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This show belongs to the Adelaide Fringe 2026 season. This season is now over.

A green apple with carved, sad facial features sits on a small wooden chair. The apple's eyes and mouth are hollow, creating a melancholic tone.
A man in a flat cap and brown jacket holds up a green apple with a cheerful expression, standing before a microphone. The audience is silhouetted in front.
A man in a dimly lit room smiles warmly while holding a colourful puppet adorned with red feathers and a white plume, creating a whimsical atmosphere.
Adelaide Fringe 2026

An Evening with Dame Granny Smith

Ripe from a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe season, the world's most celebrated apple, Dame Granny Smith, returns for an intimate on-stage interview with ventriloquist David Salter.

From her vaudeville debut at age five to her breakthrough role in Disney’s Snow White, Dame Smith will take you on an incredible journey through her storied life and multi-decade career, all told with her trademark candour and wit.

Warm, funny, uplifting, absurd and "a show you’ll remember for many years to come." Glam Adelaide

Presented by: David Salter & Matthew Liersch

David Salter is an Adelaide-based musician, actor & ventriloquist. His work for children has toured Australian schools, and his solo debut Make Believe: Children's Songs for Grown-Ups, won Best Cabaret at the 2018 Adelaide Theatre Guide Awards. His most recent work 'An Evening with Dame Granny Smith' was awarded the inaugural Adelaide Fringe Overall Best Variety Award in 2025 and the Frank Ford Award in 2024. South Australian-born producer, tour coordinator, and arts administrator, Matthew Liersch brings a flair for queer storytelling and a passion for showcasing local talent. In 2025, Matt was awarded Overall Best Emerging Producer at the Adelaide Fringe and Event of the Year for 'A Friend of Dorothy: Anthems of Pride' at the Pride Adelaide Awards.
Variety • Puppetry
South Australia
 
Previous Award Winner
Reviews
  •          

    For a finely crafted piece of cabaret, An Evening With Dame Granny Smith is an absolute must see this Fringe. - GLAM Adelaide

  •          

    A lovely, lovely show! Sweet but with plenty bite, old but still sassy, hilarity and bittersweet poignancy. - Bruce on the Fringe

  •          

    One of the funniest shows I've seen for years... his ventriloquism is next level. - Alan Davies (Comedian)

  •          

    I never imagined you could get so much joy from a single apple. I was in tears from laughing. - One4Review

  •          

    You know a ventriloquist has honed their craft when the audience starts watching the puppet and not the performer. - Such Cliche

Suitability & warnings

Content rating: PG
Family friendly: No
Target audience: High School (15-17)
Coarse Language: Occasional, Mild
Mental Health

Accessibility

 
High audio content
 
Audience members have the opportunity to interact or join artist on stage

Presenter

Presented by: David Salter & Matthew Liersch

David Salter is an Adelaide-based musician, actor & ventriloquist. His work for children has toured Australian schools, and his solo debut Make Believe: Children's Songs for Grown-Ups, won Best Cabaret at the 2018 Adelaide Theatre Guide Awards. His most recent work 'An Evening with Dame Granny Smith' was awarded the inaugural Adelaide Fringe Overall Best Variety Award in 2025 and the Frank Ford Award in 2024. South Australian-born producer, tour coordinator, and arts administrator, Matthew Liersch brings a flair for queer storytelling and a passion for showcasing local talent. In 2025, Matt was awarded Overall Best Emerging Producer at the Adelaide Fringe and Event of the Year for 'A Friend of Dorothy: Anthems of Pride' at the Pride Adelaide Awards.

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