Buxton Fringe has reported a “huge surge” in entries, with performers eager to tread the boards after two years of COVID disruption.
By the end of the discounted “early bird” entry period, 83 entries had signed up for the Derbyshire arts festival which will take place from 6 until 24 July.
There are already several entries in the theatre category. Empress Presents will perform Any Other Day which focuses on code-breaker Alan Turing, Olivier Award winner Guy Masterson will stage his one-man show Under Milk Wood, Black Liver will create its gothic pub rock opera Support Your Local Library!, David Calvitto will journey through the fourth wall in The Event, Joann Condon will appear in the tragi-comic Little Boxes, writer Mark Reid will offer An Enquiry into Inquiries and Grist to the Mill will take on The War of the Worlds.
Performers entering by the end of March can take advantage of a reduced entry fee of £70. The final deadline for the printed programme is 17 April.
Buxton Fringe chair Stephen Walker said, “we’re gratified by the number of entrants committing to the Fringe this early. It shows confidence that we’re getting back to business as usual after two COVID-affected years and it looks very much like we’ll be back to a bumper Fringe in July."