Fringe Movement in North America Production Highlights International Fringe Festivals Archives: play listings from the Toronto Fringe 1989 - present

The first Fringe in Canada was established in Edmonton in 1982. The festival adapted the formula created by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival over 50 years ago, embracing the mandate to provide all artists, emerging and established, with the opportunity to produce their play no matter the content, form or style, and to make the event as affordable and accessible as possible for the members of the community.

The Edmonton Fringe aimed to have a wide variety of artists participate while empowering audiences with the ability to decide for themselves the truly great productions from the good, the bad and the gloriously disastrous. Performances ranged from the classics to new works and sketch comedies to dance. Audiences embraced this eclectic mix of theatre productions and attendance grew wildly. The tremendous success and growth of The Edmonton Fringe Festival soon led to the creation of Fringe Festivals right across Canada and the United States . Each festival has its own unique and distinctive flavor yet all are dedicated to the Fringe philosophy of accessible, inexpensive and fun theatre-going.

There are now twenty-three members of The Canadian Association of Fringe® Festivals (CAFF). Canada now enjoys more Fringe Festivals than any other country in the world and each Festival is a leader in the development of theatre artists and audiences in their community.

The first Toronto Fringe Theatre Festival took place in 1989 with 4 venues and 40 productions. The festival has grown to become Toronto 's largest theatre festival, and the third largest Fringe in Canada . In 2005, the Toronto Fringe featured eleven venues and more than 130 theatre companies from Ontario , across Canada and around the world. Ticketed attendance surpasses 46,000. Over the years, many Fringe artists have gone on to become senior members of the Toronto and national theatre communities. Many of these artists continue to return from year to year to participate in the Fringe.

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Over the years, several thousand artists have produced, written, directed or performed in the Toronto Fringe. Below is a small sampling of some of the talented artists who have contributed to the festival's success and growth

1989
David Craig's OFFENSIVE LINES
Mump & Smoot in SOMETHING

1990
Sensible Footwear
Daniel Brooks and Guillermo Verdecchia's THE NOAM CHOMSKY LECTURES
Sky Gilbert's DRAG QUEENS IN OUTER SPACE

1991
James O'Reilly's WORK

1992
Daniel MacIvor's THIS IS A PLAY
Bald Ego Productions' TREMBLING TONGUES by Adam Nashman
Ambrosia Productions' BLACK BRIDE by Andrew Kelm

1993
Poschy Productions' OH, BABY by Karen Hines and Sandra Balcovske

1994
Rule Five Theatre's STOP SLOWING DOWN by Jason Sherman
Metal Corset Company's FRIDA K by Gloria Montero featuring Allegra Fulton

1995
Pea Green Productions' PLAYBALLS by Mark Brownell
John Pattison's PUPPETS WHO KILL
Canadia dell'Arte's THE SAUCY MAIDEN

1996
The Hugh Bris Company's KICKED by Michael Healey
David Rubinoff's STUCK
Scratch & Smudge Prods' MY OWN PRIVATE OSHAWA by Jonathon Wilson

1997
Hugh Bris Company's YODELLERS by Michael Healey & Kate Lynch
Nightswimming's THE DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE by Brian Quirt

1998
JOAN OF MONTREAL by David Mackenzie, Arlene Bishop, Blair Packham
Me & Mr. Jones Theatre Company's THAT DOROTHY PARKER by Carol Lempert
Misery Loves Company's TALES OF THE BLONDE ASSASSIN by Kate Lynch
Planet 88 Productions' THIS HOTEL by Alex Poch Goldin

1999
Moriah Productions' MYSTERIUM TREMENDUM by Anton Piatigorksy
The Night Kitchen's RADIO:30 by Chris Earle
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE Music & Lyrics by Lisa Lambert

2000
Theatre Viscera's EASY by Ian Carpenter
Ananke Theatre's ICARA by Ned Dickens
THE RISE AND FALL OF VELLA DEAN by Shoshana Sperling

2001
Chaos Production's THE CONTRACT by Ryan McVittie
Plaitform Entertainment's DA KINK IN MY HAIR by Trey Anthony

2002
Spark Productions' ROMEO/JULIET REMIXED by Chris Tolley and Laura Mullin
Monkey Bus Productions' FISH/WIFE by Rick Roberts
JOB: THE HIPHOP MUSICAL by Eli Batalion and Jerome Saibil
Cattle Productions' TOP GUN! THE MUSICAL by Denis McGrath

2003
Theatre SKAM's BILLY NOTHIN' by Sean Dixon
BY THE BOG OF CATS by Marina Carr with Ellen Ray Henessy
Gibstein Productions' THAT BOY by Paul Gibson
Intrepid Theatre/Paul Terry's THE UGLY DUCHESS by Janet Munsil
Big Sandwich Prods' A CANADIAN BARTENDER AT BUTLIN'S by TJ Dawe

2004
ONE MAN LORD OF THE RINGS written and performed by Charles Ross
POND LIFE by Gordon Rand
Studio 268's THE ADVENTURE OF JOSEPH ANDREWS by Kenneth Brown
DareDen Theatre's THE DIVINE HERETIC by Tara Cates and Kevin Nelson
Donikers Daily's INANNA by Clair Calnan

2005
Ribbit Productions' BOYGROOVE by Chris Craddock music by Aaron Macri
SARSical by The Rumoli Bros. and Waylen Miki
BELLA DONNA by David Copelin
Theatre Rusticle's THE STRONGER...A Variation adapted from Strindberg
WELCOME TO VAUDEVILLE book and songs by Steven Morel and Jenny Parsons

2006
ANTOINE FEVAL by Chris Gibbs
convergence theatre collective's AUTOSHOW
THE BURNING BUSH! written and performed by Tracey Erin Smith
THE CATERING QUEEN by Alison Lawrence
SplasH20 by Compagnie Houppz
SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON by Brian Froud, Daniel Shehori, Steven Shehori
WELCOME TO EDEN: Population 2. A Divine Musical. Book and lyrics by Alison McWood music by Mark Selby

2007
AN INCONVENIENT MUSICAL by The Rumoli Bros. and Waylen Miki
BASH'd! by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow
CONSERVATIVES IN LOVE by Dave Carley
EXPIRY DATING by Alison Broverman
FUNNY BUSINESS - THE MUSICAL book by Daniel Falk and Rachel Brittain, music and lyrics by Daniel Abrahamson
THE GLADSTONE VARIATIONS Convergence Theatre Collective
KAFKA AND SON by Franz Kafka, adapted by Mark Cassidy and Alon Nashman
LEGOLAND by Jacob Richmond
TALK THIRTY TO ME a documentary by Oonagh Duncan

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International Fringe Festivals

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