Who shone at The Greater Manchester Fringe Awards 2015?

Jayna Patel | 6th August 2015

The Greater Manchester Fringe team celebrate a successful 2015 festival.

The Greater Manchester Fringe team celebrate a successful 2015 festival. Photo by Paul Husband.

More than 15,000 tickets were sold for the fourth Greater Manchester Fringe shows in July at a wide variety of venues across the region.

There were 96 registered shows at venues that included Albert Square Chophouse, Gullivers, Guide Bridge Theatre (Audenshaw), Joshua Brooks, King’s Arms, Moston Miners, Moston Small Cinema, Nexus Art Café, Salford Arts Theatre, Taurus, The Castle Hotel, The Edge and The Font in Chorlton, Whitefield Garrick and Z-Arts.

This culminated in a total of 239 performances and events. A total of 37 shows sold out before opening night, with a further 98 selling out on the night.

Every show had the option to opt into the Greater Manchester Fringe Awards 2015 and the ones that did were watched and whittled down to a shortlist of nominations in each category.

The awards were presented by actress and comedian Jeni Williams, who arrived in style at Albert Square Chophouse on a vintage bus, provided by Belle Vue Coaches.

Making an entrance: Jeni Williams presented

Making an entrance: The Awards were presented by actress and comedian Jeni Williams, who arrived at Albert Square Chophouse in style on a Belle Vue Coaches vintage bus.

Greater Manchester Fringe is a grass roots festival run by volunteers with a lot of love. Encompassing the best of Manchester’s alternative scene, including art, dance, theatre, new writing, cabaret, comedy, poetry, music, burlesque, workshops and exhibitions.

One of the highlights this year was Tim Peaks Diner at Albert Square Chophouse when actor Paddy Considine was in conversation with Dave Haslam and played with his band Riding The Low. The audience included Maxine Peake, Chris Gascoyne and Gillian Gilbert (New Order).

A huge Tim Burgess style fringe was erected on top of the Chophouse for the whole of July, created by artist Pete Fowler, inspired by a discussion between Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband and owner Roger Ward.

Some shows had a Mancunian theme including the Jewish comedy Mancunian Rhapsody that sold out Whitefield Garrick and the award-winning Under Manc Wood, a play about Manchester’s characters based on Dylan Thomas’s play Under Milk Wood.
However Greater Manchester Fringe 2015 also included three international acts – Drum Tribe brought interactive drumming from South Africa to Joshua Brooks, Cameryn Moore brought Phone Whore from America to The King’s Arms in Salford and Ezio Tangini brought Butoh dance from Italy to Moston Small Cinema.
Many shows – including Health Under Fire, The Hideout, All Our Friends Are Dead, Bump, Banjo Man and Operation Perfect Teaset – have now moved onto Edinburgh and Camden Fringes.

Director and co-founder Zena Barrie, who also runs Camden Fringe, said: “The Greater Manchester Fringe, now feels like a movement… building it’s own momentum with tons of support from like minded creatives. 

“All of Manchester’s finest left-field thinkers, artists, playwrights, dancers, actors, writers and everything else in between sticking their head out of the water to join in. It’s been a great year, onwards and upwards, can’t wait for next year!”

Director and co-founder Iain Scott, who also runs the Canal Street website, said: ”The success of the Fringe is due to many factors including the collaboration of fellow performers, writers and venues. A real ‘family’ feel continues to thrive as we move into our fifth year of the Festival.”

The patrons for this year’s festival were Tim Firth (dramatist, screenwriter and songwriter, Calendar Girls); comedian Justin Moorhouse; Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street and Dinnerladies) and Arthur Bostrom (‘Allo ‘Allo).

The sponsors were Crabbie’s Salford Council, Write for the Stage and The Car People.

The ones to impress: Part of the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival Awards 2015 judging Panel Zena Barrie, Lisa Connor, Jeni Williams, Debbie Manley and Iain Scott.

The ones to impress: Part of the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival Awards 2015 judging Panel Zena Barrie, Lisa Connor, Jeni Williams, Debbie Manley and Iain Scott. Photo by Paul Husband.

The judges were: Stephen Hornby, Naomi Sumner, Jayne Marshall, Mike Heath, Lisa Connor, Zena Barrie, Debbie Manley, Iain Scott and Vicky Cooper.

