2025 marks Underground’s 20th year as a venue on the Buxton Fringe – and we’re celebrating with a new venue and our biggest programme in 10 years.

We’re looking for Front of House / Box Office volunteers to help us deliver a fantastic programme of 185 different performances. If you’d like to join us this year, just send an email to info@underthefringe.com

What does it involve?

• Selling tickets to audiences
• Checking people in on the door
• Helping people find their seats
• Helping with evacuation in event of emergency
• Options to get involved with marketing, events, stage management if desired
• No prior experience necessary – but experience of customer service, ticketing systems or theatre is desired

How does it work?

• Flexible hours / days between 9-27 July – commit as much or as little as you can
• Free tickets available to all shows in our entire programme – 185 performances of 75 different shows – both when you are working
• Be part of a team of creatives, producers, actors, technicians, volunteers and performers

Initial training will take place Wednesday 9 July.

To express your interest, send an email to info@underthefringe.com For questions and other information email Tom Crawshaw at tom@underthefringe.com

Work with us – Front of House manager

We’re also looking for a friendly and professional Front of House manager to join our team this July.

The role will involve coordinating our Front of House offer at both our venues – Underground at Spring Gardens and Underground at the Working Men’s Club. We’re hosting 180 performances of 75 different shows and events, which we expect to be seen by about 5,000 audience members.

The Front of House manager will coordinate a team of volunteers and other staff, manage the customer experience and bar spaces, providing a smooth and professional experience for all our audiences. You’ll oversee customers buying tickets and getting seated, handle any issues, and ensure all 180 performances start on time. You’ll also be responsible for the health and safety of customers, any access requirements, and ensuring all our public spaces are welcoming and an enjoyable place to be.

Role requirements:

• Experience of working in a theatre setting
• Experience of customer service
• The ability to manage a team
• The ability to handle customers and performers requests confidently, politely and professionally
• The ability to manage opening up and closing the buildings, to handle large numbers of people and health and safety considerations
• The ability to work in a busy environment and handle competing demands
• (Ideal but not desired:) Experience of Fringe theatre
• (Ideal but not desired:) First Aid training

Dates:

• 5-28 July 2025 in Buxton, Derbyshire – including the ‘get-in’ and ‘get-out’ and all dates of the Fringe
• Hours may vary each day

What we provide:

• Self-employed contract – £1,200-£1,400 (depending on experience)
• Accommodation in Buxton if needed
• All travel costs

To express your interest, please send a CV and brief email to info@underthefringe.com

For questions and other information email Tom Crawshaw at tom@underthefringe.com

This July sees an exciting new direction for The Springs in Buxton, as the 39-year-old indoor shopping centre plays host to live comedy and theatre shows for the first time.

Following 18 years of running theatre spaces in Buxton, and with the support of High Peak Borough Council, Underground Venues will be taking over an empty unit in Buxton’s popular retail district, as part of the 2024 Buxton Festival Fringe.

The award-winning venue group will be converting a former shop into a temporary theatre, showing the finest UK touring stand-up, sketch comedy, theatre, poetry, bands, family shows, physical theatre and more – from noon til midnight every day from 3-21 July.

It’s a new adventure for the venue, which was founded in 2006 by two Buxton teenagers, as well as for the Buxton Festival Fringe and Buxton’s Springs shopping centre. The project will see live performance return to Spring Gardens for the first time since Buxton first ever theatre closed there in 1829.

“Having grown up in Buxton, Springs Gardens and the ‘precinct’ have always been a hugely important centre of Buxton life,” said venue manager Tom Crawshaw, “but The Springs can be about so much more than just shops. We incredibly excited to see the possibilities of a Fringe theatre venue in the centre of it all, and can’t wait to share it with the people of Buxton.”

