The Scarborough Fringe Festival kicks off today, bringing ten days of diverse performances to traditional and unique venues across the Yorkshire Coast.
The Scarborough Fringe Festival officially gets underway today, bringing a vibrant mix of arts and entertainment to the Yorkshire Coast.
Running from Friday the 12th of June until Sunday the 21st of June, the open-access arts festival features a wide array of performances, including theatre, music, comedy, dance, spoken word, and children’s shows. Organisers have arranged a mix of free and ticketed events in venues both large and small.
Festival Director Catherine Goble says the event has grown to encompass dozens of locations across the local area.
"It lasts over 10 days, from the 12th to the 21st of June, we've got 73 events happening. We've got 45 venues taking part, most of which are round and about in Scarborough. We do go slightly further afield. So, there's some in Filey and Hunmanby and Burniston and Newby and Scalby.
And they're not traditional venues all the time, either. It's not your Stephen Joseph theatre or any other sort of theatre or gallery space that's usual. You've got people opening their houses to do things.
We've got performances happening at Woodend, for example, and in the library upstairs there. So, all sorts of places and bars as well. So, if you're not used to going into theatre spaces and don't think that's for you, just pop along to the local bar and you'll see something going on."
Because the festival is an open-access event, acts from across the country and even internationally have signed up to perform.
Catherine Goble explains that the timing of the Scarborough event makes it an ideal stop for touring performers.
"It's a beautiful thing the fringe because it's open access, so literally anybody can register to be part of it. So we do have people coming from Brighton and London and we've got people coming across from Nigeria to do it.
We're nicely situated between Brighton Fringe in May and Edinburgh Fringe in August. So we fit nicely in that sort of journey up the country as well. So people will come and do fringe shows that they are doing all over the place.
We've got people coming across from York, from the university, a couple of comedy troops there who are trying out their show before they take it up to Edinburgh, which is a really good opportunity for them as well. And loads of local talent as well.
So many people in Scarborough and local area that have put something on, written a show specifically for the fringe. So it's a real opportunity to go and see some of this local talent as well."
The festival's position in the national arts calendar is helping to boost the profile of the Yorkshire Coast.
Catherine Goble says the growing reputation of the event is highly beneficial.
"Word is spreading. We are getting more and more people coming from outside of Scarborough to get involved, which is fantastic, because that gives the festival the kudos. And if they are performing at Brighton Fringe Festival before us, for example, they will be talking about the fact that they're then going to Scarborough Fringe. So it gets the word out really well."
In addition to the scheduled performances, a special showcase event called Scarborough Fringe Streets will take place on Saturday the 13th of June. Between 11am and 4pm, acts involved in this year’s festival will take to the streets of Scarborough town centre to perform excerpts from their shows, offering the public a taste of the live theatre, music, comedy, and spoken word on offer.
Catherine Goble says there is plenty for audiences to enjoy throughout the ten-day run.
"It starts this Friday, so that's the 12th of June, and runs right the way until Sunday the 21st of June, and there's things happening every day all throughout the day, so it's not just evenings either. So, really worth having a look at our website to see what's on."
There are more details about the festival at https://scarboroughfair.uk/fringe/
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