Prague Fringe Festival: seven day theatre marathon

7 nights....35 companies....38 shows.... 180 performances ... 6 venues. The Prague Fringe Festival - the Czech Republic's own version of the famous Edinburgh festival - is underway in Prague this week. A real treat for theatre buffs it offers the cream of new talent from around the world - from rainbow bubble theatre for kids to the raw, powerful testimony of a man fighting cancer. From slapstick to sexy, from a one woman jazz/cabaret show to a one-man Hamlet - in its fifth year the Prague Fringe Festival has more to offer than ever before. If you are starved for English language theatre this is a virtual feast.

Radio Prague spoke to the Festival's director Steven Gove about what's on offer:

"It is kind of a theatrical marathon. If you are interested in theatre you can certainly get your fill during the week of the Fringe Festival. We've got 180 performances from 35 different groups in six different venues over 7 days."

In what languages?

"Mainly English although there are a lot of non-verbal shows. There are some Czech shows but the majority of performances are in English."

What's special about this year? What are you offering?

"We definitely have a wider range of genres on offer. We've got quite a lively music scene in U Maleho Glena down in Mala Strana. We've got more non-verbal theatre this year to make it more accessible for the locals who don't speak any English at all. We have shows from a wider range of countries which is nice as well - several companies from Europe, companies from the US, companies from Australia."

Are there any that you particularly like yourself?

"It is really very difficult to choose one or two. I saw a show at the Edinburgh fringe last year which I invited here called "I Miss Communism". It's a lovely story about a woman who is remembering all the nice parts of her childhood when she was growing up during the communist times. It is quirky, it's funny. She's lovely to watch. Her name is Ines Wurth and you can see her at Na Pradle Theatre every night. On top of that I would say get your tickets very quickly for Carus Thompson. They are a group from Australia. Folk group. Great energy -sexy - fun and I think it is going to be a nice night."

For more information about the festival please go to: www.praguefringe.com