Michelle O’Connor | Deputy Magazine Editor
This is the eighteenth year of the Dublin Fringe Festival, tracing its origin to the grim spectre that was Ireland in the 1980s, when the economic climate soured to a far greater level of despair than it did after the fall of the Celtic Tiger. Perhaps then there is truth in that old adage that creativity flourishes during times of recession; hope and inspiration are normally found in the dark, not the light, and the 1980s in Dublin was certainly not a shiny or a happy place.
This is my second year working behind the scenes as part of The ABSOLUT Fringe and although it’s not my first time working in theatre or as part of a theatre festival, The ABSOLUT Fringe is definitely unlike any others. “You really can’t compare traditional theatre and The ABSOLUT Fringe theatre; they are the two opposite spectrums of Irish theatre. The audience, material and venues are much more experimental, they are completely different animals.” said Andrew Adamson, founder of The Collective Theatre Company and director of one of this year’s productions, DISCOnnected.
One of the most striking features about this festival is how there’s something for everyone, both theatre traditionalists and those who have never set foot in a theatre before. Although The ABSOLUT Fringe is primarily focused though on performance art such as theatre and dance; there are barely any boundaries.
“Both audience and performers are more willing to take risks during The ABSOLUT Fringe. They expect something edgy, so when the audience members buy a ticket, they’re expecting to see and experience something different”, said Andrew. “Also, because each production has already gone through a selection process and been approved, audiences know they’re going to something promising.”
The ABSOLUT Fringe does not fund the productions, but it does provide some subsidised performance spaces, along with free rehearsal spaces and access to WiFi and printing facilities for each production company. What the ABSOLUT Fringe does is give a platform to performers of all creeds, specifically Irish performers, to showcase their original ideas. “Without the ABSOLUT Fringe, producing shows in venues like The Kitchen Nightclub, like we are this year, would have proved very difficult. The festival board encourage and support the use of off-site venues.”
Filmbase in Temple Bar is where you can find the centrally controlled box office for the ABSOLUT Fringe. “The entire festival support system is brilliant,” said Mr Adamson, “It takes saves the companies a lot of stress, time and money. The volunteers provided for each show are a great help, because it means we have extra hands before the show.”
The ABSOLUT Fringe is about passion, not profit and everyone who attends, volunteers, performs or is a part of the full time ABSOLUT Fringe crew is passionate about creativity. The slogan for ABSOLUT Fringe 2012 is OCCUPY YOUR IMAGINATION and that’s exactly what the festival does.
This year’s ABSOLUT Fringe festival began on September 8 and will run until September 23. With over six hundred events taking place in over thirty venues across Dublin, this is a huge festival. Ticket prices are very reasonable, so even on a tight budget; it’s not to be missed.
