EDMONTON – One of the most popular summer festivals in Edmonton announced its theme for 2015.
The 34th annual Edmonton International Fringe Festival will be themed…
“Our theme this year speaks to the silly in all of us, the child that relied only on his or her imagination and the pure joy of when we get to play,” said Murray Utas, the Artistic Director of Fringe Theatre Adventures. “In a word: fun.”
Organizers put out a call on social media for theme ideas and realized they hadn’t done a literature theme. P.L. Travers’ classic children’s series Mary Poppins was the most popular choice.
“Frankly, the singing nanny was the one that came up to the surface,” said Jill Roszell, the Executive Director of Fringe Adventure Theatres. “From there, that’s where we got SupercaliFRINGEilistic.”
“The Fringe is truly a magical event, and it’s a bit of a whimsical event.”
SupercaliFRINGEilistic will feature over 1,600 live performances, hosted at 50 venues throughout Edmonton.
The festival employs an unbiased lottery system to decide which performances are selected. Artists receive 100 per cent of ticket revenues.
“We were really surprised to have these big shows come through the lottery this year,” said Roszell. “We’re really excited to see what’s going to happen.”
Organizers will be looking to build on a record-breaking 2014. Fringed and Confused saw more than 665,000 visitors over the 11 days, with a record-breaking 118,280 tickets sold.
Volunteer spots fill up quickly. Those interested can apply online or email volunteer@fringetheatre.ca for more information. You must be at least 14 years old.
Tickets for the festival go on sale at noon on August 4.
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