If you’ve ever been to the Fringe, you’ll know there’s nothing on earth like it. The Royal Mile sort of resembles a carnival, a festival and a protest all mixed into one, you get used to seeing people walking around boots and period costume searching desperately for the latest vocal remedy they haven’t yet tried, and nights out are frequently interrupted by late night comedians waving flyers for their 1 a.m. show in your face, always hoping you’re going to leave whatever club or pub you’re in to go and see their act.
But I have to emphasize that my experience at the Fringe was one of the most incredible experiences of my life (once you set aside constantly being cold and wet and the recurring issue of the loss of vocal cords). Being in two shows a night, every night, for three and a half weeks, was not easy! Especially as it wasn’t your regular naturalistic, proscenium arch stage show – far from it. “Victorian Vices” was (as I would shout who knows how many times on the Mile every day) two immersive promenade piece of musical theatre (specifically Sweeney Todd, followed by The Picture of Dorian Gray) which meant not only were we acting and singing for four hours every night, but also constantly improvising with the audience, trying to make them laugh through our spontaneity. Stealing people’s umbrellas became a regular occurrence, as did trying on their sunglasses, hats, scarves or whatever else the unfortunate victim might have brought with them.
But there was nothing as rewarding as someone stopping you on the Mile and telling you how much they enjoyed your show, or hearing we’d been nominated for a Musical Theatre Network award. I would recommend the Fringe to anyone who has never been – there’s no other experience like it!