Quick History of the FRINGE Festival


Victoria's Fringe Festival draws its heritage from 1947 Edinburgh when
eight enterprising young theatre companies were turned away from that
city's International Festival due to "lack of space". Thus challenged,
they successfully mounted their work around the periphery, or "fringe"
of the Edinburgh Festival.

Since then,  FRINGE  has been synonomous with innovative, new, challenging
theatre. Spreading to Canada by way of the Edmonton Fringe (now the largest
festival of any type in North America!) both young and experienced artists
alike can be seen "fringing" from Montreal to Victoria in a loose circuit that
has sprung up in much the same way that the Victoria Fringe itself has
grown.    

The Victoria Fringe Festival began itself in 1987 - making this year's the
ELEVENTH annual public celebration of fun, daring, topical stage
performances! What began as a 5 day festival responding to both public
and artistic demand for local opportunity to produce fresh work in a
creatively-charged atmosphere has grown into an international showcase
of talent over a 11 day period!

This year, from Thursday August 28 thru Sunday, September 7, a total
of 300 international alternative theatre, comedy and dance performances
will transform Victoria into a festive playland! 

For more info, phone the Fringe hotline at 383-2663, or e-mail
uf116@freenet.victoria.bc.ca right here on Freenet.