Ottawa Fringe unveils eclectic 2024 lineup
iPhoto caption: Poster courtesy of Ottawa Fringe
The Ottawa Fringe Festival has unveiled its 2024 lineup. Selected by lottery and made up of 50 productions playing a total of more than 300 performances, the offerings include drama, comedy, musical theatre, improv, and more.
In a press release, the Ottawa Fringe highlighted four anticipated productions. The Fringe’s Open Doors mentorship program is hosting Fenton Ho’s On the Verge of Whiteness, a riff on Waiting for Godot that unpacks the ramifications of Canada’s 1923 “Chinese Exclusion Act.” A crowd favourite, UNSUNG: The Accidental Villains of History, from Toronto’s Duck and Roll Theatre, is returning after sold-out performances at last year’s festival. Out of Perth, Australia, Shane Adamczak and Sam Longley bring the wild Vehicle, in which they share chaotic tales of the troubles and triumphs of touring. And in Jessica Pigeau’s How to Lose Friends and Irritate People, a surrealist comedy from Vancouver, the champion of social awkwardness demonstrates how not to deal with friends, family, strangers, animals, Americans, college, and confrontations.
In addition to last year’s venues, the Fringe is bringing back two performance spaces at La Nouvelle Scène and introducing a new BYOV venue, the DARC Microcinema at Arts Court.
The Fringe Courtyard at Club SAW will also host a variety of free events reflecting the diversity of Ottawa, from How Queer: A Night of Burlesque, a returning hit from February’s undercurrents festival; to a collaboration with Cranium Festival honouring Black culture and music; to QiGongidaa!, a clown performance from Hilary Wear that celebrates their Indigenous heritage.
The 2024 Ottawa Fringe Festival runs June 13–23. Tickets and the complete schedule are available here.
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What are some of the anticipated productions highlighted by the Ottawa Fringe Festival for its 2024 lineup?