Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2013

Manchester can support two worldclass football teams - but can it sustain two top-notch arts festivals? Sarah Dawood talks to the fringe team offering an alternative to the big guns at the Manchester International Festival
  • Jump to comments ()
Phill Jupitus, comedian
Phill Jupitus is one of the acts appearing at the Manchester Fringe in 2013. Photograph: Murdo Macleod

Every other summer since 2007, the Manchester International Festival (MIF) has been giving Edinburgh a run for its money. Now, just like its Scottish rival, MIF has spawned a fringe, which bills itself as a celebration of Greater Manchester's creative, independent talent.

Only in its second year of action, the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival is a baby compared to its great-grandfather in Edinburgh. But it's certainly not small. All through July, around 100 acts perform at 12 venues in Salford and Manchester, showcasing a breadth of styles, for music, theatre, literature and comedy lovers alike.

With the city caught up in Manchester International Festival fervour, the Fringe can sometimes be forgotten. However, as Zena Barrie, Joint Organiser of the Fringe and landlady of The King's Arms pub explains, the festival holds an important role in supporting unestablished actors, and giving small theatre companies the chance to experiment. "We're a training ground for companies," she says. "Our ethos is, let anybody try anything, and it could be awful, or it could be brilliant."

The Greater Manchester Fringe was born in 2012, when manager, Lisa Connor and owner Gareth Kavanagh of local pub Lass o'Gowrie decided there was a space in Manchester for an independent arts festival. They approached other venues in the area and got them on board the project, each place putting £100 towards the cause. The festival is now run by Barrie, Connor, Kavanagh and Iain Scott, who is joint-owner of Taurus Bar on Canal Street in the Gay Village.

Although the International Festival exists alongside the Fringe, Barrie says the two have totally different purposes. "There's no rivalry," she says. "The MIF is wonderful, but it's all hand picked. You get a consistently high standard of work there, but it's great to have the Fringe as well where anyone can join in."

What's more, it costs a mere £10 for theatre companies to enter themselves into the Fringe. "This goes towards helping them find a venue, registering them, selling tickets and provides them with a PR," says Barrie. It also includes help with social media, finding a rehearsal space, technical help and advice on marketing and promoting the show.

By creating a community of budding thespians the festival also offers a great opportunity for young practitioners to network, and gain advice. "In the theatre business, it's all about who you know," Barrie says. "And it's useful to have lots of people who you can ask for help."

Tom Nicholas, 20-year-old playwright, director and producer of Fringe 2013 play Static, explains how important small festivals are for independent artists such as himself. "We're given the opportunity to have a small space where we can try something new out. You have to do the little places to build up on job experience."

The Greater Manchester Festival provides a stepping stone for artists to develop their skills. 18-year-old Hugh McCann, the sole actor in Tom's one-man show, explains: "It's the first rung on the ladder for us. We need to learn from it in order to tackle big festivals."

So why should somebody take a punt on a Fringe show rather than going to see something stamped with approval at the International festival? "A show only costs around £5," says Nicholas. "You also feel like you've supported a small, independent theatre company by going along."

The Fringe also allows theatre-holics the chance to immerse themselves in unseen theatre. "You get really raw stuff," Hugh says. "There's a lot of very fresh, new theatre companies in Manchester. And because of the cheap price, there's the opportunity to see many shows in one evening and completely absorb yourself."

The big question, of course, is: but are the shows any good? If Static is anything to go by, yes. This bleak look at how modern day society is obsessed with information-gathering via multiple means of media tells the story of a young boy who is so obsessed with what is happening to the rest of the world, that he becomes completely introverted, incapable of forming any of his own relationships. He lives his life vicariously through news-readers, politicians and even criminals, glued to his computer screen watching international news 24/7.

The set is simple; a chair on a stage, a white screen background, some speakers and not much else. The venue is tiny, taking place upstairs in Salford's The King's Arms. On Tuesday this week you could count the audience members on one hand. But it was beautifully executed, with a clever script and a sterling performance from McCann, who takes on several roles within the play.

Static is just one example of the phenomenal talent that lies undiscovered within the Greater Manchester Fringe. And with such a variety of acts to choose from, there's endless chances to experience intimate, unique theatre affordably. "Maybe in 10 years time, the Manchester Fringe will host very established theatre companies, which could be a blessing or a curse," says McCann. "But at the moment, it's very fresh and new."

The Greater Manchester Fringe Festival runs until the 31 July. Most shows are priced under £10, including free shows.

Today in pictures