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This show belongs to the Adelaide Fringe 2023 season. This season is now over.

A white woman in business attire stands behind a White House Press podium. She looks firece and intimidating. In front of her, the raised hands of unseen press corps members can be seen.
A smiling white woman with straight dark hair stands behind a red press podium. She's wearing business attire.
An angry, yelling white woman with straight dark hair stands behind a red press podium. She's wearing business attire.

Melissa McGlensey's The Briefing

Comedy • Satire
Victoria • SA Premiere

Be part of the press pack at The Briefing: a send-up of right-wing politics that takes aim at the US, only to catch Australia in its crosshairs. 

Behind the podium, American writer/comedian Melissa McGlensey (The Onion, Reductress, The Big HooHaa) transforms into right-wing blowhard Sarah Huckabee Sanders, taking you on a journey of absurd political theatre, partisan nonsense and dark humour, before giving you the right of reply in an improvised Q&A. You've never seen a presser like this! Don't forget to bring your questions.

Directed by Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall (Magma, Teleport), a standup/sketch performer who writes for Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell.

Additional game design by Douglas Wilson (RMIT University, Die Gute Fabrik

★★★★ “Incredibly funny. ” Arts Hub

“If you’re interested in US politics and looking for a laugh, this should be in your calendar. ” Beat

Audience members are encouraged to heckle, challenge and question the comedian during parts of the show including the designated Q&A section, but are not forced to interact if they don't want to. 

Presented by: Melissa McGlensey

Melissa McGlensey is a writer, comedian, and filmmaker originally from California. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Melissa has been a contributor to Reductress.com since 2016 and is a Features Contributor at The Onion. Her writing can also be seen in The Hard Times, The Betoota Advocate, The Huffington Post, The Mighty, Today.com and more.

Melissa has studied and performed improv, stand up and sketch comedy all over the world. She is currently a company member of Soothplayers: Completely Improvised Shakespeare, The Big HooHaa and the director of Completely Improvised Potter and the Producer/Director of Completely Improvised Survivor. Her debut solo show is The Briefing.

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