The Fringe is back

By Philippa Stanford ADELAIDE — The 1996 Fringe Festival opens on February 23. Launched with a street party and parade, the festival runs until March 17. This year the festival has grown significantly with around 4400 performers participating at 180 venues. There are performers from all over Australia, as well as from 16 countries, including Cuba. There are a number of new initiatives such as the outdoor program, which includes Fringe in the Park and a Walk in Cinema in Rundle St. Traditionally the festival has provided opportunities for exciting new acts to take the stage alongside more seasoned performers, and this year is no different. There is a significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program, with 30 companies from South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. These shows range from Solitary Spirit, an exhibition of works by prisoners, to Ngarrindjerri reggae band Rough Image and the Tjapukai Dance Theatre. The Fringe also provides entertainment for and by young people. Carclew Youth Centre presents Facade Offerings, 15 nights of uncensored youth arts culture, and is also sponsoring Fringe Underground's Exhibit Don't Inhibit, encouraging young creative minds. Young Nunga perspectives are portrayed in Black on Track, a mixed art form event. There are also several dance companies such as the Restless Dance company composed of young people and the Youth Link to Dance North performing Truly, Madly, Deadly. A range of art forms explore particular current social issues. In an exhibition called Tratuoballa, Sandra Saunders looks at Hindmarsh Island. A play called Lotus War centres on a Vietnamese woman soldier and her experience of war. The Full Figur Theatre Company from Canada presents The "f" word (or can feminism be funny?) and Way too blonde, which takes a humorous look at feminism, women and the media. Arden Productions presents a royal sex scandal — not Fergie or Di, but Edward II. Vitalstatistix, Adelaide's all-woman theatre group, has a range of events as part of Port on the Fringe. Other interesting offerings are from progressive Adelaide theatre company Junction with Bardmoo, a combination of modern technology and Shakespearean comedy to create cyberfarce. Pablo Percusso, a music theatre dance group using found objects, from wheelie bins to baseball bats, is also worth a look. For challenging comedy, try Judith Lucy's show King of the Road and Sue-Ann Post's Anyone Out There? plus Junction Theatre's production of Blokes, a look at not so sensitive new age men. On an international level, you can groove to the sounds of Sierra Maestra from Cuba and enjoy the Danza Combinatoria performance of Cuba: Body and Soul. The Fringe Festival program is available from many shops and cafes around Adelaide. If you are an internet junkie, the Fringe has moved into the cyberworld and can be reached at http://www.va.com.au/afringe/. With the average price of tickets around $15 and a number of free or gold coin donation events, it is accessible to everyone.