Fringe theatre is almost impossible to define because it can be so many things. What we can say for sure is that it is outside the mainstream. Beyond that, anything goes. That’s part of the beauty of fringe theatre. It may be shocking, it may make important points about society, or it may just be somewhat strange. One thing is certain: fringe theatre began in the UK during the late sixties, and fringe theatre festivals are now held all over the world.
The Fringe in the Forties
One of the origins of fringe theatre, and possibly the way the term was coined, came from “festival fringes” where performers hope to be noticed. The Edinburgh Festival was the place to be seen, and less-well-known theatre companies and performers were often found congregating, quite literally, on the fringe of the main scene of the action.
Many fringe theatre performances are still to be found here, but it is no longer the completely unplanned collection of artists. Instead, festival organisers decided to allow “Adjuncts” to perform without any selection process, such as that used to decide who would be featured at the mainstream festival. The name was later changed to “Fringe,” but the sixties and seventies were to shape our perception of what fringe theatre really is.
1968: The Lord Chamberlain Releases His Grip On Theatre
In 1737, it was decided that actors really could not be trusted to put on any play they liked. So, a law was passed. Nobody could stage a play without the Lord Chamberlain’s approval. That law was replaced by the much more liberal Theatres Act in 1968. With theatre censorship at an end, creativity could fly free, and shock tactics hit UK stages.
The rock musical Hair is probably the most famous example. After all, it included not only rock music but nudity. Also taking advantage of the newly relaxed regulations, the Arts Lab in Drury Lane became a hotbed of experimentation in the arts, and of course, that included theatre. Unfortunately, it was more of a passion project than a moneymaker, and its founder fell behind with the rent, forcing the original Arts Lab’s closure.
The bug had well and truly bitten, however, and Arts Labs sprang up all over the country, each hosting its share of the unusual, the shocking, and the experimental.
Defining Fringe Theatre With the Portable Theatre Company
The Portable Theatre Company, an offshoot of the original Arts Lab, began to tour with minimal costumes and sets but lots of big ideas and social commentary. In a generation of dissatisfaction with politics and policies, the Portable Theatre Company presented productions that many people see as the definition of fringe theatre today.
Many of the narratives were politically motivated, the content focused on social injustice, and the sets and costumes were minimalistic. The shows were highly experimental, jumping between timelines and including other performance genres, often with a sense of the surreal. These performers had a message, and they were constantly striving to find new and impactful ways to deliver it.
Fringe Theatre Today
Today, fringe theatre is still well outside the mainstream. Traditional theatres do not host fringe theatre productions, and if they did, we would have to assume that they were no longer “fringe” at all. London has several fringe theatre venues, often situated above pubs.
Most festivals these days also have their unjuried “fringe” that allows open access to anyone with a performance they want to put on. The performance could be just about anything. It could be good or bad, creative and thought-provoking, or rather run-of-the-mill. However, fringe theatre, in the truest sense of the word, is surely the introduction of new thoughts and means of expression.
For many aspiring artists and writers, fringe theatre becomes a training ground. The King’s Head in Islington is famed for its fringe theatre productions and has been going strong since 1970. There are in the region of 19 other such theatres around London, and they often host deeply creative and sometimes thought-provoking and disturbing productions.
Fringe Theatre: A Foot In The Door?
Just as some actors attended the Edinburgh festival in the hope of being seen on its fringes before there was an “official” fringe festival, fringe theatre can be a wonderful way to kickstart your career. Theatre reviewers often attend, and directors and agents are often in evidence.
As an actor, you might well rise from fringe theatre to the mainstream, returning to these creative productions just because they are so stimulating. However, you will not make a living from fringe theatre. Budgets are low, and with the theatres being so small, fortunes are not being made.
All the same, simply experiencing fringe theatre from the inside is a rather special life experience that every actor should hope to try. The problem, as a blogger recently pointed out, is that you still have to pay the bills somehow. Could the arts be self-selecting people from affluent backgrounds?
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