Paul McDermott is back at the Rhino Room for the 2025 Adelaide Fringe Festival. He’s brought a different show with him this time though. There’s no Cocaine-Bear accompanying him on guitar this year, and we’re denied the splendor of his magnificent and age-defying voice, but the show is brilliant none the less.

Yes, it’s brilliant, but it’s also somewhat unhinged, in the best possible way. McDermott’s show this time round is a presentation of his talented visual art, accompanied by his hectic and seemingly insane poetry. 

Strap in, this is unlike any poetry reading you’ve been exposed to before. 

The Rhino Room stage can’t contain his antics, and the front rows are filled with only the bravest of McDermott fans. As is one of his trademarks, the audience are chastised and taunted, and one can’t help thinking that there’s something not right in this man’s head. McDermott addresses this directly too, with tales of his undiagnosed mental status during childhood, and adulthood. 

McDermott thinks his “best years are behind him”, but you’d be hard put to find anyone in tonight’s audience who agrees with him. His humour is still sharp, he’s still incredibly quick, and he still doesn’t give a crap whether you’re in on the joke, understand the joke, or even if you find it funny or not. 

Venues must find it hard putting acts on the stage after him though. He still can’t stick to the script, or the clock, and much of what he intends to share with his audience goes out the window in favour of hilarious rants and anecdotes. No-one cares though. It’s still 60 minutes of very well-crafted comedy, sung with lunacy, and topped with menace.

McDermott is an intellectual comedic genius. No hyperbole. His poem about the evil reality of cats is testament to this. Even the feline-fanciers behind us couldn’t help laughing at McDermott’s wild and sublime attack on one of the world’s most loved domestic companions.

His show closes tonight (Saturday 1 March, 2025), so jump on FringeTIX now to see if you can secure a ticket to his final Adelaide gig for 2025. But, be prepared to be affronted by his humour, be prepared to bust a gut laughing, and don’t blame me if you find yourself in his cross-hairs.