There's nothing wrong with grabbing a handful of M&Ms, throwing them on the diary page and seeing all the shows that a red choc landed on.
But, as I read through the guide, facey invites and emails, there are shows that grab my attention and I'll putting up some themed Fringe suggestions with links to their Fringe page.
I'm Trying To Kiss You
I haven't seen this company, but I've heard some pretty good things about them.
The all-female collective is diving in and joyfully examining contemporary sexism, gender politics and constructed identity. Before anyone dares roll their eyes and screams that we live in a gender-equal society, please remember that women are still under represented as directors and leaders in commercial and funded theatre, and that there is a generation of young women who are willing to subject themselves to pain and unnecessary surgery to make their vaginas look like they belong on a Barbie doll. And don't get me started on the word "actress".
Their show with a very long title has also been mentored by the Melbourne Fringe Outside Eye program.
And, as a bonus, their performance space is a grotty Fitzroy sharehouse.
For all these reasons, I'm going to see it.
Daniel Kilby
Daniel is presenting his first solo show ever. This is one of the wonderful things about Fringe festivals: emerging artists can use the umbrella support of the festival to get seen and show us their stuff.
Some of them will be awesome. Some will learn a lot of lessons. But none can become our favourites unless they get in front of an audience.
Daniel's show is about those coping mechanisms we develop in high school that still form the basis of our ongoing personality disorders. We all have them. (I don't dance in public because some bitch laughed at my dancing in my year 9 fashion parade.)
It's been many years since Daniel was at high school, but he still has to figure out how much of his education was a lie. Are there really nine planets in our solar system and does being gay make him inherently evil?
There's also some songs, pianist Trevor Jones and a subtle Dr Who reference.
And you'll get to hang at out that the very hip Long Play bar and performance space in North Fitzroy.
