We had a fantastic year one response, with 35,000 tickets being sold for Fringe performing arts events, with an additional 15,000 tickets sold for partner events (such as music), and over 50,000 attendees at dozens of other official Fringe events, which included such smash hits as the Changing Lanes festival, the Carriageworks visual arts exhibit The Awkwardness of Belonging, the Your Big Backyard event at Sydney Park and the Mobile Screenfest at the Factory, amongst dozens of events.
We didn’t know what to expect from the first year – ticket sales aren’t the only measure of success, but it’s nice to know there is an audience in Sydney for alternative arts. It is an audience we’re committed to building for the second year. We had a mix of shows selling out, with other less commercial shows reaching smaller audiences – though, we’d like to think that’s exactly what you want in a Fringe. Multiple shows and events sold out across the Fringe, including Candy Royalle: Love Spectacular, Sexy Tales of Paleontology, Changing Lanes, Jeffree Star, Van Park with John Paul Young, Monica Trapaga’s Monica Goes to Rehab and My Private Parts: An Inside View of Fertilisation. The musical Bare played to packed houses, as did Words & Music from Life’s A Circus…and More, the Hideous Demise of Detective Slate, Intertwine and the CarriageWorks hit, Clammy Glamour from the Curio Cabinet, as well as many others.
In other news, we’re proud to announce the nominees from the Award program! We had representatives of the Fringe seeing shows across the event, so we could get feedback about every show. This jury included Fringe and venue representatives, industry professionals, staff representing our funders, and others. Here is a list of the shows they felt should be offered further acknowledgement for their excellence in Fringe 2010! The Sydney Fringe 2010 Award Nominees SYDNEY MORNING HERALD MOST THRILLING THEATRICAL EVENT AWARD Burlesque AssassinThe Hideous Demise of Detective Slate Lunamorph Retinal DamageSandS through the hourglass: Trapture SYDNEY AIRPORT EXCELLENCE IN NEW THEATRE AppleloftFat Boy Dancing Erth & Nick Cave’s “Murder Ballads” puppetry pieceThe Hideous Demise of Detective Slate Off The Shelf’s Boiler Room series (programmed by Augusta Supple) DRUM MEDIA SHOW-STOPPING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE AWARD The Alchemical Cabaret – Jason Hodgman Bitter/Sweet – Lena CruzCandy Royalle: Love Spectacular – Candy RoyallePearls before Swine – Blake EriksonRetinal Damage – Skye Gellmann SYDNEY BARTENDERS ON-THE-HOUSE AWARD FOR BEST FREE EVENT The Awkwardness of BelongingBlack FridayFighting FirePop up Festival Tour of the CityProjector Bike TIME OUT SYDNEY BEST MUSICAL MOMENT AWARD Changing LanesLane Hinchcliff Pugsley BuzzardSonic CanvasTubular Bells for Two CANADIAN CLUB ROFL COMEDY AWARDThe Hideous Demise of Detective Slate Rip Whitening’s Synchro Destiny Experience Sam Simmons Failed Sexy Tales of Paleontology Zoe & Penny’s Very Short Attention Span PURPLE GOAT DESIGN VISUAL & DIGITAL ARTS VISIONARY AWARD: The Awkwardness of Belonging LunamorphMagic Wallpaper Project: Hideous Beauties CollectionNewtown in the 30′s Scars, Tattoos and Skateboards: The Rise of the Phoenix PETER LEHMANN WINES FEAT OF PHYSICAL ASTONISHMENT (CIRCUS/BURLESQUE/PHYSICAL THEATRE) AWARD The Famous Maurice Flea CircusClammy Glamour from the Curio Cabinet Retinal Damage AVANT CARD – BODIES IN SPACE DANCE AWARD Collapse Intertwine Three Steps Towards SYDNEY BUSES GREEN PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY Landing Magic Mic: “Rubbish!”The Red Rattler BYTECRAFT EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION AND DESIGN AWARDClammy Glamour from the Curio CabinetSandS through the hourglass: TraptureThree Steps Towards GROLSCH BEST OF FEST PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDBitter/SweetBygone ErrorFreddy and Eden present Beautiful ThingsRip Whitening’s Synchro Destiny ExperienceWalk Me!
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