The summer crowds flock to the bailey, soaking in the norman-gothic grandeur of the cathedral, the castle, the 17th century halls and almshouses, and huddle, curious, around the sleek marquee newly risen on the green. Onstage, a defiant Macbeth draws swords against Macduff, the seats are packed and the passerbys are leaning in for a better view. Beaming in the bright sun, a unicycle-mounted magician circles the green, handing out leaflets and helping conjure the magical aura at play in the city: 
Durham Fringe is back for her third year and at last — inevitably — the festival has taken hold of the city.
Volunteers and pamphleteers are out in force, posters and programmes everywhere to be seen, and over thirty local businesses have played their part in supporting the Festival. Durham Distillery is serving up their trademark gin and deliciously smooth vodka during intervals at the marquee and even nightclub Klute is hosting stand-up and live music. Audiences are noticing the difference, with packed auditoriums and more sell-outs than ever before — ticket sales are up 81% on last year.
But the surest sign is the sheer quality of this year’s acts — from the fierce competition in the auditions to the striking production values and professionalism of the final acts. This year, over X of X shows are continuing up to Edinburgh.
One such show is the utterly daft and unsettlingly adorable, Potty the Plant, whose inaugural stage show opened in the Assembly Rooms and saw the audience raising the ceiling in hysterics. The hilarious dark-comedy musical follows a team of nurses at Little Boo Boo’s General Hospital where there’s some sinister goings on and Little Timmy has gone missing — could it all be the work of the sinister Dr Acula? With the help of the titular Pot Plant, the team investigate - with plenty of song, dance, love, and surprises along the way.
The show builds upon the fabulous student short film available online with plenty of new material, all wonderfully adapted for the stage. The audience leaves Cheshire-cat grinning and laden with Potty merch, guaranteed to be spending their next few days humming away the tunes, blissfully absent-mindedly, until — red-faced — they remember the lyric. And after his first outing at Durham Fringe, Potty goes on to win over Edinburgh. Safe to say it won’t be the last we hear of this charming little pot plant or the stellar cast at his side.
Darker and disturbingly serious, is another Edinburgh-bound premiere: The Quality of Mercy is a chilling study of Dr Harold Shipman as he reflects upon his life and legacy, from the impact of his mother’s long deterioration at the hands of cancer, to the span of his long career in medicine - and murder. A career in which he insisted he only ever treated his patients as was appropriate to their condition.
The one man play, meticulously researched, written, and performed by Edwin Flay, grandson of one of Shipman’s victims, lures in the audience. From its emotive and sympathetic beginning, we are drawn into the twisting mind of the doctor, from his motivations, morality, and conviction in doing good appropriate care, to his ever-shifting moods and hubristic fervour over death and life — and his right to administer it. It’s an intimate portrayal, an unsettling watch, and all the while the list of victims accumulates on the wall behind, leaving a cold chill in the spine and unanswered questions — how do we care for those with terminal illness? Not, at least, as he did.
People say they want justice, but they don’t. Not really. What they want is power. They want to play God. They’ve no concept of what that means. What it takes. I had that power, I had the brilliance to wield it.
It’s these one man shows which prove the most compelling. Sherlock: The Last Act is an enthralling glimpse into the man behind the Holmesian myth and Nigel Miles-Thomas leads us through the old familiar adventures with all the tension and excitement with which we first enjoyed reading Watson’s stories. His portrayal brings the cast of fourteen to life but the spotlight is on Holmes as he returns from the funeral of his friend, John Watson, to the shell of 221B Baker Street: his doubts, his weaknesses, all laid bare and conveyed with Miles-Thomas’ tremulous gravitas.
Two Bards and a Songbird is a beautiful hour of lively and emotive music inspired by Shakespeare and Burns. Jessa Liversidge breathes her mesmerising energy into the centuries-old poetry, singing the songs anew in styles ranging from traditional folk to funk and pop.
Buckets of Blood is an adventure through original the fairy stories, the ones unsanitised by squeamish film studios, and everyone sits in engrossed silence as Eden Ballantyne weaves through the bloody tales. His storytelling flits from the playfully jovial to the skin-crawlingly sinister, alighting on chairs to sing his macabre songs. The children are loving it.
“Who knows the best way to dispose of a body?” he asks his rapt audience.
A child just shy of double digits pipes up eagerly, “Put him in a sack and throw him in the river!”
Well, clearly these tales weren’t watered down for the sake of delicate children.
There’s lively dance acts and emotional singer-songwriter performances. There’s comedy-dramas in the City Theatre and stand-up to suit all tastes in Fabio’s and Klute. In the Assembly Rooms the seats are packed out for the magicians. On Palace Green, a vintage band is in full swing, the crowds swaying in their seats, tapping their feet, clapping their hands, before the stage a toddler dances carefree, lost in the music and the moment.
The third Durham Fringe Festival ran 26–30th July 2023.
Honourable mentions
- Potty the Plant
- The Quality of Mercy
- Cartoon Food
- Sherlock: The Last Act
- Two Bards and a Songbird
- Buckets of Blood
My company partnered with the Durham Fringe to provide graphic design and photography.
