The new Brighton Fringe Autumn Edition has started today, bringing a programme of safely distanced artistry to our city.

Header image is from the performance 2100 A Space Novelty, shot by Siobhan O’Driscoll

Brighton Fringe Autumn Edition is running across the core dates of 1-31 October, and is bringing more than 50 events to venues across the city as well as online.

“I am delighted that Brighton Fringe is returning for an Autumn Season this October.  These are exceptional times so it will be a very unusual Brighton Fringe experience, but the most important thing is that people are safe while they are enjoying the festival.  Thank you so much for your support over the past 6 months and I’d like to extend particular thanks to the Brighton Fringe participants, venues, Friends and funders and supporters, without whom none of this would have been possible,” commented Brighton Fringe CEO, Julian Caddy.

The full Brighton Fringe Autumn Season programme can be seen at Brightonfringe.org , where tickets, naturally, can also be purchased.

Highlights from the programme include a wide-ranging schedule of comedy, theatre and cabaret at Sweet Venues; including ‘Bully’ by 2017 Funny Woman Champion Thanyia Moore, a one-woman retelling of the classic ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ story by Heather-Rose Andrews, ‘Lava Elastic’ – the UK’s first openly neurodiverse comedy/performance/poetry night and ‘Unquiet Slumbers: The Haunting of Emily Brontë’ by award-winning playwright Sam Chittenden.  

There are also some outdoor productions taking place with two events at Brighton Open Air Theatre, including family favourite ‘Alice in Wonderland: The Ballet’ and a musical theatre extravaganza, featuring songs from ‘Rent’, ‘Kinky Boots’, ‘Chicago’ and more from Ethereal Theatre in ‘You Can Do Anything’. Actors of Dionysus are putting on a bold production called ‘Savage Beauty’ which encompasses performance, music and choral singing in the unique surrounds of the Lionhouse garden on St Luke’s Road. 

For the first time Brighton Fringe has developed online ‘venues’ where events will be streaming throughout the month, both live and pre-recorded. This includes two productions from Sydney Fringe as part of the online Global Fringe programme; ‘Queers on the Fringe’ and ‘Train Lord’. There are a further 13 events taking place online such as ‘Show Up, Kids!’, an interactive kids show on Zoom live from comedian Peter Michael Marino’s New York City apartment, a ‘Big Virtual Halloween Ceilidh’ from Brighton’s Ceilidh Collective, and ‘Julienning with Robyn’, a lunchtime cook-along comedy show from Robyn Perkins.  

There are also two free Fringe Academy workshops running through the month, with opportunities to hear from Fringe Directors and Producers from around the world and the chance to learn about touring work both online and offline from Touring Scheme Leaders.

The Brighton Fringe team want to ensure that all attendees feel safe when attending Brighton Fringe events during this Autumn Season and have put together some #FringeSafely guidelines for anyone taking part in Brighton Fringe, this includes this fun educational video – watch here. To see the full #FringeSafely guidelines visit: https://www.brightonfringe.org/fringe-info/fringe-safely/.