Accessible + Low Vision Friendly | Vancouver Fringe Festival

September 5 to 15, 2019 at various venues around Granville Island and East Vancouver

VocalEye is thrilled to partner with the Vancouver Fringe Festival for a fourth season of accessible programming for audience members who are blind and partially sighted!

The Fringe offers people with sight loss a free companion rate, free Fringe Memberships and priority seating to all shows. VocalEye is describing 2 shows at the festival this year: The Robber Bridegroom: A Grimm Fairy Tale on September 14 and Perv Hunters on September 15.

We can’t describe all the shows at the Fringe (there are 101!), so we’ve come up with additional accessible programming that includes dozens of shows recommended as “low vision friendly” or accessible without description. These recommendations are based on the artists’ information and additional vetting from our consultants from the blind/low vision community, Amy Amantea and Deborah Fong.  Download the Word doc versions of the LVF schedule below:

Low Vision Friendly Fringe Schedule Part 1: September 5-9 (Word doc)

Low Vision Friendly Fringe Schedule Part 2: September 10-15 (Word doc)

Complete Fringe Program Guide 2019 (pdf) – this is a large file and will take time to download

Tickets may be purchased in advance by contacting boxoffice@vancouverfringe.com or by calling 604-762-5294 for assistance. Please mention VocalEye for your complimentary companion ticket.

Fringe venues are located around Granville Island and East Vancouver. Venues open 15 minutes before showtime. Please check in with the Front of House volunteers to arrange your priority seating.

Fringe Memberships are free for VocalEye members and a companion (regular $7). These memberships must be brought to all shows you attend and presented with your tickets for admission. Memberships will be available through Front of House, if you don’t have one already. Fringe memberships help cover the cost of the festival, while the ticket revenues go directly to the artists.

In a festival this size, there are bound to be changes. Find daily updates on the Festival’s Fresh Sheet.

VocalEye Fringe consultant Deborah Fong has a record 18 shows on her list this year! Deb is partially sighted and attends shows that are both on and off the Low Vision Friendly list. Here’s Deb’s full schedule if you’d like to join her (if these times don’t work for you, each show repeats an additional 5 times on average):

Thursday Sept 5
  • Jimmy Hogg at Performance Works, 5:15 pm
  • Inescapable at the Waterfront, 6:50 pm
Friday Sept 6 
  • Tommy’s Amazing Journey at the Revue, 5 pm
  • How to Become More Less Crazy at the Nest, 6:45pm
Saturday Sept 7
  • Kevin, King of Egypt at the Revue, 4:45 pm
  • Carey-OK, Timeless Timey Tunes at the Revue, 6:30 pm
Sunday Sept 8
  • Amélie at the Firehall, noon
  • LIFT at the Firehall, 2:15 pm
  • Operatic Panic Attack at the Firehall, 4:30 pm
Monday Sept 9 
  • The Great Canadian Porno, the Musical at the Firehall, 8:30 pm
Wednesday Sept 11
  • Josephine at the Cultch, 5 pm
  • Ludwig and the Hammerklavier at the Cultch, 7:45 pm
Friday Sept 13
  • Pretending Things are a Cock at False Creek Gym, 5 pm
  • Zack Adams, Love Songs for Future Girl at the Revue, 6:45 pm
Saturday Sept 14 
  • The Robber Bridegroom (VocalEye) at the Waterfront, 2:30 pm
  • Dandelion at the Waterfront, 4:15 pm
Sunday Sept 15
  • Perv Hunters (VocalEye) at the Waterfront, 1:10 pm
  • There Ain’t No More at the Revue, 3:30 pm

Amy is interested in checking out Diagnose This! Tales of a Medical Actor at the False Creek Gym at some point. This show comes with a warning: contains strong opinions about the US and blunt talk about lady parts.

Also at the False Creek Gym is a new play reading series from Ruby Slippers called Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women, all low vision friendly. Here’s that schedule:

ūtszan by Yvonne Wallace on Monday, September 9 at 1:30 pm
Mother Bear Speaks by Taninli Wright on Tuesday, September 10 at 1:30 pm
Occupational Hazards by Roneen Marcoux on Wednesday, September 11 at 1:30 pm
we the same by Sangeeta Wylie on Thursday, September 12 at 1:30 pm
Fling by Melody Anderson on Friday, September 13 at 1:30 pm

Steph will be going to Fling for sure and a workshop called Are We There Yet? Next Steps in Arts; Equity, Diversion and Inclusion on Thursday, September 12 at noon, lunch included. Steph also hopes to check out Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life, Guards at the Taj, Theatre Terrific’s Workin’ and a bunch more, if she has any time to spare.

The Vancouver Fringe really is Theatre for Everyone! We hope to see you there!