The title, ‘The Further Adventures of Antoine Feval” is not, as perhaps some as stunned as the main character might believe, in reference to his position on the stage, but to misadventures of the most hilarious type. The show opened with an explanation by the actor, which was sort of a special features/director’s commentary kind of bonus that people like me love (I watch movies with commentary first time around, it drives my family nuts). Even in the 10 or so minutes it took him to give background into the story, the performance, and to brilliantly and hilariously plug his book (which had a shameless storyline in the play), the show could have never taken place and people would have felt that their money was well spent. This man was amazing! He performed probably a few dozen characters, jumping between them effortlessly, time travelling, and jumping in and out of character in ways that would no doubt be unconventional and perhaps frowned upon for any other actor, but which produced a good portion of the evening’s laughs. His Canada/USA mockery was brilliant, and reminded us Canadians just how wonderful we are and how rude, loud, and chauvinist our friends to the south are (although he did take some nice shots at us as well).

Early on in his performance, I suspected that the sissy dolt which he portrayed was based on his childhood, and that through acting out scenarios which put the play’s bully in his place (quite effectively and creatively, I might add) he found comfort in the audience’s reaction, as if we were collectively patting him on the back and saying, ‘there there Gibbs, he’s a jerk, you’re all right.’ He deserved the back patting, and certainly earned the instant ovation when the lights went out. Excellent performance, and pleasantly clean (call me a prude, but I don’t go to the fringe to be shocked or otherwise offended, as so many seem to).

-Jerry Aulenbach

Edmonton, AB – Novelist George Sand said, “No one makes a revolution by himself; and there are some revolutions which humanity accomplishes without quite knowing how, because it is everybody who takes them in hand.” From August 13 – 23, 2009, more than 550,000 local, national, and international visitors came together in Edmonton and brought about a revolution like no other at the 28th annual Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. Themed Stage a Revolution, this year’s festival will definitely hold a prominent page in Fringe Festival history books.

Post-revolution figures are in and it’s obvious that the people listened when Fringe Theatre Adventure’s Executive Director, Julian Mayne, put out the challenge “to embrace the spirit of creativity … and buy one ticket to one show”. This year’s Fringe lived up to its reputation as one of the largest and most successful Fringe theatre festivals in the world with paid attendance to indoor shows reaching a record-breaking 92,279, bringing ticket sales up almost 20% from last year’s total of 77,800. The bold collection of theatrical works at this year’s Fringe yielded 334 sold-out shows. Single day attendance at ticketed performances shattered records on Saturday, August 22nd, entertaining 11,303 theatre patrons. Record numbers of little Fringers and their caregivers took part in the evolution of theatre with 21,015 marching to the KidsFringe site to watch interactive theatre performances, play games, and create revolutionary artwork.

Fringe Theatre Adventures wishes to thank everyone who mobilized to help Stage a Revolution and who continue to celebrate democratic, unjuried, uncensored, and accessible theatre: our sponsors and supporters for their generosity; over 1,000 volunteers; more than 700 talented performers who graced our stages; more than half a million audience members who watched over 1,200 indoor and outdoor performances in 29 venues.
The Fringe Festival will continue to Stage a Revolution from August 26 – 30, 2009 with seven holdover shows presented by Fringe Theatre Adventures and for the first time, one BYOV holdover show presented by an independent producer. Show details and times are posted at www.fringetheatre.ca. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students/seniors (plus a $2 Capital Replacement Fee per ticket) and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at www.fringetheatre.ca, by phone at 780.409.1910, or in-person at the Central Box Office in the TransAlta Arts Barns (10330 – 84 Avenue).
The 29th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival runs from August 12 -22, 2010.

Media Contact:
Kathleen Chmilar, Media & Marketing Coordinator * Fringe Theatre Adventures * 780.448.9001 * kathleen.chmilar@fringetheatre.ca

Final Greetings, fellow ex-Fringers!

Yes, here we go with my 40th…and last…column. The Fringe is well and truly over. Just the Artist cheques to collect, the accounts to do, and the final reckoning as to whether we’ve made a profit, just broken even…or paid for the honour of coming here!

Whatever the case, it has all been worth it. Will we do it again? Absolutely!

