Checking out Robin Usher's positive MIAF preview piece in the Age this morning, it's good to see not one mention of the "f" word ("fringe", in case you're wondering). Still, a rat by any other name smells just as rank: we have "cutting edge" instead. Usher shows his hand when he mentions Laurie Anderson as the "bridge between big-name acts and cutting-edge performers". For one thing, he seems under the impression that "big name" and "cutting edge" are mutually exclusive terms. Is Robert Wilson - still at the forefront of contemporary theatrical practice - really that blunt?

I can't see myself that the present program is any less "cutting edge" (that's where the blood is) than previous years. What excites me is its unprecedented depth and also its sophisticated political focus - a feature of both Edmunds' and Archer's programming in recent years, but here honed to a subtle edge. Does it cut? We will see...