Ontario Presents is thrilled to support our members and staff to attend conferences and professional development events with a special focus on discovering new artists. This article is an opportunity for our network to benefit vicariously through those experiences.
Below is an account of the Ontario Presents delegation sent to Edinburgh Fringe Festival as told by Alec Harmer, Manager at the River Run Centre in Guelph.
In August, I joined the Ontario Presents delegation to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival alongside colleagues from Brantford, St. Catharines, and across Canada. We spent seven days immersed in the world's largest theatre festival, seeing shows, meeting artists, and building connections. It was an experience that I won’t soon forget.
The first $500 I earned in theatre was as the stage manager for a Toronto Fringe Festival profit-share production. I was immediately hooked on the frantic, creative, "make it go" energy of fringe theatre, and Edinburgh is that same feeling at an extraordinary scale. With 3,600+ shows across 250+ venues, it is a hurricane of creativity and one of the best festival atmospheres I have ever experienced.
As "one does not simply walk into Edinburgh"; making the most of a week at the Fringe required careful planning. Early mornings and late nights were spent buried in show descriptions, video trailers, the bios of production companies, and cross-checking Google Maps every five minutes to ensure that the crazy equation of schedules, venues, and travel distances aligned into a workable plan. I am glad I brought my most comfortable shoes, as somehow every direction in Edinburgh seems to be uphill when you’re running between venues to get to the next show on time. I am already plotting a better “geographic strategy” for next time.
Over seven days, I saw 37 productions from more than 12 countries, including musicals, dance, circus, theatre, and work for young audiences. Some were outstanding, some… less so, but every piece offered something uniquely memorable to reflect on.
One highlight was Tale of the Firebird by Austria’s Freestyle Orchestra. This incredibly beautiful show is a Concerto for Violin, Fire & Acrobatic Orchestra. The performers are all astonishing musicians—with the added complication of playing suspended, upside down, and often while surrounded by fire.
Amazingly, after going all the way to Scotland, two of my three favourite shows were by Canadian artists.
Big Stuff is an incredibly touching theatre piece about how best to remember those who are important to us. This show by Matt Baram, Naomi Snieckus, and Kat Sandler effortlessly shifts from laughter to tears and back again. This is a piece that will stay with me for a long time.
Creepy Boys: Slugs was my most memorable show from the Fringe. It has played at the PuSH Festival in Vancouver and is just a complete fever dream. It’s self-described as a “techno-punk comedy … basement puppet nightmare,” an irresistible summary I simply can’t improve on. It took the audience to increasingly surreal places while making every twist feel completely inevitable. The dial on this show went way past 11.
However, the most inspiring highlight was meeting, collaborating, and sharing all these experiences with colleagues from across the country. I thank them for their kindness and guidance to a Fringe first timer, and it was thrilling to share in the enthusiasm for Canadian theatre at our networking and industry events. Travelling and learning with such an incredible group of professionals was truly a privilege.
I am so grateful to Ontario Presents for the opportunity to experience the Edinburgh Fringe. I left Scotland completely exhausted, but thoroughly inspired and energized, having seen some amazing art in an incredible place. The energy that the Edinburgh Fringe Festival generates is a feeling I have been chasing my entire career, and one that won’t soon be forgotten. ∎