Camden Fringe runs from 31st July to 27th AUgist 2023.
“The Camden Fringe is a performing arts festival, established in 2006, which takes place in Camden during August. Anyone and everyone is welcome to apply. Previous fringe events have encompassed new writing, opera, musicals, stand-up, sketch comedy, dance, cabaret, poetry, opera, mentalism, improvisation and Q&As. Shows take place throughout the day and generally last one hour.”
Still led by Zena Barrie and Michelle Flower, “Camden Fringe was set-up as an alternative to Edinburgh Festival, offering performers the chance to try out new material and different ideas in a supportive setting with less time and financial commitments than EdFringe did at the time. The Camden Fringe aims to give anyone the chance to perform and showcase their talents, from very experienced performers and companies, to ambitious newcomers. Since 2006 the Camden Fringe has gained a reputation for supporting acts, providing helpful information and guidance for the acts involved.”
And there is certainly plenty on offer! So, what to see? Watch this plage grow tih recommendations, previews and features in the run up to, and during the Fringe. We’ll start with our recommendations from the over 90 theatre shows on offer.
I want to see…
… an unflinching solo drama comedy, a thought-provoking exploration of life behind bars. Then see Something to Take Off the Edge
… a pre-Edfringe piece, a semi-biographical story exploring themes of home, belonging and finding your identity as a foreigner in a big city. Then see Runaway
… a one-hour show exploring desire and sex work in the UK through interactive performances. Then see A Caravan Named Desire
… some historical theatre. Then see Chopin’s Last Hour
… some devised theatre that explores “themes of “growing up”, our “inner child”, “escapism”, and “running away” through poetry, live music, movement, and dialogue”. Then see Neverland
… a first ever production from an exciting new theatre company. Then see Gary
… a new one-woman show from Ukrainian writer-performer Valery Reva. Then see in|Secure
… some theatre, a new translation by Illya Khodosh of Mikhail Bulgakov’s 1932 adaptation of Gogol’s classic novel, Dead Souls. Then see Dead Souls
… a theatre piece that was made to spark discussions around Muslim women and the politicisation of their freedoms in a global context. Then see Woman. Life. Freedom
… surrealist dialoguem emotive realism bound by absurdist comedy. Then see BOIL
… some theatre, a show about what could happen if we were brave enough to grieve in the open. Then see The Thin Place
PREVIEW – Gaslight at the Etcetera
What would happen if we lived in a world where life-threatening physical wounds were treated the same as psychological trauma?
‘Gaslight‘ is a powerful play exploring the impact of sexual assault on victims and society’s dismissive attitudes towards them. Written, produced and performed by Shaira Berg, a PhD in Psychology student at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, the play features a cast and crew of talented Cambridge University students, including actor and producer Sarah Walton-Smith, who are new faces on London’s theatre scene.
The play follows Scarlet, a university student in a seemingly loving relationship, who wakes up with a mysterious wound in the centre of her chest after a traumatic incident. The play is set in a world where life-threatening injuries are treated in the same manner as mental health difficulties. As the bloodstain on her chest expands, her life crumbles around her. She tries to get help and is met with disbelief, betrayal and apathy, highlighting society’s dismissive attitudes towards survivors of sexual assault. With over one in six women experiencing sexual assault in their lifetimes, the themes explored in ‘Gaslight’ are more relevant than ever.
Don’t miss this powerful commentary on society’s attitudes towards the impact of traumatic experiences on mental health, relationships and everyday life. Catch it at the Etcetera Theatre during the Camden Fringe from August 17th to August 20th, 2023, at 3 pm. Booking and info here.
More to come each day so do check back.
