• Zimboys are at the Fremantle Street Arts Festival.

THE streets of Freo will be full of chaos and entertainment when the Fremantle International Street Arts Festival is held over the long Easter weekend. 

After a three year covid hiatus, the Festival is back with dozens of acts from around the world including those from Japan, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Northern Ireland, Ethiopia, Germany and the Philippines. 

Making their highly anticipated Festival debut are Zimboyz, a trio renowned for their breathtaking acrobatics. 

Originally from Zimbabwe in Ethiopia, the troupe now call Australia home and are a favourite in South Australia where they have played the Royal Adelaide show for the past eight years, delighting audiences with death-defying stunts using fire hoops and Chinese poles. They have toured Europe, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, and know how to put on a show. 

Other highlights include the US act Her Majesty’s Secret Circus, a quirky mix of juggling and international espionage. 

There’s lots of laughs, spy film references and audience interaction in this fun, energetic show. 

You can’t go past a good old mime act and Japanese artist Ketch drags the art form into the 21st century with physical comedy and banging music. 

It’s the world premiere of his solo show at Fremantle after two decades performing with the acclaimed comedy duo Gamarjobat. 

The French know how to mix surreal comedy with fashion and style, so Coiffures Barroques is sure to be a festival favourite. 

Watch in awe as Christophe Pavia uses ribbons, flowers, birds and butterflies to transform an audience member’s hair into a living piece of art in under seven minutes. 

It’s not all international acts and Australia is well represented with a number of top performers including Bogomila and Son Pty Ltd, who provide comic fortune telling services, personal beauty care and ‘value added’ magical charms. There’s plenty of hilarity as they bestow their psychic wisdom on an unsuspecting public. 

Stretching back to the days of Monty Python, the Brits are masters of the absurd, so it’s no surprise Paul Currie’s bread-filled show with mime puppets is completely bonkers. Get ready for mass anarchy and lots of fun on the streets of Freo. 

First held in 1999 as a celebration of Freo’s local busking scene, the last Fremantle International Street Arts Festival in 2019 attracted about 150,000 people. 

At this year’s festival the iconic Cappuccino strip will be closed off to vehicles, allowing venues to extend their alfresco dining onto the street. 

Night shows will complement the daily program which will be held on stages around the city including at Walyalup Koort, Esplanade Park and Fishing Boat Harbour. 

The Fremantle International Street Arts Festival is held from April 7-10. For the full program see streetartsfestival.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK