Tuxedo Cat

A passionate and legendary Adelaide Fringe venue always with the artists and the true Fringe culture at heart. With volunteers helping run the venues and a super hard-​working owner, Tuxedo Cat always have a jam-​packed program filled with an array of independent artists presenting shows which are at their core– shows that every artist lives and breaths and are so proud of.
Audiences are always full of arts-​lovers and artists seeing each other’s shows. I love this venue and the way they creatively use the space, and it often makes me sad that it has become a hidden gem. I hope Adelaide audiences continue to support Tuxedo Cat as it is a true Adelaide Fringe venue!
*I only take off a star for the lack of air-​conditioning. As much as I love the idea of having a sauna Fringe experience and losing kgs, it sometimes detracts from the immersion in the shows*

I love that Tuxy Cat changes venue each year & helps bring old, abandoned spaces to life. I had never been to Raj House (the 2014 venue) before but they seem to have done a good job of bringing it to life again.
It has a darker, more ‘pub vibe’ than previous Tuxedo Cat venues — perhaps because there is just bar & no food this year. A word of warning — if your Fringe Show is in one of the venues that is across the way, you can’t take your drinks in. There was a bit of sculling done within our group to get them down in time for the Show.
Ushers will give you a 5 minute warning before your show is ready for you to move in & find a seat. I found the yelling of these warnings over the buzz of the crowd a bit loud & shouty but I guess it’s necessary to get the message across.
Have a hit on the table tennis table before your Show & there is also a piano there that appeared available for anyone to have a go on. When I see instruments laying around, I always wish I could play & do an impromptu performance!
Also check out the little kitchen room next to the bar — so cute and probably a bit quieter if you want to sit & have a chat.
If there was food available, I would probably recommend it as a place to hang out even if you’re not seeing a show, but it is definitely a welcoming spot for a pre show drink & hang.

Tuxy Cat has been providing a platform for the «something different» shows in Adelaide for a couple of years now, both during and outside the Fringe.
Revered for their use of spaces in Adelaide that would otherwise remain empty, I really liked the layout of this year’s Tuxedo Cat in Raj House. With a welcome and organised ticket booth, white board of upcoming shows, simple bar and fun area to play ping pong it is easy to navigate and a great indoor venue for those rainy Fringe days.
Unfortunately the day I attended my shows here it was incredibly hot and so were the venues I saw my shows in. One show had no fans on and the other had a couple on in the front making it quite uncomfortable to sit for 1 hour and see a show. I know there’s not much you can do but it is worth being aware that if you get heat affected you might want to strategically pick your night for shows.
It’d be great to also see some food options next year at Tuxy Cat. I loved Pigeon Island and their little caravan in previous years on North Tce and it’d be great to take time to sit in the venue and make a night out of the experience.
All in all though if you want to take yourself out of your comfort zone Tuxy Cat is a great starting point for a diverse mix of acts and underground Fringe culture.

Tuxedo Cat is now at 54 Hyde Street in Raj House!
It’s an awesome venue with a funky and retro vibe and a lack of pretentiousness. Plus the Ping pong table is a huge hit.
Tux always has a range of interesting shows that cover the art forms and the bar has great specials.
It really is somewhere you need to check out during fringe because you’re seriously missing out!