Get into The Routine and Smile with these two stand-out Fringe mime shows

Lovers of mime, physical comedy and engaging storytelling will delight in two standout offerings for Fringe World 2026, from award-winning performers Joylyn Secunda and Marcel Cole. Secunda presents The Routine, taking a suffering office worker on a journey of self-discovery, while Cole presents Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, stepping into the shoes and donning the hat of the eponymous figure. The Routine will play at The Parlour at The Pleasure Garden and the Ritz Party Showroom at the Rocky Fringe Festival in Rockingham from Wednesday, January 21, to Sunday, February 8, with tickets on sale now. Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin will play at various venues from Saturday, January 31, to Sunday, February 15, with tickets on sale now. BEC WELDON met with Joylyn Secunda and Marcel Cole to hear all about the two shows!

Hi Joylyn and Marcel, Thanks for chatting with me! You’re both no strangers to a Fringe festival, nor Fringe World Perth. How does it feel to be back for 2026?

MARCEL: I’m very excited to be coming back! I’ve performed all around the world, but Fringe World is one of my favourite festivals. It’s such a perfect size, and the vibe is really great, particularly in the Pleasure Garden and Northbridge area. This is actually my third year performing in the festival, and I’m excited to share it with Joylyn, who’s coming to Perth for the first time!

JOYLYN: I came to Australia for the first time last year to perform at the Adelaide Fringe, and that’s where I met Marcel. This year, I’m back for an Australian tour with the first stop at Fringe World. It’s my first time visiting Perth, and I’m looking forward to seeing the city and experiencing the festival! I love Australia, and it’s so nice to escape the cold Canadian winter!

Joylyn, you’re presenting The Routine this year; tell me about the show!

JOYLYN: The Routine is a solo mime show that tells the story of a disillusioned office worker who finds a portal in their bathroom mirror.

Embodying a disillusioned office worker absolutely feels relatable in 2026; maybe the portal hidden in a bathroom mirror a little less so, but still! What inspired that character and, largely, the show itself?

JOYLYN: The character just came to me one day! I wanted a character to start off grumpy and become more and more joyful throughout the piece. But the inspiration for the show itself started when I was taking mime classes on Zoom during the pandemic. I fell in love with mime and decided to make a mime show!

You’re working with your father, who also happens to be the show’s director, David Secunda—tell me about that creative partnership! How did the added familial element influence the work?

JOYLYN: I have actually been working with both my parents since the age of five! My dad was a high school drama teacher, and my mum, Linda Arkelian, did choreography for the productions. They’d both be at rehearsals, and instead of getting a babysitter, they just put me in the show—a five-year-old in the high school play! Now, 27 years later, all three of us are still working together! My dad directed and co-created The Routine with me, and my mum supported me as the movement coach. They know me well and can bring out my strengths—we work well together.

And Marcel, you’re presenting Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, in which you bring to life the story of the silent film and physical comedy legend—what can audiences expect from the show?

MARCEL: Ooh, I don’t want to give too much away… I think that audiences can expect a good balance of old-world charm and modern theatrical comedy. It’s a bit of a tribute show, but it’s also so much more than that. It’s perhaps closer to what it may have felt like to watch the real Charlie Chaplin at a time when he was new and fresh and exciting!

Can you describe the journey of stepping into Chaplin’s shoes and bringing the man to life? Did you feel any sense of pressure during the process?

MARCEL: Naturally! They’re big shoes to fill! It’s a bit daunting taking on the role of one of the greatest comedians of all time; it certainly puts the pressure on to come up with the goods. But I wanted to write the show and knew I could do it, so here we are.

The show consists of mime, physical comedy and daredevil tomfoolery. Can you tell us about the creative process behind distilling Chaplin’s story and finding those pockets of engaging narrative to recreate?

MARCEL: The show is based heavily on Chaplin’s 1964 autobiography, which is a really good book if you’re interested. Chaplin’s life story is so dramatic, and there’s tons of good material to work with, so it’s a bit of a dream for a writer. Adapting it for the stage was a question of taking the best bits and constructing them into a logical story that follows his life from birth to death. And then once the story was locked in, it was a matter of throwing in as much ‘mime, physical comedy and daredevil tomfoolery’ as I could think of. Fun times!

Joylyn, you’ve completed mime studies with Cirque du Soleil’s Dean Evans, mentorship under celebrated choreographer Crystal Pite, specialised study in corporeal mime at Théâtre Omnibus, and performances with Canada’s National Arts Centre, and Marcel, you spent ten years training in ballet before studying theatre, mime and clown in London and Paris. Both are very impressive resumes. What drew you to the performance life?

