There are 253 results in a search for shows and events at this year’s Camaden Fringe. Bursting with new writing, experimentation and radical creativity, celebration and entertainment across a range of gengres, Camden Fringe has been a viable alternative for theatre makers and audiences for quite a few years now.
Here are our recommendations going into the Fringe that truly holds the space for fringe spirit in London.
Dog/Actor is the first choice out of our bag of fringe theatre delights.
Propless and setless, Threedumb Theatre bring us “Two explosive and hilarious plays written by Steven Berkoff, performed back-to-back by the same one actor.”
Next up, after a successful run at Greater Manchester Fringe in 2021, is Failure Studies, from Precarious Theatre. Here’s the lowdown: “A journal editor, a co-editor, and their intern explore what it means to work, live and rebel in our world today. Our society constantly reassures us that failure is an intermediate stage in a process that eventually leads us to happiness, but how truthful is this? If we keep trying, do we fail better, or do we fail ‘worse’?”.
Rajesh & Naresh is our third pick for Camden Fringe, Billed as “heart-on-its-sleeve romcom – set just after India’s landmark decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2018″, and was written from workshops conducted with members of the Queer South Asian community in London and abroad.
Wonder in Aliceland from Unrestricted View, anf from the pen of Alice Henley, is “a semi autobiographical piece about two close female friends, navigating life through their late 20s to early 40s. It deals with relationships, both romantic and platonic“. A lot of important issues are explored including “the metoo movement as the friends discuss the banalities of life and dating through to boundaries of consensual sex and rape with the ease of friends who are close. Its a look into their lives and views from a women’s’ perspective post #MeToo.”
Wolf also explores #Metoo, as well as domestic abuse and coummity. “Sam’s close relationship with his student compromises his concerns about her safety. In disclosing his suspicions to Lottie’s mother, Sam treads a fine-line between concerned teacher and manipulative predator.”
Writer/Performer Fergus Rattigan brings Lautrec to the Fringr after a successful run at the Hope Theatre. “Henri de Toulouse Lautrec: a legend in his own life, and yet a man and artist few of us know about. Born to nobility, disabled by fate, disowned by his father, Lautrec finds himself reborn through art and the exciting night life of turn of the century Paris. Through vice and virtue, success and madness, Lautrec explores the story of man who lived more in one lifetime than most can in several.”
We also have a handful of early comedy choices for you. Omar Ibrahim: Decolonise This also covers important contemporary ground. He “is back with another ridiculous attempt to resolve the wounds of human history within an hour of stand up. Nonsensical sense-making from a philosophical fool, offering a unifying tonic for polarised times.*Tonic not drug related.”
Channel Albion is our next choice. Theatre goers often like a dose of sketch comedy and we’ll take a confident punt on this debute show after they reached the semi-finals of Leicester Square Sketch Off. The blurb is suitably off the wall. “Much like super-gonorrhoea, right-wing news stations are popping up everywhere – and much like super-gonorrhoea, no-one can get rid of them. Welcome to Channel Albion – where the definition of “journalism” encompasses everything from the daughter of a disgraced Blue Peter presenter, to a far-right candidate for French President (and his young son), all washed down with award-adjacent actor Christopher Eccleston.” All performed by Front for Something who are Kate Matt and Tommy.
Our final choice (so far) has to be Tom Mayhew: Trash Rich Tom has a unique take on being working class and has wowed both London and Edinburgh audiences (and elsewhere of course) and you might have heard him on Radio 4.
And that’s it for now from your FringeReview pundits. We’ll keep our ears to the ground and noses to… well somewhere.
