BRIGHTON FRINGE 2023: THEATRE EVENTS SPOTLIGHT
By Federica Purcaro (University of Brighton Press Placement) Brighton Fringe is gearing up to take...
Brighton Fringe are delighted to announce the winners of our annual bursary awards in association with our funders, sponsors and supporters including The Pebble Trust, Ironclad Creative, Encore Insure and more.
Each year Brighton Fringe works closely with local and national organisations to offer bursaries and funding opportunities for Brighton Fringe participants. We are extremely grateful to our sponsors and partners who make this work possible. Here are the Bursary-winning events at this year's Brighton Fringe festival.
Open to young people in Brighton and Hove towards their first Brighton Fringe event.
X-CITE - Venue B at Brighton Youth Centre (BYC) 13 May
X-CITE is a youth-led promotion and label that provides young DJs and producers with a platform to perform with nights consisting of garage and tech house building to drum and bass. X-CITE has a variety of young artists on their roster that they promote, and they also work with various other youth organisations such as Brighton Youth Centre to scout new talent and develop existing talent.
Pattern Up Gallery - Presuming Eds 8 May
Pattern Up is a revolutionary youth lead movement, raising awareness around child exploitation through art, fashion, and performing arts. This fringe event is a multi-art medium exhibition and performance depicting messages around mental health.
Reflections - Venue B at Brighton Youth Centre (BYC) 31 May & 1 June
Hilltop Productions brings an exciting new theatre show: Reflections. Incorporating interview material from older generations, Reflections explores how stories shape us; for better or worse, stories that have been lived in and passed on through generations, and now transferred to us through Reflections.
ParaladosanjoS: Wet & Dry - Brighton Spiegeltent 16 & 17 May
Bold, vibrant physical theatre from Brazil. Wet&Dry is an almost word-free physical and visual performance; a poignant, poetic and sometimes comically absurd reflection on human fragility in the face of nature, inspired by the real and re-imagined stories of people who have suffered the onslaught of natural disasters.
Open to Brighton Fringe show that includes movement/dance/choreography.
Fish Out Of Water - i360 22 May
Explore the fresh new world of Fish Out of Water, where music, dance and sculpture combine to create a unique, fun and interactive performance. Follow the dancers as they find themselves in a strange urban environment and watch them overcome colourful geometric obstacles. As the musicians layer music and words in the live responsive soundscape, he narrates their story, guiding them on their way. By the end of the performance, you’ll help them build a home somewhere new as we learn that whatever challenges in life we face, we are stronger together.
Fish Out of Water is Co-commissioned by Applause and The Marlowe, with support of SELEP Ltd as a part of Catalyst For Culture and supported by Arts Council England.
Open to performers and producers in the LGBTQ+ community or allies creating work with an LGBTQ+ narrative.
Tell Me Why - Ironworks Studios 19 - 22 May
NoAgEnDeR will use their funding to produce Tell Me Why which will be showcasing as part of Brighton Fringe 2022. Tell Me Why is musical theatre incorporating original contributions from our community identifying as Gender Fluid, Non-Binary, Trans inclusive of LGBTQI+ and allies striving to celebrate diversity with inclusion at its core. NoAgEnDer prides itself on identifying a need in our local community for voices to be heard through an artistic medium and being able to provide this opportunity by creating a Collective for the marginalised, excluded, discriminated against, and victimised.
Harry Wright: Smalltown Boy - Laughing Horse @ The Walrus 15 - 18 May
Gay boy with autism explores a lifetime of trying to fit in with other men, with mixed results. Harry Wright examines their autism and their sexuality, and how these intersect with their class identity, growing up in a deprived area of Yorkshire.
The Undiagnosables - Laughing Horse @ The Walrus 15 May
The Undiagnosables showcases some of the best up-and-coming disabled, LGBTQ+ and neurodiverse comics on the UK circuit! A diverse bunch of comedy friends from Nottingham, Leeds and London come together to present their experiences of being indefinable and undiagnosable in 2022.
Bareback - Laughing Horse @ The Walrus 17 & 18 May
Would you rather have sex or eternal bliss? What happens when you arrive in the afterlife and realise you made a mistake? Derek Mitchell & Kathy Maniura turn their character-led narrative style to another kaleidoscopic story. Bareback is about performance and sex. It's fast. It's honest. It's wigs.
