PHOTOS & WATCH – Limerick Fringe 2018 promises to support homegrown creativity

Limerick Fringe 2018 – Taking place across a number of venues in Limerick City, the organisers hope to promote the arts sector of Limerick City on a higher pedestal

Limerick Fringe 2018 promises to support homegrown creativity

by ilovelimerick correspondent Chloe O’Keeffe

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With a little over 60 days to go before the official opening night of Limerick Fringe 2018, the Limerick Fringe 2018 committee and performers launched this year’s festival stylishly in the George Boutique Hotel yesterday evening, Wednesday, January 31. Limerick Fringe is a new vibrant, multi-genre performance-based event hosted in Limerick Ireland. It is a not for profit organisation that looks to support artists and producers to promote new, vibrant and daring arts to a wider audience utilizing non-traditional spaces. Limerick Fringe is run by volunteers who are all passionate about bringing new, vibrant and accessible arts to Limerick.  Taking place across a number of venues in Limerick City, the organisers hope to promote the arts sector of Limerick City on a higher pedestal and are anticipating an even bigger success than last year’s debut year of the Limerick Fringe festival.

Festival Co-founder Eva Birdthistle tells ilovelimerick, “There will be a huge difference from last year as last year we had very little support, whereas this year we got some serious funding and we can do a lot more, such as international and national promotion, which is huge.”

Birdthistle speaks of the foundation of Limerick Fringe, which is now in its second successive year, “When Limerick didn’t get the 2020 bid, over a very large bottle of wine we thought we could do it ourselves, and the next day we decided ‘y’know what, we’re going to give it a go, we’re going to try.’”

Pictured Simon Thompson. Limerick Fringe 2018 starts on April 4 and runs through until April 7. Photo: Jonathan Baynes/ilovelimerick.

Well-known actor and director, Simon Thompson was touring with his popular Clown Noir trilogy which took him to numerous popular Fringe events across the UK in Summer of 2016 and was able to share his experiences and pick the best parts of the Fringe Festivals across the UK and merge them in for a Limerick Fringe experience of a similar scale, “The vibe of those Fringe events was very artist-focused. They were friendly events.”

Miss Birdthistle believes the organisers, each coming from different areas of expertise all have a different hope of what the festival will bring– Eva Birdthistle being a photographer and running her own business, Simon Thompson, actor, Shane Vaughan, Stanzas: An Evening of Words and Fiona Marie Booth, voice and dance artist – but all with the same end-goal in mind, making a successful Fringe festival that will help broaden the minds of those attending.

Fiona-Marie Booth, a fellow committee member, and organiser spoke of how they wanted “to continue the momentum,” after losing the bid, and felt there was so much vibrancy to the Arts Sector that deserved its own space in the heart of Limerick City. Since last year, the festival has become bigger, remarks Booth. “There will be a big launch night with a band called the Scotch, then the festival will do on for three days after that… we have some amazing artists- we have some returning from last year, and lots of new artists.”

Speaking to ilovelimerick in the run-up of the debut performance from Tiger’s Eye Theatre was Shane Hickey of the Limerick-based theatre, who boasted his extreme excitement on behalf of his colleagues in playing Limerick Fringe 2018, “We’ve done it in Dublin, we’ve done it in Edinburgh Fringe, and finally we get to bring it home.” Having been unsuccessful last year in performing in Fringe, the Tigers Eye Theatre will debut in their hometown, residing in the Chez Le Fab Café, Arthur’s Quay on Thursday 5 at 6.30pm, Friday 6 at 8pm and Saturday 7 at 9.30pm.

Limerick Fringe 2018 is in its 2nd year running.

Limerick Fringe festival supports homegrown creativity, as well as welcomes national and international acts with open arms. The festival is a showcase of people’s talents and offers platforms to try out new work in a bid to try increase audiences, gain professionalism and enhance your professionalism. The Limerick Fringe Festival 2018 hopes to act as a platform for artists across all genres to meet and build relationships with similar art professionals whilst having fun through the four days.

This year, Limerick Fringe 2018 will be residing across 9 stages and 6 venues with an amazing of 79 performances across the 4 days. Across the 4 days, fans will move from venues such as Dolans and Chez le Fab to the Belltable and Mother Macs, as well as St, John’s Pavillion and No. 1 Pery Square. This year’s performances include cabaret, comedy, dance, music, spoken word, theatre and of course Family FRiNGE. The artists of Limerick Fringe 2018 hail from as far away as USA, Brazil, Iran, Denmark, Catalonia, Belgium, Poland and the UK, as well as Dublin, Galway, Tipperary, Clare and of course, Limerick!

Performers of Limerick Fringe 2018 in the run-up to the launch!

Limerick Fringe 2018 is returning this April from April 4 to April 7 for the second year. This year will be bigger than better than last, with a launch night with high-energy Dutch band, The Scotch playing Dolans, The Warehouse from 9.30pm with their cheerful folkloric melodies marking the beginning of Limerick Fringe 2018. Tickets are going at €10 for all programmes excluding the Macarbaret: A Carnival of Lovers and Fools in Dolans on Saturday of Limerick Fringe 2018 (€20), there is a deal of €25 for a family of 4, as well as special offers of 5 shows for the price of 4. Street performances will be free of charge for the general public to embrace and enjoy!

For more stories on Limerick Fringe Festival go here.

For more information on Limerick Fringe 2018 go here.

Pictures by Zoe Conway/ilovelimerick

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