FEATURE: Durham Fringe Festival

Image: Robert Reed

Durham Fringe Festival returns for its fourth year with 90 different shows across seven venues in five days from Wednesday 24^th-Sunday 28^th July.

The event will showcase some amazing drama, music, comedy and magic performances as well as a greater range of dance thanks to its new partnership with Dance City. Also, two new festival venues, Durham Distillery and Dunelm House, will join established festival spots The Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms, City Theatre, Cafedral café and the Fringe’s very own stretch-marquee tent on Palace Green.

The line-up for this year’s Durham Fringe might be bigger, but the price isn’t. Tickets cost the same as last year so you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy great performance art.

IF YOU LIKE…

Quantity AND Quality

The event boasts a whopping 245 performances from an array of the best local and touring talent, with something for everyone to enjoy. If you like theatre, then Ben Donaghy’s brand new one-man show BED, at The City Theatre (24^th-26^th & 28^th), will have you questioning the world around you. If spoken word is your bag, then We Are Northern celebrates North East working-class culture and community with poetry at Cafédral (24^th-25^th). If you want to be spooked to the core then head to Stewart Houson’s Strange and Extraordinary Tales at City Theatre (25^th-27^th), or if it’s just a bit of rocking out you’re after, then check out indie trio Jam Tub at Palace Green Stretch Tent (28^th). I could go on, but word count won’t let me.

Political Laughs

The elections will be over but the politics will continue with some hilarious Westminster-focused comedy shows. Babs Romance MP brings her scandalous and hilarious press conference, Babs For Life, to Vane Tempest @ Dunelm House (24^th-25^th); also performing is Harun Musho’d (27^th), who will be reading from and commenting on bad political memoirs, and Jen Strike (27^th-28^th), who takes you on a tour of a Northern childhood amidst the backdrop of The Miner’s Strike with her show Strike By Name, at Fabio’s Bar.

Some exciting period drama

For those harking back to the old times – where the ruling class showed little consideration for the poor and waste was dumped untreated into our waters – you’re in for a treat with the festival’s grand selection of theatre productions set in the past. There’s Green Knight, Debbie Cannon’s reimagining of a medieval poem, at Palace Green Stretch Tent (24^th-26^th); Heather-Rose Andrews’ one-woman performance of Jekyll & Hyde (24^th-26^th) at The City Theatre; an insightful look at London’s finest detective with Sherlock Holmes The Last Act (24^th-28^th) at Vane Tempest @ Dunelm House and a witch hunt in 17^th Century England in Menstrual Rage’s Hellcats (24^th-27^th) at Palace Green Stretch Tent.

Magic

Sitting at the desk of your 9-5 job you might be thinking that magic, similar to that felt during your first kiss, has no presence in your life currently. If that’s the case then a trip to Durham Fringe is needed. Prepare to be wowed by teenage magic sensation Brooklyn-Ellis Carr at The City Theatre (24^th-26^th); interactive duo Lichfield & Larmouth at Vane Tempest @ Dunelm House (24^th-25^th & 28^th July); twin tricksters Kane & Abel (26^th-27^th) at The Pemberton Rooms and award-winning stand-up comedian and magician Robert Reed at Cafédral (24^th-28^th).

Image: We Are Northern