What a difference a day makes.
From Marcus Fernando
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Loading ...Greetings, once again, oh Fringers!
What a difference a day makes…or in this case, what a difference a night makes. Those late night slots: we all have them, don’t we? Love them or hate them, you’ve got to hate them!
Some shows, of course, lend themselves to a late night format. The Fringe Cabaret, for example, is perfect for those twilight hours. Plays and dramas are, of course, more difficult to sell at that time. Even the ever-bankable Erik de Waal was left with empty seats at his late night slot.
No different for us here at Dreamscape, of course. On Tuesday night we had an evening performance of “Full of Sound and Fury”: a packed house, audience up for a laugh, all of which created its own momemtum as they fired each other up and set each other off. A wonderful evening.
Last night, we had the graveyard slot. And audience of 140 had been replaced by an audience of 30. I guess the review in the Journal didn’t help, but it was more that it was a late night slot…on a weekday. However, the point is: those 30 people had made the effort to be there. To turn up for the show at that time. Therefore, of course we’re going to put just as much effort into the performance.
We had a lovely audience. With this sort of show, it’s not easy to be in a small crowd. It’s not always comfortable to laugh when you’re sitting on your own, and this show also relies on a fair bit of audience feedback, and again that can be difficult as an audience member when you’re feeling exposed and alone. But they did well. True, there were a few Tumbleweed moments, but I really do respect the audience for becoming part of the whole Fringe experience.
And that’s our last late nighter. Looking at the remainder of our performances, audiences are very healthy for all of them. We have crossed that particular Rubicon. But…it’s all part of the Fringe, isn’t it? It’s absolutely right that everyone has a late night slot, or a slot not ideally suited to their show. It’s FAIR.
Those of you who have been to Edinburgh will know that such is not the case over there. You pay a fortune to rent your Venue (in an unregulated free market economy), and even then you buy a particular time slot for the week, or two weeks, or even the full three weeks if you’re feeling adventurous. Needless to say, the better slots (6pm -9pm sort of time) cost a small fortune compared with the graveyard shifts. It really is the most ghastly example of Fringe meeting Capitalism!
So, thank you Edmonton, for keeping it fair. Those late-nighters may not always be the best sellers. Indeed our only two small audiences (below 90 people), have been the two late nights. But it gives one something to work for, doesn’t it? Extra flyering. Pump up the Volume. Drag your friends along. It’s all part of the Fringe party spirit.
Last night, even our Technicians and Stage Manager were entering into the spirit of the night. We may not have made much money, but we all had a great time. And the audience seemed to have had a good time. Mission accomplished!
A la prochaine!
FERNANDO
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About Marcus: I trained in archaeology and drama: how wierd is that?! Launched into the big bad world of acting, and 25 years later I'm still at it, and still running our theatre company "Dreamscape". However...on the way I also ventured into journalism. Worked for the BBC for a while as a radio journalist, and trained in photography.Still doing that. In fact I have a photographic gallery in Croatia, which I run with my partner Tina. Writing?..oh yes. I've written several plays, two screenplays, some short stories, a series of political sketches...and my e-mail newsletter "The Canada Chronicles' is still going after 10 years. Oh...and I'm British, but don't hold that against me. |
Tags: Croatia, Edinburgh, Edmonton, England, flyering, Fringe Festival, International, late night cabaret
