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Developing a Fringe show can feel both exhilarating and overwhelming. Where do ideas come from, how do you shape them into something compelling, and how do you know if they’re ready for the stage? In this professional development session, Hartstone-Kitney Productions share practical, experience-led strategies to help artists move from an initial spark through to a fully realised Fringe show.

Drawing on years of international Fringe experience, this session focuses on creative clarity, strong foundations, and sustainable decision-making — empowering artists to trust their ideas and grow them with confidence.

Contents

 

Watch the Session

Filmed: 31/07/2021

Key Takeaways

  • There are no hard rules at Fringe — but strong guidelines help ideas land clearly with audiences.
  • Start from a truth you believe in; conviction fuels both creativity and audience connection.
  • A clear premise (character, conflict, conclusion) keeps your show focused and purposeful.
  • Every creative choice has practical and financial implications, especially once you move from page to stage.
  • Collaboration is essential, even for solo shows — no Fringe artist succeeds alone.

Starting with an Idea

Every Fringe show begins with an idea — but ideas don’t arrive fully formed. According to Hartstone-Kitney Productions, the most effective starting point is truth: something you genuinely believe, feel, or are compelled to explore.

If you’re struggling to generate ideas, look inward. Ask yourself what moves you, frustrates you, excites you, or challenges your worldview. These reactions are clues to what you already know to be true — and that truth is what sustains a creative project through uncertainty and doubt.

Importantly, ideas don’t have to be original in subject matter. Fringe thrives on familiar themes seen through new perspectives. What makes an idea original is your relationship to it.

Building a Clear Premise

Once an idea has space to breathe, it needs structure. Hartstone-Kitney refer to this structure as a premise — the driving force behind the entire show.

A strong premise answers one essential question: what are you trying to prove? It’s not just a topic or theme, but an argument that unfolds over the course of the show.

For Fringe artists, clarity is crucial. With shows typically running 60 minutes and audiences seeing multiple shows in a day, a single, focused premise allows audiences to connect quickly and deeply.

If you can’t explain your premise simply and clearly, it’s worth refining before moving forward.

Character, Conflict and Conclusion

Every effective premise contains three core elements: character, conflict, and conclusion.

Character

Character doesn’t just mean fictional roles — it can be a version of yourself, a narrator, or even an abstract presence. What matters is that the audience understands who the story is about.

Strong characters have three dimensions:

  • Physiology — physical appearance and visual signals.
  • Sociology — social status, relationships, and environment.
  • Psychology — motivations, desires, and inner life.

These dimensions guide performance choices, design, and storytelling, helping audiences read meaning even before a word is spoken.

Conflict

Conflict is the engine of drama. It arises when a character wants something and something stands in their way.

Common types of conflict include:

  • Person vs self
  • Person vs person
  • Person vs society
  • Person vs nature or technology

Conflict doesn’t need to be loud or confrontational — it simply needs to create tension and momentum.

Conclusion

Knowing how your show ends — or at least how you want the audience to feel — provides direction. Whether the outcome is joyful, unsettling, reflective, or cathartic, your conclusion shapes every creative choice along the way.

From Page to Stage

Once an idea is formed, the shift from creative development to production begins. This is where artistic decisions intersect with practical realities.

Venue choice, duration, technical needs, collaborators, and budgets all influence how a show takes shape. Hearthstone-Kitney emphasise that every decision has a financial impact, and being informed early helps artists make sustainable choices.

Even solo shows benefit from collaboration — designers, technicians, directors, or trusted peers provide perspective, accountability, and support. Fringe may celebrate independence, but it rewards collaboration.

Actionable Tips

  • Document your process early — notes, recordings, images, and drafts all help clarify ideas later.
  • Give ideas time before rejecting them; initial doubts don’t mean an idea lacks value.
  • Define your premise in one clear sentence and revisit it whenever you feel stuck.
  • Plan with honesty about budget, time, and energy to avoid burnout.
  • Seek collaborators early, even for feedback-only roles.
  • Start before you feel ready — momentum often creates clarity.

Additional Resources