So, where does Dreamscape go now? Well, we’re not doing any other Fringes. I have no doubt that both shows will be performed by us again, but all that lies in the unknown future. So…for the present we have a few days in Edmonton, to relax, tie up any loose ends, and meet up with friends. Then…it’s back to the rush hour! On Friday we hop on a plane in Calgary, and fly to Heathrow. We then jump on a bus to take us up to Birmingham. All being well, we’ll arrive about 7pm. We shall then immediately load up a van with puppets, and set off for Slovakia! We hope to get a ferry about 2am, and will stop overnight at a friend’s house in Germany. There’ll be three of us (all drivers), so we should have chance to sleep off our jet-lag while travelling!

In Slovakia we perform for a week, and then drive to Croatia, possibly stopping to visit friends in Hungary en route. In Croatia we can semi-rest for a while, but we’ll be opening the Dreamscape Gallery to the public. So…a sort of working relaxation! All the same, there will be time to enjoy the wonderful Adriatic coast, and to go swimming in the clear waters. Then, in mid-October, I start working for the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, doing “Arabian Nights”. Six weeks of rehearsal in London, followed by a two month run in Stratford-Upon-Avon. And then….

….our next big production! Tina will be giving birth to our first child in February. Yes, those two-hander shows we performed at the Fringe were really three-hander shows! We’re both very excited about it. The Adventure continues!

So, no more Fringes and irresponsible lifestyle right? WRONG! We know many people who have raised families within a theatrical context, and we fully hope to do the same. Who knows…one day we may even end up performing on stage with our child. Or maybe they’ll turn out to be an Accountant. The Future is all a glorious mystery. But the simple fact is we really do hope to return to the Edmonton Fringe next year…and maybe to some of the other Fringes as well. Life doesn’t stop because you have a child….it just gets more interesting! So….keep your eyes open for Dreamscape: We’ll be BACK!

And that’s it, folks. The end of the Fringe, the end of the Blog. I do hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings and witterings. And do feel free to continue sending feedback: it’s always a delight to hear from you!

And so Goodbye. No. Not Goodbye. Let’s just say…

A la Prochaine!

FERNANDO

Greetings, Fringers past, present and future!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve really had the most wonderful time here at the Edmonton Fringe. It’s not just about audience numbers, or reviews, or hold-overs….it’s about atmosphere. So many people having a great time. Of course there is the rough as well as the smooth. The reviews which don’t like us, the empty seats in the theatre, the stress of trying to get the projector up and running…but hey! The positive outweighs the negative a million times over!

I have one cloud looming on my horizon. Paperwork and Tax. As usual, I shall do everything I can to keep everything above board and official (both here and in England), but my past experiences with the Winnipeg office leaves me with that worrying thought that no matter how properly we (and the Edmonton tax office) do things, there’ll always be someone willing to say we got it wrong. I shall take advice from an Accountant. It shouldn’t have to be this complicated…but better safe than sorry!

But enough of the cloud: let’s concentrate on the silver linings! And there are MANY! I am full of praise for the Edmonton Fringe, and here are a few of my highlights:

The Fringe Organisation. Thomas Scott and the rest of the team have done a marvellous job in keeping the Fringe friendly and accessible. In particular, it is NOT about big budgets or having powerful friends. This has allowed small overseas companies such as Dreamscape to come in and take part on an equal footing. My word of caution, though: if it is allowed to go too much over to BYOV’s, then it could end up descending into an “Edinbugh” scenario, with venues charging huge premiums, and vetting the productions. This would be a disaster…believe me: I’ve seen the results! However, a huge THANK YOU to all the Fringe Organisers. I cannont even comprehend the huge amount of organisation and paperwork involved.

The Volunteers. Can’t praise these people enough. So very Canadian. So wonderful! These people give up so much of their time and effort to support the Fringe, and without fail every volunteer we were dealing with were lovely: always friendly and smiling. THANK YOU to all volunteers!

Block 1912. Yes, I know it came in for a bit of criticism in one of my earlier columns, but it still was (and will be) our place of choice to rest and recuperate. Indeed, they excelled themselves yesterday, when a group of us went in there for food and hot chocolate. One of our group had a Chai Tea from one of the on-site vendors. We thought she wouldn’t be allowed in with it, but they quietly offered to pour it into one of their own cups, so that no-one would notice! THANK YOU Block 1912!

