Buxton Fringe Weekly

Off Script: Could Your Village Make a Film?

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT

You’ve heard the expression ‘it takes a village’ but did you ever think to apply it to filmmaking?

Edale did! The villagers pitched in over four years to make an amazing new feature film Stone of Stone, and after a weekend of screenings at Buxton Fringe, it’s continuing on a summer tour.

In this extended chat from Director Al Boyd, we learn how the people of Edale came together to turn this half-forgotten script into a feature film, wrangled equipment and skills from any possible connection, and we hear some previously unheard details about the frantic race to finish the film!

If you missed Stone of Stone at Buxton Fringe, you still have a chance to catch it this summer. Find all dates and locations, as well as the trailer here.

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Off Script: Would a Portaloo Inspire You?

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Skye Lilly finds either beauty or comedy in all areas of life. We touched on portaloos and trees in the portion of our chat that you heard in this week’s main episode, but this bonus episode gives you more more more!

We debate whether audiobooks count as reading, swap stories about strangers reading the same book, and learn how typewriters are forever linked to Buxton for Skye. Plus, we hear which 2025 Buxton Fringe show inspired Skye to pitch their own performance this year.

Find out more about Sky Lilly’s The FOMO Show via Buxton Fringe or book tickets via https://underthefringe.com/

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Week 3! Sixteen Pianos, Seven Languages, and Too Much to Do

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

It's the final few days of Buxton Fringe! If you've been meaning to squeeze in one more comedy show, walking tour, or last minute gig at the pub, this is your final call! We may be running out of time, but we’re definitely not running out of entertainment.

This week we're taking in an exhibition of chopped up pianos, travelling to Bangladesh, Ireland, and Ukraine, and tapping out some poetry-on-demand on a typewriter.

Plus, we've got all the practical bits you need to make the most of the final stretch, from free events to on-the-spot audience recommendations before the Fringe Awards bring the 47th fantastic year of Fringe to a close.

We'd love to hear from you if you’ve enjoyed Buxton Fringe Weekly. Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts if you found this useful, insightful, or entertaining.

Featured this week:

Piano Pieces : Dismantled and Displayed - Hugo Edwardes
Mistranslated! - Erica Jean
The Shakespeare Jukebox - Buxton Drama League
Flight: One Man's Journey - Pricking Thumbs Theatre Company
The Triple Bill - RoTo & the Three Wise Monkeys
Paywall - Neysa Killeen
The FOMO Show - Skye Lilly
Ukrainian Folk and Beyond - Iryna Muha

Plus:

Sip, Sit & Sketch
Buxton Flowerpot Trail
Inclusive Design & Art Expo
Fringe Awards

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe.

Find more information on the Fringe or book tickets here. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Off Script: Would You Ride a Rollercoaster Called Whoops?

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Edy Hurst doesn't just tel jokes, he builds entire worlds. This bonus episode picks up where we left off with the musical comedian, diving into the ‘theme’ part of ‘theme park’, and learning about how his ambitious and borderline ridiculous props come into existence. Along the way, we wander into Warhammer, formal gardens, excessively long show titles, and why taking a chance on something unexpected is one of the best things about the Fringe.

If you enjoyed meeting Edy in this week's episode of Buxton Fringe Weekly, here's our full conversation, as it happened.

Find out more about Edy Hurst’s Dream Park, and Pick Up Thy Bow And Swim! Oh Mighty King Of Ithaca via Buxton Fringe or book tickets via https://underthefringe.com/

Be part of the podcast! If you’ve seen a brilliant show, or found an unexpected gem, send us a voice note with your review and you could feature in a future episode! Visit speakpipe.com/BFW to record, or email buxtonfringeweekly@gmail.com

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Week 2! Theme Parks, Morris Dancers, and Childhood Memories

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

A week in, and Buxton Fringe is buzzing! The carnival drew the crowds on Saturday, and now punters left and right are wondering where next? for top tier entertainment. We have everything you need to know to make the most of what week 2 has to offer (and it's a lot!).

