Triumphant weekend for Chichester Fringe - review

The first weekend of Chichester Fringe came to a triumphant conclusion last Sunday with the musical comedy duo and TikTok stars The Sugarcoated Sisters at Graylingwell Chapel.

From Friday to Sunday the fringe welcomed 20 different performances in an eclectic mix of live music, cabaret, comedy, puppetry, dance, drama as well as a brand-new musical, The Girl in the Mirror. New puppetry show Astra, an adaption of Naomi Foyle’s novel of the same name, showed how the fringe can be accessible to all: Astra provided audio description as well as a wonderful BSL interpreter.

The recently-refurbished chapel had been converted to a broadcasting studio by our partners Rhino AV Ltd. and from next weekend, 8-10 July, the Graylingwell shows will be available for streaming from our website, chichesterfringe.co.uk.

Katie, Carol and I as fringe producers were overwhelmed with the response to our call-out for shows. We are also grateful for the support that the Chichester Community Development Trust (which runs the Chapel) gave us, by providing a wonderful setting that included comfy sofas and a bar!

Stage management, photography, web design and social media roles were all by volunteer graduates, whom we really appreciated. The fringe has helped them to develop their professional experience of putting on live shows.

Looking forward to events later this month, we are also hosting three events at the Chichester Canal, starting with Comedy on the Canal on July 7. On July 16 there is a Poetry Performance followed by an Evening of Cabaret! At Oxmarket Contemporary a full Music and Art showcase of incredible solo artists will be held on July 14 including Stuart Ironside, unique guitarist and Jacob Palmer blending classical, jazz and soul. Check out our website to find out more.

To join our mailing list, visit our website and be the first to find out details on upcoming shows and how to take part next year.

www.chichesterfringe.co.uk