From show premieres and award-winning acts, to local and international talent, Swindon Fringe hosted its best line-up yet - and saw its "biggest launch night ever".
Swindon's seventh Fringe Festival hosted its biggest launch night ever at The Crossing. This year the Fringe's co-director and founder, Matt Fox, said in terms of acts this year was also the biggest line-up the festival has ever seen.
At the launch Matt said: "This year’s Swindon Fringe is the biggest in terms of acts. It’s international again so we’ve got acts from all over the world like America, and we’ve also got a couple of local acts back in this year It’s a whole smorgasbord of acts this year.
"At the moment in Swindon lots of people are doing lots of things, but I don’t think they’ve felt that there was a collective and I hope the Fringe is something that can be seen as collective. These are the Swindon bohemians, – we’re like 1800s Paris here, and we’re the people making the art for no money – and that doesn’t just exist in big cities, it can happen in Swindon.
"This year it feels like it’s properly landed – you spend years and years building it up, and you feel like no one cares. This year it’s so different - it feels like ‘we are here’."
The reviews are in!
Nobbo
Despite that the script for Nobbo had been purchased from LazyBee Scripts, it was well executed by the young cast.
I felt more could have been done by our two leads through their physical performances – verbally their pace and chemistry really shone through, but the depiction of their characters lacked much depth.
However, our dame was sensational and certainly a highlight - he had the audience in the palm of his hands and left me in hysterics. All round, with some room for improvement, it was very enjoyable.
Tropez!
I was left crying with laughter after watching this award-winning comedy duo's French farce!
Tropez! is the perfect combination of BBC One's Miranda and The Pink Panther, with a Faulty Towers twist. The show is comedy gold - an ode to the art of clowning, satirical script writing and minimal props with maximum effect.
Nathan & Ida are the epitome of what fringe theatre, and high-quality comedy, is all about. This is why you go to fringe festivals!
Tropez! is a must-see!
The Great Emptiness
By the end of her set, I wanted to go for a drink with Isa Bonachera - a Spanish scientist-turned-comedian. She's created a clever, charming and witty dialogue about our universe.
It was obvious she's new to the circuit but played this to her advantage. Her well-written space themed sketch, although a little too long, was both thought-provoking and unapologetically dark. I honestly appreciated that she reminded everyone that in this infinite world of time and space we are ultimately nothing.
Sign me up for her next show!
Commerical Waste
This one-woman show left me with great affliction, because it depicted a grossly accurate representation of how our society is in bed with social media - how our Instagram status is basically modern-day currency (all very Black Mirror).
The premise was nothing new, but it was certainly relevant and gripping - thanks mostly to our captivating lead, Madison Worthington, who embodied multiple characters as well as the play's sadistic motifs.
I left elated having seen such a high-quality show, yet aghast by how sharply brusque it was.
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