We are proud to be a partner in Durham’s first Fringe Festival, taking place across the city from 28 July until 1 August. The Fringe Festival will bring 27 performing arts companies to the city, with a varied programme of Music, Magic, Comedy, Dance and Drama. Our very own Assembly Rooms Theatre and St Chad’s College garden, are two of the locations hosting events during the festival.
The Assembly Rooms Theatre is the main venue for the Fringe Festival, with no less than ten different acts performing there.
Hard-hitting drama ‘Screen 9’ will return to the theatre where it was first performed as an entry in Durham Drama Festival 2015. Originally written for the Durham Drama Festival by then student and now Head of Theatre Kate Barton, the play won the prestigious Charlie Hartill Award for 2020.
‘Screen 9’ is a documentary piece of theatre that follows the events of the tragic shooting that took place at a cinema in Colorado in 2012. Created from interviews, articles, press releases, blogs, videos, tweets and trial coverage, the play follows four individuals who truthfully take the audience through the before, during and after of this tragic event.
Kate is delighted to be producing the play with a cast of professional actors. She said ‘It’s really exciting to see the play back where it all began and to be able to welcome visitors back to our venues after having to be closed for so long due to Covid. The Fringe is helping us to attract a whole new audience.’
Other shows at The Assembly Rooms include Aaron Simmonds, promising laughter with his comedy ‘Hot Wheels’, where he waxes lyrical about the lighter side of being disabled and ‘Could it be Magic’, where actor Paul Aitchison plays all four magicians in a manic magic competition.
St Chad’s College garden is the scenic location that will play host to outdoor events, including ‘The Glory Set’, a dance piece inspired by Lady Gaga and performed by the all-female dance group The Muses. The performance is described as a world of movement and performance with a playful edge and a circus feel, designed to involve and inspire the audience with diverse and enchanting movement.
Stephen Cronin, Durham Fringe Director said this week, “We have brought together some fabulous acts for our first Fringe so we are very excited to be bringing such a wide variety of entertainment to the City.”
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