What is a Fringe Festival?

The Hamilton Fringe Festival, founded in October 2002, is an 11-day unjuried theatre festival that happens every summer in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. Fringe Festivals have become one of the most popular and most successful theatre events in the world since the first one was launched in Edinburgh Scotland in 1947. They are worthwhile in several ways, but most particularly because they focus on supporting new and emerging artists presenting innovative theatre to wider audiences. This commitment to the "Fringe" philosophy allows virtually any size company to participate, representing an unequalled opportunity for performing artists of all disciplines.

Presenting live theatre in an informal, accessible and inexpensive environment, the Fringe strives to break down traditional boundaries between audience and artist, encouraging open dialogue between theatre-goers and theatre-creators. Audiences are invited to experience the work of seasoned veterans alongside that of emerging artists. Local, national and international performing companies benefit from working together and learning from each other in a vibrant and exciting festival atmosphere. In order to stimulate artistic innovation, applications for participation in Fringe Festivals are accepted on a non-juried lottery.

Four Governing Principles of the Fringe

• The event must be non-juried. All entrants are chosen using a "first come, first served basis" or similarly random and unbiased process
• 100% of ticket revenues must be returned to the artists
• There must be artistic freedom - no censorship is allowed
• There must be accessibility for all companies - i.e. application fees must be small enough to allow all companies to participate

Other Canadian Fringe Festivals

Canadian Association of Fringe Festival

History

The first Fringe festival was in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947.  Eight groups of young theatre artists invited themselves to the official Edinburgh Arts Festival held that year.  They reasoned that if people were going to Edinburgh to catch a show, that they may as well catch one of their productions too.  This spirit of “do it yourself” is core to the Fringe philosophy.  Edinburgh’s Fringe, remains the world’s largest arts festival; in 2008, hundreds of groups participated putting on 2,088 different shows with a total of 31,320 performances in 247 venues.

The oldest and largest Canadian Fringe Festival is the one in Edmonton, Alberta, which started in 1980.  The 2008 Edmonton Fringe Festival saw 250 productions in 29 venues and attendance of almost 500,000 people.

Since then the concept has spread to 18 other cities across Canada.  Indeed it has become a touring circuit that can take a fringe production from one end of the country to the other; (from the Montreal Fringe in June right through to the Vancouver Fringe in September).  There are five Fringes in Ontario, more then in any other province!  They are the Ottawa, London, Toronto, Hamilton and Windsor Fringe Festivals.

The first Hamilton Fringe Festival was held June 6 to 15 2003.  Local playwright Lee Fairbanks was the key person who worked tirelessly to bring the idea here, and after getting the generous financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and rallying local supporters like Theatre Aquarius, Arts Hamilton and The Hamilton Spectator to the cause, the idea became a reality. The 2003 Festival saw 39 productions with 312 performances in 5 venues.  The venues were the HTI studio, Theatre Aquarius Studio, Sonic Unyon and the Downstairs Club. Notable productions the first year included, STOP BEING STUPID by Dan Redican, EMMA PORTER by David B. Fraser, and TRICK BOXING by Brian Sostek and his wife, Megan McClellan, of Minnesota, USA.

The 2004 Hamilton Fringe "Fringe 2 Play"  was held June 4 to 13.  There were 24 productions in only 4 venues.  They included the Aquarius Studio, Hamilton Theatre Inc., the Blue Angel, and a store front at King and James in Jackson Square.   Attendance was 2500, and shows of note included Players Players with CELEBRITIS, Brad Curtin's play WATER by Curtain Traveler's Theatre based on the Walkerton water tragedy of May 2000 and WHISKEY BARS by Big Empty Bar Productions.

There was no 2005 Hamilton Fringe Festival - it was a bad year for independent theatre in Hamilton.  There had been too many resignations from the board of directors, a deficit from the previous year and no clear vision for what the organization stood for.  Although 20 companies applied to participate, deadlines for funding were missed and in the end, the decision was made not to hold the festival in 2005.  A group of local artists did however organize a "Fridge" festival that summer out at the Staircase Theatre.