The line-up of shows is still being programmed and will be announced on 1 May. There is still time for anyone wishing to stage a show to apply to be part of it, with the deadline to enter the Buxton Fringe on 14 April. Potential performers can sign-up at underthefringe.com

Chair of the Buxton Festival Fringe, Stephen Walker said “Underground have been a cornerstone of Buxton Fringe for nearly 20 years and we are delighted that they are returning once more. They have provided opportunities for so many young people in Buxton to take their first steps in a career in the arts both on and off stage and have brought a wide range of acts to the town that wouldn’t have otherwise reached these parts such as Henning Wehn, Isy Suttie, Piff The Magic Dragon, Rob Rouse and Maisie Adam.”

“Underground have worked tirelessly to identify a new venue in which to create their unique theatre spaces, and we look forward to seeing who they introduce to Buxton audiences this year.”

Councillor Anthony McKeown, Leader of High Peak Borough Council said “This exciting opportunity to use space in The Springs as part of the Buxton Festival Fringe with Underground Venues will provide festival goers with a unique experience. Buxton Festival Fringe provides residents and visitors with a showcase of performances from artists of all kinds, and I can’t wait to see the transformation.”

From Monday 19th July, the government is removing many of the laws around Covid-19 protection, including the legal requirement to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

However, cases of Covid-19 are high and many of our staff, performers and audience members are not fully-vaccinated. To ensure the safety of all, we will be maintaining our current Covid-safety operations until the end of the Fringe.

• Please continue to wear a mask in the venue, including throughout the performance, unless you are exempt.
• Please maintain social distancing and try and keep space from those not in your own group.
• Please sanitise your hands on entry.

One positive change is you can now buy drinks direct from the bar, without using the pub’s app.

If you would like to sit in a larger group than you booked in, including a group of more than six, just let us know at info@underthefringe.uk

We know all the rules aren’t fun, but we think it’s worth it. And we thank all our wonderful audiences for your continued support, as we bring live art – safely – back to Buxton.

To celebrate the Buxton Fringe’s 40th anniversary, we’re having a Bonanza Ticket Sale this weekend!

From 6pm on Friday 28 June until midnight on Sunday 30 June* all tickets booked through underthefringe.com will be 10% off. There’s 70 great shows at Underground this year to choose from and, as an added incentive, buy for two or more different shows at the same time and get 20% off the final total.

This deal applies even if you’re buying concessionary tickets for over-65s/students/Fringe Friends etc. And you can book for as many shows as you like, as many times as you like during the weekend.

All you need is the discount code “BONANZA”. Just enter this during the booking process, when asked for a discount code.

There’s never been a better reason to book your tickets for the Buxton Fringe! We’ve an incredible selection of top-quality comedy, theatre, music and kids shows from all across the UK, running at our two spaces, 3-24 July. And now you can see all the shows you want without breaking the bank.

So have a browse and get booking now (or from 6pm Friday!) at underthefringe.com

And we look forward to seeing you at the Fringe!

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*Update: if you’re on our mailing list you have a later expiry date, as specified in the email you’re about to receive.

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Tickets are now on sale for all 70 productions and 200+ performances at Underground this July.

Just head to underthefringe.com/book to get started. And remember – no booking fees, transaction fees or card fees on any sales. And no need to sign up / make an account etc. – it’s super quick.

And – new for 2019 – we have a Previews season. For the first three days, until Friday evening, all shows at our two venues are only £5 for everyone. These are expected to sell well, so grab your tickets now!

Fringe venue group Underground have announced their line-up for the 2019 Buxton Fringe – the UK’s third largest Fringe Festival, which celebrates its 40^th anniversary this July.

The largest venue on the Buxton Fringe, Underground’s 14th programme is their longest ever, running 2 – 24 July, and aims to bring as many new people into the arts as possible. Additional dates extend into the school holidays, to allow for an increased offering of Children’s and Family shows, and a new Previews season at the start of the Fringe sees £5 tickets available for all shows in the first three days.

With 70 productions and 206 performances across two spaces, it’s the most concentrated collection of professional theatre, comedy and music currently in the North West.

