Prague Fringe Festival 2012 Preview

Asymmetric fringe? Passé. Lunatic fringe? Eek! Call the cops! Prague Fringe? Yes please! Or perhaps that should that be ‘ano’…

The Prague Fringe Festival is back with a diverse programme featuring the usual mix of the highbrow, the hilarious and the downright bizarre. From 1st to 9th June, the Czech capital will play host to an explosion of creative talent as more than a hundred performers from across the world descend on Malá Strana for the eleventh year in a row.

The One with a Silly Title
Rather than sticking a pin in the programme why not just go for something with a title that tickles you? I like the sound of My First Ten Sexual Failures. Not because my own personal life is a catalogue of romantic disasters, you understand. Adam Tomazic’s one man show will kick off the 2012 Fringe and I for one am planning to lose my festival virginity with him.

Performed at Malostranská beseda June 1-3 @ 16:00-17:00

The One I Saw Last Year and Loved
The problem with a title-based approach is that fringe theatre doesn’t always do what it says on the tin. Last year I saw Impossible N’est Pas Français or There’s No Such Word as Can’t, purely because of its name. The show had nothing to do with baguettes, berets or beating the odds, but it was still fabulous. All the brochure blurb says about Lucy’s latest offering – Le Foulard – is that it’s “a tale of sorts starring a woman and a scarf.” Sounds magnifique!

Performed at Kavárna 3+1 June 1-9 @ 18:45-19:45

The One I Missed Out On
Gail Whitmore’s three night run as vocal legend The Human Jukebox was a massive hit at last year’s Fringe. I didn’t get a chance to hear her warbling skills back then, but luckily for me the festival gods have granted me a second chance to see her in action. Can’t wait.

Performed at Malostranská beseda June 1-3 @ 19:15-20:15; June 8-9 @ 22:15-23:15

The One Sir Trevor Liked
Sir Trevor Nunn is a legend among thespians, having been artistic director of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the UK’s National Theatre. Put simply, Sir Trevor is Shakespeare. If he declares a show to be “sensational,” then chances are it’s worth seeing. If you can’t bring yourself to give Thievish Dog’s adaptation of “The Rape of Lucrece” a go however eminent the endorser, there is other bard related fare on offer, including a stage adaptation of narrative poem “Venus and Adonis” and a one-man smorgasbord of Shakespeare’s Kings and Clowns.

Performed at Divadlo Na Prádle June 5-9 @ 18:45-19:45

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