I Can't Believe It's Not Gender! - The Caxton Arms 23 - 25 May
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Gender! is a chaotic and ridiculous exploration of the rituals of life and how queer people navigate, reinvent and destroy them. Part comedy show, part creative workshop, part birthday party, the show’s host with the most genders will guide you, via the medium of party games and witchcraft, towards the gender identity of dreams.
Paradigms of a Paradox - Ironworks Studios 5 June
Presented by Thirty 10 Arts in collaboration with DIMENSIONS, Paradigms of a Paradox is a vibrant multidisciplinary Hip Hop Theatre performance event showcasing Brighton’s dazzling young creative talent. Authentically raw and uncensored, this dynamic performance is a satirical exploration of society's toxic ‘norms’ and ideologies.
Otherwise Engaged - Plus X Innovation Hub 6 May - 5 June
An exquisite visual art exhibition featuring three artists Danika McElroy, Dawn Blake and Terrance Wilde from the Creative Future stable, featuring the dynamic nature of watercolours, stunning photography and pen drawings. The exhibition can be viewed externally from street level 24 hours a day and a different series of images are on show inside Plus X during office hours.
The BiBi Crew: Making Noise - Ironworks Studios 29 May
Strap yourself in for a raucous comic cruise with the irreverent BiBi Crew, featuring the multi-talented Judith Jacob, Suzette Llewellyn, Josephine Melville, Beverley Michaels and Suzanne Packer. Together they have created new writing from an African Caribbean perspective incorporating music, dance, comedy and drama.
ASTRA: A Visual Theatre Production - Ironworks Studios 1 June
Based on author Naomi Foyle’s eco-sci-fi series ‘The Gaia Chronicles’ comes a stunning multi-media theatre production for adults, mounted by a talented international creative team including director Raven Kaliana, dramaturg Hassan Mahamdallie and renowned Canadian playwright/director Peter Hinton OC. BSL Interpretation and Audio Description are integral components of this gritty adaptation written and produced by Foyle.
Unisex - The Brunswick 9 & 10 May
In her powerful, and daring debut, Lea Sep asks questions such as: "Is Feminism a woman's issue?" and "what can men and boys do to challenge sexism?" whilst encouraging audiences to join her in a raucous revolt against a persistently oppressive system that is built on the dysfunctional foundations of the patriarchy. Unisex is a one-woman show that explores the shifting concepts of feminism through the lens of comic, unapologetic, vigorous storytelling.
Lachlan Werner: Voices Of Evil - The Rotunda Theatre 6 & 31 May, 1 & 5 June
Rising star ventriloquist/clown, Lachlan Werner presents ventriloquism as you’ve never seen before in a hilarious sell-out queer horror. A surprising, rebellious and ridiculous hour of occult frights, where demonic voices come from every corner.
Open to any Brighton Fringe artist or company whose work is new writing (written within the last two years) and whose writer has a low income.
My Heart is a Spark - Phoenix Art Space 13 & 19 - 21 May
Hello Strawberry’s My Heart is a Spark is a humorous story about grief and confronting our greatest fear: losing who and what we love. Confounded by the death of his mother and his relationship, writer and performer Paul Macauley invites the audience on a delightfully bittersweet journey inside the muddle of a world turned upside down, finding light in the darkest of places and asking: how do we bounce back?
Open to events that fall under Circus, Dance & Physical Theatre, Theatre or Literature & Spoken Word
#BLEEP - 23 - 26 May, 28 & 29 May Sweet @ The Poets
A semi-autobiographical spoken word comedy turned dark thriller that’ll have you questioning your grip on... life, following junior doctor Wendy as she joins an into-the-wild expedition. The weather, hunger and strangeness of the group all take their toll on her grip of reality.
The Formidable Lizzie Boone - The Rotunda Theatre 19 May - 21 May
From the multi-award-winning Selina Helliwell, 'The Formidable Lizzie Boone' will pull you into Lizzie's world for a night of drama, healing and dark humour. Centred around a therapist's office, this one-woman show explores the intricacies of humanity through a woman who loves vodka with lemonade and a cat called Lionel.