Highlights of Underground’s 2019 programme include:

• Brand-new work from acclaimed comedy stars:
     – Alfie Moore – fresh from the 4th series of his Radio 4 show Alfie Moore It’s A Fair Cop.
     – Tom Parry – star of Pappy’s (BBC 3, Radio 4) and three-times-nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award.
  – Maisie Adam – winner of Amused Moose National New Comic, 2018
  – Alastair Beckett-King – winner of Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year, 2017.
• White Light White Peak (Springing & Falling): a poetic and visual journey through the stunning Peak District landscape by Simon Corble – writer of the West End smash-hit The 39 Steps.
• Funny In Real Life: a new comic play from real-life husband and wife team – Rob Rouse (Upstart Crow, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, The Friday Night Project) and Helen Rutter (Best Actress, Buxton Fringe).
• New media collective Despite The Monkey, in association with Liverpool Everyman Playhouse, present two shows which fuse innovative 3D sound (via headphones), original music and storytelling: Debris (by Dennis Kelly) and Autopsy.
• The premiere of a new show by Moscow-based satirist Oleg Denisov, one of the only Russian stand-up comedians working professionally on the UK circuit, prior to its European tour.
• Fantastic high-quality productions specially for children, including:
  – Hey Diddle Diddle – a hugely inventive retelling of the classic nursery rhyme for ages 2 and up, from acclaimed company Goblin.
  – The Red Balloon – a charming staging of the classic 1956 film, from the award-winning Lucky Dog Theatre, perfect for ages 4-10.
  – Stop Not Being Silly – a high-impact, super-silly circus show suitable for the whole family and all ages.

Performances all take place 2 – 24 July, at Underground’s two spaces: Underground at the Clubhouse and Underground at the Arts Centre Studio.

Full programme and tickets available from underthefringe.com

We’re growing hair, getting up late, and shouting at our elders (The Pleasance, aged 33, is so old)… it can only mean one thing – Underground has become a teenager.

Our venue-group was founded in 2005 (anyone remember Tony Blair?) so this year’s Buxton Fringe (3-22 July) will be our 13th year of operation. We’re already feeling uncontrollably emotional and can’t wait to defy our cultural partners (The Festival isn’t our real dad anyway!!) by programming the most exciting, daring, cutting-edge line-up of events the North West has ever seen.

Want to be a part of it? Click here to register interest in our 2018 season, and we’ll be in touch when application open shortly.

We’re proud to announce our programme has gone live for Underground’s 12th season on the Buxton Fringe.

You can now browse our entire programme online from www.underthefringe.com/programme and buy tickets online through our super-fast, custom-built ticketing system. What’s even better – there are absolutely no booking fees, card fees or transaction fees for any sales!

Tickets start from £7 (£5 for students). Why not take a look now…

Here are a few stats:

• 68 different shows and events from the world’s of theatre,  comedy and music.
• 155 performances, crammed into just 19 days.
• 24 different stand-up comedians
• 8 different countries represented
• 7 history-themed shows
• 14 shows involving music
• 2 performers called Darren
• 3 returning sell-out shows from 2016
• 5 shows with numbers in the title (specifically: 1, 5, 10, 30, and “soixante” (60))
• 2 performers impersonating teachers
• 4 shows about murder
• 88 metres (or 900 tickets laid end-to-end) between our two venues

UPDATE: Our original offer to encourage people to vote seems to have bothered some people, and we’ve some mildly alarming suggestions that we could get in trouble for doing so. Unfortunately our legal team can’t advise us because we’re a tiny arts business and they don’t exist.
So we’ve unconditionally withdrawn our original offer in its entirety, but replaced it with an entirely different completely unconnected deal. Instead, you can get free tickets if you go near a polling station. Because it’s a totally different offer, we’ve also upped the age bracket to anyone under 30. Updated text highlighted below.

In a few days, the country will go to the polling stations again. If you include the Scottish referendum, this will be the sixth national vote in seven years. And this one arguably offers the biggest difference in ideals than any general election in decades.

