We’re just over two weeks away from World Fringe Day (11July): the annual green-light to seek out some of the best emerging and established creative-types, who will bring us amazingly diverse shows (often in the most unexpected venues), as they toil to make our summers extra-special (and hopefully hit the big time), with productions that almost always represent the culmination of months or years of bloody-hard work, away from any kind of spotlight.
WFD was established in 2017 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Fringe movement, which all started in Edinburgh. Over 300 Fringe festivals now participate in this global celebration, championing the vibrant and diverse world of fringe theatre and arts. If you’ve never experienced a ‘Fringe Vibe’…this should be the year to put that right.
Clearly lots of us are aware of the Edinburgh Fringe – and the multitude of household names and stellar careers that have been launched (sometimes) from a basement on the Royal Mile – often playing to single-figure audiences. But as God’s-Own-Northerners, we don’t need to spend a fortune on a LNER ticket to soak up some culture across the border: we’ve got Fringe events happening across the North this year in places including Scarborough, Marsden, Durham and Liverpool.
At this juncture, we’ve got to declare an interest: because MagNorth’s go-to festival every summer (in addition to Durham – which kicks off on 23 July) is the spectacular Greater Manchester Fringe. For the entirety of July, you can immerse yourself in some of the very best creative endeavours, in spectacular settings including Hallé St Peters and The Cockatoo Club. With seventy-five shows and over two-hundred performances, there’s something for all of us on the left-hand side of the Pennines next month *.
There are only seven sleeps to go until globally-renowned Magician-Detective Stannard kicks off proceedings at The Fitzgerald – as they attempt to ascertain how Dr Black expired…but we’re particularly giddy about one of the following evening’s shows – ‘as one idiot attempts the impossible: to recreate every single sound in existence’.
Natalie Patuzzo is the Manchester-based physical comedian and theatre director, who, armed with her voice, the audience, and whatever objects she can get her hands on, is set to conjure everything including animals, people, historical things, futurical things, objects, and more. Audiences should expect chaos, spontaneity, and noises you didn’t think were humanly (or inhumanly) possible. We’re advised our suggestions are welcome. And our participation will be inevitable.
Can’t wait for curtain-up next Wednesday (2 July) at Ancoats 'Premier Destination for Literature, Coffee, Comfort, and Performances? (That’s Social Refuge btw – in case you live under a rock.) Neither can we…so we caught up with the European Theatre Arts graduate last week, for a deep dive into Noises, Nuns and what makes Natalie ‘tick’:
We start by asking one our trademark dim questions: ‘Is the entire show going to come from your just voice?’
Natalie: “Not quite. So, the show is called ‘Every Single Sound in the World’ – and as it says on the tin – I am trying to make every single sound in the world, which sounds like an impossible task, but I'm determined to do it.
“A lot of it is going to come from my voice. So, for example, I have some objects I'm going to invite the audience to make sounds with, and I'm going to repeat those sounds with my voice. There will be some audience participation as well. It’s going to be my voice, the audience's voice, some objects, my body and that's it. That's the show.”
It sounds incredibly brave. How did you come up with the idea?
“I’ve been going around Comedy Clubs for a while, trying different little bits out: and I saw on TikTok there was a trend called ‘make the noise’ which me and my flatmate started doing ourselves – and it's literally someone will make the sound of an object – it could be like a zipper for example – and you have to try and recreate that noise with your voice.
“I thought: this is so funny. So, I just started doing that in comedy clubs and taking weird and wonderful objects and instruments along with me and people were enjoying it, so it’s built and grown from there.”
Ms Patuzzo gifts her adopted home of Manchester the world premiere of her show, (2 and 9 July), before transferring to Camden Fringe in August with another two dates.
“I Trained in London, so I've already got lots of friends there and I've been to Camden Fringe when I was studying and was like: ‘Oh my God, there's so much amazing work here’. It felt like I had to be involved in Camden too – and get my work out in front of a London audience. The hope is to bring my show up to a full hour next year and take it up to Edinburgh Fringe.”
Like so many early career creative practitioners, Natalie is eager to reference the input and support of Arts Council England (ACE) in her journey to-date. After a challenging time trying to study as a post-graduate at the scandal-hit and now defunct ALRA Drama School in Wigan – a successful funding application and Developing Your Creative Practice award from ACE was arguably central to allowing this artist to pursue her plans and fulfil her creative potential.