Back with a new Board, including newcomer President John McHenry, the 2006 Hamilton Festival "Wanna Fringe!" (August 18-27) was held in 3 venues created out of store fronts within the Jackson Square Mall complex and at the HTI studio on MacNab Street.  There were 22 productions with 176 performances and attendance of 2700 people.  Highlights included CREENA DEFOOUIE a co-production between Fixt Point Theatre of Ancaster and Ruby Bloomsbury Productions of the UK which Spectator Critic Gary Smith said was "the world class theatre that the Fringe promised", Shelley Hamilton's FEELING GOOD, as well as the Fringe Favorite pick YOU ME AND THE SEA by Etobicoke's Happy Medium Theatre.

The 2007 Hamilton Fringe Festival "Fringe 4U" was the first to be held at the Downtown Arts Centre on Rebecca Street between August 10 and 19.  All four venues,- The Theatre, The Studio, Citadel 28 and The Box - were created out of various spaces within the same building.  Theatre Aquarius became the major sponsor that year which saw 21 productions staged.   Highlights included the premiere of Sky Gilbert's play CRACK, local favorite and most attended production was Productive Smog's NAILING THE HAMMER, and our first ever Hamilton Playwrites Contest Winner was BALLS by Rob Salerno, which later went on to tour right across Canada.

The fifth Hamilton Fringe festival "It's 5-Alive 2008!" was also held at the Downtown Arts Centre between August 15-25, with 21 shows this time in only 3 venues.  The winner of the Hamilton Playwrites Contest was David B Fraser with his original play GERALD HILROY'S GUIDE TO THE ART OF SEDUCTION.  Other highlights included Theatre Erebus' NEW TALENT about the 1997 Plastimet Fire and Dwayne Morgan's stunning one man show GRADE EIGHT.  Attendance was up to 3200 and the Visual Fringe was projected on the outside walls of the arts centre every night.

The 2009 festival (July 14-24, theme = Vikings!) was our sixth to date. For the first time, due to a change in the rules of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, we were able to directly follow the Toronto Fringe Festival.  We piggybacked on the energy and momentum that the much larger festival created.    There was a massive increase in artist applications as a result, and for the first time we actually had seven productions on the waiting list.  4600 patrons, saw 28 productions in four venues, and more then $30,050 was returned to the artists, making it the best attended Hamilton Fringe Festival to date. 

Artistic highlights included A MODICUM OF FREEDOM by Lower Deck Productions which was named “Pick of the Fringe” by audience survey, and Nick Wallace’s PRACTITIONER OF THE ART OF ASTONISHMENT, which won the coveted title of “Best of Fringe 2009” for having the highest box office total; almost all of the 7 performances being completely sold out.  

HEAD FIRST by Femmes De Feu left mid festival, as they had been picked, “Best of the Toronto Fringe”.  The winner of the 2009 Hamilton Fringe Playwrites Contest was Micheal Wilmot of London, Ontario with his play LOVE SHACK.  It has now been picked up for a professional production next season by the Port Stanley Summer Theatre, proving the value of the Hamilton Fringe as a play development tool.

The most positive result though was a closer association with the Hamilton Fringe to our professional regional Theatre Aquarius.  We used them again as a Fringe venue for the first time since 2004, and also as the exclusive launch location for the festival itself, which started one day earlier then previous fringes.  

The  biggest development was Aquarius inserting a “Best of Fringe” holdover production into their “Stage Write” series, allowing two of our fringe shows a 10 day run as part of their subscription series. 

The first BEST OF FRINGE ran October 22 – 30, 2009 in Aquarius’ 100 seat Louis Haac Studio Theatre, and included Nick Wallace’s PRACTITIONER OF THE ART OF ASTONISHMENT, and Peter Gruner’s play LAUND-O-MAT AT THE END OF THE WORLD.  Since the Fringe itself has no artistic direction, the second play was chosen by Theatre Aquarius AD Ron Ulrich, as his own personal favorite of the many fringe shows he attended last festival.

Past Hamilton Fringe Productions

2003                                                     June 6 – 15, 2003

Trick Boxing                                                       Brian Sostek/Megan McClellan, Minnesota, USA

Theseus in the Labyrinth;

Emma Porter                                                     David Fraser, Hamilton, ONT

A Year In The Death Of Eddie Jester

The Field: A Moment Of Folly

Balance

Bathory

Be Wearing Wolf

Bird’s Eye View

Blood And Rust                                                    Kevin Land, Ancaster ONT.

