I had always known Fringe as either an excuse for bangs to cover a big forehead or an amazing sci-fi television show produced by Bad Robot. But I had always assumed Fringe Theatre meant a very small or intimate theatre. While being in London, I learned that can be the case but it has more to do with location than size.
I saw Heathers, which is considered a West End show, in a venue that has around 300 seats. While the theatre felt very intimate with the insane incline, which allowed a smaller distance between the front and back row, the show is not considered a fringe show. Funnily enough, Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image is a fringe show even though the theatre has over 1000 seats.
I have found, though, that just because a show is a fringe show, does not mean it’s any worse than a show on the West End. I personally thought some cast members of Heathers could have been cast differently or at least given more direction for their characters. Meanwhile, the absolute insanity that came with the skills required for Idiots Assemble astounded me. The cast members had blank faces but still created a very believable performance as the character they were portraying through a puppet! (That may be a very confusing sentence but just google the show, and it may make a little more sense.) No cast member spoke lines; they just performed the staging, following along with a recording of the voice actors. That is what shocked me the most. There was no room for error. Every puppet, every cast member, and every piece of choreography was perfectly placed in time with the pre-recorded track. It was very similar to The Burnt City by Punchdrunk in the talent of knowing cues.
As for How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, I have some opinions. I think the cast did an amazing job with the script they were given. They each found a lot of humor in the script that I know was not written. They also did a fantastic job adapting to the gender-bended roles. I do think the show itself is very outdated and created a small problem with the gender-bending. The roles themselves, I think would have been more interesting if the characters were gender bent, not just the actors playing them. But, after talking it over, I realize how many licensing issues that would have caused and I understand why they didn’t do that. But, the lead being cast as a female, but the character being a man didn’t change anything, which may have been the point. But, based on the poster that had the show advertised, I hoped the character itself became a woman so I could see the change in the dynamic of a woman trying to succeed in business which is a male-dominated field.
I do think it is very interesting how very popular or well-seasoned actors/celebrities can be cast in fringe shows! I love that it is a possibility because it allows people who may not get the chance to see the more popular shows to experience an actor that they may have encountered online (Ralph Fiennes in whatever show Shawn talked about – UGH I WISH). In HTSIBWRT, Tracie Bennet was cast as J.B. Biggley, the main businessman who was in charge of the whole business. I had never heard of them before, but I came to find out that they have had an extensive career! I was told to watch a video of them singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow as Judy Garland and let me just say… you should too. I would have never experienced an actor with that kind of resume and background without the fringe opportunity. That’s what I love about fringe, well that and it frames my face.
Theatre in London U of A 