After five years living in Edmonton, I’ve realized that people here are serious about “going to a Fringe show to see a friend.” Seeing familiar faces on stage, being proud when the audience cheers for your pals — Edmontonians love celebrating community and local theatre talents at the Fringe Festival. This year, the joyful celebration returns with more than 160 shows in 27 venues.
“The forecast looks amazing. And even if the weather takes a turn, you can always turn to a theatre and catch a performance, knowing that the Alberta weather would have changed once again when you get out of the show,” says Megan Dart, executive director of Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.
While it might not be possible to catch all 160 shows this season, Dart mentions that every year there are hardcore Fringe-goers who see 50 to 60 shows. Apart from indoor theatre performances, there are also curated lineups of local musicians, street performers, Indigenous performances and story pitching sessions for new playwrights.
If you’re not sure which performance to see first, team Fringe Festival has designed a magic eight ball on its website to pick a random show title for you. (Or keep shaking just to fake a “randomized result” of your friends’ show then take a screenshot.)
“Everyday in Strathcona, there’d be something to see during the festival. It’s hard to miss out on the programs,” says Dart.
This year’s Fringe Festival is under the theme “Destination Fringe.” The team believes that it’s a fun and optimistic start to regrow the festival after a pause in the industry. Whether it’s to rejoin the festival, or start a new journey with the Fringe, we ought to enjoy the programs this summer.
“During the pandemic, we understand that we lost many skilled artists into more stable industries. It’s going to take us some time to get back to the flow, but I have very much faith in our community,” says Dart.
Find your way to fringe at the 41st Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, August 11 – 21.
