When should I go to
Fringe?
If a show runs all week, Monday to Sunday, which night
should I go? How busy do you like places to be? If you don’t like too many
people, why not go on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Thursday to Sunday is
busiest. It’s also harder to find parking in Perth and Northbridge on these
days. If you are going to go between Thursday and Sunday, allow plenty of time
to find a parking spot, so you don’t miss the start of a show. If you’re late,
you might not be allowed in immediately.
Australia Day is always quiet at Fringe,
so if you don’t like crowds, go Fringe mad on this day! Look for our separate Australia
Day post to see what’s on at Fringe on 26th January.
Take a punt
The size of the venue provides some guide as to how popular a
show is going to be. The biggest venues are the Spiegeltents, The Heath Ledge
Theatre, The Regal Theatre and Downstairs at His Maj. We have also seen some
real gems at smaller venues like Charlie Hides Who in 2015 and Tort E Mort in
2016 at Connections Night Club.
For every mainstream show that you see, take a punt on a
smaller show. Look for the smaller shows that have ‘Reviewed’, ‘Award Winner’, or
‘Award Nominated’ status; they must be good to appear in any or all the above
categories. Brendon Burns & Craig Quartermaine: Race Off, Comedy, Page 50,
has four four-star reviews, but the show is in ‘Pizza Hut Northbridge’ for
$21-$26!
Support your Local
Fringe Hub
Support your local venues. Look at the list at the back of
the catalogue. Whether your in ‘Fremantle’, ‘South Side’, ‘West Side’, ‘North
Side’, or ‘Outer Metro & Regional’, make sure you support your local
venues. That way ‘Fringe Hubs’ return to your suburb next year! It has never
been easier with the search engine on the website, www.fringeworld.com.au.
Who’s from Where?
There is a two or three letter code above the ‘UV Rating Symbol’
which tells you where the act is from: ‘AUS’ a mix of performers from different
parts of Australia. ‘IE’ Ireland, ‘GB’ Great Britain etc. Western Australian
shows, for the first time, are denoted by ‘WA’, highlighted with a bronze
background. I haven’t chosen shows based on the geographic origin of performers,
just on whether they are ‘Award Winners, ‘Award Nominated’ or ‘Reviewed’.
Smut
As a rule, the later the show, the ruder it can get. Grandparents,
have an afternoon nap. Get up just as the sun is going down and take in all the
smut and filth you can as the night gets longer. Who knows, you might bump into
your grandchildren!
Spelling mistakes
Before the teachers and highly educated among you get on
your high horses and say “THAT’S NOT HOW YOU SPELL IT!”, some acts have chosen
to deliberately use “creative” spelling. I’ve just used the titles the acts
have provided!
