REVIEW: Kate Dolan: Trout, Adelaide Fringe 2026 ★★★★★

Oh to be a trout, single minded, wet, and with eyes on the side of your head, unbothered by the insanity and goings on of the dry, crusty, and air-breathing surface, is not something I thought I would be considering at 9:30pm on a Wednesday. Kate Dolan – Trout, has me there, pondering the deep, and more importantly, what it would be like not having to turn my head to cross the street.

In this hour of off-the-wall multidisciplinary comedy, Dolan struts her stuff in an electric show that blends standup comedy with contemporary dance, grunge rap interludes, Robin Williams-esque vocal impressionism, and a sprinkling of well timed sound effects.

Would life be easier if you were just a little bit dumber? Or would it just make everything just a little bit worse? How do you cope, survive, and thrive in a world where The Horrors are at your fingertips, three inches from your eyes right before bed, forever etching themselves into the folds of your brain? Dolan “puts her pussy” into answering these questions in a refreshingly bombastic style, using her quick wit and commanding stage presence (and iconic trout helmet) to dig deep into textures of success, depression, and womanhood.

The show hits the ground running with a trout-about-town video montage, setting the tone for what is to come. After coming on-stage sporting an excellently side-eyed aquatic visage, Dolan quickly becomes human again and gives the trout a framed centre-stage position for the remainder of the show. From here on out, the jokes come thick and fast, covering evolution, hen-dos, and unpleasant uncles at birthday parties. Tangents of tangents are created and resolved while Dolan ponders the concepts of success and happiness, and the horrors of being in the UK.

Having being forced to leave the UK in a contemporary dance break set to the tune of Gordon Ramsay, the middle section gives us discussions of womanhood, the societal expectations that come with it, and another dance break about being “built like a brick shithouse”. Throughout all of this, Dolan shows her mastery of truly hectic audience interaction, built on a foundation of uncomfortable amounts of eye contact, and trying to sleep with both members of a couple at the same time.

The latter part of the show turns to the slightly heavier subjects of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, alcoholism, and suicide, as well as a slightly thick best friend. Dolan expertly navigates the buildup, puzzling over how good the life of the titular trout would be, the boredom of sobriety, and the feeling of having someone to care for. The landing is superb.

Trout’s quick fire, hectic comedy was backed up by a closely cut, well timed audio and visual production design. Jokes were often accentuated by a well-timed sound effect, the transitions to song and dance numbers were built up very well, and hit at just the right time. Dolan’s performance suffered somewhat in what was perhaps a smaller, less packed venue than most, with laugh time not providing enough space for a sip of water to help keep the energy of the show up, however this was skilfully crowd-worked into a non-issue. The show was heavy on the accents and voices, which were well executed and gave an extra depth which may otherwise have been lacking.

From the first fishy beats of the dancing trout to the daily affirmation voicemail, Dolan has prepared a feast for the little piggies at the comedy trough, a well-rounded and spectacular exploration of the mind of someone more than a little unhinged. It bares its freak flag well, and the unashamed energy of Dolan’s performance carries the pace from start to finish in spectacular style. It exudes a confident, stylistic approach to comedy formed from common tropes, skills, and emotional arcs, beaten into something new and untamed.

Fresh, energetic, and engaging, Trout explores some feelings that we all might have had, and many that we haven’t. It digs into modern society, mental health, and fish, all with the clinical precision of a very precise bull in a very imprecise china shop.

Recommended Drink: Two diet cokes, one to offer to Dolan at the appropriate time, and one for yourself, perhaps with a shot of whiskey you smuggled in under your jacket.

You can catch Kate Dolan: Trout at the Chapel at The Courtyard of Curiosities until Sunday 1st of March at 9:20pm. Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe website.