Malvern Fringe Festival
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Malvern Fringe Festival
| logo = Malvern Fringe logo.jpg
| type = non-profit
| foundation = 1977
| location = Great Malvern, England
| key_people = Phil Linnell, Chairman
| industry = Fringe theatre
| products = Spring Festival,
Live music,
Cabaret,
Poetry,
Comedy
| revenue = non-profit
| num_employees = Voluntary
| homepage =
}}
The Malvern Fringe Festival was an arts festival (founded 1977) which took place in Great Malvern, England. The main events of the Malvern Fringe Festival were the annual Malvern May Day and parade, and the annual three-day festival held in June as a fringe to the Elgar Festival. These were often accompanied by musical and other live events throughout the year.
History
File:Malvern Fringe Parade.jpg
Malvern Fringe Festival was founded in 1977 by Adrian Mealing, a teacher in Malvern, in collaboration with Andrew Sleigh, Ian Fearnside and Phil Webb. It originated as a reaction to the Malvern Festival which was perceived to be biased towards classical music and appealing towards a national and international audience rather than a local one. A further concern was the continued requirement for the local Council to underwrite the main festival and the feeling that the public expenditure could be more wisely spent.
The founding aims of the Fringe were to produce a popular, varied programme of events for the local people of Malvern, to bridge the gap between the "us" and "them" in the arts and to "shake it up a bit in Malvern".
The first year featured 60 events consisting of poetry, world music, folk, jazz, adult and children's theatre performed under the banner of "Associated Events" due to the main Festival's objections to the term 'Fringe', which they considered to be "outside" of the Festival. In 1978, to avoid confusion between the programmes for the two festivals, printed with similar designs at the main festival's insistence, Adrian Mealing hand wrote "Fringe" on over 3000 programmes. As the 1980s approached, the festival grew into a four-week event and the Fringe had established its own identity. Being centrally located between Hereford, Worcester, Gloucester and Cheltenham the Fringe drew a wide audiences from over a 20-mile radius.
During the 1980s, the festival attracted hundreds of visitors with a programme of 120 events over a two-week period.
In 1982, Malvern Fringe Arts Ltd became a registered charity. By the 1990s, the Fringe programme had grown to a six-week event and was attracting comedy and cabaret acts that were beginning to establish their reputations, including Eddie Izzard, Lee Evans, Jerry Sadowitz, Jim Tavare, Chris Lynam and a double act featuring Linda Smith and Mark Thomas, plus musical acts as varied as Gong, Juicy Lucy, Voodoo Queens and Loop Guru.
File:Malvern Fringe May Day procession down Church Street.jpg
In 2006 the Fringe re-launched its three-day festival in June, loosely based upon a theme of Elgar's interests. One of the highlights of this festival was a bicycle race (as cycling was one of Elgar's keen interests) up the steep incline of Great Malvern's Church Street. This event was supported by Commonwealth games gold medalist Liam Killeen, who's from Malvern, and was won by Tour de France cyclist, Arnaud Lenoir. The whole three-day festival was attended by over 5,000 people.
In the autumn of 2006, the Fringe launched a 'folk weekend' featuring Roy Bailey and Jez Lowe.
Malvern May Day
Local controversy
Notable past performers
Throughout its history Malvern Fringe featured an impressive array of performers, many of whom have gone on to become international stars.
