Absolut Fringe

Various venues, Dublin, Sep 11-26, fringefest.com

There are some 100 shows taking place over the two weeks of the Absolut Fringe, about half of which are defined as theatre. The Fringe, though, has been stretching that definition for 16 years now, in ways that can be thrilling, amusing, frustrating or inspiring.

This year there are mercifully fewer shows taking place in car parks or toilets and surprises around every corner. Berlin Love Tour, from the excellent Playgroup (Absolut Fringe Factory, Sep 11-25), makes its site pointedly unspecific by mapping another city onto the streets of our own and guiding us through a double exposure. Louise White and Kate Nic Chonaonaigh plant From the Heartin a crumbling Georgian mansion (13 Nth Great George's St, Sep 13-19), while Anu productions funnel Dublin's red light district Monto into the Lab on Foley Street (Sep 13-25) – for just three audience members at a time.

Selina Cartmell is back on the Fringe with Siren Productions' promising Medea(Samuel Beckett Theatre, Sep 11-25). Last year's success stories continue to yield fruit with The Company taking Ulysses as the inspiration for some inventive nation- prodding in As You Are Now So Once Were We(Project Arts Centre, Sep 11-15); the incorrigible flirts Ponydance bring their smooth moves to the masses with Anybody Waitin'(various locations, Sep 11-26), while THEATREclub prove themselves the most energetic company in the known universe by staging three new shows – Heroin, Maximum Joyand Shane Byrne Has Left His Sleeping Bag In the Car Again– in repertory (Smock Alley Theatre, Sep 11-17). They'll open a fourth just before the festival finishes. I'm not joking.

International acts this year range from the sinister to the sublime, with French show Jerk(Project Arts Centre, Sep 11-14) depicting child murder through puppetry, Live Collisionpresenting three performance artists in quick succession (Project, Sep 13-15), and Nic Green's celebrated Trilogystaging feminism for the 21st century (Project, 22-25).

Who knows if Simon Doyle's The Truth of the Moonis a must-see (The New Theatre, Sep 14-18), if Listowel Syndrome(Project, Sep 18-20) or The Butcher Babes(The New Theatre, Sep 21-15) shine a light into disturbing recent moments, or if My Life in Dresses(Project, Sep 11-18) and FAT(Players Theatre, Sep 14-18) make good on their makers' previous form and fresh approach? There's only one way to find out.