Fringe!

It’s so interesting to be doing a fringe without a play in the Fringe.

It’s so much more relaxed.

I’ve been able to meet friends for coffee and drinks in between seeing shows. There’s no rushing off to my theatre or dealing with the stress of what’s happening with my set pieces or my actors. I don’t have to be glued to my phone, so I can share reviews or otherwise promote anything.

But this Fringe is also a weird one.

There are as many shows as there were in 2019, but there aren’t as many audience members.

There are many reasons for this, but none of them matter. It’s more that the overall effect is strange. There are thousands of shows but non of the mania you would expect with so many shows. It’s just a relaxed time filled with theatre and socialising.

Maybe that will change later?

Maybe this coming week is when the Fringe really gets going.

While I wait to see what the Fringe will be this year, I have been pre-screening shows for my parents. They’re arriving this coming week and are all excited to see shows. They seem to think I will be an expert on which shows are worth the ticket price.

So this last week and for the next few days, I’ve been checking out shows that look great on paper but also might not be something my parents will enjoy. I’ve seen several that I’m glad I didn’t take them to. Whether they weren’t as good as I thought they would be or they were soooooo much dirtier than I expected, defiantly not shows I’m taking my parents to.

I’m excited for their visit and for the rest of the Fringe.