London Fringe Festival Trouper Coordinator Elizabeth Song has had experienced the yearly theatre and art show for the first time. She’s heard of Nuit Blanche, but hadn’t attended previously because she was either studying for an exam, or out of town.
“I was really interested in the Fringe itself, and I’m always interested in theatre and the arts in general because I am a literature student at Western, so it seemed like a pretty good fit.”
This year, she was very busy with making sure it was smooth sailing for the many volunteers, also known as troupers.
“Just to meet the kind of people that are willing to help out in any way, or are always there to give you a helping hand, it’s really uplifting, [and] heartwarming,” she said. About 160 Londoners planned to volunteer, along with 20 venue managers. While not everyone attended, Song was impressed to see the efforts from those who volunteered.
” I think a lot of people don’t really understand that local organizations or local companies need as much as they do, but because they’re starting from the ground up, or because they might not have as much of an outlet as the bigger companies do, they really do need a lot of help, and they need the local people to give them support, because where else are they going to find it?”
She also enjoyed the variety offered through the Fringe, such as one-person shows and original plays. “A lot of the times when you look at bigger companies, there’s not too much diversity, and I think, especially with the Fringe, there’s just so much going on. Sometimes, it can be really strange, but it’s great because it’s not as streamline.”
The London Fringe Festival may be wrapping up, but they are already looking for volunteers the following year. The Dundas Street Festival and Nuit Blanche close off the Fringe.
