Dunedin Fringe Flies High

Dunedin Fringe Flies High

Thursday 27th March

Dunedin’s Museum Reserve will come alive this weekend as the home of the Dunedin Fringe Festival. The Festival opens this weekend with The Opening Spectacular, a huge party for all to enjoy. And, as a special treat, Wellington’s Fuse Productions will be performing their magnificent aerial acts amongst the reserve tree tops.

The Opening Spectacular will feature live music from Dunedin indie bands The Tweeks and Onanon as well as electronic artist SoNic Smith, and DJs AK and Krank. This event is an opportunity for locals to celebrate the start of 16 days of dance, theatre, comedy, music, performance and exhibitions by artists from around the country and overseas.

With a large marquee venue, free lunchtime concerts, street performances and a cluster of other venues near by, this year’s Fringe is set to entice larger audiences than ever before.

The festival will feature 62 national and international acts over 16 days. Artists from all major New Zealand cities will be represented, as well as ex-pat comedians such as Ben Hurley and James Nokise, bringing new work and perspectives. Dunedin artists feature prominently with half the Festival programme local artists, and half from outside Dunedin. The focus of the festival is innovation, creativity, experimentation and presentation.

With up to 30 shows throughout the city every day and over 500 performers, audiences will be spoilt for choice. Not only that, this year’s festival will be funnier that every before with the birth of the PolsonHiggs Comedy Club. Located in Otago Museum’s Hutton Theatre, this cabaret style venue will feature a mix of local, national and international comedians.

Add to that New Zealand’s renowned Footnote Dance who will be previewing their newest work Made in New Zealand and Festival Forums featuring world renown dance critic, Dr Larry Lavender and you’ve got two weeks of experimental entertainment and artistic enjoyment for a diverse audience.

Festival Director Paul Smith believes the Festival programme is the strongest yet and the new dates and location of the Festival hub on the Museum Reserve will increase the accessibility of the Festival.

“There is a great sense of anticipation in the community about the Festival and I am really looking forward to seeing the many new shows that have been created specifically for the Fringe, and meeting the artists. This is the strongest line-up of artists that we have ever presented and I am confident that the 2008 Dunedin Fringe will have a huge impact on Dunedin. It is also the start of a new Australasian Fringe circuit where artists from New Zealand and around the world can go from the Adelaide and Wellington Fringe to the Dunedin Fringe”.
Dancing, singing, laughter and challenging art all wrapped up in a rather large and oddly shaped package, Dunedin Fringe - get it while it’s hot!

ENDS

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