'Dunedin Fringe Festival Releases 2010 Programme'
The Dunedin Fringe Festival, the South Island’s largest festival of experimental art, last night released the programme
for its 2010 Festival to local artists and prominent Dunedinites at the Regent Theatre.
50+ Events over Eleven Days
Organised by a dedicated team of staff and guided by the Dunedin Fringe Festival Arts Trust, the 2010 Dunedin Fringe
Festival runs over 11 days from the 18-28 March and features over 50 events. The artists are a mix of experienced and
emerging, all with a passion for their work and piles of talent. Over 20 shows are world premiers specially created for
the Festival and many others are touring events new to Dunedin and New Zealand.
Experimental and Innovative Art in all Art forms
Director, Paul Smith, says the Festival provides a platform for artists to push boundaries and present their latest
work. “The Fringe is all about supporting experimentation, innovation and fresh new ideas. Taking risks is what the
Fringe is fundamental to the philosphy of the festival, both for artists and audiences. We want people to step outside
their comfort zone and tap in to the wealth of talent that the Fringe provides.”
From comedy, dance and theatre to music, performance and visual art with much blurring of the boundaries in between, the
2010 Dunedin Fringe Festival programme has something for everyone, with acts for all-ages held in a range of venues
across the city.
Comedy Programme Major Highlight
This year’s programme contains a huge comedy programme with popular and up-and-coming comedians performing new work,
including 2010 Billy T Award nominee TJ McDonald, and crowd favourites Simon McKinney and Irene Pink to name only two of
14 comedy shows. “With such outstanding talent, one major hotspot will undoubtedly be the Polson Higgs Comedy Club at
XII Below,” says Smith. The Polson Higgs Comedy Club will host three shows a night in the most action packed season of
comedy Dunedin has ever seen.
Nationally & Internationally Significant Shows
Other highlights include The Busking Blitz, where sword-swallowing and chainsaw-juggling street theatre performers are
set to enliven the Otago Farmers’ Market; the seductive and subversive daring areial show Burlesque As You Like It – Not a Family Show to be held at the Regent Theatre; and the Blue Oyster Gallery’s Performance Series, a showcase of performance art practitioners from throughout New Zealand.
International performers include French dance troupe Cie Porte K/L, Aboriginal dancer Vicky Van Hout, Scottish folk
sensation Eddi Reader, the AGG School of Dance and Performing Arts from Bangalore India, Chimera Dance Collective and
Asking for Trouble from Australia. These artists are complemented by eleven events from Auckland and many more from
Dunedin which is known for the vitality of its arts community.
Background
The Dunedin Fringe Festival was first launched ten years ago and is a much-anticipated event on the Dunedin arts
calendar. The 2009 Dunedin Fringe attracted an audience of 10,000 and the Festival continues to grow each year.
The Fringe format is unqiue in that we have an open-access philosphy where artists choose the Festival. “This
facilitates a high level of experimentation and makes the Fringe the place where new trends in art emerge from,” said
Smith.
The full programme is up now at www.dunedinfringe.org.nz with copies of the Festival Guide available from local retailers.
ENDS