At a festival where glitter, punchlines and late-night chaos often reign supreme, Wish You Were Mine arrived like a perfectly tuned guitar in a noisy room.

This new offering from the creators of RocKwiz exchanges trivia for storytelling and musical affinity. Think RocKwiz, minus the quiz, and a spotlight shining towards the heart.

Hosted by the incomparable Brian Nankervis, the evening unfolded like a masterclass in conversation. It’s not your typical Adelaide Fringe show, but one, as Nankervis stated somewhat tongue in cheek, for the “erudite and cultured”.

On Tuesday night, Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah, Bob Evans) and eleven-time Golden Guitar winner, Beccy Cole, joined Nankervis on stage to discuss the songs they wish were theirs. Songs they wanted to have written. Songs that had a lasting effect on them.

Mitchell was first cab off the rank, easing into the evening with reflections on his songwriting beginnings before turning his attention to Wilco’s You and I and Ron Sexsmith’s Imaginary Friends. His observations were thoughtful and candid, unpacking what makes a song endure and what makes a songwriter quietly envious. Supported by the celebrated RocKwiz Orkestra — comprising Peter “Lucky” Luscombe, Bill McDonald, and Bruce Haymes — the conversation flourished into a performance. Each song was delivered live with warmth, shifting his appreciation of them into something tangible.

Cole followed a similar path, though unmistakably in her own key. Reflecting on songwriting and performance, she joked, “As a Country singer, you hope for devastation.” Her connection to John Prine’s Angel from Montgomery and Emmylou Harris’s Two More Bottles of Wine offered a greater understanding into her roots. As with Mitchell, the storytelling flowed effortlessly into song, and her performances with the Orkestra were as compelling as the memories that shaped them.

Like RocKwiz, the show builds toward a final duet. It is the one song both artists agree they wish they’d written. Tuesday’s one-night-only collaboration saw Greenville by Lucinda Williams reimagined to live in Fringe folklore.

Nankervis was more than the thread that kept the show together. He was a storyteller. More importantly, a listener. He allowed his guests space to roam and reflect, to surprise themselves and the audience. This generated a warmness in the Spiegeltent, akin to a friends around a campfire sharing memories and melodies.

Wish You Were Mine was a wonderful change of pace for the Fringe. It resisted the exaggeration of the season, offered connection, and the quiet thrill of watching musicians revealing the music that made them.