Fringe World Perth 2014: Opening Night in the Pleasure Garden
Opulent venues steeped in history, luscious surroundings, surprising local talent, the promise of something magical about to begin floating in the air..it’s Fringe World Festival Perth 2014!
I’ve been lucky enough to hostess – dress up in a costume, welcome “fringe dwellers” and add to the atmosphere – since the Perth Fringe Festival germination and I was so delighted to be asked to hostess for this year’s VIP opening night on Thursday the 23rd of January.
My partner in crime was one of our city’s premier ballerina burlesque dancers, Cecile Mimieux . We even got to be onstage with Colin Barnett, holding a string of tickets to mark the official opening!
Backstage we met the lovely ladies from Titty Bar Ha Ha who were positively sweet and friendly, which made my surprise even more piquant the next night when I saw them perform. Not only can these girls sing, their show is pure, hilarious, delicious filth!
Yet, this is what excites me about Fringe. It’s a melting pot of local, interstate and overseas talent, so you never know who you’re standing next to and which amazing artist you’ll have the opportunity to meet. With all of the variety, though, it can be quite overwhelming. So, here are just a few of the 450 shows that piqued my curiosity; perhaps they’ll tickle your fancy, too?
Oh Crumbs! – 1920’s comedic vaudeville promising to answer the question of “how many boys can one fit in one’s yard?” by two of my favourite people Miss Jane and Clara Cupcakes 9:45pm, 8th to 12th February – Pink Flamingo, The Pleasure Garden
Fatal Femmes: A whodunnit about the wrath of women scorned – 5 Villianesses, jazz, fire dancers, burlesque and mystery…. – 9:30pm, 13th to 16th February – Black Flamingo, The Pleasure Garden
The Rhythm Spectacular: The Music of Beyonce – music by Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys; choreography by the Velvet Playgirls; Beyonce’s songs performed in the style of New Orleans street beats and sultry jazz; a whole lotta fun! – 8pm, 17th to 23rd February – De Parel Spielgeltent, Urban Orchard
And of course, don’t miss our show:
La Belle Epoque – be charmed by a show reminiscent of the Folies Bergere and immerse yourself in absinthe soaked burlesque and cabaret. Our shows tend to sell out, so get your tickets soon if you don’t want to miss out. – 7pm, 17th to 23rd February – The West Australian Spiegeltent
These shows and many, many more can be found on the Fringe World Perth 2014 website: https://www.fringeworld.com.au.
Finally, I’ll leave you with some little tips on how to extract the most pleasure you can handle from this year’s festival:
– be spontaneous, keep an open mind and take advantage of Rushtix
– buy tickets for the shows that you desperately want to see, as they have a tendency to sell out
– pop in as often as you can, even if it’s just for a drink but get enough sleep. Feeling grumpy and tired is no way to enjoy yourself!
– get there as early as you can because seats are first in, first served
I hope to see you there soon and if you see me, come up and say hi!”
xx Rose Noir
