In 2002 the beloved TV series Kath & Kimexploded on our TV screen and instantly stole the hearts of Australians everywhere. The TV series quickly became a staple of Australian life, and the pop culture references, catch phrases and characters have stood the test of time. Fast forward to the 2025 Adelaide Fringe and Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play pays homage to the show we love so dearly.
The show is set in 2021 when Victoria is still stuck in lockdown. We get a bird’s eye view of what unfolds in Kath and Kel’s Fountain Lakes home as the lockdown wreaks havoc on each of their lives. Kath is worried Kel might be an anti-vaxxer, Sharon’s worried that her Irish Dancing championship might be canceled, Kel’s trying to find the perfect COVID commemorative sausage (pork and bat, anyone?) and Kim’s trying to work out how to become a TikTok influencer. What could go wrong?
The cast have captured the spirit of the much loved characters of the original TV series perfectly. The script is the perfect homage to the Kath & Kim we all know and love with plenty of references that have the audience in stitches.
Scott Brennan plays Kel, Brett (and, briefly, Meryl Streep from the Fountain Lake Players). Brennan brings out the awkwardness that each of these characters are known for perfectly, sometimes hanging onto them just that little bit longer to drive home a laugh.
Leasa Mann has perfectly captured everything we adore about Sharon. From speech patterns to physical mannerisms Mann presents a believable performance. You celebrate her highs and you want to embrace her at her lows.
As Kim and Trude (and briefly Robyn Robinson) Thomas Jaspers is brilliant. They bring bitchiness in the bucket loads as Kim and the sassy backhanded nature of Trude in the absolute perfect manner. Jaspers’ ad libbing with the audience is hysterical and they know exactly when to give the audience a side-ways look to drive a joke home.
The sensational Art Simone has captured absolutely everything perfectly as Kath. In fact, at times, you forgot it was Art Simone and you could be forgiven thinking it was Jane Turner herself. Kath’s Dan Andrews/Steven Marshall COVID fever dream nearly stole the show, as did the brilliant “chicken” moment. Everything about Art Simone’s performance was a great lesson in stagecraft.
Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody Play is playing right through to the end of the Adelaide Fringe, but don’t delay — tickets are selling fast. Grab the Tia Maria, put on the footy franks and grab a glass of Cardonnay (the ‘h’ is silent) and head down to the Arts Theatre for a night of nostalgia and side-splitting laughs.