This weekend the Faversham Fringe starts in Kent, with performances every Friday to Sunday this October. Taking place across three venues in the town, it is one of the arts festivals that takes place in the county during the Autumn season, celebrating new writing and providing a platform for local creatives. Organised by Festival Director Ribs Norman and a group of volunteers, it is also incredibly accessible thanks to low ticket prices (as low as £5.00 plus a booking fee) and arts fans can watch lots of performances for the cost of a London ticket.
I recently had the opportunity to speak to Ribs about her work running the Faversham Fringe and also find out more about the creative’s own show ‘Mumorial’ which will be debuting on the last weekend of the festival. The one person piece is deeply personal, looking at Ribs’ experience grieving her mother and is a fusion of comedy and storytelling. The comedian and playwright has had quite the journey with both the festival and her new piece of writing, so it was wonderful to hear about Ribs’ experiences planning the event and writing her own play.
As Festival Director of the Faversham Fringe, what can you tell me about your journey with “Kent’s friendliest fringe festival”?
Faversham Fringe began as a wild idea between two friends over a few beers. Back then, it was called HopFestFringe and ran alongside the Faversham Hop Festival. By the third year, we moved the festival to the week before Hop Festival, and by the fourth year, I had taken over as Fringe Director, running it solo. After skipping a year due to the pandemic, we returned with a scaled-down version in July 2021. In 2022, the festival returned for a full week, but in October. Last year, I experimented with weekends-only for the whole month, and it worked well — so that’s the plan going forward!
What do audiences have to look forward to at this year’s festival?
So much is happening this year! We have 80 shows spread across three venues in the town centre, featuring almost every genre you can imagine—cabaret, comedy, drama, drag, hypnosis, magic, mentalism, panto, and poetry. I’m especially thrilled to see so many acts returning — must be a sign I’m doing something right!
You are presenting your own show, ‘Mumorial’, on Saturday 26th October. It “reflects your 22-year struggle to choose the perfect memorial for your late mother”, how did you go about writing such a personal show?
It’s been a long time in the making — both finding the perfect way to honour her and actually writing the show. I had the idea before the pandemic, but my perfectionism kept me from finishing it. This year, though, I set a deadline for myself and wrote the show in different cafés while my son was taking his GCSE exams. He passed them all, and I finally had a script!
Your late mother Sylvia Norman was a “beloved teacher and long-time Faversham resident”. How do you hope to honour her in your work?
My mum was filled with joy and a love for life, and I hope I’ve captured that essence in my work. I’m quietly confident that the show as a whole, especially the finale, is something she would appreciate. My goal is to share a little of her boundless joy with the audience.
With a Master’s degree in Funerary Archaeology, you bring an informed perspective to a show about remembering loved ones. To what extent have you drawn on your studies when writing the material?
I knew it would come useful one day – and not just as a way to get dinner guests to leave when they’ve overstayed their welcome! But that’s not to say I haven’t learned more while writing the show. I could probably do quite well on Mastermind now!
As a comedian and writer, how have you approached combining comedy elements with heartfelt storytelling?
I initially set out to write the show as a stand-up hour, but I quickly realised it needed a different approach to bring in the depth I was looking for. By turning it into a one-woman show, I’ve been able to use theatrical techniques to move the story forward. That said, I don’t think I’m capable of writing something entirely serious — jokes always find their way in — so there’s plenty of humour throughout, along with a good dose of clowning.
What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
The importance of finding the glimmers of joy in life.
Watching Mumorial at Faversham Fringe
It was wonderful to hear more about the festival from Ribs. You can catch the comedian and playwright in action with ‘Mumorial’ at the Arden Theatre on Saturday 26th October at 5:30pm, with tickets available via the festival website. I wish Ribs and the team all the best with this year’s fringe.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
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