This show belongs to the Adelaide Fringe 2021 season. This season is now over.

A photo of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes holding a microphone. She is wearing a black hat, black suit jacket and white gloves.

The Reichstag Is Burning

Cabaret • Theatre
South Australia • World Premiere

A national emergency is declared. Civil liberties are restricted. Theatres and nightclubs -- intellectual, artistic havens - are closing. A chanteuse takes to a smoky stage in musical defiance. A postmodern cabaret for a world on fire, inspired by the Weimar Kabarett tradition.


Written & Performed by Joanne Hartstone - WINNER Frank Ford Award, Made In Adelaide Award

Designed & Directed by Tom Kitney

Musical Direction by Emma Knights

Voice Over & Translation by Michael Morley

Associate Design by George Cort


"One of the most lauded and awarded Fringe performers Adelaide has produced." (The Barefoot Review)

"Joanne Hartstone is an all-round entertainer, oozing comedic, dramatic and musical talent... A true Super Star is Born." (Edinburgh Guide)

"One of Adelaide's most prodigious stage talents." (The Advertiser)

Presented by: Hartstone-Kitney Productions

HARTSTONE-KITNEY PRODUCTIONS is the collaborative work of prolific international theatre-practitioners: Joanne Hartstone and Tom Kitney.

"One of the major figures of the Fringe world both as an entrepreneur curating [their] own mini Fringe in the city and Botanic Gardens, producing shows as well as creating outstanding solo pieces” (Samela Harris-The Barefoot Review)

“Prolific and adventurous… Hartstone-Kitney Productions is a South Australia based theatrical [company] producing livewire theatre... a multi-award winning company, specializing in theatre, and immersive events. Utilizing their international connections, they present high quality productions in Arts Festivals and markets around the globe... and are a significant producing entity at the Adelaide Fringe.” (Global Media Post)

Mild Occasional Coarse Language, Mild Occasional Depicts Violence, Mild Occasional Nudity Level, Mild Frequent Sexual References, Loud noises, Smoke Effects, Strobe Lighting

Reviews & Fringe Feed Reacts

  • Standing ovation 1
  • Bang for your buck 3
  •          

    The Reichstag is Burning is stunning - it elevates Fringe Festival artistry to heights that are infrequently seen... an indisputable triumph - Kym Clayton, The Barefoot Review

  •          

    Joanne Hartstone and Tom Kitney have devised a beautifully crafted cabaret meditation on this dark time in modern history. - Peter Burdon, The Advertiser

  •          

    A timely and thought-provoking night at the theatre – don’t miss it. - Jenny Fewster, Stage Whispers

  •          

    In the best theatrical tradition, this show gives us plenty to enjoy, and plenty to think about! - Adrian Miller, The Clothesline

  • Cabaret-inspired inspired cabaret... Let's hear it for Hartstone and Kitney, pulling magical things out of a black box. - Ewart Shaw, Broadway World

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