Theatre Orangeville + Toronto Fringe: A Summer Celebration of Bold, New Voices

Since 2018, Theatre Orangeville has proudly partnered with the Toronto Fringe Festival to bring the very best of its innovative, independent theatre to our community through the North(519): Best of Toronto Fringe series. What began as a small, passionate initiative to engage artists and showcase experimental work has grown into a vibrant tradition—one of the most exciting and artistically rich weeks of our summer.

North(519) was born from a simple goal: to support new and creative voices while offering our audiences something bold and different from our mainstage season. We wanted to provide a platform for stories that pushed boundaries, explored fresh perspectives, and celebrated theatrical risk-taking.

In the early years, our venues were as unconventional as the shows themselves—restaurants and community spaces across Orangeville transformed into makeshift stages. Eventually, we found a beautiful temporary home at Mount Alverno, where we could host larger audiences and better support the needs of our growing roster of Fringe artists. But even then, it became clear—we were outgrowing the space.

So, in August 2025, we’re moving home to the Opera House.

This marks the sixth year of our North(519) series, and this move feels like a natural next step. With consistently sold-out performances, an ever-rising calibre of shows, and growing demand, bringing the series into our theatre allows us to better support the artists and welcome even more community members into the experience.

Fringe is a global theatrical movement with over 300 festivals worldwide, producing thousands of shows and engaging tens of thousands of artists annually.

Fringe festivals are vibrant, open-access celebrations of the arts that showcase bold, original, and diverse performances across theatre, comedy, music, dance, and more. Rooted in the spirit of creative freedom, Fringe gives artists of all backgrounds the opportunity to share their work directly with audiences—no gatekeepers, no limits.

In keeping with the Fringe’s commitment to accessibility and artistic freedom, performers are selected through a lottery system. This means every applicant has an equal chance of being chosen—regardless of experience, background, or artistic style. It’s a process that champions fairness, encourages experimentation, and helps make the Fringe a truly diverse and exciting experience for artists and audiences alike.

Whether you’re watching an emerging artist’s debut or a seasoned performer’s newest creation, every show is a unique experience. Expect the unexpected!

How It Works: From Fringe to Orangeville

Unlike a Fringe festival, we are a juried series. Each year, shows participating in the Toronto Fringe Festival can “opt in” to be considered for North(519). From there, our dedicated jury of 4–6 passionate team members dives headfirst into the whirlwind that is Fringe—watching dozens of shows over just a few days. We commit to seeing every show that has expressed interest.

After an intense and inspiring few days in Toronto, our team regroups to debate, deliberate, and decide which shows will be invited to perform in Orangeville. It’s never easy. The quality, creativity, and diversity of work is staggering, and our biggest challenge is always narrowing it down.

The chosen artists are announced at the end of the Toronto Fringe Festival, receiving what we consider one of the greatest honours we can offer: a chance to bring their work to our stage and community.

A Legacy of Success

‍Fringe has a strong reputation as a launchpad for exciting new voices, and North(519) is proud to have been part of many artists’ creative journeys. Several of our past shows have gone on to have powerful afterlives:

• Our Little Secret; The 23andMe Musical – After premiering at the Toronto Fringe, it went on to play a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2024 before becoming a full-scale production premiering at the Segal Centre this past spring, expanding on its Fringe origins and launching what promises to be an incredible legacy.
• bol, brown boy, bol – Sparked critical conversations and community dialogue. The artist has since been awarded a grant to continue this important work through performances and facilitated dialogue in underserved communities.
  Stiff & Sons – Directed by an alumnus of Theatre Orangeville’s Young Company, this heartwarming piece showcased the homegrown talent nurtured through our own programs.
• The Commandment – Creator Phil Rickaby remains an active voice in Canadian theatre and has gone on to produce multiple shows and host a successful theatre podcast.
• An Atlas, a Necktie and Other Concerns – After premiering in 2019 and playing at three festivals, the creators received a $50,000 grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to adapt the show into a short film, which premiered in New York in 2022.

Each of these projects began on a Fringe stage, then stepped onto ours—and from there, who knows how far they’ll go?

Why It Matters

North(519) isn’t just about great theatre. It’s about connection—between artists and audiences, emerging creators and established institutions, ideas and impact. It brings us joy, challenge, reflection, and growth.

It has become, without question, one of our favourite weeks of the summer. A week filled with laughter, tears, standing ovations, and that beautiful, chaotic energy that only live, independent theatre can bring.

We can’t wait to see what August 2025 holds. And we hope you’ll be there with us—in the Opera House, at the heart of it all—celebrating the art, the artists, and the stories that deserve to be seen and heard.

Stay tuned for our 2025 North(519) lineup announcement at the end of the Toronto Fringe Festival!

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