The critically acclaimed Clapham Fringe Festival has re-branded in a bid to showcase Lambeth’s underrepresented culture and history.
The festival, now called Lambeth Fringe Festival, has returned for its ninth year, with a massive expansion of nearly 150 shows across 23 venues and is taking place from 19th September to 20th October.
It will showcase an array of theatre, comedy, cabaret, music, family, and experimental performances, with a focus on promoting Lambeth’s history and culture, and underrepresented voices within the community.
The team at The Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham, are both the organisers of the Fringe and the festival’s founding venue.
Associate producer Alex Knott said: “Particularly now where it seems that there are increasingly fewer opportunities for artists, this is something by artists for artists.
“If you have something to put on the stage then we want to help facilitate that.”
The festival’s expansion has provided a platform for underrepresented voices and stories, and created a five-week programme that offers a variety of shows.
Knott said: “Without this being cliché, there definitely is something for everyone.
“This year we have expanded exponentially.
“We are the fastest growing arts festival in South London.”
In addition, some streets in the borough are also being pedestrianised to bring the essence of the Edinburgh Fringe to the community.
The organisers hope that this will improve accessibility as they have planned street performances, and other events around Voltaire Road, Clapham.
Knott said: “There is something for every price range with shows starting from £5.
“The more shows we have the more accessible it becomes.
“We have tried to bring accessibility to our whole programme.”
In addition to financial accessibility, the festival has also welcomed more wheelchair friendly venues this year.
Among the shows that Knott recommends are Don’t Let Me Die Before Sunday, by Skin and Blister theatre company.
This 60-minute production is being staged at The Bread and Roses Theatre from 18th to 20th October, and has been described as an examination of grief and loss from a different, dynamic angle.
Knott also spotlighted The William Blake Mixtape, a spoken-word play, which he dubbed Lambeth’s version of Hamilton.
This will also be performed at The Bread and Roses Theatre on 11th October.
Knott said: “He’s a poet who has a real link to the local area and remixes his poems into a spoken-word, poetry, music event.
“That’s an example of how we are taking something from the local community and showing the history of the area.”
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