What is the Victoria Fringe Festival?
This year marks thirty years of Victoria Fringe, an annual twelve-day summer festival run by the Intrepid Theatre. Fringe theatre is, in general, unusual or experimental theatre outside of the norm.
What can viewers expect from the Fringe Festival?
A Fringe button is a prerequisite to get into any show. It’s a one-time $6.00 purchase for all Fringe-goers 13 and older. Individual shows require small ticket purchases, too, although there are free events, too.
Fringe shows cover a wide variety of genres and subjects. Whether you enjoy comedy or drama, there are outside-the-box shows for anyone’s tastes. Little-known shows are often more than worth the chance, but a hit is always a safe bet, too. If you live in Victoria and have friends in the art scene, odds are you’ll see someone you know onstage.
Throughout the festival, reviewers such as the Times Colonist write articles on Fringe shows, and viewers can vote on which shows should win the “pick of the Fringe” awards for various categories at the end of the festival. However, the Fringe is more of a celebration than a competition.
What can performers expect?
My Fringe experience with my improv troupe, Vikes Improv (facebook.com/vikesimprov), was hectic, hilarious, and overall incredible. Because Fringe is a lot of work for performers – especially for the head organizers of our troupe – it’s a great team bonding experience. After long days of practice and of hand billing the lineups at various performances with flyers for our show, we’d head to the Victoria Event Centre, one of several Fringe venues each with a distinct vibe, and do a performance. In total, our group did six performances.
Vikes Improv performs improvised comedy and theatre based on audience suggestions or on prepared monologues. We make up characters and stories on the spot, taking into account the many variable factors in every performance, from guest monologists and guest improvisers to the energy of our troupe to the energy of the crowd.
Other shows used scripts, costumes, and props. Personally, every show I saw at the Fringe was fascinating and unique, but there were so many shows that I could only catch a handful of the awesome offerings available.
The Fringe festival is about supporting artists. Ticket sales go straight to the performers. After a show, artists often hit the Fringe club, a hub for Fringe artists set up at the Victoria curling club, complete with karaoke and a bar. Most artists were ready to relax and trade stories after their performances.
I would recommend watching or even performing in the Victoria Fringe Festival to anyone who is able. It was a great experience I hope to have again someday.