We pull apart Melbourne Fringe with equal parts affection and frustration while admitting we’re still a bit wobbly from the last episode. Culture feels splintered, audiences feel cautious, and we ask whether Fringe should be stranger while stand‑up finds its own lane. • Melbourne Fringe as identity crisis point • hypnosis shows, improv energy, and audience buy‑in • culture reset after lockdowns and a lost zeitgeist • competing with the past and novelty fatigue • Warhammer ResinGate as a meta...