Type: Clown, slapstick, character comedy, sketches, audience interaction
If You Liked: Miranda Singhs or Mr Bean
Sarah Francis brings laughs and spiritual connection in her show ‘Psycho or Psychic’, supported by The Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport WA and Regional Arts WA. The clown comedian brings to life several characters over a jam packed hour of physical comedy, amusing facial expressions and a killer song selection. The most impressive part of her piece, however, is the audience interaction element and her clever use of props and costumes to transform herself and audience goers into figments of her character’s imagination. Much like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter her quote “You’re just as sane as I am” rings true in Francis’ work. Audiences leave recounting what they witnessed, what was imagination, and what was real as Francis walks the line between.
Though Francis got some solid laughs, especially with her character Luna’s ill fated romance with Harry cued to iconic hits of the 90’s and early 2000’s, her show at times felt disjointed though given the mysterious subject matter and unreliable narrator this was potentially intentional.
A highlight was Francis’s crowd work which often involved audience members stepping into characters, embodying her the figments of her imagination, or occasionally using props and making up their own scripts in response to her. Though a work in progress, Francis was invigorated by audiences’ reactions and mindful of when she may have strayed too far. She also highlighted the costs of what is takes emotionally and financially to bring a show to Adelaide Fringe Festival, giving audience members an understanding of just how much work goes on behind the scenes and to fill the seats.
Francis encourages a call to action for all people to consider supporting smaller artists and businesses to give them the opportunity to perform and grow. This was a wonderful opportunity at the Ayres House for an emerging artist to hone her craft, lending itself to the performance sometimes by providing a spooky Edwardian feel as Francis posed in front of its windows for dramatic effect.
Audiences left smiling recalling Francis’ zany madcap physicality and intentional wardrobe malfunctions. The soundtrack to Luna’s mental breakdown is sure to leave audiences wanting more as audience members sang or danced along. The comedy pivots into tragedy grounding the performance but giving the audience tonal whiplash as Francis leaps from persona to persona. This leaves you to question if Luna was really physic or just plain psycho.
See our other reviews from the Adelaide Fringe Festival in the link below
Tickets and Practical Info for Sarah Francis: Psycho or Psychic at Adelaide Fringe 🎟️
The Ballroom at Ayer’s House Events
Tickets: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/psycho-or-psychic-af2026
Fri, 06 Mar – Sun, 22 Mar
60 min
4 venues
MA15+ (3 Warnings)
$30 to $39
