It’s that time of year again! The Brighton Fringe is in full swing and there’s just too much to choose from. There are more performances than you could reasonably shake a stick at, and it’s understandably easy to get overwhelmed and perhaps pick a show that isn’t for you.
That’s the last thing The Fringe Festival, you, or us at We Love Brighton want!
Thankfully I have sifted through the many events, the performances the art installations, and the music nights and I’m here with all the best events AND free shows that The Brighton Fringe has to offer!
In addition to the shows listed below there’s much much more to discover, including comedy shows featuring the likes of Nish Kumar, Zoe Lyons and Lou Sanders, which have been already mentioned in our article detailing what to do this week!
Gravity & Other Myths (Australia)
A Death-defying show of wonderment and slack-jawed suspense, Gravity and other myths does more than live up to its name, as it places gravity as a villain to be foiled. Raw and intimate, this is a performance in which the audience is integral.
Amidst the defiant acrobatics and incredible music score, is the depiction of the inner workings of world-class acrobats.
It’s a remarkable thrill just watching, and an absolute must-see if you can get tickets in time!
Moby Dick
A retelling of one of history’s great works, this French/Norwegian adaptation takes on Herman Melville’s classic. Using stunning visuals and some brilliant puppeteering, this team of 7 actors and 50 puppets tells a story that’s never felt so immediately powerful. This exploration into human desire and obsession will leave you astounded through its otherworldly presentation.
The performance is nothing short of ethereal at times, with video projections using carefully placed smoke as a backdrop, creating a surreal and twisted re-telling one of histories most influential pieces of literature.
Kidnapped
A Rom-com starring a hapless, un-dateable loser that trades in his depressing life to go on a high-seas adventure. Kidnapped is a brilliant adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, infusing 18th-century romantic pastiche with 20th-century humour.
Performed by a troop of musicians turned actors, this tale of hopelessly inept pirates is sure to deliver a great coming-of-age story with plenty of laughs!
Abomination: A DUP Opera
A satirical lambasting of the Democratic Unionist Party, Abomination is a retaliation to Iris Robinson’s “homosexuality is an abomination comment. Filled with Cabaret, Drag, Opera, and sharp satire, it’s surely a must-see.
It’s unapologetic and witty, combined with brilliant choreography, on-point song writing, and internationally renowned Soprano Rebecca Caine. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another show with so much talent, care, and comic genius.
Little Murmur
A visual masterpiece for all aghast, Little Murmur is the story of Aakash Odedra, who struggled with dyslexia from a young age making school very difficult. He didn’t realize his first name had 3 a’s until he was 21.
This discovery of his missing ‘A’ gave him a sense of belonging, and following this, he took to telling a heartfelt story of his struggles through stunning visuals as words take on a mind of their own in this incredible artistic performance.
Emotional, powerful, yet simultaneously playful and humorous, this show transcends the boundaries of traditional theatre, re-imagining it in a way that lets you experience this performance through the lens of the creator. A stunning show, sure to be a performance unlike any you’ve seen before.
Galatea
Originally written by Shakespeare’s contemporary, John Lyly who has now since been forgotten, Galatea tells the story of love, acceptance, and finding similarities in our differences.
A big inspiration for Shakespeare’s plays Romeo and Juliet and a Midsummer Night’s Dream, this is a reimagining of one of history’s most influential yet seldom seen plays.
In this adaptation, two trans lovers escape oppression amidst gods clashing and a search for one’s parents. Adapted by a collaboration of some of the theatre’s best production companies, the Award-winning Emma Frankland and acclaimed theatre historian Andy Kesson.
This ambitious outdoor play will transcend expectations and leave you with a message more prevalent now than in the 16th century when it was originally written
Groundswell
A free art installation that focuses on the literal footprints we leave behind. Artist Matthias Schack-Arnott invites you to traverse upon his project, as Groundswell responds to every step you take.
Each step upon the raised platform makes an impression on the thousands of illuminated balls, as they respond to every step reminding us our actions are fundamentally tied to each other across humanity.
A fresh interpretation of the butterfly effect and how every step or action we take affects and changes another’s footprints. Presented through mesmerising waves of kinetic response, sound and light. Groundswell is a poignant reminder of the impressions we leave behind.
Parachute
For those entranced by contemporary art, Parachute depicts the upbringing of artist Reuben Bastienne-Lewis in his first solo exhibition. Capturing intimate moments involving his peers and family, this exhibition depicts the youth culture that helped define him and so many others alike.
After experiencing death at a young age, Reuben decided to meticulously record memories and moments, with this artistic project starting in his early teens. A literal coming-of-age story, the installation takes you through his adolescence into adulthood, displaying it all through captured fragments of time.
Breakin’ Convention
A display of Hip-hop theatre this festival that’s part of the larger Brighton fringe festival showcases some of breakdancing’s most renowned talents. Its festival-ception! Filled with bombastic flair and originality, this troupe aims to leave you slack-jawed in wonder at their filthy moves.
The group combines local talents with international zealots of the breakdancing scene, such as South Korea’s Mover crew and the widely influential Ghetto Funk Collective of the Netherlands.
Hosted and curated by UK hip hop theatre legend and Artistic Director Jonzi D, you can find a cavalcade of urban culture to explore in addition to the incredible dance performances, including DJ’s, graffiti artists and even a chance for some Freestyle sessions in the Brighton Dome foyer.
Yuanfan Yang
Those that might appreciate grace and virtuosity, will enjoy Yuanfan Yang’s classical performance in the All Saints church. Ready to serenade you with Mozart’s Sonata in C, K. 330, Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme by Corelli, Op.42, Bartók’s Piano Sonata BB.88, Sz.80 and his own work, Waves.
A change of pace from some of the previously mentioned events, this stunning performance will move you in ways you thought never would be possible without words. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a level of talent usually reserved for expensive concert halls.
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
A dark comedy, this tale explores both the good and evils of man, exploring humanity’s attitudes towards the weak and the different. With the aid of some puppetry, a sinister tale is woven in front of our very eyes.
Suitable for children 8 and up, it’s rare to find a story that is aimed at kids whilst being so inventive, clever, and engaging for all ages.
If you need something for the family but can’t stomach anything overly watered down and child friendly, this is the perfect show for you. Using multiple modes of information to tell the story, music, puppetry, live acting, and video projection are all used to weave this brilliant story.
Masterclass
A comedic indictment of the ‘the great male artist’ Adrienne Truscott fiercely deconstructs the relationship between gender and power through a caricature of the overly macho male artist.
The show is a simple premise but delivers laugh after laugh through Truscott’s brilliant depiction of a Hemmingway-like playwright putting on a ridiculous masterclass on writing.
The comedy is always at the forefront, never being sacrificed to deliver a statement or shove a metaphor into the face of the audience.
It’s clever, yet delivers a variety of laughs. It’s brilliantly timed comedy entwined with feminist discourse on the romanticisation of the old white writer.
The show is filled with hilarity, but underneath the laughs lies a genuine statement challenging the pedestal this archetypal figure is often placed on.
The ridiculousness of the character is rooted in the reality of these figures. As you leave the performance and set off home you might just find the accuracy of the performance start to dawn on you.
