How to stand out at Fringe

With hundreds of other shows, and thousands of other artists to compete with at Fringe, how to lesser-known artists get attention?
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While festivals such as Adelaide Fringe and Perth’s Fringe World present new and emerging artists with a great opportunity to make a name for themselves, they can also be daunting for artists who lack the profile of their better-known peers.

While comedians such as Wil Anderson and established acts such as Briefs and La Soirée still have to fight for their share of the audience pie, their reputations are a considerable advantage in the crowded festival market. But for performers at the start of their careers, or who are well known at home but not in the city whose festival they’re about to visit, attracting audiences can be a real challenge.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts