★★★★
Adelaide Fringe. The Lab at Fool's Paradise. 23 Feb 2025
Ryan Simpson, aka Accordion Ryan, is a helluva funny guy! New Jersey born, currently residing in Vienna, Austria, Simpson brings a wealth of street entertainment brilliance to this show-busking, you survive simply by engaging passersby and holding their attention. However, Accordion Ryan is much more than simply a streetwise entertainer! Simpson is a maestro accordionist who leverages his skill on the instrument as a foundation for sharp, witty comedic engagement with his audience.
The show I joined on Sunday evening was underattended, but this did not deter Accordion Ryan from cavorting and leaping around with great abandon to connect with his multigenerational audience to make the show" our show, our space. This is a "get involved, sing along” show and even with a small audience it was impossible not to get caught up in the show! My fifteen-year-old niece loved it and sang along enthusiastically; a smile never left either of our teen or sexagenarian faces!
I won't list the songs here; suffice it to say there's a range of pop classics, iconic Aussie chart toppers, bawdy tunes, and originals, all worthy of getting your pipes warm for!
Is the rejuvenated Fools' Paradise on Victoria Square the best venue for this show? Perhaps not. But there is no choice in this. The Fringe assigns venues, and one can't help but think this guy would kill it in the Garden or Gluttony!
So, as the great Molly Meldrum would say, " Do yourself a favour!" Go! See it!
John Doherty
When: 20 Feb to 2 Mar
Where: The Lab at Fool’s Paradise
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
