VCR Fest

Overview

The 2020 edition of Melbourne Fringe is pencilled in for November, but in the meantime, organisers are serving up a little taster of things to come, by way of new digital arts celebration called Virtual Common Rooms (VCR) Festival. It's a smorgasbord of performance, music and conversation, mostly live-streamed out of Fringe HQ at Trades Hall's Common Rooms, from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2.

Beamed to screens across the weekend will be an inclusive, diverse program of works from some much-loved local artists, complete with pay-what-you-can pricing.

Comedy darling Zoë Coombs Marr will unleash her latest show, Born Slippy, delivering a wild mix of lecture, laughs and live musings. Then, you can sink your teeth into Biladurang 2.0 — a new solo play from First Nations artist Joel Bray, streamed live from a Melbourne hotel.

Those in the mood for some tunes can catch a virtual music theatre sing-along with Marie's Crisis, played live from New York, or shed a few uninhibited tears with a high-voltage set from noise-pop favourites Cry Club. And a special edition of dance party series Mr McClelland's Finishing School promises to transform your living room into a sweaty indie-pop rave.

Cry Club by Giulia McGauran

Elsewhere in the lineup you'll find comedy, cabaret, and a series of arts-focused chats and discussions, including a panel hosted by artist and activist Carly Findlay on the future of access in the arts space.

VCR Fest will feature an interactive digital foyer where you can mingle with artists and other audience members between shows. You'll need to register online in advance for performances, but tickets are purchased via a pay-what-you-can format, after each act.

Biladurang 2.0 image: Pippa Samaya