Prague Fringe 2016
We’re back! After days on end of 37ck beers and late night
trips to McDonald’s – we’re back to reality. This year was my third at the Prague
Fringe Festival and I think it might have been my favourite so far. The quality
of performances this year was incredible and I think I speak for all of
TwentySomething when I say how grateful we were to be a part of it.
"Prague Fringe is like Edinburgh in the 60s; intimate, friendly and fun." Jim Haynes.
For my
sins, I spent the Fringe working as a Venue Supervisor and my every waking
moment was dedicated to Fringe-life. Being part of two sides of the Fringe was
an eye-opening experience (and one I’m sure I’ll be repeating before too long!) Prague Fringe is like nothing else. It's so small you can meet every other performer if you wanted to. It's so supportive that audiences can sometimes be made up entirely of other companies taking a break from promoting their own shows. Whilst I'm an Edinburgh Fringe regular, I have to say that my love for Prague is still going strong!
Hell Has No Fury opened to a sell-out audience at the Golden
Key on June 1st. It was actually a little heart-breaking having to
turn away Fringe staff at the door. The performance space had been described to
us as a cellar, underneath a boutique hotel on the street leading up to Prague
Castle. We didn’t really know what to expect beyond limited tech and limited
space but we hoped that the room would add some atmospheric element to the
piece. The venue completely lived up to our expectations. Heavy rain the day
before meant there was water dripping down the back walls during our technical
rehearsal (classic Prague), which filled the room with a damp, dank smell. The
room was boiling – despite the two fans which had been furiously blowing air
into it between shows – and only got warmer when filled with 22 expectant
audience members (also classic Prague). I hadn’t realised how lucky we had been
with our venue; that hot, cramped, enclosed atmosphere was so
perfect for performing the piece.
Bizarrely, this was the first time I had seen Hell Has No
Fury performed. I was absolutely blown away. Rowan Hall is incredible and
Prague Fringe thought so too, nominating her for their Performance Fringe
Award. Being in that room on opening night was an utterly wonderful experience.
All in all we had an amazing first (and most certainly not last) time at Prague
Fringe!
Up next for TwentySomething - keep an eye out for encore performances of Hell Has No Fury and it won't be too long before we have something completely different to share with you all!
Sweeney.
