Yowzaaa! It’s Fringe time again

Yowzaaa! It’s Fringe time again

Featuring more than 100 individual shows and events, a cast of thousands and months of hard work, the Fringe Festival is ready to claim the mantle of the biggest cultural event of the year.

Fringe 07 kicks off this Friday, February 9 to showcase the creative endeavours of New Zealand’s creative community until March 4.

The festival is based in Wellington and features acts from all over New Zealand as well as a few International productions.

Over the next month, a total of 98 shows will produce 538 performances comprising 56 theatre shows, 14 music, 9 outdoor events, 11 visual arts and 8 dance shows. In addition, four Fringe-Made events will be held.

“It’s been a hard slog but we’re very nearly ready to kick off the 14th annual Fringe Festival,” said director Karen Blyth.

“The organisation that has gone into the festival is not even the half of it. Each show has had to jump through hoops to get ready for opening day.

“Original scripts have been written, actors auditioned, publicists engaged, venues booked, advertising bought and – most importantly – media bribed, all in the name of producing a fantastic month ahead of creative goodness,” she said.

“It seems to have worked. Wellington is buzzing with Fringe-ness and our programmes have been flying off the shelves. And it all starts this Friday.”

Ms Blyth singled out five shows in the week ahead for special attention:

• Pass the Dance, Feb 10: “This will be a bit of a laugh this Saturday. An arm-band will work its way through the city streets and if you’ve been passed it, you’ve got to shake your booty until you pass it on.”
  
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• LCUK and Death to Your Dreams, Feb 9 & 10: “Melbourne poet Sean M Whelan teams up with band The Mime Set for Lynch-like imagery and lush soundscapes at Room 101 at Bodega.”
  
• Fred and Ed’s Hoedown Showdown, Feb 9,10, 16 & 17: “One of the free outdoor events, this one features two freaky dudes performing cabaret circus in our favourite hang-out – Cuba Mall.”
  
• Hotel, Feb 9 to Mar 4: “One of the biggest highlights of the Fringe, Hotel is performed in a room at the Museum Hotel – lots of love, death, mystery and a really good-looking cast!”
  
• Cause to Pause, Feb 9 to Mar 4: “Look up at the scrolling LED messages – normally spouting relentless advertising – on the corner of Tory St and Courtenay Place and take a peek at the collected true random thoughts of Wellingtonians as they go about their daily lives.”
  

“So Fringe is here and it’s happening,” said Ms Blyth. “Don’t forget to pick up one of our fast-disappearing programmes or visit the website and get amongst the organised chaos!”

ENDS

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