Theater finds its Fringe at Denver’s wildest arts festival

You might have ideas about what theater should look like: polished performers strutting across a proscenium stage. However, the beauty of the performance arts beast known as a fringe festival, is that it does not ask audiences to agree on what theater should be. It simply throws open the doors and lets the artists answer that question in wildly different ways. 

At last year's Denver Fringe Festival, mice hosted a podcast; Ben Franklin presided over a sex party; a clown turned the audience's dating horror stories into musical numbers; a man wearing a VR headset grappled with AI in an adaptation of "The Tempest”;  and a woman confronted her online catfisher in a searing drama. The bottom line: If you cannot find something that interests you at Fringe, you probably are not looking hard enough.

Fringe festivals trace their roots to Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1947, where artists outside the official Edinburgh International Festival began staging their own work “on the fringe.” Since then, the model has spread around the world, offering a place for independent performance that is often low-budget and highly experimental. Some famous folks who began their careers at the Scottish gathering include Robin Williams, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emma Thompson.

Now in its seventh year, Denver’s version continues that tradition (June 3–7) with more than 80 original shows spread across 22 venues. For local audiences, Fringe provides an opportunity to see artists take risks with audacious work. Some shows are polished. Some are proudly messy. Others experiment with sketch comedy, queer cabaret, immersive clowning, aerial dance, political solo performance, participatory theater, burlesque and mythic storytelling.

That expansiveness is what makes the festival exciting, but it can also make the schedule intimidating. So consider this a sampler rather than a ranked list. Here are nine shows that represent different entry points into this year’s fest. No matter what kind of weird you are willing to embrace, there is probably a door here for you to open. 

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Looking for a more straightforward show to ease you into the madness?

If you like the idea of Fringe but still want jokes with recognizable targets, “Denvertopia” offers a friendly first dip into the festival’s wilder waters. Inspired by “Saturday Night Live” and “Portlandia,” this sketch show pokes fun at Denver’s self-image and the local oddities that make the city ripe for parody, ranging from local politicians to the iconic statue known as Blucifer. Created by Bethy Roberts, the show brings together a cast with deep roots in Denver’s comedy scene for an adults-only, fast-paced comedy experience.

RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd St., Denver. Friday, June 5, 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 5 p.m.

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Hankering for something queer AF?

The country music industry has not always been kind to its LGBTQ+ artists, which is why "EmmyJean Jenkins' Queer Country Cabaret" is such a fascinating concept. The show recounts a true story of murder, intrigue and romance, featuring a country band of queer folks and their allies from all over the Front Range. Expect lively country music and a "not so gentle" needling of the patriarchy.

The People’s Building Flex Theater, 9995 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora. Friday, June 5, 5 p.m.; Sunday, June 7, 6:30 p.m.

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So you’re on a first date with a Cirque du Soleil aficionado?

If immersive and improv sets make you nervous, “Between Breath and Sky" might be more your speed. Created by Denver Aerial Dance Collective for the company’s fifth Denver Fringe appearance, this world premiere is a continuous aerial dance performance with no breaks or resets. The show is billed as a meditation on the space between inhalation and exhalation, with performers rising, falling, suspending and reforming in real time.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Center for the Healing Arts, 2025 N. Washington St., Denver. Friday, June 5, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 8 p.m.

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If you think politics are for clowns…

“FORIEGNER” is not misspelled by accident. The title reflects Iranian immigrant Sohrab Haghverdi's self-deprecating humor about feeling like a perpetual outsider. Based on his experience as an asylum seeker, Haghverdi creates a work inspired by Andy Kaufman and the Sufi mystic Rumi that both explains and refuses to explain his own existence in America. Haghverdi quips that he hopes the show will “get him naturalized — or deported.”

Savoy Denver, 2700 Arapahoe St., Denver. Thursday, June 4, 7 p.m.; Friday, June 5, 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 9:30 p.m.

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Is it a Fringe show or a cult initiation?

A wealthy occult obsessive is throwing a dance party, and you’re invited. What could go wrong? The premise of "Dance of a Thousand Faces” revolves around a celebration hosted by an eccentric (Charlie Suydam), who wants his guests to have a good time and also promise they won't open the door once the party begins. This 35-minute immersive dance piece asks audiences to come curious, be ready to move and be willing to play along.

The Truss House, 3400 Arkins Court, Denver. Friday, June 5, 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 6:30 p.m.

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Calling all members of the Britney Army

Britney Spears diehards and casual fans alike have an entry point into “The Britney In Me,” an 18+ burlesque musical created by Bender Flames. This world premiere follows Spears through the pop machinery of the early 2000s as she discovers what it means to be “Britney, bitch.” Though the framing is campy, it also gestures toward the way Spears’ public image and conservatorship have become part of a broader conversation about fame, control and survival.

The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St., Denver. Thursday, June 4, 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 8 p.m.

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For all the classics majors out there

Not every Fringe title is trying to out-weird the room. “Re-Membered” takes the Egyptian myth of Osiris and Isis as a starting point for a story about Silas, a present-day student, as he sorts through the pieces of his life. The show also mirrors the journey of participants in the College Gateway Program at Red Rocks Community College, as Silas must decide what to leave behind and what to focus on in his future, giving the ancient myth a local, contemporary frame.

Savoy Flex, 2700 Arapahoe St., Suite 103, Denver. Friday, June 5, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 7, 6 p.m.

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If you’ve been waiting for your partner to pop the question, well…

Some immersive shows ask attendees to solve a mystery. “It’s YOUR Wedding” asks them to get married. This devised comedy-clown-improv piece invites attendees to dress for matrimony, with the audience cast as the happy couple-to-be. Participation appears to be baked into this show in which “tears of joy are mandatory." So shy audience members should consider themselves gently warned. And if you're hesitant to take the next step with your bae, well, maybe skip this one. 

RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd St., Denver. Saturday, June 6, 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, June 7, 7:30 p.m.

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And, the Most “WTF?!” Premise at Denver Fringe 2026

There is no delicate way to summarize Melo Acevedo’s "CRABMAN," so here goes: creator-performer Acevedo's solo clown musical centers on a popular (and fictitious) online creator who has achieved viral fame by sticking a crab up his buttocks for the past 999 days. Join him as he hosts an in-person finale. Don't judge me, but as an admirer of the odd, I bought my ticket the moment I finished reading the description and will be seated (hopefully sans crab) in the Bug Theatre on opening night to witness the madness.

The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St., Denver. Thursday, June 4, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, June 5, 9:15 p.m.; Saturday, June 6, 5 p.m.

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Denver Fringe Festival. Individual show tickets are $20, and festival passes, which allow you to attend as many shows as you want, are $95. The full Denver Fringe Festival schedule, venue information and ticketing details are available at denverfringe.org

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