Fragile - Laughing Horse @ The Walrus 28 May & 2 June
After a successful run in Brighton, Bedford and Camden Fringe 2021, 'Fragile' returns to the stage. Based on real-life experiences, an independent and strong woman is in a dangerous and deadly situation, scared of being vulnerable and admitting that she needs help. The show explores this transition and it's filled with breakthroughs while revisiting moments of her past that have influenced her present behaviour.
Why Other People P!ss You Off - The Rotunda Theatre 12 - 14 May
HAM THEATRE present their brand new one-act play - a fast-paced, rather dark comedy with rather clever bits of physical theatre, music and singing, set around a group of strangers hoping to #avoidthepoints at a Speed Awareness course. Belt up and take a fully leaded look at how psychology can affect your performance behind the wheel, and witness the breaking of some rather personal, as well as legal limits.
My Heart is a Spark - Phoenix Art Space 13 & 19 - 21 May
A funny and life-affirming autobiographical show about love and loss will premiere at Brighton Fringe. Also the recipient of The Ironclad Creative New Writing Bursary, this is the first new piece of theatre from Paul Macauley since his play Bug Camp, which won the New Writing South Award for Best New Play at Brighton Fringe in 2017.
Take Up Space! - Ironworks Studios 29 May
Join the multi-talented BiBi Crew for an immersive ½ day workshop led by highly experienced professional performers Judith Jacob, Suzette Llewellyn, Josephine Melville, Beverley Michaels and Suzanne Packer and learn how to use performance skills to express yourself and take up space.
Lava Elastic - Ironworks Studios 12 May
LAVA ELASTIC, the UK’s FIRST openly Neurodiverse comedy/performance/poetry night is doing its thing and bringing you a night of comedy and poetry night with a bit of a difference...created by Neurodivergent performer and host (late diagnosis of Autism and ADHD) Sarah ‘loves lights’ Saeed, aka operatic comedy diva Marianna Harlotta.
In memory of Brighton writer and creative Michael Graney, open to events with a theme of science fiction
Qrumpet - The Rotunda Theatre 14 & 15 May, 26 & 27 May
Based on quantum physics, pseudoscience and clown, 'Qrumpet' is an earnest, if misunderstood, experiment in qrumpet tunnelling. From ANTS Theatre's pursuit of pointed pointlessness comes our funny-yet-poignant piece of repetition, clown and hope.
Open to anyone creating alternative comedy and whose background or identity is underrepresented in this genre.
Eco Maniac - Komedia Studio 2 & 3 June
Aruhan wants to assure you that this is NOT a TED Talk. In this NOT a TED Talk, she will navigate the mammoth headf*ck that is the climate crisis, as well as explore her experiences as a mixed-race British - Kazakhstani woman. Get ready for some bangers, with original music written and performed by Aruhan.
Potatohead - Brighton Spiegeltent 26 - 29 May
Potatohead tells the story of a humble spud Charlotte, who dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian. But how does a couch potato grow to become a golden wonder? With elements of kitsch cabaret and old school entertainment, this original new writing blends surrealist comedy and traditional theatre for a highly entertaining and joyful performance. Potatohead is a ‘gloriously bonkers’, unadulterated celebration of silliness.
Snowflake - Runner Up - The Rotunda Theatre 7, 8, 19 & 29 May
A one-woman sledgehammer breaking the ice of fractured family dynamics with some truly bewildering comedy performance art. Ambitious, absurd and ass-kicking, SNOWFLAKE will also resolve everyone’s centuries of inherited trauma.
Sara Segovia: SUPERNUEVA - Runner Up - The Rotunda Theatre 7 & 8 May, 4 June
The Spanish mutant lovechild of E.T. and a Powerpuff Girl is on a mission to invade. In a cosmically funny, epic hour of clowning sci-fi-fiesta, comedy’s deadliest and most charming new star is “vital, bewildering and intoxicating”.
Tickets for over 700 events are now on sale for Brighton Fringe 2022, including all bursary winning shows listed above. Get your tickets now at brightonfringe.org/whats-on/, or download the Brighton Fringe app, available on iPhone and Android.
By Federica Purcaro (University of Brighton Press Placement) Brighton Fringe is gearing up to take...
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