IT'S POSSIBLY the first true fringe festival.
In that it has a literal fringe.
The city needs a strong grass roots festival for Greater Mancunians by Greater Mancunians.
The cheeky people at the Chop Houses and Greater Manchester Fringe Festival have placed Tim Burgess' very Andy Warhol-esque fringe directly facing the main Manchester International Festival (MIF) 'hub' at Albert Square. You can see it on this page with MIF banners flying in front of it.
One of the organisers, Zena Barrie, explained the 'raison d'etre' behind the fourth Fringe festival.
"It's to showcase Manchester. The city needs a strong grass roots festival for Greater Mancunians by Greater Mancunians. We have a strong underground scene across pubs, bars, cafes, galleries and our festival is about bringing the work artists and venues do. Many of the events in our programme are free or affordable at around £3 or £4. We have a lot of first time productions and help people reach that first rung on the ladder."
Vicky Cooper, Vicky Cooper, Kitty Davies, Lisa Conner and Zena Barrie get in the Manchester bee-mood for the Fringe launchHighlights of the Fringe Festival include a weekend of free music and art at Albert's Chop House on 11/12 July called Tim Peaks Diner (Tim Burgess of the Charlatans coffee shop brand) with Barnabus Rex, the Everly Pregnant Brothers, Tony Husband's Cartoon Workshop, Dave Haslam close up with Paddy Considine, Pusher, Skyliner Alternative Manchester Walking Tour and loads of other stuff.
Also seek out Tony Husband's Private Eye cartoons at Font Bar in Chorlton, The E.P.I Berlin with a realisation of Lou Reed's 'Berlin' album at the King's Arms. The latter venue is more or less the Fringe's 'hub' so look out for 'Under Manc Wood', 'Mr Smith' and 'All Our Friends Are Dead' at the same venue. Then there's 'Being Frank' about Frank Sidebottom at Salford Arts Theatre, and because this is the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, 'Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience', at The Swan pub in Dobcross, Saddleworth.
There are around ninety acts across nineteen venues.
The full list is here. It's impressive. There's even a show called 'Women Who Wank' which is not surprisingly billed as a 'remarkable piece with thought-provoking content'. It's at the King's Arms, maybe it should have been at the Queen's Arms.
