Edinburgh’s Forest Fringe Back to BAC
Forest Fringe, the multi-award winning
Edinburgh producing outfit, is bringing its unique brand of theatre to
Battersea Arts Centre next month for a two-day showcase on 2 and 3 April.
The event is one of four Forest Fringe microfestivals
to be staged around the country this spring, bringing together a range of the collective’s
favourite artists under one roof.
A single ticket allows BAC audience members to wander the whole building, experiencing works-in-progress from some of the UK’s most innovative theatre artists. The festival will feature one-on-one
performances from Brian Lobel, Mel Wilson, Emma Benson and Tania El Khoury, as
well as installations by artist Charlotte Jarvis and Forced
Entertainment’s Tim Etchells.
Mischa Twitchin, better known for
his work at SHUNT in London Bridge, will be
staging a performance in the BAC basement
and the bar area will be taken over by East London
collective Stoke Newington International Airport.
The BAC event will
also see the launch of the Forest
Fringe Travelling Sounds Library, an
archive of audio performances made from recycled hardback books and mp3
players, featuring original work by artists including Stan’s Café, Unlimited Theatre and poet Ryan Van Winkle.
Established in an unconverted church hall at the 2007 Edinburgh
Festival, Forest Fringe has won numerous awards in its first
three years, including the 2009 Peter Brook Award, a
Scotsman Fringe First and a Herald
Angel. It was recently named in The Stage’s 100 most influential companies in theatre and has been praised by critics for returning the fringe to its core values of innovation and experimentation.
Co-directors Deborah Pearson and Andy Field have both worked previously at BAC, which has
supported the Forest Fringe‘s artist-led community since its inception. The venue’s joint artistic director David Micklem said of the collaboration: “We welcome a
new environment for artists and audiences where shows can be developed and the
future of theatre given room to seed.”
Following London’s
microfestival, Forest Fringe travels to the Glasgow Arches
(16-17 Apr), the National Theatre of Wales’ Assembly Programme in Swansea (23-24
Apr) and finally to Bristol where it will be taking over the Bristol Old Vic
for the city’s annual Mayfest celebrations.
