Fringe off to a solid start

It’s got another full week of theatre fun to go — but already, the 13th annual Ottawa Fringe Festival — which kicked off over the weekend — is shaping up to be the most successful yet, the festival’s general manager said yesterday.

“It’s looking like a good start,” said Natalie Joy Quesnel. “We had shows sell out on opening night, and that hasn’t happened in the recent past.”

One of the reasons is because this year’s festival features “one of the most eclectic and strong lineups that the Ottawa Fringe has seen in some time.”

Held through June 28, the festival, which features 57 acts in 13 venues, is expecting 13,000 attendees, up from 12,000 in 2008, Quesnel said, adding that thousands of people attended shows downtown over the weekend.

More people are reviewing works online this year, Quesnel said.

While Quesnel listed Heebs and Dweebs, Countries Shaped Like Stars, Catgut Strung Violin and … Comes Around as some of the most popular shows, she said all shows have been doing “really well,” and that “overall attendance has increased.”