If you’re a theatre fan then head to the city centre between June 5and 8 2014 for the fourth edition of the Delft Fringe.
An initiative of the Theaternetwerk Delft, the Delft Fringe started in 2011.
It was inspired by the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of the world’s largest arts festivals. Put simply, its theatre in unexpected places.
Over the four day period, performances will take place all over the city. In a cafe, shop, school, library or maybe the train station, a hotel room, or the synagogue. Anywhere but in the theatre.
Performances range from stand-up comedy to cabaret, children’s shows to dance. The event will play host to unknown talents andwell-knownartists. This year the event has attracted acts not only from the Netherlands but also from Belgium, Germany, Italy, England and Scotland. Performances are open to the public, and reservations aren’t possible. Each show lasts half an hour or less. Volunteers will be at each location to answer questions and provide assistance.
The festival started on a small scale and has got bigger and bigger. This year there are 230 acts registered, 130 locations and 1,000 performances expected. This is twice that of last year. During an interview with the Delftse Post, spokesperson Hans van der Maas said “It is a success because everyone – the hotel and catering industry, municipality, artists and public – work well together.”
In previous years all performances were free, but this is no longer the case. The Fringe website confirms, “These are culturally hard times. In order to keep our head financially above water, a great deal of alertness and creativity has been required. We had to think of a way to secure the festival for the coming years. Therefore we’ve introduced the user friendly Fringe Munt.” Essentially a token, each Fringe Muntcosts €2.50 and you can purchase them at the Markt information stand, Beestenmarkt and Rietveld Theatre. You can use themto gain entry to a performance, tip the artists, and buy food and drinks. 80% of the proceeds will go to the artists, and 20% towards the next festival. Some shows will remain free, and those will be indicated as such in theprogramme.
For more information and the full programme check out the website or their Facebook page. You can also follow them on Twitter, @delftfringe.
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