BRIGHTON FRINGE 2023: THEATRE EVENTS SPOTLIGHT

By Federica Purcaro (University of Brighton Press Placement)

Brighton Fringe is gearing up to take place from May 5 to June 4 2023.

This year more than 500 events are taking place in more than 100 venues, painting the city once again in a vibrant palette of colours for the likes of everyone. 

The Brighton Fringe 2023 will, once again, open the doors to various theatre companies, aspiring stars and one-night-only meteors to showcase their talent and imagination in the best way possible. 

Here’s what you can expect from this year's list of theatre shows that hopefully will give you, the audience, something to cherish for some time (or until next year’s festival lineup!) 

Pericles/Pericles for autistic individuals May 23, 24, 25, 26. £18 (Caravanserai-Luna Parc) 

Don’t miss this groundbreaking production of Shakespeare from award-winning Flute Theatre, led by Artistic Director Kelly Hunter MBE.

"Groundbreaking Shakespeare"★★★★★ (The Guardian)

This production breathes new life into Shakespeare's least-known play. With the outstanding presence of a multilingual cast onstage, this play conjures strong emotions around dance, live music and emotional heartbreak. 

Don’t miss it!

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Flute Theatre also presents this groundbreaking production of Shakespeare for autistic individuals and their families using the Hunter Heartbeat Method by Artistic Director Kelly Hunter.

This show will see up to twelve autistic individuals become participants in each performance with seven actors on stage. Shakespeare enters their world through highly enjoyable sensory games of fishermen, pirates and storms. 

The A Word, May 5, 6. £16 (Latest Music Bar)

Don’t miss this important play, described as “not your typical portrayal of domestic abuse” raising awareness on issues often unheard and unseen, particularly in the LGBT+ community.

The audience will be a fundamental part of this play, as it will witness the subtle psychological manipulation and gradual erosion of someone’s identity at the hands of who was supposed to shelter us from terrors and fears. 

The A Word is also a fundraiser, with its profits going to Safelives, a charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. 

Babygirl, May 28, £5 (Komedia Studio) 

Join Mia Mae Ford on her writing and performing debut, premiering worldwide on the stage of Brighton Fringe.

This semi-autobiographical one-woman show explores in the most relatable way modern dating, social media and mental health. 

Will there be hope between the struggles of bad dates, overpriced cocktails and a recent OCD diagnosis? It’s up to you to find out.

Il Burattino, May, 25, 26, 27, 28 . £11 (The Rotunda Theatre: Bubble)

Il Burattino is an unmissable tale that honours the courage of the soldiers who fought in the war while also condemning war itself.

Let yourself be transported in Northern Piedmont, Italy, as the story of Tino unfolds between determination and want of freedom at the costs of heavy realisations. 

As the ever-looming presence of the war happening in Ukraine clouds our days, this shows recognises the importance of sending out a message where sometimes discomfort may be the only answer for people to become aware of happenings around them.

SONS, May 18, 19. £13.50 (Caravanserai - Junk Poets) 

Join Concept Theatre, an award-winning theatre company founded by Olugbeminiyi Bammodu, through an exploration of masculinity and men’s violence against women. 

From this innovative theatre company, we follow the moments before the birth of John’s child in a world where everything you know about being a man doesn’t equal being a good person. 

 "Theatre like this could save lives..." ★★★★(Get The Chance)

Nora, May 16, 17. £9.50 (The Rotunda Theatre: Bubble)

Lavender No. 9 a group of diverse creatives who met working on ‘Nora’ for the Sussex University Drama Society takes the Brighton Fringe Stage as their debut production.

The retelling of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘Nora’ portrays womanhood through married life. This searing adaptation by award-winning writer Stef Smith transforms the play’s central character into a choral multitude that spans and fuses discrete generations. 

Worth the watch as it will be filled with emotional impact.