=Classical=
- Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet
- National Youth Recorder Orchestra
- Edwin Roxburgh and the Hendrickse Flute Quartet
=Music=
- 3 Daft Monkeys
- Daevid Allen
- Roy Bailey
- Bhundu Boys
- Caravan
- Lol Coxhill
- Fred Zeppelin
- Gong
- Gordon Giltrap
- The Groundhogs
- Left, Right and Centre (featuring Nigel Kennedy and Caleb)
- Juicy Lucy
- Kroke
- Jez Lowe
- Jim MacCool
- Loop Guru
- Moishe's Bagel
- Rory McLeod and Tymon Dogg
- Moonshake
- Ozric Tentacles
- Hazel O'Connor
- Pantagruel
- Prophets of Da City
- Surgeon
- Suns of Arqa
- June Tabor and Huw Warren
- Tarika Sammy
- Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia
- Voodoo Queens
- The Wurzels
- Zion Train
=Dance=
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195003/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsT/TonkinLouise.htm#34826 Lousie Tonkin] and Lol Coxhill
=Poetry=
=Comedy=
=Literature=
=Theatre=
References
{{reflist|refs=
|title= Malvern Fringe Arts Ltd Charity Framework
|publisher= Charity Commission
|url=http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityFramework.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=513318&SubsidiaryNumber=0
|access-date= 6 December 2011}}
| date=19 January 1978
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
}}
| date=26 January 1978
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
}}
| date=15 February 2002
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2002/02/15/Worcestershire+Archive/7721095.World_s_finest_head_for_town/
| title=World's finest head for town
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 10 December 2011}}
| date=22 February 2002
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2002/02/22/Worcestershire+Archive/7720279.Ozric_Tentacles/
| title=Ozric Tentacles
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 8 December 2011}}
| date=23 August 2002
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2002/08/23/Worcestershire+Archive/7687339.Fringe_brings_in_Polish_band/
| title=Fringe brings in Polish band
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 8 December 2011}}
| date=25 October 2002
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2002/10/25/Worcestershire+Archive/7678940.Prog_gig/
| title=Prog gig
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 8 December 2011}}
| date=28 February 2003
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2003/02/28/Worcestershire+Archive/7657628.Monkeying_around/
| title=Monkeying around
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 8 December 2011}}
| date= 1 April 2004
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2004/04/01/Stratford+Upon+Avon+Archive/6685597.Treat_for_lovers_of_the_recorder/
| title=Fringe Treat for lovers of the recorder
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 10 December 2011}}
| date=30 July 2004
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2004/07/30/Worcestershire+Archive/7509517.Fringe_Festival_in_return_to_glory_days/
| title=Fringe Festival in return to glory days
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 6 December 2011}}
| date=8 June 2006
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2006/06/08/Latest+%28wn_news_latest%29/787972.How_Elgar_s_musiic_and_a_bicycle_race_left_a_town_buzzing_/
| title=How Elgar's music and a bicycle race left a town_buzzing
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 6 December 2011}}
| date=9 June 2006
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2006/06/09/Worcestershire+Archive/7849094.Tough_test_is_no_place_for_easy_riders/
| title=Tough test is no place for easy riders
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 6 December 2011}}
| date=11 August 2006
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/letters/874815.Fringe_activity__/
| title=Fringe Activity
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 6 December 2011}}
| date=20 October 2006
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/leisure/music/979457.Folk_event_could_become_a_regular/
| title=Folk event could become a regular
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 6 December 2011}}
| date=19 January 2007
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/leisure/music/1134442.Chamber_trio_promise_Elizabethan_spectacle/
| title=Chamber trio promise Elizabethan spectacle
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 10 December 2011}}
| date=18 May 2007
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/1408909.Partying_like_its_1909_for_Fringe_/
| title=Partying like its 1909 for Fringe
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 8 December 2011}}
| date=22 April 2008
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/leisure/latest/2214652.Fringe_welcomes_feast_of_entertainment/
| title=Fringe welcomes feast of entertainment
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 10 December 2011}}
| date=29 April 2011
| url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/local/8999192.Bard_is_the_theme_for_May_Day_event/
| title=Bard is the theme for May Day event
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
| access-date= 11 December 2011}}
| date=27 April 1978
| newspaper=Malvern Gazette
| publisher= Newsquest Media Group
}}
}}
{{Fringe festivals in Europe}}
Category:Malvern, Worcestershire
Category:Culture in Worcestershire
Category:Fringe festivals in the United Kingdom
Category:Charities based in Worcestershire
Category:Festivals in Worcestershire