Our Front of House staff. Yes, I know they sort of come under the heading of “Volunteers”, but they have been wonderful, and I’ve really enjoyed our little chats before and after the shows. THANK YOU Walterdale FOH!

The Audience. What can I say? You made the effort to come to the Fringe. To come to our show. You spent your money, your time, and you supported the Arts. And many of you made the effort to chat to us to give us feedback, or to recommend the shows to your friends. Some of you remember Dreamscape from past productions SIX YEARS ago! Canadian audiences are amazing. THANK YOU Fringers!

Fellow Artists. I just LOVE the support one gets from other theatre teams in the Fringe. We’ve re-established old friendships, and made new ones. THANK YOU fellow Artists!

And my top thank you….my thank you for really making this Fringe something special: This accolade goes to our two Technicians at the Walterdale: Nico and D’Arcy (or is it simply Darcy? Whatever!). These guys are not only damned good at their job, but made us so welcome from the moment we arrived at the theatre. They put in extra hours to sort out our technical problems with the projector, they made us bacon sandwiches, and kept us to schedule, they ran the theatre like a tight (but very friendly) ship, and at all times remained cheerful. These guys really are the spirit of the Fringe…and of Professional Theatre! THANKS GUYS!

There are more, so many more to thank. Of course. Family, friends, even reviewers. But my final thanks goes to Patti and Paul for giving me the chance to write this Blog….and to all of you for taking the trouble to read it! I’ve had a great time. I hope you have too! THANK YOU!

A la prochaine!

FERNANDO

Greetings, Ex-Fringers!

Well, here we are on the morning after the night before. The last performances have performed, the sets have been cleared, the traders have moved out, and there is only the Tumbleweed of redundant show-posters blowing in the wind to remind us of the fun we’ve all just had. Sad…in a way, but so it must be!

After all, think of what happens now. All of those performers go somewhere else. Some stay in Edmonton, or Alberta, or Canada. Some (like us) go abroad to many far-flung parts of the world. Some might be taking their productions elsewhere, for more audiences to enjoy. Others might be heading back to more “conventional” jobs….whatever they might be. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? All these many and diverse people came together in one place at one time to contribute to the great theatre party that is Edmonton Fringe Festival. For a while, everything was intense, fast-paced, even manic…but now it all returns to normal.

What should we call this day after the final day? The “Post-Ultimate” day, possibly? A day of sadness (possibly), tidying up (almost certainly), Rest and Recuperation (hopefully) and travel (maybe). As I write this, The Dragonwagon II is parked outside, with sets and costumes from both productions still in the back. No, that’s not quite true. The picture frames from “Red Wine and Canvas” we decided to break up and bin, rather than store. We needed to have a good think about this, as we hope to bring the full-length version of the show to Canada next year (out of Fringe time), if our sponsorship goes ahead. So, we’ll need to make up some new frames now. But it was still considered better than trying to store them.

As for the rest of the Dreamscape ephemera: well, the costumes will travel back with us. We’ll try to keep everything together, so that we can easily resurrect either show if required. But you know how it is…bits of costumes get used for other shows, other pieces were borrowed and have to be returned….and some just end up getting worn in “civvy street”!! Yes, there’ll always be a need to do more costume shopping at the Charity Shops!

The projector will stay here in Canada, to be used for future productions. Now that we have it and know it works, we have the option of adding slide or film projection to future shows. Excellent! And we shall certainly keep our Walmart bedsheet projection screen in storage here!

The Dagger will also stay over here. I’m not entirely sure what (if any) future application it might have, but I’m not going to try to take THAT back on the plane! And that’s it…nothing else to carry back. Well, that’s not quite true: we have our reviews (good and bad), which we will add to the Dreamscape Portfolio, along with posters, programmes, ticket stubs and the like. It’s nice to be able to flick back through the history of Dreamscape…and it will be something to show our child…if they’re interested!

So…a little bit of history is going back with us. Another page in the Dreamscape Chronicle, fitting neatly into the space between the Past and the Future. You know, maybe it isn’t really sad. It’s just another wonderful step of the Great Adventure!

A la Prochaine!

FERNANDO