Fringe World Festival’s 2021 season official ends this Sunday 14th February, but audiences will now have two extra weeks to catch their favourite artists in an encore season.
ARTRAGE CEO Sharon Burgess said that the Fringe Encore season would enable much needed performance opportunities for shows that were forced to cancel due to lockdown and allow the public a second chance to enjoy the Fringe good times.
“Fringe World is a spectacular and much-loved highlight of our community’s annual calendar, and whilst we experienced some difficulties this year due to COVID-19 restrictions we are proud of what we have achieved,” Burgess said.
“There have been thousands less audiences who were able to enjoy the Festival this year due to the week’s lockdown and subsequent reduced capacities. The Fringe Encore will give them a second chance to Fringe and for our artists who’ve experienced financial difficulties it will be vital income.”
The 2021 Festival will process more than 75,000 ticket cancellations as a result of the lockdown and reduced capacities. The COVID-19 restrictions will have a considerable financial impact for artists and Fringe World.
“We are in close contact with the state government to explore ways that they can support our artists and ARTRAGE, so that Fringe World can continue to be an event that delivers back significantly to our community,” Burgess said.
ARTRAGE crunched the numbers, highlighting that Fringe 2021 featured 2,400 artists, more than 500 events at more than 100 venues.
Fringe World Festival Director Amber Hasler said that Girls School in East Perth would have four venues running during the Fringe Encore along with smaller venues across Perth hosting shows including Perth Town Hall, Universal Bar and Air Nightclub, to name a few.
“If you haven’t seen enough Fringe this year, or even if you have, the Fringe Encore is a great excuse to get out with mates and enjoy live theatre and performance,” Hasler said.
“At The Rosemount Hotel you can catch the fabulous new musical, The Karaoke Club, and in the city The Comedy Stylings of Pete Rowsthorn and Frankie will entertain you at The Royal Hotel.”
“Northbridge plays host to award-winning musical comedian Matt Storer’s show Hot Nonsense at The Rechabite, and silliness abounds in Dave Callan’s A-Z of Dance at Girls School. Theatre lovers can experience the world premiere of Antigone Sophocles Adaptation by Jane Hille at Maali Mia Theatre and Lyric’s Underground in Maylands presents Spectacles Present: Stargazed, where drag performers explore each star sign in an entertaining variety show.”
Fringe World has been facilitating donations for artists through the Fringe Fund to support artists impacted by the lockdown and post-restrictions.
So far more than $80,000 has been raised by individual donations and other donations from the Ungar Family Foundation; Woodside; and Gage Roads Brew Co. who has topped up the Fringe Fund through sales from Hello Sunshine cider.
The Festival traditionally concludes with the presentation of the Fringe World Awards, which are based on Weekly Award Winners judged throughout the Festival. Due to the lockdown and show cancellations the Festival made the difficult decision to not present the 2021 Fringe World Awards with the prize money being diverted to Fringe Fund.
Tickets for the encore season are available from fringeworld.com.au or download the Fringe World app. You can also donate to the Fringe Fund here.
Source: Media release, image: Kaifu Deng
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