Newcastle Fringe Festivals returns with choir back in full voice

While pre-COVID editions were only staged over one weekend, the 2022 event has been expanded to eight days between March 17 and 27.

There will be 52 different shows presented in 10 venues, for 133 performances, ranging from Hunter locals, to interstate and foreign talent.

The tickets, which are sold by the Fringe team, can be obtained by emailing newcastlefringe.com.au/events. The festival's program can also be viewed at www.newcastlefringe.com.au.

"Fringe shows tend to be unconventional, less traditional and a true art experience," said Newcastle Fringe marketing manager and deputy chair, Liane Morris.

"Some shows will be rough around the edges, some will be shocking, some will be hilarious, and others will be as good as anything you'd see at the Sydney Opera House.

"The trick is working out which ones you'll enjoy the most."

Phil Aughey, the founder of the Newcastle Fringe and the administrator and director of Anvil Creek Theatre, stages plays that he and other people have developed in venues around Australia and overseas, including at iconic events like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Aughey has attended many fringe shows and has paid close attention to audience reactions.

This year's fringe venues are spread widely around Newcastle and its suburbs.

Host venues include The Royal Exchange, Babylon Newcastle, The Rogue Scholar, Croatian Wickham Sports Club, The Gal (Gallipoli Legion Club), Beaumont Street's Creative Arts Space (CAS), The Hive, Wesley Uniting Church Hamilton, and Lizotte's.

Given the easing of restrictions, Newcastle Fringe took the risk of calling out to choirs to create a mini choir festival, to celebrate the fact that performers can finally sing after two years of COVID rules.

The call was answered and some of Australia's finest choirs will be performing at the festival.

There won't be a dry eye in the house as the rafters are lifted with the glorious, spine-tingling sound of many voices raised in song together at last.

The festival's choir day will be held at Hamilton's Wesley Uniting Church on Saturday, March 26, with four choral events presented.

The first event is The Song Sisters, a 30-strong women's choir who came together from varied singing backgrounds.

The choir training team supported women in singing for enjoyment, friendship, health and well-being.

The team's leaders, music director Kim Sutherland OAM, and accompanist Terence Koo, have helped them to, not only survive, but to flourish.

The hour-long show will begin at 2pm. Tickets are $15.

The second event will be the Newcastle Chamber Choir, at 4pm. It will deliver a mix of traditional and contemporary choral delights.

The Newcastle Chamber Choir, who were the Australasian Choral Champions at the Sydney Eisteddfod in 2019 and 2021, are dedicated to performing choral music to the highest standard in Australia and internationally.

They will perform works by Grandage, Praetorius, McCall, Stopford, Byrd, Gjeilo and more, making it a show to remember. Tickets are $32.50.

The third venture, Sydney Gay Lesbian Choir, is a non-auditioned choir which welcomes members regardless of their sexual identity or musical experience.

The choir is open to all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, intersex, queer people and their straight allies. They are united by a love of singing together and striving for performance excellence in a powerful symbol of diversity, inclusion and harmony.

The choir has maintained a vital and visible presence in the history of Sydney's LGBTQI community.

The show will begin at 6pm and run until about 7.30pm. Tickets are $30.

The fourth and final show is Spooky Men's Chorale, described as "a vast, rumbling, steam-powered and black-clad behemoth, seemingly accidentally capable of rendering audiences moist eyed with mute appreciation or haplessly gurgling with merriment."

Based on the twin pillars of grand foolishness and the quest for the perfect subwoofer-rattling boofchord, the Spooky Men seek to commentate on the absurdity and grandeur of the modern male, armed only with their voices, a sly collection of hats and facial hair, and a twinkle in the eye.

The show begins at 8.30pm and runs until 10pm. Tickets are $39.50.

It's wonderful to see so many returning artists who have developed their craft through Fringe.

Steve Wilson who won Best Premier Show last year with Camino Man has developed a new piece this year titled Don't Touch Me! A Tale of Cats Hugs.

The team who won the Artistic Merit Award last year with Fever are presenting their new show Psychotic Sideshow.