ON STAGE
Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival
Where: Eight downtown venues (see victoriafringe.com for schedule)
When: Thursday to Sept. 2
Tickets: $9 to $11 (with $5 Fringe button) 250-590-6291 or victoriafringe.com.
Packages available: five shows $55 or 10 shows $80.40
The Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is now more kid-friendly than ever, organizers say.
The 11-day theatre festival, hosting more than 370 performances of 55 shows, has launched a new daytime FamilyFest series dedicated to children's fare. Langham Court Theatre is host to such shows as Alladin's Secret Voyage, The Great Beanstalk Conspiracy, The Night That the Knight Learned Wrong from Right! and The Secret Life of Walter Manny.
This new mini-festival is, in part, aimed at the children of parents who attended the 26-year-old Fringe festival themselves when they were youngsters, artistic producer Janet Munsil said.
"They have their own families now. They want to be able to share that experience with their kids," she explained.
The Fringe will also retain its long-running Fringekids Fest, a day of free children's entertainment at Market Square, happening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year marks the return of many popular Fringe theatre performers, including Jem Rolls, Randy Rutherford, the Ryuzanji Company, Hip.Bang! Improv, Cameryn Moore, SNAFU Dance Company and Theatre Skam.
Munsil said 28,000 people attended last year's festival, with a similar number expected this season. The Fringe, operating on a $300,000 budget, is run by Intrepid Theatre with help from 250 volunteers.
The festival will stage free events at Centennial Square such as Romp! in the Square (happening in the evenings through Saturday) and tonight's Fringe Eve Previews, running from 7 to 8: 30. The festival's complete schedule is at victoriafringe.com.
See Thursday's Go section for a full preview of the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival.
