This year Wac Arts is joining The Camden Fringe and will be hosting some wonderful shows, including a world premiere of a new play.
The Camden Fringe is a performing arts festival, established in 2006, which takes place in Camden during August. Previous fringe events have encompassed new writing, opera, musicals, stand-up, sketch comedy, dance, cabaret, poetry, opera, mentalism, improvisation and Q&As. Shows take place throughout the day and generally last one hour.
A really fabulous alternative to Edinburgh Fringe, the Camden festival gives you some gems from the odder end of the performance spectrum.
Evening Standard
Shows at wac ARTS
Furnace
Dates 8th – 9th August 2025
Times: 19:00
Duration: 60 mins
Price: £12.50 Concession: £10
Trigger Warning: Strong language, Use of tobacco & alcohol, Loud noises, & Portrayals of violence
Suitable for ages: 15 and over
World Premiere
“I didn’t want you walking into this. I wanted it to be …. a bit more like it … you know.”
‘Furnace’ is the new play from burgeoning British theatre company Blackthorn Theatre. The embers of a suburban love triangle are stoked by the ever-changing expectations of modern life in this one act, 3 hander.
Work-shy house husband Daniel, driven social climber Emily and oblivious, wine loving C.E.O Stephen all must find some common good. As secret lives, marred by dirty secrets, reach a collective boiling point.
Blackthorn’s first play ‘Heretic/Gallows’ found success at the fringe in 2023, with the company producing ‘Betsy Bares All’ last year. Blackthorn is thrilled to present another exiting offering from Co-Artistic Directors Betsy Chadwick Jones and Tom Levermore.
Heat rises and tempers fray as we delve into the question of “Are you happy with your lot, or is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?”
Written and Directed by Tom Levermore
Produced by Blackthorn Theatre Company
The Blind
Dates 14th -17th August 2025
Times: 19:00 (17:00 on Sunday 17th August)
Duration: 50 mins
Price: £14
Suitable for ages: 12 and over
Former childhood classmates Jason and Jeni are about to unearth some truth bombs buried deep in the past and long forgotten.
Blind /blīnd/ n. A projectile not fired in anger which failed to explode when employed but may still pose a risk of future detonation.
A metadrama referencing the 1997 hit-and-run murder of 19-year-old artist and punk musician Brian Deneke in Amarillo, Texas (often called “Bomb City” due to the nearby Pantex Plant, the center for the disassembly and reassembly of nuclear weapons in the U.S.)
Compelled by her concerns about a recent surge in hate crimes and the indifference she witnesses in her own community, Jeni returns to her hometown to visit a former classmate more than 25 years after the murder of his brother. Her intent: to seek his blessing to write a play about the events that culminated in his brother’s tragic death and the subsequent trial that upheld the power of privilege. But as the evening unfolds and as stories, music, and challenging perspectives are exchanged between them, the clear lines of liability begin to blur around a new allegation.
An artistic expression of cultural reparations and an experiment in strategic storytelling, the show exposes the crime of societal indifference and asks us to examine how “good” people unwittingly facilitate hate.
Now undergoing full-length development, The Blind is produced with thanks to Jason Crespin and the historic Amarillo Little Theatre, and to Jason Deneke and the Deneke Family.
Important Notice
Wac Arts is hosting these performances exclusively as a venue and has not participated in the development or creative content of the shows. All ticketing is handled through the Camden Fringe website. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the performances or ticketing, please contact them directly via their website for assistance.
