GUELPH – Actors, dancers, musicians and performing artists from near and far will take the stage at three local venues during the Guelph Fringe Festival, happening Aug. 4 to 7 in downtown Guelph.
Each of the 15 independent artistic teams will perform three shows at one of three local venues.
A total of 45 live shows will be performed over four days at the Guelph festival, which is part of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, a national organization that exists to provide opportunities for independent artists to showcase their work.
Following a familiar format to fringe festivals around the world, the artists participating in Guelph will receive $12 from every $15 ticket sold.
The Guelph Fringe was rebooted for 2022 through a volunteer collaboration between local artists, thespians, and theatre-lovers, including producers from the Downtown Theatre Project, a local production company that launched in Guelph in 2018. Festival coordinator Paul Barson says presenting 45 shows in four days is no simple act.
“Going live with multiple productions simultaneously is all part of the fun of fringe,” notes Barson, who spearheaded the initiative back in 2019.
Since then, the festival has been delayed twice due to COVID protocols. This year, Barson says all systems are go.
“We are all very excited for this year’s Fringe, because it’s all about independent artists,” adds Barson.
“And it’s been a very long journey for everyone involved, so we can’t wait to see what will be happening on stage.”
All festival shows will be performed at The Red Brick Café, Silence, and the Guelph Civic Museum in downtown Guelph. For full information, tickets and show times, visit www.theguelphfringefestival.ca.
All seats are $15 on Eventbrite (online fees extra). Remaining tickets can be purchased for cash at each venue 30 minutes before showtime.
