New Fringe Festival will set Sydney alight

A range of sensational theatre shows will help Sydney find its artistic spirit next month, with the first ever Sydney Fringe Festival to take place from September 10.

A range of sensational theatre shows will help Sydney find its artistic spirit next month, with the first ever Sydney Fringe Festival to take place from September 10.

Tickets to the Festival go on sale at Midday on Monday, August 9.

The Sydney Fringe is a cultural smackdown profiling the diversity of new art and its artists; it is a look underneath to the urban and the unconventional. It ranges from edgy, alternative theatre to major concerts and visual arts openings and brief encounters in surprising places; from free one-off events to all night parties, and performances of all scales.

With prices widely kept to the level of $20-$25, tickets are available by telephoning (02) 9550 3666 or at www.thesydneyfringe.com.au, where the full program will be revealed, a multi-disciplinary event showcasing the best in emerging contemporary cultural practice. 

“It’s amazing to finally be here,” said Festival Director, Kris Stewart. 

“Sydney deserves a major Fringe Festival, the equal of any in the world, and we really hope we can fulfil that need.”

With a curated program of 700+ performances of more than 250 shows and events, the Sydney Fringe will encompass performing, literary, visual and digital arts, including theatre, dance, film, cabaret, poetry, burlesque, comedy, music and more.

With 76 theatre shows, 59 music acts, 30 musicals, 25 visual arts exhibitions, 16 full length comedies, 13 digital arts pieces, 11 pieces of burlesque or circus, 8 dance productions, four children’s theatre companies, two film festivals, as well as underground artspace tours, street festivals, alternative fashion parades, masquerade balls and street theatre, and artists ranging from the experienced (Helpmann Award winners such as Chloe Dallimore or aging rockers like John Paul Young) to the new and undiscovered – the Sydney Fringe will become this city’s alternative cultural centerpiece.

Along with the curated component of the Fringe, there will be many other events including laneway festivals, street art and an exciting partnership with the iconic Imperial Hotel, which is reopening after three years and a fantastic renovation and will be “Fringe Central” for the 17 days of the Sydney Fringe. 

While events of this size are usually focused on the CBD, the Sydney Fringe has found its natural home in the Inner West, where it is being produced by a local organisation – the Newtown Entertainment Precinct Association (NEPA).  It is felt that Newtown is the ideal setting, as it is an area with the largest number of independent theatres and live performance spaces in Sydney, and the higher concentration of independent working artists than any other community in Australia.  It’s the red beating heart of Sydney’s vital bohemian culture, a mashup of ethnicity, sexuality and lifestyles.

AussieTheatre.com  gets its own start in the festival, with former columnist Kate Walder presenting a cabaret show entitled Coffee With Kate, which is based on the columns she wrote for the website.

Other shows already confirmed include the World Premiere of Daughters of Whores, with press notes reading: “Not many peeps can say their mother is a whore and mean it literally… It’s kind of hard to know where to put that information. In your head. Amongst all the other confusion. Leek soup or wasabi peas? Beauty therapy or the Sex Industry? Daughters of Whores is about the choices you make when the elephant in the corner has got his cock out.”

Another highlight will be Stories from the 428 [pictured], which is returning for a second Sydney season. Buses are a necessary part of Sydney life and inspire rage and romance in equal measure. A group of Australia’s impressive award-winning and emerging playwrights have collaborated to create a unique show inspired by conversations, scenes from the bus window, overseen text messages or perhaps the person sitting across from them on the 428 bus from Circular Quay to Canterbury.

Other shows are listed at www.thesydneyfringe.com.au with the full program to be released at Midday Monday.

AussieTheatre.com is a proud supporter of the Sydney Fringe Festival.