Saturday May 2, 9, 16, 23 - 2009
With such a range of talent in action around the city, and more than 700 events, it can seem hard to narrow down your options. Fringe City offers a perfect taster to the diversity and quality of what’s on offer at this year’s festival.
Last year’s event attracted more than 30,000 people who were treated to more than 100 performances, while this year’s eclectic celebration looks set to be even more spectacular, as musicians, actors, comedians and dancers take to the streets of Brighton.
The main areas to head for each weekend during the festival are along New Road (stages in front of the Unitarian Church and by the Theatre Royal), Jubilee Street and Square (near the library) as well as Pavilion Gardens on May 23rd.
Over the weeks Fringe City has gathered crowds of 1000's to see a wide range of Fringe performances for free, including music performances from The Drookit Dogs, Longtomb, The Morning Orchestra, Monsters Build Mean Robots and Cuckoo Savante.
Fringe City also previewed performances from Hip Hop Street dance crew Streetfunk, who wowed the crowds with their incredible breakdancing moves and street dance skills, whilst The Aviator Club, The Devil May Drag You Under and The Interstella Circus Show provided cabaret. Each week award-winning slight-of-hand magician and illusionist, Eric Walton has lead audiences through a titillating and engaging journey and tribal belly dancer Hilde Canoodt mesmerised crowds with her own unique form of dance.
As well as all the performances on the street, this year’s event has offered a tasty new addition. Foodies at the Fringe celebrating all things edible and quaffable. The food festival boasted a theatre featuring Michelin star and top chefs in action, including Aldo Zilli and Michael Bremner from acclaimed local restaurant Due South, Mike Dodd from Oki-Nami and Heather Mills gave audiences a preview of what they can expect when her vegan café V Bites opens.
Top Contortionist & Escapologist Chris Cross was a stand-out character throughout the day with his crazy hair, tall towering structure and his trademark yellow and black, he is certainly someone who can attract a lot of attention!
Audiences were also treated to walkabout by Wake the Dead and The Insect Circus, a spectacular combination of magical world, physical theatre and extraordinary costumes.
Finally, we have to mention truly amazing comedian Lynn Ruth Miller. An act of belated rebellion against the invisibility of older people, deriding the nursing-home mentality and celebrating the joys of Spandex and sparkle. She was a joy!
The grand finale of Fringe City will take place on Saturday May 23rd
together with Fringe Street, our International Festival of Street Arts, featuring international street performers, musicians and artists from as far a field as New Zealand, American and Australia. Among the highlights: acrobatic violinists performing deeds of daring, a mobile dinner party, opera-singing divas, and comedy stuntmen.
Some intriguing, interactive installations include The Camera Obscura, The Amazing Insect Circus Museum and Bootworks’ Little Shop of Horrors.
Look out for French artist Paul Henri Jeannel with his Chapeau Magique experience, in which he will be making his beautiful sculptural brown paper hats.
There will also be some fine walkabout entertainment - so you never know what “treat” might be just around the corner. You’ve been warned.
Fringe City will be presenting more Fringe performances on The Unitarian Church. Expect to see the wonderful Firework Mountain Company, The Drookit Dogs, Irish traditional music from Eavesdroppers, folk from Kinraid, award winning Monkey Poet, anti-post-folk from brilliant Monsters Build Mean Robots and comedian Helen Arney.