Underground is rapidly establishing itself as a popular stamping ground for acts heading up to the mother-of-all-fringes, the unstoppable Edinburgh Fringe.

Now in its 74th year, Edinburgh Fringe is the largest arts festival in the entire world. As far as we know, the largest gathering of artists anywhere in the universe.

This year, 22 acts will be appearing at Underground Venues before they head further north. This offers the unique opportunity to see some of the country’s finest theatre, stand-up, music, magic and dance before it reaches a global audience.

So here’s that Edinburgh preview line-up in full

Theatre:
Are You Lonesome Tonight, Bane, Bane 2, Tales From The Black Jack, Reverie

Stand-up:
Andrew O’Neill, Elis James: Daytripper, Gary Delaney: Purist, Henry Paker’s 3D Bugle, It Is Rocket Science V2, James Sherwood: One Man And His Piano, Jokes Not Included (Phil Buckley), Mark Allen’s Go Slow, Max And Ivan, 9 to 5 Idiot (Roland Gent)

Comedy Shows:
Green Eggs And Hamlet, How To Survive A Zombie Apocalypse, The Noise Next Door: Chaos Control, Piff-Tacular 2: Get Rich Or Die Trying

Music:
Hayden’s Rantings Of A Young Fool, Project Adorno’s Top Ten Of Popular Culture

Physical Theatre:
Three Works (Daniel Somerville)

To see the full list, with links to the shows, click here

The veteran Fringe-busting, all-knowing behemoth that is Fringe Review has started announcing its top tips for the Buxton Fringe.

We were very pleased to see Underground shows getting a good old mention in their first instalment.

Their top 3 theatre shows are Bane & Bane 2 (that counts as one I guess), The Fantastic Reality Of Frederick Goodge and Burton’s Last Call.

Their top pick from the improv/sketch comedy line-up are the two fantastic shows The Noise Next Door: Chaos Control and Teak Show: Twisted Sketches.

And their favourite Buxton Fringe show for kids is the magical The Clock Master.

Just click on the names if you’d like to know more. We hope to hear more from the Fringe Review guys soon. And great to see coverage of Buxton from the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe experts.

Keep your eyes on this page for more Fringe news from around the blogosphere…

Our good friend Dan Somerville has been picking up some great reviews for his powerful and raw physical theatre work. It’s sure to be one of the more challenging and exciting works (or three works) on the Fringe this year – but let’s see what the critics think:

“the sheer power of the performance left the entire audience unable to move or speak
… exquisite control and emotion… breathtaking stuff”
Total Theatre

“naked, open, vulnerable… startling and intense… top marks”
GScene

“an intense study of  human emotion”
Latest 7

We don’t see a lot of art like this in Buxton – so be sure not to miss your chance this July!

Three Works: 7th July, 9:30pm; 20th, 22nd & 24th July, 11pm

Several of our acts this year are previewing at the Brighton Fringe. Sixteen in fact!

And by the looks of things they’ve had some great success.

Bane II – has won the Editors Choice Award from Fringe Guru. Joe Bone was also one of two runners-up for Best Male Performer awarded by Latest7. It also got a great review from FringeReview (and of course a superlative one from Fringe Guru and Latest 7). Something tells me this is going to be a good show!

The Fantastic Reality Of Frederick Goodge – also has a truly great review from FringeReview

Kent Valentine – picks up a lovely review from ThreeWeeks

Max And Ivan – have a great review from Fringe Guru

Helen Keen – has one saying great things from Latest 7.

And Piff-Tacular also did a preview show, which Fringe Guru reviewed very nicely

The Fringe brochure has now gone to print and our programme for 2010 is now confirmed.

It’s our biggest and most varied ever – a great way to celebrate our 5th year.

We’ll be announcing the whole thing here on the website on June 10th. Until then you can see acts confirmed – along with other news – on our Twitter feed (follow @underthefringe) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/underthefringe)

Very exciting times!

Just a quick note to confirm that Underground Venues will be back for its 5th Buxton Fringe this summer. We’ll be running the Paupers Pit and the Barrel Room as spaces from 7th-25th July.
Applications will be open February 3rd 2010. Just head to the main page from then for full info. Applications are officially open until April 10th but we may be able to accept late entries.

Well that’s the 2009 Fringe finally over and early reports have it as our most popular yet with some 3,800 audience members.

To celebrate our new online bookings system, we’re offering a web-only discount for customers who reserve tickets in advance for our shows.

Just enter the discount code earlybird into the discount box on the booking form to save a cool quid from your booking for every two tickets you reserve.

But hurry! This offer is only running for ten days… so browse our programme, check your diary, call your friends and get booking!

Don’t say we never give you anything…

• Full terms & Condtions »

PS. Three weeks exactly until the fringe launch party!

Our full programme for 2009 is now online! To celebrate, we’ve given the old website a complete overhaul so this also marks the launch of the new Underground website.
So why not have a browse around and find out which of your favourites are back – as well as searching out this year’s soon-to-be-uncovered gems.

Underground Venues will be presenting a large number of world premieres this year. There are also a fair number which a new this year but are getting in a bit of practice elsewhere before they come to Buxton. And the word on the street is that we have some pretty incredible stuff coming our way…

The Truth Is I Can’t Stop Telling Lies
Tam Hinton

The Buxton award-winner has been previewing his new show in Manchester. The Manchester Evening News had some rather lovely things to say about it, including:

“Hinton is the creator of such brain-boggling solo performances as the award-winning The Naked Soul Of Kirk Godless and his new show is equally extraordinary, mind-bending and exhilarating.”

and…

“I found it utterly compelling as Hinton hurled himself through the minds of a multitude of characters”

as well as…

“At one point, Hinton, remarkably, transformed himself into a terrifying, salivating dog but even that almost seemed par for the course in this strange but rather wonderful show.”

Fans of Tam will be in for the treat they have come to expect and those new to the experience should jolly well take this chance to check him out!

• Full review here.

Bane
Whitebone Productions

There is news from Brighton that the company behind Clever Peter have got a truly stunning new drama. It recently previewed there and Three Weeks (who cover every show so should know what they’re talking about) said:

“One-man shows rarely come better than this”

and…

“This ceaselessly engaging and extraordinary episode will leave you anticipating the next instalment”

…and gave it a very rare FIVE STAR rating.

• Full review here.

Don’t miss either of these shows at Underground Venues this year! Find out more and book tickets from the links below:

• The Truth Is I Can’t Stop Telling Lies
• Bane