The Question, July 8, 2013

The Woes (and Joys) of a Fringe Tour
by Estelle Rosen

Andrew Wade brings The Hatter to the Toronto and then Saskatoon Fringe Festivals before summer ends. A graduate of the University of Victoria (BA – Writing, BFA – Acting) and the National Voice Intensive, he splits his time as an actor, stage manager, writer, science facilitator, and heritage interpreter.

CHARPO: Since you're half-way through touring The Hatter, how would you describe the overall experience of presenting it in London and Ottawa. Any differences in audience reaction or in any other way?

WADE: It's hard for me to separate my experiences of performing in each city from my feelings towards being on a Fringe tour overall. London Fringe, as my first stop, was all about getting my bearings. I haven't travelled much, and I fell ill for three days right off the plane, including passing out, naked, on the floor of my billet's bathroom. Not only that, but it was a new show! My first London performance was the first time I had ever performed The Hatter. I was memorizing lines up until showtime, with scenes jumping around and switching places for the first few performances.

there was far less downtime to this whole 'performing in Fringe Festivals' thing than I had previously anticipated

That being the first time I had presented the material, during my time in London I was also feeling out the character of The Hatter and his personal arc. Some of the aforementioned accidental scene switch-ups, I decided I liked, so I have since implemented them. I also found a slew of other lines which I didn't really need to say, managed to re-introduce an old scene, and occasionally enjoyed my on-the-spot paraphrasings so much that I've edited them into the play. So everything onstage evolved rapidly in London.

Due to being given a small venue, they also allotted me more showtimes, which meant I was performing essentially almost every single day – only one day off – so most of my time was spent in pre-show prep/flyering and post-show recovery. While I did once manage to meet up with an old friend, there was far less downtime to this whole 'performing in Fringe Festivals' thing than I had previously anticipated.

Other than my lovely billets, I also didn't interact much with the locals. A few nice conversations, but mostly I hung around with a handful of other performers who I knew or was getting to know. Quite a lot of solitary time – which I didn't really mind, surprisingly.

How can this association, this friendship, this relationship, be maintained, continued into the future?

By now, with only a few days left in Ottawa, I think I am finally adopting the necessary mindset towards socializing while touring – something I'd been missing in London. Ordinarily at the back of my mind with every conversation I'm having is a radar scanning along, looking for hooks, ways to continue the relationship between myself and the other person. How can this association, this friendship, this relationship, be maintained, continued into the future? But that doesn't work so well when you know you're leaving town in a week's time, and aren't sure you're ever coming back.

So instead, Fringe is making me be more present than before. This conversation with a local which I am having right now, this conversation is its own encapsulated moment, never to be repeated. It can only be enjoyed now for what it is, because it isn't the precursor to something else down the road. It just is what it is, straight up, hold the ice. And it's the same for them! I am just a travelling performer, rushing through their town, and yet they still want to talk to me. I guess that makes me interesting.

Being in a BYOV [Bring Your Own Venue], I am still performing almost every day here in Ottawa, moving from ten performances in London to nine here, to seven in each of Toronto and Saskatoon. One big personal goal of my Fringe tour was to allow myself to enjoy travelling, and while I've gone to the House of Commons and the Supreme Court, I'm finding I'm more engaged by chatting with people and asking them what they think of their city. Ottawa's winters are too long but they couldn't imagine a life without snow. The only jobs are government jobs, but the place throws great parties and is kept young by all the universities. I've never seen a city with so many police cars, but I suppose that makes sense.

As for the audiences... to be honest, I am just over-the-moon thankful that I have audiences.

As to the show itself, adapting it from a tiny room to a church auditorium had its share of surprising elements. I still find myself occasionally waiting for lighting cues which existed in London, but couldn't be done in Ottawa, and due to the resonating echoes of the room, I actually need to perform more quietly in the auditorium than I ever did in London.

As for the audiences... to be honest, I am just over-the-moon thankful that I have audiences. My first two performances in London, the only people coming to the show were volunteers, fellow performers, and media. Not a single ticket sale. Great for workshopping, not so great for not-becoming-financially-destitute. Then on the third day, 15 paying audience members. I can't say I kept up the third day's numbers for the rest of the run, but until then, I admit my worries were getting the best of me. Ottawa's audiences, hopefully due to the generally positive press I've been receiving, have been slightly more numerous. With BYOV venue fees, I won't break even on this stop, but this trip was always designed as my 'tuition' for learning how to tour with a show. Next year I'll earn my profits. :)

I love meeting people on the street in Ottawa. London-folk are lovely, but the number of times Ottawans have asked if they can have a picture with me (in full Hatter garb) really brings a smile to my face. Yet for all that gregariousness, Ottawa audiences are also far less willing to sing along with The Unbirthday Song. Interesting divide, there.

Which I suppose means I'll need to do this crazy Fringe Festival thing again next year.

@estellemontreal

In both cities, I have made fans of my work, and with every other performers' shows I see, I get little glints of inspiration, ways to continue to explore this play, tweak it, refine it. Watching Nancy Kenny's excellent Delores reminded me to pay attention to the main relationship within The Hatter, while Kurt Fitzpatrick's Cathedral City and Bruce Horak's Assassinating Thomson have a new show slowly building itself in the sunshine nook of my mind.

Which I suppose means I'll need to do this crazy Fringe Festival thing again next year. What a daunting, exciting, intimidating, and thrilling notion.

Before then, however, I have 17 performances in two and a bit Fringe Festivals, one theatresports performance on Canada Day, at least 55 dreaded hours on Greyhounds, and whatever else crops up before this summer ends.

Hope to see you in Toronto or Saskatoon.

The Hatter continues at the Toronto Fringe
Read also Andrew Wade's first-person piece on preparation for the tour