Three people standing on the stage, each with lamp shade over their head

A collage of three other images. The left image shows Grace, a thin, white person with short brown hair sitting on a fabric chair onstage during a performance. To the right of the chair is a wooden side-table with an old-style rotary phone on it, a microphone stand and microphone on it, and a floor lamp with a fabric lampshade glowing a warm yellow and purple. Grace looks off to the left while holding another microphone in their right hand. They gesture to the audience with their left hand. A saturated pink light illuminates everything onstage.
In the middle image, Grace is playing the piano. They are wearing a white t-shirt and black overalls. Their eyes are closed and their hair is flowing as they are mid-performing. They are lit with a peach coloured light.
In the right image, Grace is mid-performing on-stage, holding a microphone in their right hand. They are lit with natural light and the lamp, microphone and stand, and side-table with the rotary phone on it are all to their right, on the stage. With their left arm, they hold it out to their side with their hand open as if they are holding something.

To the left of the image, in a mid-shot is Grace, a white person with shoulder length brown hair, a fringe, and a horseshoe septum piercing. They are looking off into the distance, holding their face with one hand on their chin and the other on the side of their head. They are mostly in shadow, except for red and blue light which illuminates their face and part of their arms.
To the right of the image is a fabric chair facing the left, with a ukulele sitting upright in it, and an old-style rotary phone on a side-table to the left of the chair. Everything is covered in soft pink, orange, and blue, almost purple light. The background is complete darkness.

Adelaide Fringe 2024

Smiling Through the Human

What do we really need in this fine dystopian hellscape of ours? Authenticity? Human connection?

Don't be silly! We need quirky existential cabaret!

Why do I always cry on my birthday? Why does it feel like I'm living the same day over and over? How many times am I going to be recommended to 'get a planner before' I become viOLeNt?

Delve headfirst into the chaotic, weird, and (un)wonderful experience of existing deep inside your head through this fun, and sometimes confronting award-winning show about mental-illness and neurodivergence.

Frank Ford Award Winner 2023 Adelaide Cabaret Fringe

“I laughed, I cheered, I cried.” ★★★★ Upside Adelaide

"...bold, vulnerable and quirky..." ★★★★ Your Local Hok

Written, produced, performed by Grace Colsey

Directed, produced by Jaziel Siegertsz

Presented by: Grace Colsey & Jaziel Siegertsz

Grace Colsey (they/them) is a proudly queer and neurodivergent Adelaide based cabaret artist, singer-songwriter, and professional instrument of chaos - although they've yet to find any job listings for this particular vocation. They are AuDHD and take a particular interest in art covering neurodivergent themes and issues. Jaziel Siegertsz (he/him) is also queer, from Adelaide and has ADHD. His main creative arts focuses are writing, directing, performing, and tech. He is also the founder of local theatre company, Quasar Arts. Jazz enjoys making queer art about mental illness, and societies. Grace played Dr Drew Kepler in Jaziel’s original play, ‘Escaping The Burning Sun’ in the 2022 Adelaide Fringe. Since then, Grace and Jaziel have been working together on ‘Smiling Through the Human’.

Suitability & warnings

Content rating: M

Family friendly: No

Coarse Language: Frequent, Mild

Mental Health

Suicide/Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Strobe Lighting

Please note

Depiction of panic, references to suicidal ideation.

Accessibility

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

Presenter

Presented by: Grace Colsey & Jaziel Siegertsz

Social media

Smiling Through the Human

Reviews