Next Stage Theatre Festival Celebrates Successful 17th Edition

Toronto Fringe is celebrating the success of the 17th Annual Next Stage Theatre Festival which took place October 16-27, 2024 in both the Chamber and Cabaret at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. The Next Stage Theatre Festival hosted six compelling shows from Toronto, Edmonton, and Halifax including solo shows, musicals, and dramatic theatre, plus a historic screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Approximately $27,400 will be returned to the presenting artists. 

In addition to this exceptional programming, Toronto Fringe raised over $29,000, nearly 60% of the way through the matching campaign where the Ray Ferris Springboard Fund will match up to $50,000 of every dollar donated. The Toronto Fringe is grateful for this support and will be accepting donations to this campaign throughout the rest of 2024. 

Next Stage Theatre Festival is the Toronto Fringe's boutique, curated performance festival that allows for elevation and creative risk-taking. Over 2400 tickets were issued across six incredible shows that were poised and ready for their next stage, including the world premiere of This Feels Like the End, Canadian premiere of The Noose, the Toronto premiere of GEMINI, and the new musical I Was Unbecoming Then, and the triumphant returns of PRUDE and CIVILIZED.  

On October 27, Next Stage also hosted a sold-out screening of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, presented by The Disability Collective, with a waitlist of over 100 patrons. This screening was the first time in its 49-year history that The Rocky Horror Picture Show was presented with audio description and an all Deaf shadow cast. 

Next Stage also hosted community programming, parties, and professional development opportunities including the Indie Community Social, where independent theatre and arts workers met to discuss all the big questions, barriers, and joys of making theatre right now in Toronto, Canada, and the world in general. This was the fourth iteration of this type of event hosted by the Toronto Fringe and cultivated valuable conversations from the 30+ attendees. 

Now looking to the future, the Toronto Fringe's flagship theatre festival, the Toronto Fringe Festival returns for its 37th edition from July 2-13, 2025. Applications will open on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and successful applicants and waitlists will be drawn by lottery in early December 2024. 

Toronto Fringe is a grassroots, charitable organization that runs the Toronto Fringe Festival each July and the annual Next Stage Theatre Festival each October. Toronto Fringe offers various year-round programs that benefit youth, emerging artists, BIPOC artists, artists with disabilities, and the performing arts community at large. Embedded in Fringe's operations are the values of Access, Accountability, Creativity, Exploration, and Support.