Why surreal clowning and absurd comedy are the themes of this year’s program
In a world that seems less committed to sanity, reality and certainty almost by the day, it’s no surprise that the clown is back.
Not the traditional circus assortment of big shoes and gushing flower clowns, but rather a surreal, disturbing, anarchic genre that can provide a coping mechanism and perhaps a mirror for the real-world absurdity that surrounds us.
This is one of the main themes of fringes around the world, according to Sydney Fringe CEO Patrick Kennedy, who recently returned from the World Fringe Congress in San Diego. It’s also one of the strongest trends running throughout this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, which will bring more than 2,500 artists and 366 shows to 69 venues across the city from 29 August.
“The world is so absurd and so terrible that the only solution is to see something even more absurd, so far from real life,” he says. “The goofy, uplifting comedy that’s what you need in a world that seems like it’s on fire.”
Among the clown-oriented offers Freidah Will Meet Now Caitlin Duff plays a clown tasked with carrying souls across the Styx to the afterlife; landed Frumpus, a veteran merchant of chaos; And Nun SlutIt is described as “an absurd journey between religion, the body and Barnaby Joyce.”
Now in its 17th year, Kennedy believes in the Sydney Fringe Festival. starting the program todayThis is more important than ever as the high cost of living and scarcity of venues across the city make life harder than ever for independent artists.
“Sydney Fringe was originally set up to respond to the challenge of providing artists with fair access to infrastructure in the city. We’ve been working towards this for the last 17 years,” he says. “We may not be as flashy as Melbourne, but we have a very, very vibrant arts community in Sydney.”
Kennedy is also aware that the Sydney Fringe, alongside more well-understood events such as the Sydney Festival, continues to struggle with identity.
“We need to build audience capacity and understanding of what the Fringe is,” he says. “This year we’ve put a lot of effort into educating audiences on what the verb ‘Eaves’ means.”
Sydney Fringe also focuses on educating artists about the sometimes surprising entertainment industry.
“This is probably the only industry where the artist is expected to be an expert in marketing, promotion, production, technical theatre, insurance, risk… All the responsibilities of a producer are placed on you,” says Kennedy. “We try not to leave artists in a difficult situation in this regard, so we are starting a series of master classes in February touching on topics such as tax, insurance, marketing.”
This year’s Fringe is being staged against a backdrop of tight home entertainment budgets, where several high-profile shows have flopped recently. Waiter And insect juiceDue to lack of ticket sales. Kennedy is keen to promote the festival as a good value night, with an average ticket price of $29.
“People are looking for something affordable,” he says. “We’re always thinking about an audience member’s line of contact, it’s not just buying a ticket. It’s parking, it’s travel, it’s food. We make it as easy as possible to have a good night out, and that includes partnerships with local businesses where you can show your tickets and get a discount on dinner or drinks.”
