Donate now    

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

Dorian Lenoir stands in the middle of frame, wearing neutral makeup and a green velvet suit. He is surrounded by several versions of Dorian Courtisan, his stage persona in heavy drag makeup and extravagant costumes. The personas wear different costumes such as sparkly gowns, trench coats, and lingerie. Dorian Lenoir holds a mask of Dorian Courtisan's stage makeup.
Dorian Courtisan wears extravagant drag makeup, and blonde hair. He is seen posing, in several different outfits. He is wearing a sunflower patterned dress, a black mesh bodysuit and a velvet aqua jumpsuit.
Dorian Courtisan wears extravagant drag makeup, and blonde hair. He is lying across a floor, with a seductive glance upwards. He wears black platform heels, fishnets, and a mesh black bodysuit.
Adelaide Fringe 2026

Self-Made Man

The stage persona "Dorian Courtisan" performs exaggerated fantastical versions of Dorian Lenoir's real life stories, told through the storytelling device of variety acts all performed by Dorian.

An intimate cabaret show containing burlesque, stand-up comedy, vocals, drag and sideshow.

Peel back the curtain to reveal the real Dorian, erasing the line between him as a character and a human underneath. Journey through his past to explore his upbringing in rural SA, growing up neurodivergent and transgender. A heartfelt and high-energy spectacle of discovering your identity, and re-building yourself after trauma and complex mental health struggles.

Dorian is an award winning performer (Apprentease SA Burlesque Award 2023) and multi nominated (Young Achiever Awards 2025, SA Pride Awards 2025).

Open Captioning and physical / sensory tools are available at all show sessions. Relaxed Performance and Tactile Tour on March 12th only, with reduced lighting and audio levels.

Presented by: Dorian Courtisan

Once described as “gender in a blender”, Dorian Courtisan is an established performer on the Adelaide cabaret scene. They've been spreading their legs and their own weird style around Australia for the past three years. Blending the worlds of drag, burlesque and sometimes a dash of sideshow (if you're lucky). They're also the winner of The Apprentease burlesque competition, for South Australia in 2023. He's known for being obnoxiously queer, scandalously silly and wearing enough sparkles to be classified as a traffic hazard. At Adelaide Fringe 2026 Dorian will debut his first ever solo show, "Self-Made Man". Exploring his rural upbringing, themes of queer awakenings and self-identity. A joyful and heartfelt explosion of emotion and spectacle, not to be missed.
Cabaret • Neurodiversity Led
South Australia • World Premiere
 
d/Deaf and/or Lived Experience of Disability Shows
 
Fringe Fund Recipient
Reviews
  •   9
  •   5
  •   10
  •   2
  •          

    A triumph of queer artistry, and what Adelaide Fringe is all about. Fun, vulnerable and deeply human. - Such Cliche Theatre

See more on the Fringe Feed

Suitability & warnings

Content rating: R18+
Nudity Level: Occasional, Strong
Mental Health
Sexual References: Occasional, Strong
Coarse Language: Frequent, Strong

Please note

Sideshow content, themes of mental health / illness, and trauma recovery.

Accessibility

 
High audio content
 
High visual content
 
Audience members interact from the seated or standing area

Presenter

Presented by: Dorian Courtisan

Once described as “gender in a blender”, Dorian Courtisan is an established performer on the Adelaide cabaret scene. They've been spreading their legs and their own weird style around Australia for the past three years. Blending the worlds of drag, burlesque and sometimes a dash of sideshow (if you're lucky). They're also the winner of The Apprentease burlesque competition, for South Australia in 2023. He's known for being obnoxiously queer, scandalously silly and wearing enough sparkles to be classified as a traffic hazard. At Adelaide Fringe 2026 Dorian will debut his first ever solo show, "Self-Made Man". Exploring his rural upbringing, themes of queer awakenings and self-identity. A joyful and heartfelt explosion of emotion and spectacle, not to be missed.