City Hall ‘the centre of gravity’

It’s all systems go for the launch of the second Cape Town Fringe Festival ‘15 this week writes STEYN DU TOIT

OPENING today and running until October 4, among the genres celebrated over the event’s 11 days are theatre, dance, performance art, physical theatre, music, family theatre and magic.

Produced by the same team behind the National Arts Festival(NAF) in Grahamstown, artistic director Ismail Mahomed describes this year’s programme as more firmly balanced between presenting engaging content and escapist entertainment.

“In both cases, however, artistic excellence, innovation and creativity strongly come to the fore,” he goes on to assure.

Among the productions previously staged at other festivals that have been invited to the Mother City include Wessel Pretorius’ Al Julle Volke, Philip Rademeyer's Ashes, Charles J. Fourie’s Ella's Horses, Greig Coetzee’s Johnny Boskak is Feeling Funny, as well as W e Didn’t Come to Hell for the Croissants: Seven Deadly New Stories for Consenting Adults, starring Jemma Kahn and Roberto Pombo.

“Overall the programme represents a greater diversity of voices, performances styles and general demographics. This inevitably can only have a positive impact on diversifying the audiences for the festival, which was one of its biggest challenges last year.

“We compiled it through a consultative process with credible representatives from the arts sector in Cape Town. Their knowledge of both the arts sector and the socio-politics of Cape Town was valuable in shortlisting productions for the programme.”

Among the debut productions to be staged are the Gabriella Bishop-directed Barred, “created exclusively to be performed in the “stylish, old-world, jazz-sounding space that is The Alexander Bar”; the Jungle Theatre Company’s How Stories Began, based on the retelling of a traditional Zulu folk tale; as well as Trophy, a new work by performance creature Gavin Krastin, created in response to the current debates around public statues and monuments.

Asked which adjectives he’d use to describe the expected overall festival experience this year, Fringe Chief Executive Officer Tony Lankester suggests “innovative, a bit more mature, interesting, eclectic and thought-provoking.”

“The programme has a strong Cape flavour, with locally-based artists making up approximately 60% of the programme,” he adds.

“We learned a lot last year. It was an interesting experience from just about every angle. Operationally, audience experience, technology and programming; you name it,” Lankester recalls.

“This year we have tried to simplify the experience for audiences, and take into account that we’re staging a festival in a working city; one where people have a lot of choice and pressure on their free time.”

As a result they've once again concentrated on City Hall as a hub by adding an extra venue in there and strengthening it as “a centre of gravity for the Fringe.”

Satellite venues have been refined and expanded into the V&A Waterfront, “where we can put The Fringe brand under the noses of some of the many visitors who pass through there.”

In addition, The Fugard and Gugu S’Thebe in Langa have also been added.

“Langa has become an important cultural district for Cape Town and we are also mindful of the need to extend The Fringe beyond the city centre.”

Among the other festival improvements since last year listed by Lankester includes an improved online booking experience, print-at-home ticket options and a streamlining of “a lot of the back office stuff that keeps the engine turning.”

“We hope this year The Fringe will be more visible to Capetonians. Our marketing focus has been almost exclusively on getting our primary asset, our printed programme, in as many hands as possible, because that’s what will ‘sell’ and explain the event to people.

“The amazing thing about fringe festivals are that they give you the opportunity to experience new work and to expand your horizons a bit. For the rest of the year going to the theatre is a fair commitment of time, effort and money.”

Lankester argues that a fringe festival, however, lets you “binge on three, four or more shows a day at relatively low prices with venues close by.”

“Everything is low key, casual and friendly. So our advice to audiences is: be curious.”

“Go and see genres that are new to you. Listen to the buzz on the streets, in the media and at the bar in the Fringe Club. Take some risks!

“Practically, we suggest people flip through the programme and pick one or two shows that appeal to them. Then give us an evening, come and hang out at City Hall and mingle with the artists, media and audiences there in order to discover some new shows and/or experiences.”

l For the full Fringe Festival programme, or to book tickets, see www.capetownfringe.co.za and www.facebook.com/CapeTownFringe.