Melbourne Fringe is still set to go ahead this November (phew) but the talented crew just couldn't wait that long to put on a show. This winter, Melbourne Fringe is reopening the famed Fringe Common Rooms virtually for the very first VCR Fest – an online arts festival spanning digital comedy to dance parties.
VCR Fest (that stands for Virtual Common Rooms Fest, FYI) is a three-day digital arts festival coming to a screen near you this July 31 to August 2. The festival aims to recreate the feeling of a real-life festival as much as possible, with the set up of events even allowing audiences to debrief with each other after each festival event.
One of the most exciting events coming to VCR Fest is Zoë Coombs Marr's brand new show Born Slippy, a show she describes as "a little bit lecture, a little bit comedy, drizzled with stream of consciousness, and with a complex mouthfeel."
Other highlights include Joel Bray's Biladurang 2.0 (an online version of Bray's 2018 show Biladurang, which is loosely based on a traditional Wiradjuri story); music from Cry Club; and a special performance live and direct from Marie's Crisis Café in New York's West Village.
VCR Fest will also feature (online, physically-distanced) parties like (Virtual) Fringe Friday and Fringe Roulette. Writer and activist Carly Findlay will also host a discussion titled Art x Access: Is Digital Art here to stay? during the festival.
After each event audiences are encouraged to stick around in the "digital foyer" to discuss the show, get additional event recommendations and pay for your ticket (many of the shows are "choose your price" where you pay after the performance).
VCR Fest runs from July 31 to August 2.
