Fringe Festival brings art, dance to London for 20th year

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: HAYDN ROOTH
The London Fringe Festival Celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

The London Fringe Festival runs until June 8. The festival will include theatre, visual arts, dance, music and whatever may lie in between.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the London Fringe Festival which has been connecting artists of various mediums with audiences since its inception in 1998 and first festival in 2000. 1999 marked its acquisition of a non-profit and charitable status signalling the start of something amazing in London for years to come.

The London Fringe Festival kicked things off this year on May 28 at the Palace Theatre with the Performer Showcase. The Performer Showcase is an opportunity for this year’s Fringe performers to have two minutes on stage in order to show the crowd what they have in store for them come showtime.

A musical comedy about an 11-year-old Edgar Allan Poe, the comedic aspect of the tribulations regarding losing your virginity, and a memoir to Bev Oda are just a few of the Fringe concepts explored in this year’s festival.

The London Fringe Festival is the place to showcase art no matter how on the ‘fringe’ it may be. Because visual art is an extremely broad and subjective medium, Fringe takes that perspective into the 21st century by encouraging an audience-to-artist relationship. This relationship is integral to the growth of the artist, the city and the art community. Encouraging this relationship results in future generations being inspired by the great performers before them.

May 29 launched the supporting content for the London Fringe Festival, Visual Fringe. Visual Fringe is an exhibit that runs at TAP Centre for Creativity where artwork is sold and artists can mingle. Visual Fringe showcases local and area visual artists, making it a great opportunity for new artists.

Other extracurricular activities include a masterclass in singing with Melanie Gall, a world-class opera singer and co-star in the Judy Garland-Deanne Durbin tale of golden-age Hollywood rivalry, Ingénue.

An urban dance class is being offered to beginners, as well as a class on drawing monsters. Argentine Tango and a storytelling workshop on structuring your own idea into a show cap off the extracurricular portion of the London Fringe Festival’s content.

The London Fringe website states the organization’s mission, “The London Fringe Theatre Festival is dedicated to the promotion, production, and prosperity of independent artists. We create a unique and inclusive environment where the arts will be enjoyed in the present and developed for the future” – and that they have.

The last 20 years have seen amazing growth in London’s artcore and theatre scenes. Immersing London in all fringe has to offer has garnered impressive attendance over the years. London has shown that it loves all that art has to offer and has a large community for supporters of the arts. London Fringe will always hold a special place in Londoner’s hearts.

To learn more, go to londonfringe.ca.