Cape Town Fringe returns to Mother City

18 August 2015

With a bold programme of more than 70 productions, this year’s Cape Town Fringe – which runs in the city from 24 September to 4 October – promises to be a showcase of the best of South African theatre.

Audiences can look forward to an invigorating mix of new and original work spanning every genre. It is the second time this annual event will be held in Cape Town.

Ismail Mahomed, the festival’s artistic director, said the Cape Town Fringe was evolving its own artistic fingerprint – that of an engaged, original, and socially aware programme.

“It demonstrates how independent artists and arts companies are passionately engaging with the world around them and bringing that experience to their work,” Mahomed said. More productions were likely be added in the coming weeks as contractual and other discussions were concluded.

Magic is on the bill

While the programme comprises mostly theatre, dance, performance art, physical theatre, music, family theatre and magic will round off the 11-day festival.

This year’s line-up aims to offer a wide choice, ensuring that the Fringe matches the vibrancy and creativity of other Fringe festivals worldwide. “Audiences will be able to craft an amazing experience, drawing from productions that won the coveted Standard Bank Ovation Award at the recent National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, through to original work that is devised and created specifically to premiere at this year’s Fringe,” he said.

More venues join the Fringe

Produced by the experienced team at the National Arts Festival, the Cape Town Fringe will make use of venues in the city centre, Langa, and at the V&A Waterfront for the first time in 2015.

“The programme has a strong Cape flavour, with locally based artists making up about 60% of the programme,” said Fringe chief executive Tony Lankester. More than 18 000 tickets were sold last year, and the event was estimated to have an economic impact of more than R4-million, over and above its R2.7-million direct spend.

Local partnerships were crucial to staging the event, Mahomed added, highlighting relationships with initiatives such as the Zabalaza Festival, Pansa and Assitej, all of which had made the programme “richer and more relevant”.

“The Fringe has helped Cape Town earn the enviable reputation of an events destination of choice,” said Garreth Bloor, the Cape Town mayoral committee member for tourism, events and economic development. The economic spin-offs of events held enormous benefits for the city and its residents.

Innovations this year

Lankester said last year’s event had given the organisers a solid base from which to innovate: “We want to grow the event even more and we will be introducing some innovations developed as a result of open engagement with Cape artists and institutions earlier this year.”

Some of this year’s innovations include:

• Patrons who book via the Cape Town Fringe website will be able to make use of the print-at-home-ticket function, reducing queuing time for patrons.
• An enhanced and more user-friendly Cape Town Fringe mobile booking and planning app.
• A stronger programme of events for schools and learner groups during the daytime.
• Greater cognisance given to religious and other holidays in the planning process.
• Expanding to venues beyond the City Hall precinct.
• Partnering with Cape Town Tourism and a specialist travel agent to put packages together for visitors from other cities wanting to attend the Fringe.
• More specials for workers in the City to attend shows during their lunch breaks. “Give us your lunch hour; we’ll give you a show and a sandwich,” say organisers.
• A busier and more vibrant Fringe Club in the City Hall, where patrons will be able to meet for coffee, a glass of wine and a light meal.

Joining the city as a full sponsor of the event this year is Standard Bank, which will host the Standard Bank music stage in the City Hall.

“The venue will feature some amazing entertainment,” said Jenny Pheiffer, head of brand and group sponsorships at Standard Bank.

Booking opens at the end of August through the Cape Town Fringe website.

Productions at #CTF2015

Source: SAinfo reporter