After the obligatory period of show-starting panic I finally turned my attention yesterday to the Fringe programme. It seems a bit of a crime that I've come to the largest arts festival on Earth and have so far seen just one show.
The selection process is a difficult one, the Fringe Programme is a beast. There's various ways I could have reduced my search down, by only looking for venues or companies I trust. But of course that is completely not the point of the Fringe, so I decided that I would just have to bite the bullet and wade through it page by page. It took a while, I cannot deny, although I didn't bother with the comedy section which probably saved me a few hundred hours.
Based on a combination of interesting images, blurbs, companies and recommendations I finally wrote my ideal list of 36. There are also 10 children's shows which I'd already picked out...46. I think I have twenty days left so this is entirely feasible, two or three per day doesn't sound like much, a hardened Fringe reviewer would laugh in my face. Unfortunately I have a bank account which is also laughing in my face, I have cunningly not picked any of the free delights of the Fringe.
This is fine though, now I just wait for the process of natural selection to whittle the list down. Generally what happens is someone who is even less organised than me will ask to see my wish list. Little do they know, that as soon as they have seen it, they have unwittingly become my guinea pig. They will take my suggestions, head off into the world and act as a human shield against bad theatre. They may come back furious that I chose a rubbish play, but if I've saved myself an hour of theatical pain I think it's worth it. It's a fantastic, if mildly evil plan which I will act on immediately. Now has anyone seen my list of shows? I think I've accidentally dropped it...unfurled...in the centre of the kitchen table...next to a post it note saying 'read this'. Ma ha ha.
Dear Amelia,
If you like 'low-tech visula storytelling', you may like my one-woman play, Lady in Bed. It is FREE but that does not make it crap. Slot it into your schedule. See? I'm helping you make a decision. - Alison Goldie
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