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CAMDEN FRINGE SHOWS

or PICK UP A BROCHURE AT CANAL CAFE THEATRE

CAMDEN FRINGE SHOWS

3 - 30 August

The Camden Fringe is a performing arts festival, established in 2006, which takes place in Camden during August. Anyone and everyone is welcome to apply. Previous fringe events have encompassed new writing, opera, musicals, stand-up, sketch comedy, dance, cabaret, poetry, opera, mentalism, improvisation and opera. Shows take place throughout the day and generally last one hour.

The Camden Fringe was set-up as an alternative to Edinburgh Festival, offering performers the chance to try out new material and different ideas in a supportive setting with less time and financial commitments than EdFringe did at the time. The Camden Fringe aims to give anyone the chance to perform and showcase their talents, from very experienced performers and companies, to ambitious newcomers. Since 2006 the Camden Fringe has gained a reputation for supporting acts, providing helpful information and guidance for the acts involved.

London, You’re Perfect, Now Change

4 September

A young American leaves New York for London looking for an escape, and finds himself instead.

Having recently completed his MFA in Musical Theatre at LAMDA, Matthew McFarland debuts his third solo musical concert, London, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

A thirty-something American leaves behind the life he knows in New York City and arrives in London looking for an escape. What he finds there is something entirely unexpected: a rediscovery of himself. Featuring musical theatre favorites and hidden gems, London, You’re Perfect, Now Change charts Matthew’s funny, sometimes painful, yet hopeful journey through London, and the surprising three-year adventure of finding home where he least expected it.

Matthew trained at LAMDA and the University of Southern California. Recent UK credits include Into the Woods at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as concert appearances with Sanderson & Rattray, Tom Duern & Centre Stage, and CKC.

Willkommen to the Cabaret

13 September

An intimate afternoon of powerhouse musical theatre vocals, smokey jazz and classical cabaret charm.

A celebration of some of musical theatre’s most infectious jazz,
powerhouse vocals and unforgettable characters. Expect a lively afternoon packed with big voices, cheeky charm, toe-tapping numbers and plenty of theatrical flair, with songs from Cabaret, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Wild Party and more.

From smoky jazz standards to dazzling showstoppers, this is musical theatre at its most playful, passionate and unapologetic. Whether you’re a lifelong musical theatre lover or simply looking for a fun afternoon out, come along, grab a drink and settle in for an intimate cabaret experience that
promises plenty of laughs, drama and songs you’ll want to sing along to.

Performed in the heart of London, Willkommen to the Cabaret brings the energy and excitement of musical theatre into an intimate café-theatre setting. So gather your friends, get dressed up (if you fancy it!) and prepare for an afternoon of fabulous music, powerful performances and a little bit of
cabaret chaos.

Come for the music, stay for the glamour, and, of course, willkommen to the cabaret

Sufficient Merit*

16 - 20 September

*inspired by true events

“I personally always do my finest work when I’m ball-shrivelingly desperate.”

When three struggling actors–a Pinter-loathing neurotic desperate to quit her day job, a bull-headed avant-gardist in the throes of a midlife crisis, and a conflict-avoidant cult-hopper in recovery– learn that their beloved theatre venue is under dual threat from government funding cuts and a looming data centre developer, they must stage a show successful enough to convince their mercurial landlord that they have “sufficient merit” to remain in the building.

Unaware of the slings, arrows, and cancel culture headed their way, the three actors set out to create The Perfect Show, force-feeding each other enthusiasm to keep the dream alive. Can three radically different artists agree on what constitutes a successful play (or worse: high art)? Can their sanity survive the labyrinthian world of theatrical rights, licensing, and lawyers? And can they save their theatre without sacrificing the very principles–or friendship–that made them start it in the first place?

Featuring failed auditions, career advice from a chihuahua, and debates over the creative rewards of “MAGA Miss Julie”, Sufficient Merit is an absurdly comic take on being an artist in late-stage capitalism, where the price is either your rent or your pride.

