Toronto Fringe Festival

Each July, the Toronto Fringe Festival welcomes approximately 140 companies from around Canada and the world to our 30+ theatre venues in downtown Toronto. Over the course of 12 days, over 1,200 artists participate in performances across the city that include comedy, drama, musicals, improvisation, storytelling, children’s theatre, dance and much more.

2023

Toronto Fringe will cheers to 35 years with a kick off Launch Party on July 4 at the POSTSCRIPT Patio, located inside and outside at the Tranzac. Audiences and supporters are welcome to celebrate with pop-up performances by Fringe artists, hosted by the immaculate dame Pearle Harbour.

The popular POSTSCRIPT Patio is the community hub of the Toronto Fringe Festival. Located in the heart of the Annex, it hosts the festival box office, a full-service bar, food vendors, free entertainment, crafts, and activations. Each day of the festival POSTSCRIPT Patio will host a wide variety of free events including Visual Fringe Art Market, Stitch ‘n’ Sit, UkeZac Ukelele Jam, Silent Disco, stand-up comedy, karaoke and so much more.

Toronto Fringe is also happy to announce the return of the Teen Fringe camp and a brand new KidsFest Day Camp. Teen Fringe is a performing arts program inviting young artists aged 12-17 to train with leading professionals in acting, singing, dancing, and writing. The KidsFest Day Camp will give children aged 4-11 the chance to be immersed in the world of theatre with creative performance-based fun. Both programs are supported by long time Fringe donor, Neville Austin.

Highlights from the 35th Annual Toronto Fringe Festival include:

• Ancient Dying Chinese Dialect at Factory Theatre Studio
  Chantal’s ancient dialect is DYING – will audiences help keep it alive? Created and performed by Filipina-Chinese comedian Chantal Lim, and directed by Ken Hall (Netflix’s Umbrella Academy), Ancient Dying Chinese Dialect is a journey of language and love in the name of celebrating where we come from and embracing who we are.
• Curious K Explores the Paleozoic at St Volodymyr Institute
  When their friendship hits a new low, a class trip to the museum finds best friends Emma and Olivia in a hidden room with a robot that sings songs about the Paleozoic Era – the very topic of their homework! But can they work together to finish their assignment and get back to their class in time? Curious K Explores the Paleozoic is directed by audience favourite Chantal Forde.
• Dancer at Al Green Theatre
  Winner of the 2023 Adams Prize For Musical Theatre, sponsored by the Pat &Tony Adams Freedom Fund, Dancer is the inspirational story of Northern Dancer, the ‘too small, too awkward, too feisty’ colt who defied all odds to become the first Canadian horse to win The Kentucky Derby. Part high-concept musical, part high-octane ballet, with book and lyrics by Jim Betts and music by Marek Norman, Dancer celebrates a Canadian legend.
• Dead End at Al Green Theatre
  Dead End is a darkly comic mystery written by Michael Posner, which stars the enduring and popular performer Chris Gibbs, and Cara Hunter, a former member of the Stratford Festival company. Dead End follows a British estate agent, Reg Lawson, as he shows a once grand property in the English countryside. But Reg is understandably preoccupied – his wife has recently disappeared and he’s a potential suspect.
• Emo Majok: African Aussie at Tarragon Theatre Solo Room
  Award-winning South-Sudanese-Aussie comedian Emo Majok makes his Toronto Fringe debut where he will be digging into his experiences of culture-clashes, with side-splitting stories of adjusting from a refugee camp in East Africa, to gifting out jokes globally, with this brand-new show.
• Fertility Slippers at Tank House Theatre
  A Turkish mother. Her 1.5 generation daughter. A challenging situation. Just put on the damn slippers and everything will be fine! Maybe? Probably. A poignant, dysfunctional comedy by
• Ece Aydin that attempts to heal the cultural and generational gap jeopardizing one of life’s most critical relationships.
• Frankenstein(esque) at Tarragon Theatre Extraspace
  On a stormy night, in the shadows of a raided cemetery, one man weaves together the flesh of the dead: to create life! Frankenstein(esque) by Silent Protagonist Theatre features a 6-foot tall puppet, animated by the entire cast in this unique retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic novel: “Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus”.
• Good Ol Days at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace
  Written by Michael Albert Ross and directed by Jill Harper, Good Ol Days stars Cass Van Wyck and Brianna Wright in a play about two former roommates who chase one another through a trippy, urban dreamscape in an attempt to mend their broken past. A surreal, philosophical, darkly comedic adventure about the fractured world we live in.
• Maggie Chun’s First Love and Last Wedding at Factory Theatre Mainspace: After committing to spending the rest of her life in the small town of Windser, Ontario (yes, with an E), the sudden arrival of Maggie’s middle school crush on her wedding day forces her into an abrupt awakening. Maggie Chun’s First Love and Last Wedding by Helen Ho was the 2023 New Play Contest Winner, sponsored by The Aubrey and Marla Dan Foundation.
• Our Little Secret: The 23&Me Musical at Alumnae Theatre Mainspace
  What does an only child do when a DNA test reveals that his biological parents aren’t quite who he thought they were? Write a musical, of course! In this hilarious, moving, and true story, acclaimed performer Noam Tomaschoff grapples with questions of family, identity, and just how many brothers and sisters he really has.
• The Woman Who Ate Falafel at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace
  An inspiring portrayal of a Middle Eastern woman’s journey towards self-discovery and empowerment, challenging social injustice and stereotypes. Through her unique perspective, writer, performer, and co-producer Fatma Naguib sheds light on the obstacles her character faces in pursuing her passion for the arts.

Who is it for?

All ages and adult themed events

Tickets :

Free & Ticketed Events

Single Tickets are $13 + $2 service fee

How to get tickets?

Buy Online

Date & Time:

Wednesday July 5 to Sunday July 16, 2023

Schedule

Fringe events submitted to the To Do Canada calendar:

Venue & Address :

Various Venues, Toronto

The 2023 venues for Toronto Fringe will include: Aki Studio, Al Green Theatre, Factory Theatre Mainspace, Factory Theatre Studio, St. Vladimir Theatre, Tarragon Theatre Extraspace, Tarragon Theatre Mainspace, Tarragon Theatre Workspace, Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, and Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace, plus new Fringe venues Alumnae Mainstage Theatre and The Tank House Theatre in the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.

Free & Paid Parking