We're out and about across Buxton, weaving through Morris dancers and stray cats. We meet performers bringing ancient Greece, rural villages, and 127 one-liners to the Fringe, and we stop to chat with audience members fresh out of shows to hear what's been making them laugh, think and recommend.

🎙️ We'd love to hear from you, too. Seen a Fringe show? Send us a voice note with your review at buxtonfringeweekly@gmail.com or via speakpipe.com/BFW and you might feature in a future episode.

Featured this week:

Yorkshire Dad, Immigrant Mum and Gold Fashioned Jokes – Richard Pulsford
Grandma's Shop – Julie Flower
Day of Dance - Chapel-en-le-Frith Morris
Stone of Stone – Downfall Productions
Edy Hurst's Dream Park and Pick Up Thy Bow and Swim! Oh Mighty King of Ithaca – Edy Hurst
Momma's Got a Brand New Toy Kitchen – Bex Turner
Pump Room Cabaret

Plus:

Buxton Carnival recap
High Peak Pride Picnic
Fringe Saturday
Art in the Octagon

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe.

Find more information on the Fringe or book tickets here. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Off Script: Can You Make Theatre With Your Partner?

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Can you write, rehearse and perform a play with your partner... and still be speaking by the end of it?

In this bonus episode, we spend a little longer with Jon and Katie Rand, the writing and acting team behind How To Be The Perfect Couple. We talk about ideas that percolate for decades, how to keep a play tense and claustrophobic, marriage psychologist lingo, and hear the entire play's narrative in one super-speed sound.

If you enjoyed the conversation in this week's main episode, here's the full chat, just as it happened.

Find out more about How To Be The Perfect Couple via Buxton Fringe or book tickets via https://underthefringe.com/

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Week 1! A Viking, a Dominatrix, and a ‘Perfect’ Couple

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

…Walk into a bar? Well, anything can happen, it’s the Buxton Festival Fringe! The flyers are multiplying, the hours are zooming past, and if you're wondering where to begin, we've got you.

We're taking a whistle-stop tour through week one of Buxton Fringe. We go behind the scenes with the people who make it all happen, meet performers bringing everything from dark comedy to dominatrix drama, discover why tap dancing is as much about music as movement, and learn that the Norse Gods aren't quite how Marvel would have you believe.

Along the way, we chat to award-winning performers, celebrate the wonderfully unusual spaces that become Fringe venues each July, and slow down for a full conversation with Jon and Katie Rand, the creative duo behind How To Be The Perfect Couple.

🎙️ We'd love to hear from you, too. Seen a Fringe show? Send us a voice note with your review at buxtonfringeweekly@gmail.com or via speakpipe.com/BFW and you might feature in a future episode.

Shows featured this week:

Good Godders – Dom Hutchins
Life of Charles – Charles Lloyd
Unleashed – By The Bi Productions
What Are We Going To Do When This Is All Over? – Split Infinitive Theatre
How To Be The Perfect Couple – Randmade
Jazz Gig for Kids, and Jazz & Tap Dance Jam at Onnen – Sole Rebel
Valhalla Awaits: Viking Stories For Kids, and Thor's a Dick: Viking Legends Not for Kids – Sweet Productions/Stories Alive

Plus:

Behind the scenes with Buxton Festival Fringe
A look inside Underground Venues
Buxton Carnival, the Flowerpot Trail and Sip & Sketch

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe.

Find more information on the Fringe or book tickets here. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing: Buxton Fringe Weekly

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:31:49 GMT

If you’re the type to find yourself standing in Pavilion Gardens with a handful of flyers, ten minutes until the next show starts, and no idea what to see next…. This is the guide you need.

Buxton Fringe Weekly features conversations with comedians, actors, musicians, poets, and filmmakers, and includes reactions from audiences fresh out of shows and stories from the streets. Familiar favourites and first-timers alike join Maria each week to hype up their shows, spill some behind the scenes intel, and help you determine your Fringe plans.

Buxton Fringe Weekly is produced by Maria Passingham in collaboration with Buxton Festival Fringe. Find more information on the Fringe or book tickets here. All editorial content is the responsibility of the producer.

You can listen to more of Maria Passingham’s podcasts here.

Artwork by Maisie Mannering.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.