By Ruvesen Naidoo
As the Festival adage goes: Was it cringe or was it just part of the Fringe?
Once a year, the tranquil town of Makhanda becomes a vibrant hub of commotion and excitement as a symphony of crowds gather to celebrate the arts. Among the diverse artistic endeavours on showcase, one programme stands out for its unconventional approach: The Fringe. This platform attempts to challenge traditional norms and redefine theatrical expression’s boundaries.
Distinct from the curated show programme, the Fringe champions independent and experimental performances and productions and has left an indelible mark on the National Arts Festival and the wider artistic community.
Fringe programme manager Zikhona Monaheng shares, “The fringe is the heartbeat of the festival. In South Africa, there are a few spaces for artists to showcase new work, so the fringe is an important space for artists to experiment with and to debut new work.”
The platform also exhibits many artists’ desire to break away from conventional theatrical practices throughout the festival’s period.
The Fringe programme welcomes artists willing to push generalised performance approaches, navigate uncharted themes and challenge the audience’s perceptions. These artists often recondition traditional storytelling in favour of personal, often abstract narratives, immersive experiences, and interactive performances, resulting in an experimental blend of theatre and performance art at its finest.
With its ability to allow artists to unleash their complete creative freedom, the programme serves as a platform for artists to create pieces without the constraint of commercial viability or mainstream appeal. This innovative free rein allows performers to engage with unconventional staging techniques and encourages unexpected collaboration between actors, dancers, musicians, comedians and visual artists.
“We regularly see artists who put work on Fringe become a part of the Standard Bank Young Artists of tomorrow, so it is a place of dreams,” says Monaheng adding that “at the end festival, we award performances, through an independent review panel, with Gold, Silver or Bronze Standard Bank Ovation Awards, which stood out for its careful attention to the essence of the Fringe; creativity, innovation, storytelling, audience awareness and pure talent.”
The Fringe Programme continues to catalyse artistic growth, fostering a culture of experimentation and redefining the future of theatre. Long may it live.