Boris Chemanski, Defender Of Freedom

Casta Diva: Visions Of Maria Callas

Conversation Obligation

The Dottie Parker Project

Frozen Dreams

Gl(Amour) Girls: In Search Of Love And Beauty

The Golden Age Of Monsters

Happy City

IncoheRANT                                                        Et cetera Theatre Collective, Edmonton, ALB

Libido Lib & Yamtisy’s Passion

Life After God

Melancholy Elephants

Off To Australia

Past The Fear: Living With The Big C

The Red Hill Expressed

Seven Sins                                                        James Judd, San Francisco, USA

Sex, Violence And The Meaning Of Life                Jonno Katz, Brooklyn, USA

69 Moments Of Life

Sketch Comedy For Dummies

Snapshot                                                           Samantha Swan, Toronto, ONT.

Sounding Off

Stop Being Stupid                                               Dan Redican, Toronto ONT.

Sweeney Todd

The Fickle Jar                                                     Vulgar Paper Theatre Company, Hamilton, ONT

This Is A Play By Daniel MacIvor

This Night  -                                                       Teatron Jewish Theatre, ONT

3 Women

Two Oul’ Wans

Weaverville Waltz

2004                                                     June 4 – 13, 2004

A Women’s Guide to Part-time Jobs                       Little Olga Productions, ONT

Adventures of Ron Starr, L.A. DJ                           Channel Surfing Comedy Troupe, ONT

An Evening with Evelyn Dick                                 Evelyn Dick & Her All Star Jug Band, ONT

Barton Samurai                                                  Throb, Hamilton, ONT

Celebritis                                                            Players Players, Hamilton, ONT

Drag Queens Talk About Their Vaginas                 Art Outlaw, ONT

Exit This Way                                                     Real Theatre ONT

From Vegas With Love                                        Hot Pants Productions            , ONT

Gardy Loo                                                          Tethersend Productions, ONT

Have You Been Saved                                         Ongoing Productions            ONT

Hunt For Treasure                                              Theatre du Refuse            ONT

Lyfsux Theatre                                                   A Monk Walks By Productions, ONT

The Mind of Heinrich Von Zuben                          Awkward Entrance Productions, ONT

Movie-oke                                                          L2 Productions, ONT

Shakespeare Fights                                            Fisticuffs Theatre            ONT

Skitz-in-frona-ya                                                Skitz-in-frona-ya, ONT

The Way of all Fish                                            Footlights, ONT

The Thom and Dan Show                                   The Thom and Dan Show,   ONT

Water                                                               The Curtin Travellers            ONT

The Reefer Man                                                 Big Smoke Productions, BC

The Regina Monologue

Alec Baldwin's Underwear: Part One                    Cellar Full of Noise Theatrical Productions, USA

Superbowl and Other Stories                              Totally Realistic Productions            USA

Whisky Bars                                                       Big Empty Barn Productions, France

2005

There was no Fringe Festival this year.

2006                                                     August 18 - 27

Tommy Alcott            by David B Fraser               King and James Productions            ONT

The Old Woman & the Pedler                              Panache Theatre Productions            ONT

Never Another Girl Like Me                                  Motea Renaissance Productions            ONT

Chekhov's Briefs: Swan Song & the Bear              Acanthus Theatre,            ONT

Bronze Babes                                                     Throb Theatre ONT     

Science Fair                                                       Players Players  ONT                 

Losing My Faculties                                             Evelyn Dick & Her All Star Jug Band, ONT

Be Kind To Mimes                                               Theatre Arts Generator            ALBTA

Dry Clean Only (Sketch Comedy)                          The Gently Used Coats    N.B

Pieces                                                               Smashin Bat Theatre            ONT

You, Me & the Sea                                             Happy Medium Theatre            ONT

Krapp's Last Tape by Samuel Beckett                   Theatre Erebus Inc, Hamilton, ONT

The Rural Legends of Mary Rutherford                 Saugeen Country Productions            ONT

Closet Case                                                       Late Toast Productions            ONT

Conversations with Myself                                   Little Olga Productions            ONT

Feeling Good                                                     Shelley Hamilton Productions, N.SCOTIA