Best New Writing: Le Grand Return by Alan Stockdill at the Swan in Dobcross. Presented by Mike Heath on behalf of sponsors Write For The Stage.

Also nominated for Best New Writing: 

Bump, by Andrew Hollingsworth, Buckle Up Theatre, King’s Arms, Salford.

Stars are made of Concrete, by Michelle Ashton, Messy Dress Productions, King’s Arms, Salford.

Back Seat Betty, by Joshua Val Martin, presented by Cobbled Haze Club, Joshua Brooks, Manchester.

A way with words: won Best New Writing

A way with words: ‘Le Grand Return’ by Alan Stockdill won Best New Writing. Photo by Paul Husband.

Best DramaBack Seat Betty by Joshua Val Martin, presented by Cobbled Haze Club at Joshua Brooks and performed by Jo Dakin.

Also nominated for Best Drama:

The Gambit, by Mark Reid, Rampant Plays, The Swan, Dobcross.

Le Grand Return, by Alan Stockdill, Talking Stock Productions, The Swan, Dobcross.

Family Matters, by John Slater, Guide Bridge Theatre, Audenshaw.

The Stars are made of Concrete, by Michelle Ashton, Messy Dress Productions, King’s Arms, Salford.

 

Best Comedy: Bump, Buckle Up Theatre at The King’s Arms, performed by Andrew Hollingworth and Oriana Charles. 

Presented by Assistant Mayor, Councillor Ann-Marie Humphreys, on behalf of sponsors Salford City Council. They are performing two shows at Edinburgh Festival.

Also nominated for Best Comedy:

Reverb, by Daniel Nicholas, King’s Arms, Salford.

All Our Friends Are Dead, by Katie Norris and Sinead Parker, King’s Arms, Salford

Mancunian Rhapsody, by Debra Tammer, Salford Arts Theatre and Whitefield Garrick.

The comedy genius behind Best Comedy

The comedy genius behind ‘Bump’  that won ‘Best Comedy’ with presenter Jeni Williams. Photo by Paul Husband.

Best Newcomer: Quina Chapman for Banjo Man at the King’s Arms in Salford, a moving tribute to her late father Roger Dinsdale, who played banjo on The Grid’s massive hit Swamp Thing. Accompanying her on guitar was Liam Morgan. They will be performing at Camden Fringe in August.

Also Nominated for Best Newcomer:

Nuala Cavanagh, for A Dream Play, Nexus Art Cafe, Northern Quarter.

Daniel Nicholas, for Reverb, King’s Arms, Salford.

Ben Baxter, for Chuggers, King’s Arms, Salford.

 

Best Spoken Word: Mouth, written by Christopher Bowles and performed by Ash Preston, Andrew Marsden, Ella Barton, Kelly Diver, Mary Hooton and Rod Tame at Taurus on Canal Street, Manchester. Presented by Magpie Man Theatre.

Also nominated for Best Spoken Word:

Just Saying How It Is. Carol Robson, King’s Arms, Salford.

Poetry? What’s That All About? JB Barrington, Salford Arts Theatre.

No Lead, All Copper Gone. Matt McAteer, King’s Arms, Salford.

 

Best Revival/Adaptation: Under Manc Wood, by Chris Kelly and Penny Edwards, presented by Hat Hair Productions, at The King’s Arms in Salford.

Also nominated for Best Revival/Adaptation:

Berlin, E.P.I. and Zodiac Film, King’s Arms, Salford.

A Dream Play, Deja Vu Ensemble, Nexus Art Cafe.

 

Most Innovative Use of Space: A Dream Play, presented by Déjà vu Ensemble at Nexus Art Café, director Nuala Cavanagh and writer Rachel Connor. The cast for this promenade adaptation of August Strindberg included Klaus Jervfors playing the horn on the streets of the Northern Quarter and Louise Turner from Sweden.

 

Spirit of the Fringe: Daniel Thackeray, who starred in both Under Manc Wood and Together in Electric Dreams, which he also wrote. He arrived late so Ross Kelly and Steve Cain accepted his award on his behalf. It was presented by Dave Smith on behalf of sponsors Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer and included a hamper of Crabbie’s.

 

Best Venue: The Swan in Dobcross. Michael and Tim are pictured above with Catherine Pasek, Salford’s assistant mayor councillor Ann-Marie Humphreys, and Alan Stockdill, who won the award for Best New Writing for Le Grand Return.