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As beautifully touching as it is funny and bold, Things I Know to be True is a complex and intense portrait of the mechanics of a family and marriage through the eyes of four grown siblings struggling to define themselves beyond their parents’ love and expectations.

Bob and Fran Price have worked hard to give their four children the opportunities they never had. Now, with the kids ready to make lives of their own, it's time to sit back and smell the roses. But the change of the seasons reveals some shattering truths, leaving us asking whether it's possible to love too much.

Andrew Bovell’s Things I Know to be True was premiered in Adelaide, Australia, as a co-production between Frantic Assembly and the State Theatre Company of South Australia. It received its British premiere in 2016, co-produced with Warwick Arts Centre in association with Chichester Festival Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith.

Alton Fringe Theatre’s production brings together a strong cast and offers Joe de Peyrecave his directorial debut with The Fringe.

Expect strong language as the play deals with relationship issues, family breakup, transgender rejection and bereavement.

Goldfinch Bookshop proved to be the perfect venue for this highly successful evening. Gary and his family were incredible helpful in moving their book units and setting up the 40 chairs - in fact nothing was too much trouble. And with a drink thrown in for the £5 ticket fee it was a bargain too good to miss! We aim to return...

Organised with a single rehearsal by Lesley Willis the programme was lively, varied and often moving. Above all it was fun.

The image of Alan Turing is by our own Helen De Peyrecave

Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore,

We have been inundated with congratulations for a superbly successful production.

For example:

This exceptional biographical drama about a man who broke too many codes: the eccentric genius Alan Turing who played a major role in winning the World War II, breaking the complex German code called Enigma, and enabling allied forces to foresee German manoeuvres.

Since his work was classified top secret for years after the war, no one knew how much was owed to him when he was put on trial for breaking another code the taboo against homosexuality. Turing, who was also the first to conceive of computers, was convicted under the 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act which made all homosexual acts of "gross indecency" illegal, the same act used to convict Oscar Wilde, and sentenced to undergo hormone treatments which left him physically and mentally debilitated. He died a suicide, forgotten and alone.

This play is about who he was, what happened to him, and why.

Alton Fringe Theatre has brought together a very strong cast for this production. The powerful drama takes us on a journey through the all too short yet complex life of Alan Turing. There are of course, moments of triumph and disaster, laughter and tears. And at the heart of the story – a search for love. In a typical ‘Fringe’ stripped back production, it is the characters in Turing’s life as well as Turing himself who are the focus for attention.

With an original ‘soundscape’ by composer Julian Chou-Lambert, this production will be a must see.

This amateur production of “Breaking the Code” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. On behalf of Samuel French Ltd.

Alton Fringe at the Alton Arts Festival - July 2024
A celebration of 35 years of Fringe productions

The 17 members of the cast remained on stage throughout and came forward for their contributions

As our contribution to this year's inaugural Alton Arts Festival we took the opportunity to celebrate 35 years of Fringe productions.

Although only a single evening event, this became a complex programme of extracts from no less than 14 productions, ranging from the first of all - 1988's Murder in the Cathedral - to ZigZag - the story of Gilbert White of Selborne staged in 2022. Almost everything was learned, and rehearsals took many weeks. But the audience reaction on the night made it clear that the effort had been abundantly worthwhile.

A particular bonus was that Patrick Sandford, the professional director who had been engaged by the 1988 Alton May Arts Week to direct that seminal production of Murder in the Cathedral , accepted our invitation to join us.

Members of the original 1988 cast of Murder in the Cathedral - Richard Fowler, Chris Chappell, Lesley Willis & Louise Dilloway - with Patrick Sandford

The Cherry Orchard - Oct 2023

A triumph for Director Louise Biddiss with her bold and clear conception of how this play could be realised in the Fringe's characteristically intimate style. Through her skilful management of the rehearsal period she inspired exceptional early commitment from the cast and created a particularly happy and productive atmosphere throughout.

Michael Biddiss' special adaptation enabled the humour of Chekhov's 'comedy' to shine through in a way which delighted, and often surprised, the audiences.

Sarah Castle-Smith as Lyuba Rayenevskya

The Plague
30th March - 1st April 2023

A powerful and timely production

Dr Rieux (Simon Brencher) shares his agony with the audience.

Audiences emerged from the three performances moved - sometimes to tears - and deeply impressed by the quality of the production. You will find a gallery of Ian Dumelow's superb dress-rehearsal photographs, and Peter Allwright's wonderfully insightful review on the dedicated page HERE

Conceived by Steve Gerlach and adopted as our next production by The Fringe three months before the COVID pandemic - that other plague - struck, this production, after three long and extraordinary years is at last accomplished.

About Us

Alton Fringe Theatre formed in 1988 when a diverse and talented group found themselves working together for an Alton Arts Week ‘all-comers-welcome’ production of Murder in the Cathedral, under the inspiring direction of Patrick Sandford.

Interested In Joining?

Alton Fringe Theatre is a local theatre group who take members from the age of seventeen upwards. There are no fees or subscriptions, just a willingness to get involved and contribute to whatever the group decides as the next project.