Trinity Fringe is back and this year it’s bigger, better and full of more avant-garde concepts than you can shake a stick at. The festival, which began last year, was the brainchild of previous DU Players committee member Allie Whelan.
This year’s festival will be taking place in the Players Theatre, with performances, comedy, interactive installations and concerts galore from today until January 20th.
On Thursday, shows like Boat are taking place from 2pm, which includes an interactive installation of a German u-boat in the rehearsal room space, created by Colm Ó hUigínn.
At 6pm and 6.30pm in the Girl’s Dressing Room, Clíodhna Kelly, Allie Whelan and Rachel Foran have created a performance based on A Girl’s Bedroom by Enda Walsh. In the evening, at 9pm, Trinity’s favourite (and only) improvisation group, Improv, She Wrote will be performing a night of comedy improv with the help of the audience.
On Friday, the hijinks begin with Feat. James and Ping, at 12pm in the theatre, created by James Ireland and Choy-Ping Clarke-Ng. The show promises cult worship, human sacrifice and requires the audience to be barefoot as the performers will be touching the feet of every audience member.
At 3pm in the theatre space, TAC 2: Misery, the sequel to last year’s TAC, will take place, with live recorded footage being streamed online at the same time. With last year’s production ending with the live sledgehammering of a television, TAC 2 certainly guarantees some surprises.
Another event to catch on Friday is the Fringe Submission Workshop in the theatre at 1pm, hosted by Luke Casserly, a DU Players lifetime member and creator of Dublin Fringe Festival show Efficacy 84, in which he will be giving advice, tips and answering questions on how to submit a successful application to Dublin Fringe Festival. Finally, don’t miss The Valentine Boys: Despite Popular Demand, in the theatre at 9pm. The excellently-talented, musical comedy trio are back for a night of “Sketch Tragedy”, which will be sure to have you on the floor and on your feet.
Finally, on Saturday, At the Very Beginning, presented by Colin Smith and Martha Knight, will be taking place in the theatre at 4pm. The piece will be showing us what the world was like before the existence of humanity.
Later, at 6pm, Matt McGowan presents a spin of last year’s The Search for Harold Holt, in his new piece, What’s a Tim Tam?
At 8pm, we will be entertained by the curiously titled Lobsterboy. The Trinity Fringe Festival wraps up on Saturday night at 9pm in the Players Theatre with “Mad For Trad”: a closing party in association with Trinity’s Traditional Irish Music Society, where we will hear tunes and jigs in a good old fashioned session.
With more than 20 performances, installations and events in the space of three days, Trinity Fringe certainly aims to astound all types of audiences this year. All tickets to Fringe events are free, so make sure to get them early.
