Review crew will shine spotlight on every fringe show

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/07/2016 (3384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the Winnipeg Free Press provided a new look for newspaper readers recently, one addition to the Arts and Life front page has put the ball squarely in our court.

A blurb right near the top of the page reads, “Connect with the best arts and life coverage in Manitoba.” Not only is it a pledge to our readers, but it’s a daily challenge to our staff of reporters, editors, photographers and artists that we don’t take lightly.

That pledge takes on special meaning during the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, which starts tonight. Some 170 shows by performers from all corners of the world, come to stages across the city, and so begins the Free Press’s annual promise of seeing each and every show. The best of the five-star performances to the duddest of duds will be checked out by our crew of 22 reviewers, who will hit the streets Wednesday at 6 p.m. and make their dramatic verdicts.

They will continue going to shows all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Readers can go online and check out our reviews at www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/fringe, where they will be posted as we review them. By Sunday at 6 p.m., all 170 reviews will be online. As in past years, readers can also post their ratings of the shows on our website.

The Free Press Fringe Page, which will be published every day in the newspaper during the festival, will include reviews starting with Friday’s edition. Watch for our full page of five-star reviews next week, as well as another full page of 4 1/2- and four-star reviews. We will also provide theme pages, including a full page of reviews of all the festival’s improv shows, which continue to grow in popularity.

So whether you enjoy the Free Press electronically or traditionally, we’ve got the fringe festival covered.

We’re keeping another record intact this year. Kevin Prokosh, who retired as the Free Press’s theatre writer shortly after last year’s festival, returns to the pages as one of our intrepid reviewers. Prokosh has covered all 28 previous editions of the festival, going back to its inception in 1988.

So welcome back to the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival. Happy fringing, and happy reading!

alan.small@freepress.mb.caTwitter:@AlanDSmall

Alan Small
Reporter

Alan Small was a journalist at the Free Press for more than 22 years in a variety of roles, the last being a reporter in the Arts and Life section.

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