Ottawa Fringe returns with 62 shows this week at Arts Court
The 29th season is underway with comedies, dramas, musicals, improv, and puppetry. Three contributors share what draws them back to review the festival every year.
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Ottawa's Fringe Festival is raising the curtain on its 29th season this week at Arts Court with a total of 62 shows ranging from comedies and dramas to musicals, improv, and puppetry.
Apt613 spoke with three of its regular Fringe reviewers about what keeps them coming back to cover the festival and how it has shaped their involvement in Ottawa's performing arts community.
Brian Carroll, who has been reviewing Fringe since 2010, recalls a 2015 two-hander called "Inescapable" where the fire alarm sounded at the exact moment a performer pressed an imaginary button on stage. The rest of the run sold out and became an Ottawa Fringe legend. Carroll didn't see the ending until a remount in 2024.
Carroll believes Apt613 reviews have put "bums in seats" over the years. Many companies that started at Fringe have expanded to stages across Ottawa year-round. Some have taken productions onto the Canadian Fringe circuit in cities like Winnipeg and Edmonton, using Apt613 reviews to promote their shows.
Bruce Burwell has been contributing reviews since 2022, though he's been attending Fringe for at least 15 years. Both reviewers express hope that the festival will continue to grow its audience and the number of productions it can support.