The much loved and exciting Fringe programme, a definite for any festival goer, is once again packed to the brim with exciting new offerings, with some festival favourites returning to the stage.
Since it was introduced as part of the National Arts Festival programme in 1979, the Fringe has been shaped by the independent spirit that inspired the Edinburgh Fringe, when defiant theatre groups arrived at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1947 without an invitation to perform.
The Fringe has been an integral part of the Festival, offering the dependable stage to which comedians, theatremakers, musicians and magicians have returned with crowd-pleasing favourites. It has also produced fertile ground for edgy new works, exciting ideas, experimental formats and surprise hits.
Uncurated and unexpected, the stages of the Fringe are an incubator and an inspiration for many contemporary artists who attempt to make their mark on the programme.
Bursting with works across diverse genres, origins and languages, this year’s Fringe programme has a variety of performances, including comedy skits and shows by Dalin Oliver with a limited run of his international award-winning show, 90 Day Comedian. MC and voice-over artist Mbu Msongelwa gives his take on being in his 40s in his stand-up comedy show Furthermore40, while Kate Pinchuck tackles millennial angst in Don’t Panic.
Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award winner Sophie Joans is back with her new solo clown show, AÏo; a commentary on AI’s facilitation of humans’ (dis)connection. She also brings Dog Rose back to the Festival and, through her production company, gives up the stage for some naughty tales in Raunchy Renditions.
Freshly Squeezed, with Silver Standard Bank Ovation Award winner Pichi Keane’s brand-new drag cabaret is packed with cheeky comedy, brassy belting, and BDE (big diva energy). The Butlers team is back for their 26th Fringe, with Butlers and Bellboys; a murder mystery that lets the audience decide who lives and who dies.
After wildly successful national and international tours and winning the Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award for it at the National Arts Festival 2023, Rob van Vuuren brings Namaste Bae: Blessings and Kombucha back to The Fringe.
Isaac Sithole returns to NAF with two plays: Selekane and Dikakapa. Physical theatre piece Dikakapa draws on Sharpeville’s history and the divergent life paths of two struggle heroes. While Selekane, a cultural tale told through music, movement and text, tackles themes of greed and power.
Family themes, and in this case, the terrible consequences of family secrets, are under the spotlight in Cursed. Written by Nokwandu Mnyandu and directed by Thamsanqa Khumalo, this play tells the story of two siblings separated very young. After living vastly different lives, they meet at university and, not realising their connection, form a relationship and choose to have children of their own.
The ongoing racism, terrible conditions and unfulfilled promises experienced by the nation’s farm workers drive the robust piece Farm Workers brought to the Festival by the Mzansi Arts Development Ensemble.
UNLiMiTED tells the story of a dancer faced with a sudden injury and, with it, the shattering of their aspirations. Produced by Tshwane University of Technology, Faculty of Art and Design, the show is an ode to modern technological innovation, resilience and the commitment to passion in the face of adversity.
For the full fringe programme, visit the National Arts Festival website.
