How to Play Ukulele and Guitar Workshops teach you all the basics in a simple way. In 75-minute classes, blues singer/songwriter Cal Williams Jr excels in his teaching method, breaking down the musical concepts in a fun and immediately useable way.

The classes are held in a chilled atmosphere at the Wheatsheaf Hotel outdoor beer garden. For the blues guitar workshop, Williams first teaches you the basic three chords. After you learn the standard 12-bar chord progression – the backbone structure of how a typical song goes, you are now all set to play the blues guitar. It takes less than ten minutes to learn.

The class also covers slide guitar techniques, rhythms and lead guitar scales. You can try a new guitar solo or rhythms you learned on the spot, as Williams accompanies you with his smooth and groovy guitar techniques. There was not much time spent for writing original songs, but lesson contents can vary depending on individual levels and needs. Held in a small group, it is pretty close to a one-on-one session.

Williams welcomes anyone from the beginners to experienced players. There’s no need to worry even if you have never touched a guitar before – he shows you the easier version of playing chords, so in minutes you can join in on the jam.

Williams’ friendly approach makes him a desirable teacher. He encourages every player with praise, complementing a student’s learning speed, courage to try difficult techniques or just their “groove.” He knows the sheer joy of playing music, and lets people realise how chilled it can be to have fun with a guitar.

Bollywood Flashmob is a 90-minute dance class where you can learn classic Bollywood moves in a relaxed atmosphere. Participants also have a chance to perform the coordinated dance as a flashmob towards the end of the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

The class is held at an exotic studio hall at Belly Dance Academy of Nayima Hassan: golden cloths are hanging from the ceiling and colourful belly dance jingle scarves are displayed on the shelf. You will learn dance steps to uplifting music, including the well-known ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire. Choreography is dynamic and fun, featuring some of the typical moves you may have seen in Bollywood movies. Still the moves are simple and repetitive enough that beginners can memorise them on the spot.

In Bollywood dancing, the instructor Francesca McMillan from Fusion Beats Bollywood says it’s all about having fun. She doesn’t force participants to perfectly master the choreography. “If you forget everything, just bounce.” Participants howl with laughter, and she shows the basic up and down movement with her hands up in the air.

McMillan gives names to some movements so people can remember them: “Grease, grease, wash your hair, wash your hair.” There are not many complicated dance techniques involved, so it is suitable for people at any level. About 20 people joined the class, with the age of participants varying from little kids to adults. In this relaxed atmosphere, you will enjoy the vibe of dancing together like in a Bollywood movie. It is a fun event for families and friends who want to get good exercise and cultural experience at the same time.

This four-hour dinner show has music from back in the day: the Beatles, Whitney Houston, Neil Diamond, Elvis, ABBA. The Adelaide-based Pulse not only plays live music: they dress as the stars, roving among the tables and mingling with the guests.

On the top floor at Rydges South Park, the Skyline Restaurant offers panoramic views facing Lundie Gardens. Beautiful green scenery turns into night lights as the afternoon passes.

Although a large part of the audience are in their 50s and 60s, younger people will not feel left out. The musicians come and talk with everyone at the table in a friendly manner, making sure each person is having a good time. They even offer some photo shoots with the ‘stars.’

The band is not the only people you will mingle with; you can make friends with other guests on the dance floor. People are hesitant at first when the band invites the audience to join the groove on the dance floor. But as the music builds up, people cannot stay seated and most of the guests eventually start dancing.

The four-hour show may be too long if you just sit down and eat dinner: there is an hour of show time between each plate of entree, main and dessert.  But time flies if you enjoy mingling with these merry people, dancing and singing along with the stars.

The band members do not simply indulge in their performances nor forget about the audience. The music and costumes may not be the world’s best quality, but their hospitality towards the guests makes all the difference. Audience members will love the warm and cozy atmosphere accompanied by well-crafted meals.

Deception is not a typical magic show where a silk hat turns into a white dove or a magician is cut in half. Instead, it’s an illusion inside your brain. They can tell what you are thinking: be it a card, a word in a book, or a question for the future.

The two mentalists, Vinh Giang and Matt Tarrant have different styles and personalities. Giang wears a grey suit and a vest. He is a boy-next-door type, making the audience laugh with his stories, including his first crush at eight years old. He shares the magic he has developed to wow his crush.

Tarrant is in jeans and a black T-shirt. Although he is dressed casual, he has piercing eyes that you cannot get away from. He performs mind-reading and controls the emotions of the audience. You don’t have a time to get bored, as the two magicians take turns showcasing various tricks. The tension builds as the duo finally performs together in the finale.

As the show deals with people’s minds, there are some tricks where you cannot prove if the mentalists are right or wrong. They guess the sum of money in a woman’s wallet, a name of a man’s friend and a boy’s favourite TV show. The audience admits that the magicians are right, but there is no way telling if the duo actually got it right, or the audience just answered yes to them.

It would be mind-blowing if you are the selected audience member. For some magic, you may need to experience it before you believe it.

Vinh and Matt should be labeled as com-mentalists; they are great comedians and mentalists at the same time. An hour passed quickly with their great stage presence, funny stories and audience interaction.

Wild Girl consists of a rather traditional choir of experienced singers. Aurora is an Adelaide-based acappella women’s ensemble, with members aged between 20 to 35 years old. The show begins with a storytelling by Catherine Campbell, the Wild Woman, in a dark green dress. She delivers a poetry-like story of a wild girl and her coming-of-age inner transformation. Seventeen ladies sing the repertoire as the story goes by.

Accompanied by harp and piano, the beautiful mix of soprano and alto singers draws the ballroom into a dream state. The singers are not bound to the stage. They appear from the balcony and wander through the tables, where the audience sits back and relaxes. Each song has different soloists, showcasing various textures in voices.

The girls seem as though they’re in a trance, looking well beyond the audience. They succeed in creating a fairytale-like atmosphere, but it makes the audience feel a bit left out. The girls are performing so close that sometimes you could even touch them, but there is little interaction between the singers and the audience: a sheer line exists separating the fairy in the magical world and the people watching them.

The show is filled with gentle and soothing music, like a lullaby. It includes original songs composed by Callie Wood and arrangements of popular songs, including by Sia and Trent Reznor.  However, the show can be a little tedious, as the similar type of choir music goes on for over an hour. You may expect something different if you are a fan of the TV show Glee but Wild Girl is not a showcase of famous upbeat pop tunes with dynamic dance moves.
That said, they succeed in creating a “midsummer night dream” state, with their angelic harmony and flattering pastel dresses. It surely is “a fairytale for grown-ups,” leaving the audiences purified by their voices.