There are all kinds of comings and goings on the steps of Victoria's State Library, but a drag queen on a giant yellow swing has to be a first.
Kween Kong sported a blue sequinned dress, puffy gold bolero and platform heels as she tried out the ride for the launch of the Melbourne Fringe Festival on Wednesday.
A team of helpers in boiler suits and overalls pushed her off - only to find she did not actually go very high in the air.
"I'm a heavy girl - they tried to push me as hard as they could, but I wasn't going to go very far," the Drag Race Down Under star said, laughing.
So the launch of the swing was more sedate than it might have been - possibly also because Kween Kong was worried her wig might fall off.
"It's held on with super glue and desperation," she told AAP.
The comedy acrobats from hit fringe show Godz fared markedly better than Kween Kong, showing the swing really could go high into the heavens.
The eight-metre swing has been installed in the library forecourt for anyone to have a go as part of the festival theme of re-imagining the city as a giant art playground.
Among the support crew were Meliha, 11, Eliza, 12, and Tilly, eight, who had all managed to, ahem, swing the day off school.
Meliha stood on an orange milk crate to make a speech to the Fringe crowd, which was made up of Norse pro-wrestlers, the Lord Mayor and non-binary cabaret performer Themme Fatale, sporting a devil outfit.
"If you have forgotten how to play, we are here to help you remember," Meliha said.
Some of the grown-ups seemed a bit uncertain climbing on the swing, she told AAP - they tried to be brave but she could see in their eyes they were nervous.
Still, adults should not spend the whole time working - they can have fun just like kids, she said, something the swing will definitely help with.
"Lots of adults haven't had a swing for 30 years or something, so it's quite emotional for them probably," she said.
For anyone game enough to have a go, a choir was standing by to sing classics such as Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
The swing was created by theatre veterans Ian Pidd and Sue Giles with theatre group House of Muchness.
It's one of 470 events on the Fringe slate, which this year features 2600 participating artists, according to Fringe creative director Simon Abrahams, who said the festival was about democratising Melbourne's access to the arts.
"I love this city - even though it's drizzling with rain and our river is brown," he told the crowd.
"I love that it's full of culture."
Would Kween Kong, safely on the ground, consider having another shot at the swing?
"Oh look, I'll have another coffee and think about it," she said.
The Melbourne Fringe runs from Wednesday until October 22.
