In the dark recession days of the early 1980s, when the small independent theater scene in Vancouver appeared to have been replaced by TV sitcoms, a group of artists decided to fight the tide with a series of one-act plays in a loft space in Gastown. Encouraged by the reception received, the Vancouver Fringe Festival was born in 1985, a Canadian version of the eclectic smorgasbord of performing arts at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Today, the festival is an established event in Vancouver’s annual calendar, and is held at venues across the former industrial peninsula turned arts sanctuary of Granville Island.
Nurturing theater for everyone is the key mission of the First Vancouver Theatrespace Society, a registered charity that organizes the annual event. Informal, accessible and inexpensive are the three main objectives of this lively arts jamboree. Performers are invited on a first-come, first-serve basis -- not juried and uncensored to show off a mixture of emerging talents as well as established veterans. Artists receive 100 percent of box-office revenues from their shows, so the festival relies on a host of sponsors and dedicated volunteers to bring it to life.
Every year, the 11-day festival puts on almost 800 performances by an average of 100 acts, with audience numbers topping 30,000. The acts range from dramas exploring modern-day dilemmas, and comedies taking an eccentric look at life to musicals, cabaret and burlesque. Organizers are devoted to breaking down the traditional stilted boundaries between audiences and artists, encouraging a vibrant environment with open conversation between theater-goers and the performers. Each year, the festival announces its Public Market Pick of the Fringe award for audience favorites. Prizes have previously gone to performances as diverse as a janitor's fantastical voyage through a dating service to a one-woman play about the wives of Henry VIII.
Visit the acts at one of the main stage venues, such as the New Revue Stage, Performance Works or Waterfront Theatre in and around Granville Island. For a more unique experience, wander the area to spot one of the acts that have been encouraged to Bring Your Own Venue. Artists put on performances in a range of unconventional spots, from boats and trees to fire escapes and the back of cars or bicycles. In 2010, the festival added its Onsite program, helping fringe artists create and develop their own unique theater around specific venues in the area.
The Fringe Box Office is located on Granville Island in the parking lot between Waterfront Theatre and 1398 Cartwright Street. Festival-goers are expected to buy membership for 5 dollars Canadian to receive a card to be presented at the door of each show, with most tickets around CA $10 to $12, bought either online or at the door. Some shows, where the artists have agreed to donate a percentage of their profits to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, are half-price.
