Casey Filips: Virtuoso - Fringe World 2026

Reviewed by Jordan D'Arcy

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Casey Filips: Virtuoso is an hour of somehow exactly what you expect when you walk into a FringeWORLD improv sketch comedy, and somehow also not at all what you thought you were walking into.

Casey embodies the up and coming actor Tobias Finlay-Fraser as he persists through his 300-and-something-th audition. The audience becomes the audition panel and is, uh, treated to a very very thorough audition. Anyone that has ever been on an audition panel (or has done so many auditions they've lost count themselves) will recognise the enthusiasm and frazzled vibe of someone who just can't seem to catch a break when it comes to booking a gig.

However, at some point one does forget that that's where this show started. Tobias gets distracted and takes the audience on a frantic journey through his experiences in the arts industry (and other places).

The audio and sound design was very clever, often providing the audience with cues to participate even when Casey was not on stage, including interactive phone calls with additional characters.

Fair warning, there is a significant portion of audience interaction. The crowd that was there when I attended was small and took a little time to warm up, but the two people that were brave enough to go up on stage when asked absolutely committed to their respective bits, and Casey engaged with them in such a way that I genuinely was confused at points as to whether or not those two people were audience plants.

The women in the seats next to me were doubled over in silent, vaguely horrified, laughter at many points particularly every the level of silly upped the ante.

If you are someone who loves a silly, over the top, Starkid style comedy moment this is definitely up your alley.

Casey Filips: Virtuoso is playing at the State Theatre Centre Rehearsal Room 1 as a part of FringeWORLD until the 15th of February.

Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the production company.