring love and grief. The venue will also host Cyclops: A Satyr Play, a Canadian production co-presented with Panic Theatre and Talk Is Free Theatre. Performed in Judy’s Room for audiences of up to 30, the interactive work blends queer performance, pop aesthetics, and contemporary storytelling.

Rounding out the program, the award-winning family musical Meg in the Magic Toyshop returns to Gluttony, offering a vintage-styled production aimed at young audiences and their families.