The two-week event, modelled on the famous Edinburgh festival, brought 165 performances to 45 businesses, indoor venues and outdoor locations across the town, with seven shows entirely sold out, said organiser Debbie King.
The event sold 6,000 tickets, more than double the amount in 2021 – ‘and that doesn’t include people who turned up or just came and saw something for free,’ added Debbie.
New venues which joined in this year included The Old Auction House, Brittens Music Shop, the Assembly Hall Theatre, The Duke of York, Sankey’s, and The Forum.
Debbie, who also runs The Talentz Musical Theatre Company, stressed the festival’s support for artists, with performers receiving over £11,000, more than twice the total shared by artists in the inaugural season in July 2021.
The festival’s chosen charities, Taylor-made Dreams, Fegans, RefugEase, and Nourish Foodbank, also benefited, to the tune of £9,827.
“We are already planning TW Fringe 2023. We have big plans for it,” said Debbie, who co-organised the festival with comedian Aimee Cooper, Grace Simpson of Goupie Chocolate, Nell Price of Arty Farty Retreat, and Larry Hardcastle of Studio 44.
The event this year was supported by a grant from Tunbridge Wells Together, while Berry and Lamberts Solicitors were a main stage sponsor, and TN Recruits, The Original Tree Surgeons and Azhagi Tandra Temple also helped support the festival.
Such sponsorship is essential for the organisers to make a start on the programme for next year, said Debbie, adding: “We would really love to hear from companies that would like to sponsor or can help so 2023 can happen. Until we have funding, we cannot start.
“We would also love to hear from new venues, and we will be opening up applications for events as soon as we can.”
