13th edition Delft Fringe Festival in full swing

Be surprised, entertained, moved and stimulate your brain at Delft Fringe Festival

Delft, Tuesday 5 March 2024 - This year's Delft Fringe Festival will take place from 28 May to 9 June. It is the 13th time the festival is being organised in Delft. From 410 applications, 28 makers have been selected to perform at no fewer than 31 (!) locations in Delft this summer. Cabaret, dance, family theatre, kleinkunst, music and everything in between. The makers will turn the historic city on its theatrical head for 9 days. And yes, you also have a Fringe festival in Amsterdam, but Delft has a unique set-up with this 13th edition. This year, no fewer than 14 performing artists will premiere their shows. They are eager to surprise, entertain, move and make you think. The festival offers them a place to perform and get feedback, from both audiences and professionals, including impresarios and scouts.

Previews throughout the Netherlands

The themes the performing artists address stem from fascination or a social need. Some performances are very personal, while others discuss a bigger issue. Such as mental health, greenwashing and gender identity. This generation of makers wants to give audiences an important message, and sometimes even a literal call to action. Ticket sales start on 20 April via the website. Until then, among other things Mystha Mandersloot: last year's winner with its show ABORTUSVERHALEN is fully active with try outs. In short: the run-up to this festival is the pre-festival for all 28 performing artists.

Previous editions of the Delft Fringe festival have also featured: Vlamousse (finalists in the BNNVARA programme 'Ik ga stuk'), Lisa Ostermann (Lubach side kick), Niek Wagenaar, Tappin-It Collective, Jasper Smit, Kirsten van Teijn, Matroesjka (Lisa Loeb), Kiki Schipper, Sanne Vleugels (The Prima Donna's), Dion van Rijt, LUDIQUE, Jasper van Kuijk and De Gestampte Meisjes. See also Prize winners.

Delft Fringe Festival: the kickstarter of new artistic careers

Over the past 14 years, the Delft Fringe Festival has become one of the most important theatre festivals for new creators. There is an audience award (Delft Fringe Festival Award) win, resulting in considerable media attention. The festival organisation offers extra guidance in the artistic career of the talents. Chances are you will see today's creators, next year in the big theatres.

Among others to be seen at Delft Fringe 2024:

Thanks for listening

For instance, 18-year-old kleinkunstenaar and TikTokker Wouter Haaksema is at this year's festival with his autobiographical kleinkunst show 'Thanks for listening', on the struggle between his homosexuality and being a Christian. "Never dared to speak about it, but now the silence feels like a lie. So he decides to open up."

Iraqi Bodies

Amsterdam-based dance maker Liza Sulaiman grew up in an Iraqi and Belarusian family. Coming from two cultures, familiar with war and political oppression, themes of migration, identity and trauma are woven into her work. With her performance 'Iraqi Bodies' she brings through dance and Arabic poetry an ode to every body forced to flee and leave the familiar behind.

Tales of the Tinderverse

Everyone is different. That is not bad at all, but sometimes complicated. At 21, Sophie Willemijntje is diagnosed with autism. This is not very convenient, as she is in the prime of her life and was just planning to enter the dating market. Autism is fine, but just not a sexy diagnosis. In this extravagant and musical performance 'Tales of the Tinderverse' Sophie struggles like an alien among humans through the world of love, dating and sexuality. As an autistic person, how do you find the love and intimacy you so long for? And aren't we all a bit of an alien?

Stories of Pathogens

Fringe would not be Fringe if society-critical theatre-makers did not create a furore with highly diverse, high-profile performances. For example, last year's winner Mystha Mandersloot has made a sequel to her much-discussed play ABORTION STORIES, named 'Tales of Progenitors', which will premiere at Delft Fringe Festival 2024. She single-handedly makes short work of one-sided abortion stories. That her performance won in 2023 shows that audiences are ready to engage in dialogue even on emotionally charged topics that can run high.

At 'Tales of Pathogens' we see and hear the man's perspective. Mystha is 1 of the most promising theatre makers in the Netherlands and therefore this year's campaign image of the Delft Fringe Festival. See also: Mystha wins audience award.