You’ve heard of theatre, but have you ever heard of fringe theatre?
Unlike mainstream theatre, fringe theatre takes place outside main theatre institutions and on a much smaller scale.
While most mainstream theatre shows are several acts long, fringe shows are closer to one-hour, single-act productions.
Fringe theatre might sound like a complete downgrade, but fringe shows are just as worth watching as mainstream shows.
Because fringe shows are shorter, viewers can watch multiple shows daily, and tickets to fringe shows are usually cheaper.
The most critical part of fringe theatre is charm. Fringe shows often occur in galleries, bars, and storefronts instead of high-priced theatre venues.
Unlike anything you’d see in the mainstream, the shows are often satirical, experimental, and expressive.
Fringe shows often represent voices that society tends to brush aside, like gay, black, feminist, and poor voices.
Fringe shows are unique because most accept performers regardless of their professional or amateur status.
Given the small scale of fringe shows, many performances are solo.
Artists are free to pick their performance’s style, theme, and nature as long as it’s appropriate to the theatre.
A Fringe-Worthy History
The roots of fringe theatre can be traced back to ancient marketplaces, where buskers, jugglers, and salesmen would go the extra mile to entertain and attract crowds.
However, in 1947, the concept of theatre performances on the ‘fringe’ or outside the mainstream was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In the 1940s, the difference between the rich and the poor was as clear as day. You had to fork up some serious coin to enjoy a theatre performance.
In their quest to attract the wealth of theatregoers, buskers of the time created performances that were so captivating that they began to draw the attention of the city’s wealthy elite.
Fringe performances became more popular in 1947 when several performing artists created an event to rival the mainstream Edinburgh International Arts Festival.
These artists produced shows on a much smaller scale, often performing in empty stores and church basements.
The event’s only advertisements were flyers and posters, yet it still saw massive popularity almost immediately.
Fringe theatre got its name from Robert Kemp of the Evening News, who wrote, “Round the fringe of the official Festival drama there seems to be a more private enterprise than before… I’m afraid some of us will not be often at home during the evenings.”
Beyond The Fringe In Edmonton
Fringe theatre jumped the pond in August 1982 in Edmonton when Brian Paisley, an artistic director, created a theatrical venue based on the success of the Edinburgh Festival.
That theatrical venue is now the wildly popular Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival. In its first year, the festival’s 45 theatre productions attracted a crowd of 7,500 people.
Since 1982, the festival has attracted half a million people to the Old Strathcona area every August.
Canada is one of many countries that have adopted fringe festivals into its culture. While fringe theatre exists worldwide, Canada’s approach to it is very different.
Most fringe theatres only offer their artists a space to perform. Still, Canada provides its artists with the space and the resources they need to accomplish their performances.
August is right around the corner, and the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival is hard at work preparing for its 43rd year.
To date, the festival has supported over 43,000 artists, all of which earn 100 percent of their ticket sales. In 2023, festival artists earned more than $1.2 million.
This year, the festival will feature 216 theatre productions across 38 venues. These productions will be performed by over 1,600 artists from across Alberta, Canada, and over 11 countries.
If you want to attend North America’s oldest and largest fringe festival, the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival runs from August 15 to August 25.
Tickets can be purchased from the festival’s website.
The website also features a list of performances that will be featured at this year’s festival. Each performance has a suggested ticket price, but attendees can pay what they want.
Calgary Takes To The Stage
Edmonton was one of many Alberta cities to join the fringe festival scene. While touring Rocky Horror at the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival, Blair Gallant quickly grew to love the festival’s culture and spirit.
It wasn’t long before Gallant was inspired to create a similar festival in Calgary called the Calgary Fringe Theatre Festival. The Calgary festival was built on five concepts:
- Create a place where a sense of community is created by using the arts as a conduit to mix bohemian artists with a culturally and socio-economically diverse group.
- Provide a place where Artists are free to create without restrictions.
- Tolerance comes from the idea that just because it is wrong for “me” doesn’t make it bad for you.
- The public should have the choice of being exposed to different art forms – or not.
- The festival should have no other agenda other than allowing others to have an agenda.
The first Calgary Fringe Theatre Festival started in the summer of 2006 and was ambitious, to say the least.
In its first year, the Calgary festival involved 36 theatre companies, 210 performers, 18 local bands, and much more.
Unlike the larger Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival, Calgary’s festival considers itself a Boutique festival, which its website describes as “for a small group of people, exclusive, particular, not for all tastes.”
In addition to daytime shows, the Calgary Fringe Theatre Festival features after-dark performances and activities for mature audiences, such as a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Calgary Fringe Theatre Festival runs from August 2 to August 10. Tickets are available now at the festival’s website. All ticket proceeds go directly to performers.
The website also features a list of upcoming shows at the festival, and attendees can purchase tickets at any price.
Fringe theatre festivals are the perfect place to enjoy the spirit of fringe theatre to the fullest. You won’t find unique performances like these anywhere else, so don’t miss your chance!
