Do you like a good thriller? Can dinosaurs be rehabilitated? Will the Singing Psychic predict your future? They are just a few of the theatre adventures you can go on at the 2025 Saskatoon Fringe Festival.

Festival manager Philippa Williams says there’s something for everyone at this year’s Fringe. (Photo Provided)

“The Fringe is an international phenomenon,” says festival manager Philippa Williams. “It’s everything wild and wonderful about artists all in one place ready to explore. Fringe is the heart of the theatre world.”

“We want to give people of all ages a moment of imagination and wonder.”

Lisa Krol and Jordan Rooks team up for A Spoonful of Magic. (Photo Provided)

Drama and comedy, magic and puppets; this year’s festival features 23 productions to choose from with something for everyone. The artists come from all over the world and for 10 days Saskatoon becomes a theatre mecca. Shows will take the stage at The Refinery, The Cosmo, and The Broadway Theatre. Saskatoon’s Lisa Krol is excited to team up with Las Vegas magician Jordan Rooks for A Spoonful of Magic, her Fringe debut.

“We’re putting a spin on a traditional magic show by weaving tricks with a story about Mary Poppins returning to set an adult Michael Banks on the right path,” says Krol. “We want to give people of all ages a moment of imagination and wonder.”

The Family Crow is a murder mystery and puppet show all in one. (Dahlia Katz)

“The Fringe loves the weird,” says Toronto artist Adam Proulx about his The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery. “The audience comes to play and this silly murder mystery puppet show really gets the crowd excited.”

“Nothing happens without everybody giving their all.”

New this year is BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue) where the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan outdoor community stage will welcome two Bard-inspired shows.Along with the shows, visitors can explore the festival grounds in W.E. Graham Park and along 11th Street. There will be busking performances, an artisan market, carnival games and artist workshops at the Collaboration Station. It’s fun for the whole family. The Fringe Garden is back to tempt you with a new brew, Rehearsal Draft, by High Key Brewing and there are many food vendors on site.

“We throw the term around a lot but community really is everything to us,” says Williams. “Our performers, our audience, our vendors, and our staff; nothing happens without everybody giving their all. That’s what makes the Fringe great.”

Street performers wowing the crowd at the 2024 Saskatoon Fringe Festival. (Nicole Stevenson Photography)

This year’s festival is also celebrating the neighbourhood as part of Broadway Days Aug. 2 – 4 and the fun will spread out along Broadway Ave. Ground Yoga is back on site that weekend for Fringe Yoga. Take a stroll down the Meewasin Trail with your camera for the Thelma Pepper Art Walk (Aug. 2), lace up for the Fringe Fun Run (Aug. 3), and share memories of wildlife artist Joan Pain as her family opens her home on Lansdowne Ave. to display her paintings during the festival. The fun doesn’t end on the 9th as 25th Street Theatre hosts the Fringe Encore performance of Dynamite Lunchbox’s award-winning Cabaret of Legends Aug.10th. The show is a musical celebration of black women who shaped the music industry. The event is a fundraiser for both the artists and 25th Street Theatre.

“Every year we work hard to improve the festival and create new opportunities,” says Williams. “The support of the audience, our sponsors, and the entire community means our artists thrive.”