Review by Markus Hamence – Michael Paynter – Performance date: Wednesday 04 March 2026. The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide, South Australia.
Michael Paynter, one of Australia’s most versatile and celebrated performers, will take to the stage for a rare and up-close and personal show presenting = The Great Australian Songbook Live.
This exclusive one-night-only event will see Paynter showcase his extraordinary voice, dynamic range, and captivating stage presence, performing timeless Australian classics alongside very special guests.
Fresh from his critically acclaimed 2025 season in the lead role of Jesus in the sold-out Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, Paynter has continued to wow audiences nationwide with his emotional depth and powerhouse vocals. In addition to his theatrical triumph, he remains a sought-after live collaborator, performing alongside Icehouse, Jimmy Barnes, Delta Goodrem, and The Veronicas.
Here’s what I think…
At a festival famous for bold circus, wild comedy and experimental theatre, it’s sometimes the simplest idea that hits the hardest. At the 2026 Adelaide Fringe, Michael Paynter’s The Great Australian Songbook Live – Up Close and Intimate arrives like a beautifully stripped-back reminder of just how powerful a great voice and a great song can be.
Inside the Aurora Spiegeltent at the Garden of Unearthly Delights, the atmosphere feels 100% less like a typical Fringe show and more like being invited into someone’s private jam session. Paynter doesn’t rely on spectacle. Instead, he lets the songs – and his high soaring voice – do the heavy lifting. Armed with guitar, piano and a deep respect for Australian music history, he moves through a set of iconic homegrown classics with effortless confidence.
“Paynter has always been known in the industry as a ‘singer’s singer,’…”
Markus Hamence
Paynter has always been known in the industry as a ‘singer’s singer,’ a songwriter and collaborator who has worked alongside some of the biggest names in Australian music. But this show flips the spotlight squarely onto him, and, the result is electric. His vocals are rich, emotional and technically stunning, shifting from tender acoustic moments to soaring power notes that fill the tent with ease.
Now, what really gives the show its soul is the storytelling. Between songs, Paynter shares reflections on the music that shaped him – the tracks that soundtracked road trips, late-night radio and the collective Australian experience. Whether revisiting Cold Chisel grit, the stadium emotion of Farnham, or the melodic craft of artists like Savage Garden and Siverchair, he treats each song like a treasured piece of cultural DNA.
Working Class Man, Crazy, Moon And Back, Flame Trees, Chandelier… They all got a solid look in. As did Good Times (by INX and Jimmy Barnes) with special guest friend, the ‘Mayor of Adelaide’, Reece Mastin.
The crowd response says everything. There’s a warmth in the room – people quietly singing along, recognising lyrics that have lived in the national consciousness for decades. It becomes less about nostalgia and more about connection: the shared joy of songs that belong to everyone.
“The crowd response says everything. There’s a warmth in the room…”
Markus Hamence
Fringe shows often chase spectacle and glitter, but Paynter proves that authenticity can be just as thrilling. With nothing more than musical instinct, charisma and a phenomenal voice, he turns the Australian songbook into something alive and immediate.
For one night at Adelaide Fringe, the classics didn’t just echo through the Spiegeltent – they roared back to life.
Now, let’s make ‘Whispering Jack – The John Farnham Musical be an Australian Tour already, please.
Check out Michael Paynter on his website which includes his social platforms…
Check my INTERVIEW with Michael Paynter
