Friends and Family

When you're wittling down the 162 shows to your own special list of the precious few, consider...

are any friends or family members in shows?

Not sure? Ask them. (Though they've probably already hit you up to come and see them on stage, unless they're the shy type)

Attendance and word of mouth are hard to get going, particularly right at the start. They'll love you even more than they already do.

Going this route nearly always introduces me to some good stuff I would otherwise have missed.

My actor friend Nathan is responsible for introducing me to the Ministry of Cultural Warfare a couple of Fringes ago, and I've hit each Fringe show since, plus some of their regular season outings as well. Intelligent, well-acted, (actually funny) comedy - what a pleasant surprise. And of course, they're back again this year, this time with "Industrials" at Intermedia Arts, which sounds like a hoot.

Not an actor among your friends or family? Go see something by someone you've seen in other productions outside the Fringe, or that comes recommended friends, family, or... well, anyone making the Fringe rounds. Hang out afterward, pay them a compliment, and if you don't seem like the stalker type, you might have just made a new friend for next Fringe.