Monday to Friday, from August 10th all the way to August 21st , The Edmonton International Fringe Festival takes over CKUA with daily features airing at 5:45 PM (MT)!
Each #FringeSpot will be hosted by broadcaster, Peter Brown. We’re thrilled to share Peter’s knowledge, insights, and humorous take on the Fringe with you.
Last year the festival drew 150,000 people irl but this year, for hopefully obvious reasons, they’re going online with The Fringe that Never Was. Over the next two weeks, we’ll bring you the stories of artists who launched their careers at the Fringe. Here is a quick look ahead to what you can expect to hear on CKUA’s Fringe Spot:
Monday August 10th
Singer/songwriter Andrea House is making a name throughout the province and beyond. She’ll tell us how carrying a tray of fish in a Fringe play started her on the path toward writing and recording her own music. She’ll also reveal the role CKUA played along the way.
Tuesday August 11th
Darrin Hagen is now a respected writer, composer and performer. But thirty years ago, he was a kid wearing a mermaid suit in a parade, with no idea how his drag show would go over in 1980s Alberta. He’ll tell us about the creative drive that built his career, and that’s keeping him very busy during the age of COVID.
Wednesday August 12th
For almost 40 years, the lifeblood of the Edmonton Fringe has been thousands of volunteers, technicians and support staff. The people who keep the machine running will tell us what makes the Fringe the highlight of their year.
Thursday August 13th
We’ll bring you the perspective of an up-and-coming artist you’re going to hear a lot more from in the future. Helen Belay will tell us what the Edmonton Fringe has meant to her as she launches a career in the arts.
Check out Helen’s next theatrical performance during Fringe Revue Episode 3, airing on FringeTV Saturday August 15th at 8pm!
Friday August 14th
If you’re a fan of magic, you know the name Billy Kidd. She’s been on TV around the world, including Penn and Teller’s show. Billy will talk about the lessons she learned during her first terrifying days as a street performer at the Edmonton Fringe.
Be sure to check out Billy’s magic tricks on FringeTV during Meet The Artist, Friday August 14th at 6pm!
Monday August 17th
Can improvised comedy survive the transition online? Edmonton’s most celebrated improv troupe Rapid Fire Theatre has been jumping into the online waters recently. Three members of Rapid Fire – Matt Schuurman, Joleen Ballendine, and Mark Meer – will talk about the challenges and rewards of improvising online.
Tuesday August 18th
Josh Languedoc found his audience and his voice on the Canadian Fringe circuit. His play Rocko and Nakota celebrates indigenous storytelling and tradition, and he’ll tell us how his story developed at the Fringe. He’ll also reveal the difference between audiences in Calgary and Edmonton. Spoiler – one city gives a lot more standing ovations.
Check out FringeTV Tuesday Aug 18th at 6pm to hear Josh in conversation with other BIPOC Fringe artists during Irreconcilable Spaces of Cultural Identity, following that catch an excerpt of Rocko And Nakota during No Show at 7:30pm.
Wednesday August 19th
Farren Timoteo is a dynamo onstage and a tireless creator offstage. He’ll talk about the Fringe experiences that have carried him forward as an actor, singer, musician, composer and director. And he’ll describe what it’s meant to him to get back to performing for live human beings. Meet Farren during Meet The Artist on FringeTV, Wednesday at 6pm
Thursday August 20th
If you’ve ever been to a Fringe festival, you’ve probably heard the name T. J. Dawe. His one-man shows sell out across the country and one was turned into a movie. T. J will tell us what his years on the Fringe circuit have taught him about storytelling and connecting with audiences.
Friday August 21st
We’re going to wrap up our series of Fringe profiles with one of the biggest stars on the Fringe circuit in the past few years. Tymisha Harris brings the music of Josephine Baker to the stage in her wildly popular show Josephine. Tymisha Harris will talk about her approach to the legend’s music, and also reveal the way Josephine Baker’s example has inspired her own life choices.
To learn more about The Fringe that Never Was, 11 days of digital Fringe shows, interviews, parties and more, visit FringeTheatre.ca
For more information on past festival take-overs, such as the North Country Fair, the South Country Fair, the Weayaya solar-powered music festival and the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, visit our Festival Radio page.
