The Importance Of Fringe Theatre

#1 Miriam

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Posted 16 July 2009 - 01:34 PM

I've just blogged about fringe theatre in London and why I think it's important.

http://theatricalleanings.blogspot.com/200...f-off-west.html

What do you lot think? Is my reasoning sound?

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#2 Guest_Guest_*

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 10:58 AM

Hey Miriam, I enjoyed your post.

However, personally I found the argument a little confused.

You move seamlessly from discussing venues like Upstairs at the Gatehouse to the Royal Court and Trafalgar Studios, as if they're all fringe venues. Respectfully, they're incomparable. And I certainly wouldn't call the Bush - a venue which receives £490,748 in Arts Council funding each year and attracts actors like Joseph Fiennes - a fringe venue either.

You write:
"The recent production of Zanna, Don't! at the Gatehouse was universally acknowledged to be of unusually and extremely good quality"

To claim that, you needs citations.

You write:
With the focus of London theatre on the plethora of musicals and high-profile plays lining the West End, it is all too easy to forget that there is plenty of great stuff out there for less money and in more intimate venues.

I think that's true, but I think it's odd to bring up Zanna as the antithesis of Prescilla. The scale of the enterprise is different, but I think they're very similar pieces.

Also, it's a little confusing to have a blog with a comments section then invite comments on another forum. Where would like comments: here or there?

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#3 Miriam

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 10:40 PM

Fair enough, con crit is always welcome! I'm sure you're right - I am pretty new to theatre as a medium and don't know huge amounts about funding and so on so I can see that my arguments might not be quite right. I suppose I was thinking 'fringe' in terms of size and visibility, rather than funding and location. Good point, and certainly something I'll consider re this post. You're totally right about the citations, I was getting a bit carried away - I'll edit it.

Afa P + Z, they were simply the first two productions that came to mind (musicals on the brain). I wasn't meaning to imply they were the antithesis of each other at all - just as an example of what's out there.

Haha, yeah, I know... obviously comments on the blog are more than welcome but it's so new visibility is an issue, hence why I've posted on here. But I don't want to be a shill so have been trying to do more than just post a link and bugger off.

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