It would be foolish to try to pick a top five from such a massive line-up, but that's what we’ve done nonethless. These are our top picks from five different categories.

Theatre: Appalling Behaviour at La Mama. One man, 75 minutes, a gripping performance from award-winning writer and performer Stephen House. Solo drama at its finest, and set in Paris to boot.

Music/Film: Fritz Lang's iconic Metropolis is the most expensive silent film ever made. The soundtrack has always been a key part of the film, and for the Fringe Festival electronic musician Miles Philip is re-writing the soundtrack, Metropolis: Audio Redux, using the music of Vangelis and Brian Eno, Orbital, Autechre and Underworld.

Stage: The 2001 movie American Astronaut has been described as Eraserhead meets Buck Rogers, as well as one of the weirdest movies ever made. Now this space cowboy musical extravaganza hits the stage for Melbourne Fringe. A sci-fi musical at The Workers Club in Fitzroy? Why not. This is Fringe after all.

Cabaret: No doubt New York's Wau Wau Sisters will sell out again with their bawdy Last Supper, so if you miss out and feel like some darker cabaret, check out Silver Sircus' To The Place That Is Home. Despair and dry comedy to the music of Nick Cave, Brecht, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits and Laurie Anderson from Brisbane's favourites. At The Butterfly Club.

Dance: Billed as 'a dance assault in three dimensions', 3D features three short works with live dancers Megan Beckwith and Steph Hutchison to the accompaniment of stunning 3D imagery, blurring the line between what's real and what's virtual. On at Fed Square.

Needless to say, we've barely scratched the surface here. For details on these and the full Fringe Festival program, go to melbournefringe.com.au.