JOYLYN: Growing up with a director/puppeteer father and ballerina mother, the performing arts have always been a major part of my life. I’ve always done it, so it’s just normal for me. I love that this job gives me the freedom to travel and connect with people all around the world!

MARCEL: I guess we were both born into it! My dad’s an opera singer, and my mother is a professional musician, and so I guess I didn’t have a say in it—haha. I was even named after the famous mime Marcel Marceau! It’s all very fortuitous how things are turning out. And yes, similarly, I feel like theatre and comedy are what add colour to the world for me, so there’s nothing I’d rather do than make shows and perform around the world.

Both shows have this really charming theming of growth and self-discovery, both in recounting Chaplin’s meteoric journey of rags-to-riches and the personal soul-searching of your character, Joylyn—have performing these shows had any similar impacts for yourselves?

MARCEL: Haha, I hadn’t thought about it like that. Actually yes, the show has given me a lot! I wasn’t in rags before, and I’m not exactly in riches now, but the show has definitely taken me further than I dreamed it would. I’m now touring internationally, selling out and winning awards all around the world! Highlights include winning Best International Show at the Hollywood Fringe and selling out my entire run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

JOYLYN: In The Routine, the main character starts out alienated and lonely and then finds connection and love. I never thought about it, but when I started working on the show, I was lonely at home during the pandemic, and funnily enough, touring The Routine to Australia and throughout Canada has allowed me to connect with and be inspired by fellow artists and audience members… and meet Marcel!

MARCEL: We met at the Adelaide Fringe last year because we were both doing physical comedy shows. And now this year, we’re touring the Australian circuit together. So that’s another great thing that’s come from doing the shows.

As solo performers, how do you drive your performances without other actors to play off? Is it more of a challenge than ensemble work?

JOYLYN: The great thing about solo shows is that you can tailor the show to your personal skillset. My solo shows are the most physically demanding performances I’ve ever done, and I enjoy the challenge and rigour. I do miss bouncing energy off another performer, but going solo allows me to really connect with the audience.

MARCEL: It’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone… but I use audience members to play my side characters. The fun of this is that firstly, I’m not the only one on stage, and secondly, I never know what they will do! Which leads to some pretty great spontaneous comedy.

And how do you prepare for a season like this, of incredibly physical performance, night after night? Do you have go-to routines or rituals?

MARCEL: Yes and no. I’ve learned that for comedy and for my show at least, the more open I am, the better. Often, the more hectic the preparation, the better the show will be because I don’t have time to think, and so I can be super free and spontaneous. Having said that, I will do a physical and vocal warmup every day, and I also do a lot of yoga. But Joylyn has a full-on show prep routine!

JOYLYN: Yeah, I try to eat a meal three hours before my show, then do my makeup, and then I do a big physical warm-up. Festivals are really intense! You’re not just performing your show—you’re also flyering, attending events, seeing other shows, networking with artists, doing interviews, and keeping your Instagram alive! I’ve learned it’s super important for me to prioritise sleep, eating healthy, and stretching.

Playing off the audience, as solo performers, I imagine there are moments of surprise or accidental hilarity! Do either of you have a favourite or most memorable performance moment?

JOYLYN: Once when I was taking a bow, a man jumped up in the audience and gave me the most enthusiastic standing ovation I have ever received! He was jumping up and down and shouting at the rest of the audience, “What are you doing? Everyone, stand up! Stand up! Get up!!! This deserves a standing ovation!”

MARCEL: I have a story too. I use audience members a lot in my show, so a ton of great things come up. I once chose an old man to come up and play the biggest audience role but realised halfway through the scene that he was completely blind! (It was the last thing I expected considering the show is a physical comedy. Deaf audiences? Yes. But blind? He was the first.) I was stepping on eggshells for a bit, but he played his role perfectly and by the end was the star of the show! And I saw that his wife was crying; that was very special for me.

Thanks so much again for chatting with me! Best of luck for the season ahead!

MARCEL & JOYLYN: Thank you, Bec!

The Routine hits The Parlour at The Pleasure Garden and the Ritz Party Showroom at the Rocky Fringe Festival in Rockingham from Wednesday, January 21 to Sunday, February 8. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin hits various venues from Saturday, January 31, to Sunday, February 15, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from fringeworld.com.au