FOR the first time in the Bermuda Festival's history, a "fringe" festival has been added to the line-up.

The festival, "Dahn De Hill to Daylesford", is a Bermuda colloquialism for "down the hill" from City Hall Theatre, where a majority of the Bermuda Festival performances are held, to Daylesford Theatre on Washington Street in Hamilton.

The description of "fringe" is used to describe alternative theatre, or entertainment not of the mainstream. Some equate it to New York's Off or Off-Off Broadway productions.

According to festival producers, they decided to add this concept to the schedule to allow for "a wider array of acts and later performance hours featuring informal poetry readings, stand-up comedy and jazz performances".

British comedian John Oliver (pictured), who is also a correspondent and writer for the American programme The Daily Show, will be joining Bermudian comedian Jonathon Young for two nights of laughs while musician Toni Bari and friends will delight audiences with the sounds of acoustic jazz. Two nights of poetry readings written and performed by Bermudians is also on the docket.

Tickets for the fringe festival, from January 21-30, go on sale on November 10 via www.bermudafestival.org.

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