Midland Fringe 2025 – A kind of review

My reviews are personal views; this won’t be academic or judgmental, I’m not going to rubbish another person’s work or vision, I’m just going to talk about how I felt about it, and anything I found interesting or enlightening.

Website: Midlands Fringe 2025

The Preamble – Yeah, you can skip this!

Not so long back, I joined the lovely Blakenhall Writers Group, who meet in the Springvale Library once a month. It was at one of these meetings that I met Emma Purshouse, who was doing a fun workshop on prose poetry. She handed out leaflets at the end of the workshop, for the Midland Fringe, and asked if anyone would be interested in doing some reviews ot the shows, and I signed up.

This was going to be the first Midlands Fringe Festival and would be the first one I’ve attended. I had no idea what to expect, but I was looking forward to having a go at writing reviews and seeing what it’s all about. We had a review writing workshop with Emma and Senior Reporter at the Express and Star, James Vukmirovic, to share tips and examples of good, bad and evil reviews, which was very helpful.

The Bottom Line

The festival ran from the 25th to the 27th of July in 4 venues across Wolverhampton, and I managed to attend 14 performances, missing only 3, and I wished I hadn’t. I loved every minute of this, and the acts I saw were superb. From Storytelling and Comedy to improv and drama to magic, mystery and of course poetry, everything was covered and delivered with Passion, engagement and Joy.

You pay nothing to enter most events, and you pay what you can on exit, dropping your coin into the traditional hat, of which the entire contents go to the performer. It’s a wonderfully inclusive system of giving what you can if you can.

The intimacy of the venues enhanced the performances, and the staff were lovely and helpful. This was social theatre at its best, each space being a little different to the other and each performance morphing and owning the space they were in, I’d like to use the word synergy… so I’m going to, it’s my blog after all!

If I’m not making it clear enough, go support local talent, fringe festivals and pop-up gigs, engage, take your kids and enjoy being 6 feet away from people you don’t know who can make you laugh, cry and groan with wonder. It’s the human thing to do!

The organisers deserve a mention here: Dave Pitt, Steve Pottinger and Emma Purshouse (collectively the Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists) worked together and pulled this off, with some help from a grant from the Arts Council. They were at every session, they chatted to everyone and were supportive in any way they could. It was a pleasure to be a small part of this and to be able to engage in any way. Thanks, Guys, it’s been emotional… and inspirational.

Other Thoughts

I did find myself tearing up on more than one occasion, relating to several moments in the stories and poetry of the performers, sometimes completely unexpectedly and always in a good way, a memory of a moment long forgotten or a feeling reminding me of something I’d put away.

If you want perfect performances with no sharp edges, no fluffy bits that don’t make you feel it’s not for you. If you love the human mess in all shapes and sizes, then hello, you’ll love the Midland Fringe.

I had the honour and pleasure of reviewing 2 of the acts, both reviews of which were published on the event’s website, my first ever published writing of any kind by anyone else. I’m not sure you can appreciate how that feels to a man of 60 who left school at 16 with the reading age of a 10-year-old; however, in hindsight, maybe I should have run for president.

The world is full of lovely people; you just have to know where to look, and here is one of those places where they share and shape small places into moments of comedy, storytelling and wonder.

The artists/performers and venues

These are not reviews, just some personal notes and links to reviews where they exist.

This was the first show of the fringe. I arrived about 3 minutes late, and Maria was already in full swing. She was captivating, engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a great start to the festival. Venue: K Teas Cakes [Review here]

A great and engaging, and energetic performance by Paul in character as Rodney, a storyteller and elite dresser for the stars of the stage. Many a name dropped and joke made on the fly. Venue: K Teas Cakes [Review here]

If you English bastards want drama… well, here it is, with tea and cakes! This was the final performance on Friday at K Teas Cakes. This is one of those moments I seek out in life, when performance transcends location and puts me inside the ‘characters’ world. Venue: K Teas Cakes [Review here]

This was a ticketed event and held at the Arena Theatre. Lucy was warm and engaging; she was trying out new material she’d be using at the Edinburgh Fringe next month, so we had a preview. Lots of interactions with the audience and a great end to the first day of the Midland Fringe. [Review to follow]

I’m afraid I missed the next 3 acts, but I wanted to include links to be supportive.

I was looking forward to seeing this act, so I’ll keep an eye open in the future and sign up on the website. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review here]

Another I missed and will look forward to seeing soon. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

Being a product of the BlackCountry and the 60s/70s, I was looking forward to this but couldn’t make it, I will in the future. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review here]

First gig of the day for me and it was a treat. Improv is one of those things I think I’d be good at, but the idea terrifies me; however, Autumn and Hannah are. History, fantasy and stand-up meet here, and you never know what’s coming. Venue: Qattery Cafe [Review to follow]

A wonderful magic act built around a murder mystery and wonderful to watch. The audience was involved and enthralled… and Steve Pottinger is now a man on the run! Venue: Qattery Cafe [Review to Follow]

Drama in its highest form again. The final show at the Qattery on Saturday (poetic?) An amazing performance, intensity, interaction… stunning Venue: Qattery Cafe [Review to follow]

Second ticketed event of the Fringe and again at the Arena Theatre. Stephen entered holding a clipboard and announcing a plan to test out his new material on us. This involved a lot of conversations with the audience and lots of laughter and thoughtful moments. His style is to create a conversation, grow it and explode it, and it works very well. [Review here]

First gig of the final day of the Midland Fringe. This was one of my favourite things (like the song), vulnerable, authentic and beautiful were some of the words in my notes on Sarah’s performance which instantly connected me to my memories of music. Playing in a band saved my life in the 80s, and it’s lovely to see such honesty in a performance, ty. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

So I did not expect to be schooled today and enjoy it to the max. As a dyslexic, English seemed to have been created to hurt me and make me feel stupid and finally I understand why. This was an amazing and unique performance from Melanie, wonderful! Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

Funny, touching and engaging. It’s been a good while since my kids were kids and I was never the Dad Tom is, another warm/funny moment for me, I have gone soft, no apologies. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

A highly charged, very personal emergence story of a woman’s journey through change and self-acceptance, it was moving and powerful. Dee talked us through her highs and lows and ultimately finding herself and new confidence to be who she is. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

Standup at it’s best, thought-provoking, intelligent with some sharp edges, Prateek talked about India, the UK and the US with some rather interesting references to Beyonce’ and the National Anthem which will stay with me for a very long time, brilliant fun in more ways than one. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

And the final act of the Fringe, a hilarious look at growing up in Wolverhampton in the 70s accompanied by Music, poetry and art, delivered through the eyes of the undiscovered 17-year-old artist Ian, great from start to finish and a perfect to the Midland Fringe. Venue: Lych Gate Tavern [Review to follow]

This was the first time at K Teas and Cakes, it’s a lovely place run by friendly, helpful staff who did everything they could to make everyone comfortable and supplied with excellent food and drink. I will become a regular, I think, it’s the perfect place for a couple of hours writing and blogging.

Another first for me, it’s like I don’t live in Wolverhampton! Friendly, helpful staff offering lovely food and drink and determined to keep everyone happy. I have found another place to hang around while writing.

Yes I’ve been here a few times, warm and very much a traditional gem of a pub with lovely staff. The room upstairs was perfect and cool for the 6 acts I attended on Sunday, a perfect venue for the Fringe.

The Arena Theatre is part of Wolverhampton University and is near the Art Gallery. It’s a small, intimate theatre, only 150 seats, and everyone a good one. There is a bar upstairs for refreshments. Not much else to say other than the staff were friendly and chatty.