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!
Tag Archive: Curio Cabinet
Demand for the talents of students coming out of Aerialize, has been high overseas, and the aerial school has been having trouble retaining them in Sydney. Part of the solution is a new offshoot production company, Aerialize Company. With more than a dozen professional aerialists, they offer a new opportunity for a professional career path for the students, right here in the Inner West of Sydney.
Now, with grants from Marrickville Council and a new patron, PRA Global (who perform similar far-off-the-ground skills, but industry rather than entertainment), they have produced Clammy Glamour from the Curio-Cabinet. The Sydney Fringe sees the results of the third iteration of this work. The ten-person cast are pleased with the changed brought on by a recent intensive seven-day full-time creative workshop. I spoke to four of the performers about the process. “It was exhausting with many of use continuing on after a full day, to start teaching aerials at 8:30pm,” says aerialist Tanya Richards, “But it has really pulled it all together; the hard work has paid off.”
The piece has been produced in collaboration with directors, Annabel Lines and Simone O’Brien. They have assembled an assortment of magical characters straight from that toybox that is still hidden in the wardrobe at your parents’ house. Each character, a forgotten or broken childhood favourite, tells its own poignant story. However, performer Bel Macedone explains, “It has a theatrical pacing and strong characterisation, but it isn’t focussed on the narrative. It is the image-making which will challenge people to produce their own interpretations.”
Who should see it? “Anyone who wants to experience poison-ivy-flavoured fairy-floss,” suggests Tanya enigmatically. “Anyone who has ripped the head off a Barbie doll,” hazards Bel. Elli Huber is more sure “Anyone who had a teddy-bear with the stuffing knocked out… and didn’t care.”
Leanne Kelly and Elli, who also star in Food For Thought, consider the show’s imagery. “My 10-year old sister enjoys it, but it is a bit macabre for the younger ones.” suggests Elli. Leanne jumps in “And any older brothers might get some ideas about how to mistreat their sisters’ toys!”
I’d suggest it is a must for the lovers of physical theatre, and for people who want to be shocked and awed by an artform.
You don’t need to take my word for it: Any earlier version of the piece was captured on video last year, and the preview gives a glimpse of the dramatic flair of the team.
With a large cast of circus trainers, it can’t help but include a huge range of skills and talents, but it also includes a welcome number of unconventional apparatus, from counterweight tissu to triple lyra to string trapeze.
I have a pet theory that one criterion for success at the Sydney Fringe Festival is a name that cannot be said five times fast. Clammy Grammar… err.. Crammy Glam… this performance is Exhibit A! Between the name and the talents of the cast, it can’t help but be an item to circle three times, with a star, in your Sydney Fringe Program Guide.
Clammy Glamour From The Curio-Cabinet
Ensemble Cast: Lil Tulloch, Leanne Kelly, Elli Huber, Suzi Langford, Craig Hull, Bel Macedone, Tanya Richards, Scot Walker, Heidi Holmes, Kristi Wade
Wed, 15 Sep, 6pm
Thu, 16 Sep, 8:30pm
Fri, 17 Sep, 9:45pm
Thu, 23 Sep, 9:45pm
$24/$20