Intrepid Theatre

• On average, Fringe-goers attend only four of 50 shows on offer (in a regular year).
• People scan show descriptions rather than read the whole guide, maybe circling a dozen or so to check out, and they will make a judgment based on your opening few words.
• The show description should prepare the audience for what they are going to see – i.e. if you’re doing something experimental, if it’s a family show, if there’s lots of audience participation, etc.

• Think of listings in a newspaper movie section or TV guide, how they describe a feature film in just a few words.
• If your show has a clear appeal to a segment of our audience (e.g. murder mystery, political play, family show, live music, 2SLGBTQIA+ issues, seniors’ issues), use this to your advantage and aim your description at your target audience.
• If you have a website, include the URL. We will link directly to it from your show description on the website and include it in the print guide.
• Share your description with others before you send it in, and get feedback. What might seem obvious to you from the inside can be vague or confusing to a reader.
• Read it out loud – does it hook you right at the start?
• Include a review quote if you have one, but don’t sacrifice your entire 50 words to reviews unless you’re already well-known here. If you don’t have any reviews yet, don’t worry, and don’t review yourself (“If you see one show in your life, this is it!”;) This kind of hyperbole usually backfires. Likewise for phony reviews from your mom, roommate, or ex. It might seem funny to you now, but when you see it in print, perhaps less so.

From Haley McGee, Canadian solo artist.

• Use this handy all in one guide for writing kick ass show promotional blurbs: Haley’s recipe for the perfect blurb.
• (Haley has a suite of great materials on self-producing and pitching your work. Check out her website.)

–

From John Threlfall, longtime Fringe-goer, reviewer, and former editor of Monday Magazine.

• Primary plan: generate buzz & word of mouth
• good (useable) photo & accurate description: build on recognition factor (program, poster, flyer, media, costuming while flyering)
• don’t use confusing show descriptors: “devised physical theatre”
• don’t repeat info already on page (title, creators, category of show)—use word count effectively
• don’t use all caps in write-up
• sell the idea, if not the actual show
• ask questions of the audience that help sell the show (“Do you like pina coladas & getting caught in a Fringe lineup?”)
• only use comparisons if true (eg: TJ Dawe, Spalding Gray)
• consider using hashtag in description
• accurate running time essential for multi-show planning
• mention affiliations (SATCo, UVic, CCPA, AV)—people like supporting their groups
• no reviews? Mentions connections (other shows, local “names”)
• use audience keywords: queer, alt, non-binary, middle-age, retired, Jewish, recovering Catholic
• don’t assume all Fringe audiences are young hipsters

–

From Victoria Simpson of Vino Buono, local Victoria Fringe company:

• Let your blurb and graphic tell the story of your show. Ask your director and designer to give you some adjectives and colours that capture the soul of the show, and use those as inspiration.
• Have a catchy company or show slogan that you include in the show description, to build brand recognition for your show

Here’s a good show description from Californian comedian and improviser DK Reinemer.

Help! I’m an American! – A brand new sketch show from Los Angeles comedian DK Reinemer, who is returning to the Fringe circuit with this high-energy, only-slightly political solo show about love, the sinking of the Titanic and the Canadian dream. Winner – 2017 Montreal Spirit of the Fringe Award. ‘Laugh hard and laugh harder…’ – Cult Montreal ‘Reindeer is a talented guy’ – Orlando Sentinel http://www.dkreinemer.com

That’s a good balance of information and credentials that tells the audience a lot about what the experience will be like. Here’s another kind of show description – for The Power of Ignorance by Chris Gibbs – that uses the show’s own “voice” to convey information about both the format and comedy style of the show:

If you don’t know who you are, you can be anyone you want. Join Vaguen, master of ignorance and motivational speaker ordinaire, and learn how to stop thinking and start living! “One of the funniest shows I’ve seen in years. Cleverly written and beautifully performed, The Power of Ignorance is satirical comedy at its finest.” 5 Stars – Times Colonist.

If you’d like to look at more examples of show descriptions, a past archived Fringe 2017 Program WEB. Which descriptions “work” to make you want to see the show? Note, the program will look a little different for this year, but it gives you an idea.

Two version of an image are required:

• Square image (2 inches x 2 inches or 600 x 600 pixels minimum). This is for the Fringe guide and website.
• Landscape image (1008 pixels wide x 756 pixels tall). This is for you ticket page.

These are additional requirements for BOTH images:

• 300 dpi
• RGB mode – Full Colour
• TIF, PNG or best-quality JPEG format
• NO text (image only)
• There will be a space when you submit to include the alt text for your image. See the Online Accessibility For Marketing Tutorial on this page for details.

If this is all greek to you, go to your local copy, photo or computer rental place and they will be able to help you.

This is the main graphic that’s going to represent your show, so think about what you want people to see when they’re deciding whether or not to check your show out. It can be:

• Your best promotional photo
• Another photographic image that is representative of your show, that you have the rights to use.
• A logo or illustration

Contact Emmett if you have any questions about your image!

Have a look at a previous year’s guide, for some examples of each type of program image. It will give you a sense of what works and what doesn’t. Note, the program guide/schedule will be smaller and look different this year. 

Have a look at the calendar on the Intrepid Theatre website to see how the images for shows display there, this is how the Fringe listings will display. If you click through to an event, you’ll see that the square image displays larger on the actual show page.