Why the Fringe Matters
- Septimus & Carmunist
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By Carmunist and Septimus
Wrapping up 2025’s Fringe Festival Run
When we sat down to decide on a final piece for this season, we kept coming back to why the Fringe matters so much to us.
Fringe Festivals are vital because they are unjuried. No one decides who belongs on stage except the artists themselves. That freedom is rare. It means people can follow their hearts, try something bold, or take a chance on a story no one has heard before. The only barriers are the courage to apply and the cost of a slot.
That’s why the Fringe is the best place for risk. It’s where ideas stretch their legs. Some soar. Some stumble. Both are necessary. Growth only comes through the attempt.
As audience members and reviewers, we have a role in this too. Art thrives on dialogue. When we write about a show, what struck us, what didn’t, we’re adding to that conversation. Honest critique helps artists grow and helps audiences connect.
And this is the magic: In two short weeks, you’ll see performances that move you to tears or laughter. Theatre so good that you could never have imagined it. You’ll also see shows that are messy, awkward, or hard to watch. Both experiences belong here. Together, they make the Fringe what it is.
For us, the Fringe is possibility. It’s art without filters. It’s a late-night show with six people in the audience (and yes, 9:00 p.m. is late in Victoria). It’s a trio of Phoenix graduates whose original concept blows the roof off.  It’s a reminder that theatre belongs to all of us—the artists who make it and the audiences who share in it. That’s why, every year, we go to as many shows as we can, and we will keep doing so as long as Intrepid Theatre continues its brilliant work in hosting this festival. We are forever grateful for this opportunity to explore this incredible, weird, important art. Hands up in gratitude to Intrepid’s team, this and every year’s volunteers, funders, and of course to all the artists who showed up and shared their courage and hearts with us.
Chi-miigwech and see you all at next year’s Fringe!
The Victoria Fringe Festival, presented by Intrepid Theatre since 1986, has become a cornerstone of the city’s arts scene, known for its unjuried, anything-goes approach to performance. For Carmunist and Septimus, Fringe is the highlight of the year. We’ve been involved as volunteers for more than a decade, and more recently, we’ve opened our home to performers as billets. Reviewing Fringe shows is something we’ve talked about for some time, and now we’re putting our experience as fiction editors and theatre stans to work, offering our thoughts and workshop notes for as many performances as we can attend.