“It was an incredible opportunity and I think everyone who is a creative should apply for it and should give it a go, because it's an opportunity for you as an artist to kind of go: ‘OK, this is what I need to grow right now’. I specifically looked at comedy directing, so I used my DYCP funding to spend two weeks at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, which was absolutely incredible. I also went to Berlin with that. I got mentorship from Cal McCrystal, who’s done lots of incredible shows like Giffords Circus. He does lots of shows in Las Vegas. He's worked as a comedy consultant on films like Paddington. He's amazing and he was really, really helpful.
“And I also got some mentorship from lots of other really helpful people. It was an incredible, incredible opportunity. So, if you can do it, I think people should definitely apply. [If you have any kind of additional need or disability] – I'm neurodivergent – and if you worry that applications like this are really hard – the Arts Council have people on hand who will help you with your application. And that's what helped me [be successful]. So don't let that put you off.”
While the availability of funding is essential for every part of the creative sector to survive and thrive – there is no substitute for determination and a plan – and Natalie clearly isn’t short of either:
“I actually did my first clown lesson when I was at Rose Burford studying. I did it in my first year and I absolutely hated it. I didn’t understand what was going on. But then in my second year I did a placement in Prague [through Erasmus] I studied clown and circus skills and it was an absolute whirlwind. It was insane.
“At a similar time, I also went to along to Fringe festivals and I saw lots of amazing people like Garry Starr. I saw Natalie Palamides perform NATE at Soho Theatre and I was like: ‘That's what I want to do’. That's what excites me. And in my clown classes in Prague, I realised: ‘Oh my God, I'm funny!’ I'd never thought of myself as a funny person before, but it's really liberating.
“I consider myself generally quite an intelligent person, but I can just move my arm in a way that I don't even realise is so stupid and idiotic – and people just love it so much. I'm having fun. The audience are having fun. It's a big, fun thing. So, yeah, I've just kind of gone: 'Great. This is what I want to do forever!'”
But being able to position limbs in a way that gets laughs is only part of the story…Away from ‘Every Single Sound in the World’, Natalie is also a key member of the Rocket Whip Productions team that brought GM Fringe ‘Nuns of Fury’ last year. The kick-ass Nuns are back again this July – with their pre-Edinburgh shows at The Seven Oaks on Nicholas Street on 28 and 30 July.
Natalie: We were honestly, so overwhelmed last year. The first couple of days. We were like: ‘Oh,this is great’. All of our family and friends were coming. And then as the run went on, we didn’t recognise the people in the audience – and thought: ‘who are these people coming along to see the show?’ We were so grateful – and it was really fun.”
There’s no question that this creative force values the role of Fringe-type events – but why should the rest of us pay attention – and get along to the shows?
“In my opinion, it's probably the best way as a new artist to get your work out there. That’s the beauty of Fringe festivals. It's just ‘pay to play’. As long as you pay the fee to be part of the festival, you can be in the festival. There's no one saying: ‘No, you can't’. I think that's really important for someone growing in the industry.
“Just get your work in-front of people and see what works and also get it seen by people like yourself - and people in the industry. Generate a bit of buzz around your work, so that actually those bigger venues do start to start to notice and go: ‘Oh, there's something really cool here’. Fringe festivals are key to helping people slowly grow their careers”.
And as a practitioner being based in the North – but with experience of the art and culture scene in London and the South – Natalie is clear about geographical reality for creative career opportunities:
“For me [Manchester and the North] is a really exciting place to be. So, when I first graduated from Rose Bruford, I was like: ‘London's the place to be. I've got to live in London’. I lived in a really expensive flat in Bow where I think I was paying £600 a month to live with four others, sharing one bathroom and one kitchen. I couldn't find work and I couldn't afford to sustain myself. I was seeing all these opportunities on Arts Jobs, but I wasn’t getting a foot in.
“I went back to my mum's home in Nottinghamshire to reset – and actually started finding artistic work a lot more easily. Arriving in Manchester, I realised there is a really great community outside of London and actually, I don't feel like a stranger. I'm running into some great people and we all support each other. So actually, I prefer being outside of London now. Yeah, massively.”
At MagNorth we're very happy to celebrate 'sounds' - and we're proper chuffed that Natalie is kicking off the Summer return of our Playlists - with the tunes that are moving her at the mo'. Enjoy!
Greater Manchester Fringe kicks off on 1 July. CLICK HERE for the very latest – and to buy tickets.
You can catch Nuns of Fury at Edinburgh Fringe from 1 to 25 August.
For up-to-the-minute Natalie Patuzzo news and info, visither website HERE and Insta HERE
Images: Natalie Patuzzo and Rocket Whip Productions
*If you’re looking North
