Do you love comedy, theatre and music? Want to see shows for free and get involved in the Buxton Fringe? Well this might be your chance.

Underground has been the largest venue on the Buxton Fringe for 21 years, presenting 180+ performances of world-class entertainment each year. Including a dizzying array of talent headed up to the Edinburgh Fringe. Past acts have gone on to with the Edinburgh Comedy Award, appear on the West End and Radio 4 and even gone to Vegas.

Each year we build two theatres – one on Spring Gardens and one at Buxton Working Men’s Club – and look after over 75 different shows. And we’d love you to join our team.

We’re looking for volunteer ushers to look after audiences to our shows and ensure everyone’s experience is as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

This includes:

• Checking-in ticket holders
• Selling tickets ‘on the door’
• Showing people to their seats
• Liaising with technicians and other Front Of House staff
• Answering questions
• Putting out flyers and marketing material
• Checking the venue is tidy and ready for the audience
• Guiding the audience in the event of an emergency evacuation

The dates of the Fringe are 8-26 July and we have shows all-day every day. Induction for volunteer ushers will be on the afternoon of Monday 6 July.

Why be a volunteer usher? What’s in it for you?

• You get to see the show you’re ushering for free. We have world-class comedy, theatre, music, magic and drag on offer.
• For each show you usher, you’ll also be able see any one other show at Underground completely for free (out of our 188 performances).
• Be part of our amazing team of theatre-makers, technicians, marketing staff and Box Office team.
• Meet the performers and stars of the Fringe.
• Learn how a professional theatre works.

Interested? Just drop us a line at info@underthefringe.com We’ll give you all the details and answer any questions you might have before the Fringe 🙂

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We’re incredibly proud to announce our line-up for the 2026 Buxton Fringe (our 21st year in Buxton!)

We’re back at our two super-popular venues from last year – our pop-up shop theatre on Spring Gardens and our bigger space at the Working Men’s Club. 7-26 July 2026.

2026 sees our biggest programme in 7 years with no less than 187 performances of some 78 different shows. There’s everything from stand-up to theatre, drag, magic, kids’ shows, poetry, game-shows and folk music. So dive in and see what you can find at underthefringe.com/programme

Tickets start from £8 with discounts for over 65s, students and anyone who feels they will struggle to pay the full fee (Cost Of Living Discount). And if you see 5 different shows, your 6th show is completely free!

We look forward to welcoming you all back for another incredible Buxton Fringe.

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