Calgary Fringe Festival
Celebrating 13 years, get ready for the weird, wild, and wacky with anything goes theatre
- Price: $2 - $15
Unexpected, uncensored, and unashamed, it’s Fringe the 13th as Calgary Fringe Festival brings a lineup of performances from around the globe to town.
The festival plays host to local, national, and international theatre artist companies including fringe circuit favourites, local talent, and new faces. From its home base in Inglewood to a satellite venue at the Lunchbox Theatre, all the acts are selected by lottery draw, or a first come, first serve system.
With a bit of everything on offer, you can find physical theatre to sketch comedy, improv to drama, storytelling to puppetry, monologues to musicals, kids’ theatre to poetry.
“They come from all over,” says Festival Director and Producer Michele Gallant, in a statement. “From our own city all the way to the land down under! Some of the artists are seasoned performance professionals. Some are brand new novices who’ve always wanted to be on stage.”
What shows are on our not-to-be-missed list? Here are our picks for the 2018 Calgary Fringe Festival:
Balls of Yarns
August 3 – 10, 2018
Artpoint Gallery (1139 11th St. SE)
$15
A wild new world from past Best of Venue winner Paul Strickland, this musical comedy has been described as David Lynch meets The Wizard of Oz. Go on an adventure where creaky doors sing, libraries are separate from truth-braries, and extraordinary stories travel through yarn and tin-can.
showclix.com
Hushabye – A Doomsday Comedy
August 3 – 10, 2018
Alexandra Centre (922 9th Ave. SE)
$15
A dark comedy about the extremes we go to have the perfect life, local clown duo Sizzle & Spark (Jacqueline Russell and Jed Tomlinson) explore how easily it can all blow up in our faces.
showclix.com
JESUS CHRIST: The Lost Years
August 3 – 11, 2018
Lunchbox Theatre (160, 115 9th Ave. SE)
$15
Ever wonder what Jesus was up to between the ages 13 and 30? Find out in this remount of Monster Theatre’s funniest play. Written by Bruce Horak, Katherine Sanders, and Ryan Gladstone, Carly Pokoradi and Alex Gullason take to the Lunchbox stage and fill in the gaps.
showclix.com
5-Step Guide to Being German 2.0
August 3 – 11, 2018
Lunchbox Theatre (160, 115 9th Ave. SE)
$15
After sold-out shows at last year’s fringe, Paco Erhard returns with this laugh-out-loud performance. Grab your tickets early for this one!
showclix.com
Forget Me Not – The Alzheimer’s Whodunnit
August 4 – 11, 2018
Alexandra Centre (922 9th Ave. SE)
$15
A fringe circuit favourite, comic, poet, and psych nurse Rob Gee returns with this murder mystery that takes place in a dementia ward. His tales are always an engaging mix of storytelling and gut-busting comedy.
showclix.com
Another great way to check out the fringe is to make a day of it and just drift from show to show. You never know what you’re going to see and it’s a fantastic way to get outside your comfort zone. If you need help, just swing by the information booth located at the parking lot on the corner of 9th Ave. and 12th St. SE. The volunteers are always quick with recommendations, directions, and more.
And don’t forget to get your fringe button before your first show! Think of it as your fringe membership. Each button costs $5, assists with covering festival costs, and allows the artists to keep 100% of their ticket revenue.
The Calgary Fringe Festival runs August 3 to 11, 2018. Head here for the full schedule.
