The stage is simple: a door frame, a piano, a clothes rack and scattered boxes. Lindsey Kraft sits at the piano and begins with her opening track, ‘Live a Little’. The audience is drawn into a story that feels like a close friend bringing us into their confidence. 

Kraft’s storytelling is intimate. Her use of the stage and physical movement feels natural, and her interactions with the audience are relaxed and genuinely funny. While many may come knowing that Ben Folds is part of the performance, it’s difficult to take your eyes off Kraft. She carries the show effortlessly, supported beautifully by Luke Ciaramella on guitar and bass and Folds on piano and drums.

We’ve Been Here Before feels deeply personal. Through songs and anecdotes, Kraft reflects on family relationships, an addict father, an overbearing mother and the complexities of love and identity, while tracing the emergence of a musician learning to channel pain into creativity. At one point she reflects, “My songs knew the truth before I did,” a line that lingers long after the show ends.

The songs themselves are a standout. It’s remarkable to learn that Kraft only taught herself piano a few years ago. Numbers such as ‘Alice’, a tender and raw reflection on ‘the other woman,’ showcase her ability to balance vulnerability with emotional honesty. Elsewhere, ‘Radio Silent’ captures a quieter, introspective moment, while the pairing of ‘Beautiful, You’ and ‘Beautiful Pain’ highlight the show’s deeper themes of identity, growth and self-acceptance.

Listening to these songs, it’s easy to imagine them being performed on a Broadway stage. That’s not to diminish Kraft’s performance — she is an excellent singer in her own right — but the strength of the songwriting suggests the material could easily have a much larger life. One can picture future productions with expanded staging or additional cast members, and there is something special about witnessing the show in this earlier living form while it still feels so intimate.

There is a brief lull around the hour mark where the momentum dips slightly as Kraft remains at the piano in dim lighting. A little more movement or staging here might keep the energy consistent throughout. It’s a small note in an otherwise compelling performance, and the only reason the show lands just shy of a full five stars.

Beautiful, quirky and emotionally charged, We’ve Been Here Before is a show that reminds audiences why some stories stay with us long after the final note.

4 ½ stars

By Mel Watt

Sat, 07 Mar – Sun, 22 Mar

75 min

The Arch at Holden Street Theatres

M (2 Warnings)

$20 to $38

Tickets: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/lindsey-kraft-a-piano-present-we-ve-been-here-before-af2026