Sharron Matthews WORLD DOMINATION hits Edinburgh Fringe

SharRon Matthews is getting ready to take over the world CABARET STYLE! Well-known in Canada as one of the country's greatest Cabaret artists, Sharron has been wowing Toronto audiences with her unique Cabaret evenings and amazing vocal styling for years, and now she is getting ready to take her show on the road with her World Domination Tour.

When Sharron decided that she wanted to take her show on the road, she applied for multiple government grants only to get denied funding because her show was deemed too commercial and too "cabaret." Instead of giving up, she has decided to try and do it on her own, which is why she needs help raising money! The best thing about the fundraising events is that they promise to be a fun and exciting night out for everyone involved!

Since then, she debuted her show at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto and took it to NYC to play the infamous Joe's Pub.  Next stop is the biggest Fringe Festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. 

Sharron took a minute to talk with BWW about what the journey has been like for her and what she plans on doing while on the other side of the pond:

Since embarking on "World Domination" you have played shows in Toronto and the infamous Joe's Pub in NYC ... and now you are at the biggest Fringe Festival in the world in Edinburgh, Scotland. What has been the best part of the journey so far for you?

Oh my lord! There is so much...it is hard to pick just one moment...so, I am not...forgive me! Here are my fave moments and thoughts so far as fast as I can explain them:

1. Back in April at my fundraiser for this tour when the Head of Internal Medicine at one of Toronto's biggest hospitals, who I had never met, bought the last song of the night for $500.00. Bohemian Rhapsody.

2. The moment I stepped onstage at Joe's Pub in New York for the first time, heard the piano begin to play, and realized that I was calm and in the moment enough to really enjoy it.

3. The next moment when I saw all of my dear Toronto people who had made it down to NY for my debut, and they were smiling like they had a secret

4. But the very best part has been really acknowledging for myself all of the support, monetary, emotional and physical, that I have received from the community in Toronto. I asked for their help and they gave it.

Is this your first time in Scotland?

It is my second time in Scotland, My mother in law brought me here for my 40th birthday and she took me, and my husband, to all of her childhood places of remembrance. We went everywhere...the highlands, the lowlands, the islands. I felt like I saw a great deal of this country when I was here...and I think it is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. Which I said over and over again, much to the chagrin of my family.

What was the first thing you did when you got to Edinburgh?

HUH! Derrick, my co producer, and I dropped off our bags at our flat, strapped on our walking shoes and went to the heart of the festival, the Royal Mile. The Mile is a street that stretches up to the gothic, rocky, and unbelievable Edinburgh Castle and then winds slowly down to Holyrood Palace. It is quite amazing. And the Mile, during the Fringe, is the place where buskers, flyer passer-outers, artist, theatre-goers and tourists alike converge to see what the festival has to offer. It is wall to wall people. As we walked through there and I marveled at the sheer size of it all I heard someone yell my name...really...and when I turned it was a young lady who had seen my show in Toronto who had moved to Scotland! I LOVE IT!

How does something like the Edinburgh Fringe compare to Toronto Fringe and other Canadian Fringe Festivals you might have attended?

The Edinburgh Fringe has been running for over 50 years. It is huge. I have been to the Toronto Fringe Festival and participated in it, and have attended the Winnipeg Fringe Festival...they are both amazing celebrations of what their respective cities and beyond have to offer. The Toronto Fringe Continues to morph and grow, never resting on it's laurels but challenging itself by welcoming change. The festival in Edinburgh is...massive...I can't even begin to describe to you the scope of it....but I will try, of course...there are 2500 shows this year, in over 350 venues and last year over two million tickets were sold. TWO MILLION TICKETS! The shows here range from star vehicles in massive theatres, to avant garde artists performing in gorgeous and inventive venues, to street performers on the Mile to indie companies who run in the smaller venues (guess which I am?). It is the fruition of 50 years of art. The performances cover the ENTIRE city...filled with performers of every shape, size, skill and theatrical calling.

I read in your World Domination note that you had the chance to see Alan Cumming's show, what did you think of it?

I was very excited to see Cumming's show! It was the first thing I saw. It is in a intimate 750 seat theatre. Really...it was at the Assembly Hall which is an amazing space. His show was very personal and the stories ranged from "star" stories, which I always love to the tales of the beginning of his career, which started here at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of a comedy duo called "Victor and Barrie". He sang songs that were quite well known and they only I didn't know were ones that he had written. He sang a medley of songs from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", Mein Herr, What More Can I Say from "Falsettos" and Derrick and I were the only ones to start giggling...yes, I said giggling... when he began the opening lines to "Taylor the Latte Boy". I thought it was a great night of cabaret. Very special and well done...and musically directed by the amazing Lance Horne, who works with the amazing cabaret artists Justin Bond, Lea DeLaria and Meow Meow...who I saw last night!

What are your plans for after Edinburgh?

Oh goodness...I am just trying to take it one day at a time right now. I have some gigs in September, I have been asked to do two shows at the Global Canwest Cabaret at the beginning of October, I have been asked back to Joe's Pub, so I have to figure a date for that and I am in talks with a promoter in the states about doing a tour there...and I really want to bring my show to London! But we will see what happens. It has been an amazing year. 

One thing is certain, I will be sleeping for a week! You know what everyone says here? They say "You can sleep when you're dead" - and they do go at it at all hours!

When and Where?

SharRon Matthews at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

August 16th-28th @ 21:05PM (50mins)

theSpace at Surgeon's Hall, Theatre 2 (Venue 53)

Tickets are 10 pounds and can be purchased online at www.thespaceuk.com or at the venue box office: 0845 508 8515 or Fringe Box Office: 0131 226 0000

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