At the last election, 77% of over 55s turned up to vote, vs less than 43% of under 25s. Some people think that’s a good thing, that elderly voters have wisdom and experience and know what’s best. We think that’s rubbish. We were only 18 when we set this venue up.

So we very much encourage you to vote.

Anyway, now for something completely unrelated to the previous two paragraphs.

As a purely cynical marketing exercise designed to appeal to young people who probably like twitter and things like that, we’re offering free tickets to any show for anyone under 30 who can prove they stood outside a polling station on polling day – one each week of the fringe. No restrictions, no exclusions, and it doesn’t matter who you vote for. Or if you voted at all. Tweet/email a selfie at the polling station* and you’ll be added to a list, and as long as there’s space you can come into any show for free. And you can have everything after that at half price.

We’ve got some world-class stand-ups to choose from, as well as impro, sketch and musical comedy, and an unparalleled programme of thrilling theatre. For just three weeks each year, a cacophony of international talent flies** into Buxton, so take a look at who’s coming to town.

The more engaged young people are, the stronger our voices are. By definition, elected officials have to pay attention to the groups who might actually vote for or against them. So just by turning up, we make sure politicians listen to the whole electorate, whatever the result, now and in the future. And the younger we get engaged, the better we can hope for the future.

We challenge other local and national businesses to do the same thing. And also separately to encourage young people to vote (but obviously don’t offer them any extra incentives because that might not be legal). Democracy is strongest when turnout is high, and the earlier people engage, the better informed the electorate becomes.

We shouldn’t leave it to someone else’s voting habits to decide our lives, and for once young people have the power to determine the election. The High Peak is one seat that could go either way, so whoever you think about when you stand near a polling station, get out and do it.

 

*A picture outside is best, there are various rules on photos inside.
**I mean, arrives on the slow train from a connection at Stockport.

 

HOW IT WORKS / TERMS etc

To be fair to our artists, we can only offer freebies to shows that aren’t selling out, so you can only claim on the day, and in some cases you might have to wait until just before. But we can normally squeeze extra people into most shows. You can have one free ticket each week, between the 5th and 23rd July. No rollovers unfortunately, and the week restarts on a Monday.

To prove you stood near a polling station on polling day, you should send us a selfie at the polling station, on polling day. The rules around photography in voting booths are complicated, so even if you happen to vote while you’re there, a picture outside is best. Obviously make sure you’re in it, and it’s at our discretion whether we’re convinced by your photo. (You don’t actually have to be standing).

You can genuinely have the offer whether you voted or not, even if you’re not on the electoral roll.

Also, ‘half price’ tickets means you’ll pay what our performers pay, which is roughly half price but varies a little show to show.

Job advert:

Underground Venues is the leading venue-group on the Buxton Fringe, hosting 68 shows and events in two theatre spaces. We operate for three weeks every July, bringing together an exciting mix of artists, producers, audiences and festival volunteers.

This year our venue operates 29 June – 25 July July (including get-in and get-out).

The Buxton Fringe is the 3rd largest Fringe in the UK and our programme of work this year includes a fantastic range of top-class touring theatre, award-winning stand-up comedy and Edinburgh Fringe previews.

We are looking for a theatre technician join our existing team for the three weeks and manage one of our studio spaces. The post involved rigging and plotting lights, helping acts with tech rehearsals, managing changeovers between shows, familiarising companies with the technical equipment and sometimes operating shows. You’ll meet and work with a huge variety of national and international touring companies.

We cover all accommodation and transport costs, with a fee/expenses negotiable dependent on experience. Our technicians also have the opportunity to see a wide range of Fringe shows for free and the post is a great opportunity to meet artists and others working at the venue.

Some experience or training of working as a theatre technician is essential. Experience working in a Fringe or festival context is desirable. The post is open to all but may well be suited to a student or recent graduate looking to further their experience working with professional companies.

Dates in Buxton are 29 June til 25 July (though there is some flexibility on this if necessary). All accommodation and transport to/from Buxton is covered.

To apply, please send your CV and expression of interest (or any questions) to jobs@underthefringe.com