Sláine: The Horned God

22 September

Join professional storyteller Jason Buck for a tale of ancient Celtic heroes and villains, monsters and magic, dragons and demons, and goddesses and gods.

Set in a “time which is not a time” when Britain was rife with magic and mischief, this show brings together epic heroic exploits and divine transformations of the one who would be High King of the Tribes of the Earth Goddess, reimagining ancient mythologies, adapted and brought to life through traditional storytelling, for modern audiences.

In partnership with 2000 AD and Rebellion Publishing, created by Pat Mills ‘the godfather of British comics’ and Angie Kincaid, Sláine has captured the imagination of comics readers for generations.

“If you get a chance go see this and get taken to an ancient Celtic world” – Carl, Manchester

“I saw him at the Jorvik festival last week. It was incredible.” – Terry ‘The Science Viking’

“Not knowing the stories of Sláine at all I now want to read them. Absolutely brilliant, didn’t want it to end” –  Preview show, Oxford

How to Steal a Million Euros: The Frauds That Made Europe

16 - 20 September

Horrible Histories meets financial fraud.

Financial journalist and author Matthew Partridge goes continental in his third ‘Horrible Histories for adults’ style show covering some of the juiciest frauds and scandals that “made” Europe. Topics include the Scotsman who nearly bankrupted France (while creating the term ‘millionaire’), and the man who forged an entire nation’s currency, to the oligarch who was the most powerful man in Russia – until he installed a former cab driver as President.

THE EXPERIENCE

3 October

A magic comedy mentalism show like never seen before.

Magic, Mind-Reading, Comedy, and Escapes

Step into the captivating world of magic, mind-reading, comedy, and daring escapes with Mind Bender’s electrifying live show — The Experience.
Now touring across Canada, Ireland, and the U.K. — including a special stop in London — The Experience is a high-energy, interactive spectacle that blurs the line between reality and illusion. From impossible feats of mentalism to Mind Bender’s shocking body bag escape, this is a show you have to see to believe.

As seen on Canada’s Got Talent and following 15 years of sold-out performances, Mind Bender continues to captivate audiences worldwide. You paid for the whole seat… but you’ll only need the edge. Whether you’re out with family, on a date, or simply looking for something unforgettable, The
Experience delivers a night of wonder, laughter, and jaw-dropping moments.

Are you ready to witness the impossible?



HOW TO WIN A PUB QUIZ

4 October

Part stand-up comedy, part actual pub quiz.

The cult smash from Edinburgh Fringe with four official sold-out runs comes to the Canal Cafe Theatre. Join quick-witted comedian and quizmaster Alex Love as he educates and adjudicates, splitting the audience into teams to compete against each other for prizes in this highly interactive and often chaotic hour show.

Jacobs & Jones with Breadcrumbs

16 -18 October

A sketch show which embraces the daft and the dry in a world of corporate bullshit.

George Jacobs and Will Jones are in the back room. The scissor lift has sunk. The cellophane machine has eaten the forklift. And now there’s grease in their socks… It can only mean one thing. Sketches!

In a world of tinned laughter and processed jokes, where art is unceremoniously plopped into cans and wrapped in microplastics, Jacobs and Jones will fight against the system, breaking free from the shackles of involuntary sponsorship and poor product placement.

Experience the extraterrestrial magic of the ever-curious Gleebleebleebs.

Beware the man at the bus stop before he does something awful, like start talking.

Enjoy a luxury 8-course menu comprised of unfortunate spelling errors.

And much, much more!

Jacobs and Jones have been working together since 2021. From their debut sketch show, Fishing in Puddles, they have found joy in both dry cynicism and daft silliness, with a particular fondness for exploring the inner machinations of the human mind, a.k.a gaslighting their friend Joe until he gets a bit pissy. Don’t steal any of our jokes or we’ll tell on you. (No really. Don’t).