The Winnipeg Fringe Festival is in full swing and Southeastern Manitoba is well represented by local writers, actors, directors, and improvisers.

Jeremy Plett, the Director of Back Yard Theatre Company and a local actor, helped write and direct a sketch comedy show called Sidetrack Bandits: Almost There and is also one of the actors in it. He notes taking part in the fringe festival gives local actors a great opportunity to connect with performers from around the country.

"It is really fun being from Steinbach and coming into the city and you see all of these Winnipeg troupes and all of these troupes from across Canada and you are participating with those people so it kind of feels like you are at another level with an international crowd and that is a lot of fun. It is just fun to meet with actors from across Canada and across the world really."

Michelle Plett is in Horrible Histories: Rotten RulersPlett says Sidetrack Bandits: Almost There has performers and writers from both the Steinbach area and Winnipeg.

Steinbach's Michelle Plett is participating in a show called Horrible Histories: Rotten Rulers. She notes it is a family friendly comedy show that chronicles the entire British monarchy. She says on top of performing at the fringe, it is also fun to take in many other shows.

"I am so excited to be a part of the community and I am hoping to be more of a faithful fringer now. I really feel the pull for people to come to my show and I want the community to feel my support as well so I am hoping to see a lot more stuff this year than I have in years previous."

Cora Fast is performing with Crosseyed Rascals ImprovCora Fast, from Grunthal, has performed in two other fringe festivals over the last few years but this is her first year performing with the improv troupe Crosseyed Rascals.

"They pride themselves on doing clean comedy but sometimes they like to venture right to the edge so it is strictly marketed as clean comedy but we do dance around the edge a little bit. It has been so long since performing improv and it has been so good getting back into it. I have definitely missed it."

The name of the show is Mennonite's Guide to Streetfighting 4: Cards Against the Rascals.

The fringe festival wraps up on Sunday, July 30th.