At the ever-lively fringe hub that is The Austral Hotel, Matt Hawke’s Beautiful Lies slips into the Adelaide Fringe program with the kind of mischievous charm that suits the venue perfectly. This one-man comedy cabaret is equal parts confession booth, stand-up set and mini musical – a witty, song-driven exploration of the small mistruths that shape our lives.

Hawke takes the stage armed with a piano, a guitar, a sharp sense of humour, a storyteller’s instinct for timing AND a f*ck load of cool swaggering charisma. The premise is simple but clever: unpack the lies we tell others, the lies we inherit from childhood and the lies we quietly tell ourselves. From harmless white lies to the deeper emotional ones that linger longer than we care to admit, the show swings between playful comedy and moments of surprising reflection.

Musically, Beautiful Lies moves at a breezy pace. Lyrically, Matt is up their with Michin, a wordsmith with the finest of abilities, his observations and noted thoughts are impeccable. Hawke delivers a string of original songs that are catchy, cheeky and built for cabaret intimacy – the kind of tunes that feel like they were written to be shared in a packed room with a drink in hand. As just touched on, his lyrics lean into observational humour, and it’s also the storytelling between the songs that gives the show its heartbeat. Hawke has a relaxed presence on stage, drawing the crowd in with self-deprecating wit and a conversational style that makes the whole performance feel personal. If this artist’s name is not brightly lit up in the next few years at the front of venues, I’ll be coming for you.

What works particularly well is the balance between comedy and honesty. Hawke doesn’t just chase the awaited punchlines; he builds little emotional detours along the way, reflecting on family myths, cultural expectations and the strange comfort we sometimes find in our own delusions. It’s thoughtful without becoming heavy, and playful without losing its point.

The intimate setting of The Austral Hotel adds to the charm with it’s blackened room. Fringe audiences thrive on closeness to the performer and Hawke uses that energy well, creating a show that feels spontaneous and alive in the moment.

Beautiful Lies is a smart, entertaining cabaret debut from Matt Hawke – a show that laughs at life’s everyday deceptions while quietly reminding us why we tell them in the first place. At the Adelaide Fringe, where bold ideas and personal storytelling collide, this witty musical confession feels right at home. A total star in the making, mark(us) my words!