Skitz-in-frona-ya: The improv Show                    Bee Loonie Blue Angel    ONT

The Kneeling Goddess                                        Art Outlaw  ONT

Pinned up: The Exploits of Bettie Page                 The Cygnet Theatre Company            ONT

The Cuckoo                                                       Fiat Ars Theatre ONT

Creena Defoouie                                                Fixt Point Theatre (Ancaster) /

                                                                        Ruby Bloomsbury Productions  - UK

2007                                                     August 10 - 19

Skinning The Cat  by Kevin Land                            Solstice Productions, Ancaster, ONT     

Nailing The Hammer                                             Productive Smog, Hamilton, ONT  

In The Kitchen                                                     Silverfox Productions, Hamilton,            ONT     

Talk Thirty To Me By Oonagh Duncan                    Oyster Productions, Toronto, ONT    

Crack by Sky Gilbert                                             Hammer Theatre, Hamilton, ONT              

Mary Go Round                                                    Work In Progress Theatre ONT     

Balls by Rob Salerno                                            Ten Foot Pole Productions, Toronto, ONT    

Perfect Wives, Desperate Lives - Vanessa Burns      Perfectly Desperate Productions, BC 

Ode To Humanity                                                 Kitchener Waterloo Little Theatre, ONT    

Speed The Plow by David Mamet                            Absolute Truth, Toronto, ONT    

Shifting Mozart  by Susan Cuthbert                         Op-Erratic Productions, Toronto, ONT    

Obstacles To Love                                                Theatre Terrapax Borealis ONT     

Where Our Soles Lie                                             On The Grid Productions, Toronto, ONT                

Summer Offensive by David Demchuck                   Theatre Erebus Inc. Hamilton, ONT  

Berbie's Jam                                                        The Ugly Sticks, Hamilton, ONT

Who The Hell Started All This                                Fallen Angel Theatre, Oakville, ONT                

The Newspaper                                                   Global Village Idiot Productions.            ONT

Burgee Bush Woman                                            Under The Blood Productions,            ONT     

Improv Show                                                       Skitz In Frona ya, Hamilton, ONT

Pillar Passion                                                       24th Street Players, New York, New York, USA

Ballad of Monish                                                   Marty Green Productions, Winnipeg, MAN 

2008                                                     August 15 - 25

I am Not Neil Young by Frank Wilkes                  Don Lameroux Productions, Toronto, ONT

Dark City Street                                               Savage Noble Productions, Brampton, ONT 

Super Sexy Cowboy by Cinzia DiFranco              This Bag is not a Toy, Hamilton, ONT             

Summers Stock By Ron MacDonald                     Sanitorium Productions, Hamilton, ONT  

Gerald Hilroy's Guide to Seduction  - D.B Fraser   Richguy Enterprises, Hamilton, ONT 

Because I Can    by Alison McWood                     Kristen S. Productions, Kitchener, ONT              

The Right Turne by Aaron Lam                           Shooting Eye, Oakville, ONT     

Without Whom    by R.J. Downes                        Beautiful Lie, Toronto, ONT                 

Sticks in the City                                                Ugly Sticks, Hamilton, ONT                 

Grade 8                                                            Dwayne Morgan, Toronto, ONT

Low Lifes by Brent Purvis                                    Wishsmoke Productions, Hamilton, ONT  

Goodbye Mary Pie by Andrew Lee                        Paraphrased Productions, Hamilton, ONT

New Talent by Brian Morton                               Theatre Erebus Inc. Hamilton, ONT  

Lear's Shadow                                                  Newman Players, Saskatoon, SASK

Couple of Wheels                                              Wheelin Aint Easy, Oakville, ONT                

Human Brilliance in 20th Century                         ECO5 Inc. Hamilton, ONT                             

Camouflage by Gail Roberts                               Camouflage Productions, Etobicoke, ONT 

Misha by Adam Pettle                                        Black Box Fire, Hamilton, ONT

Anacletus and Polycarp                                     Adam & Paul's 1st Theatre, Calgary, ALB                 

How Does a Drug Deal become a 3rd date          Green with Envy Productions, Toronto, ONT    

You are my Blood by Andrea Grant                     2 Grants Productions, Ajax, ONT