The Oxford Commas are a contemporary gender-inclusive a capella group who had their Fringe debut this year. They kindly agreed to talk to Cherwell about the trials and tribulations of preparing their new show. ‘Aca-demic Weapons’, performed at theSpace, paired anecdotes about student life with a wide repertoire of songs ranging from Justin Timberlake to Ed Sheeran.
Cherwell: How was the rehearsal process?
Oxford Commas: Rehearsals were more intense throughout Trinity, which raised some challenges as many of our members had to contend with finals or prelims, but we’re extremely proud of the group’s commitment. We’re also grateful to St Catz, who allowed us to run our ‘Fringe Bootcamp’ the week before we went up to Edinburgh, as this helped us to add the finishing touches to our set.
Cherwell: The Fringe is often associated with theatrical productions. How did you find being a musical act in this more dramaturgical context?
Oxford Commas: There were definitely moments where we felt the difficulties of being a musical act, with some people put off from taking a flyer when they heard we were an a cappella group. However, it really helped that many a cappella groups from across the country, including The Oxford Belles and Out of the Blue, were performing at nearby venues during the same week. This lead to a strong sense of community within the genre, and we often went to watch other groups and vice versa.
Cherwell: This is your first time at the Fringe as a group, what advice would you give to other similar groups and societies wanting to do the same?
Oxford Commas: Definitely begin planning the process early. You will definitely save a lot of money (Fringe is very expensive) on venue cost, transport and accommodation, as well as be able to keep up with all the smaller things that you need to do for a successful Fringe run. Some colleges were also willing to give us grants for our Fringe run, so make sure to check for potential opportunities there. Partnering with an established Fringe venue also provides you with more promotional and media opportunities, and can help new shows seem more professional. Most importantly, enjoy it! The run-up to Fringe will seem like a logistical nightmare, but once you’re there it’s incredibly exciting and a major achievement for any group, so please take time to appreciate what you have achieved.
Cherwell: How did you select your set list and adapt your show for a Fringe audience?
Oxford Commas: As debutants competing in an a cappella scene that featured Fringe veterans both from Oxford and elsewhere, we wanted to do something quite unique to stand out. We decided to lean heavily into life at Oxford as inspiration for our set, wearing gowns while flyering and performing, and weaving our set list around speeches relating to different aspects of Oxford life. Given the time constraints we faced (having only settled on our theme halfway through Hilary), we had to be realistic in our ambitions, so we utilised a combination of arrangements from earlier this year, and some new arrangements to create a coherent set that fit our theme. The gowns definitely made a big impact while flyering, and our speeches were well received by audiences too.
Cherwell: Did anything about the process surprise you?
Oxford Commas: Flyering was a lot more enjoyable than many of us anticipated. While a whole day of convincing passers-by with cries of “Oxford A cappella” was far from ideal for our voices before the show, it was lovely to see just how many people were actually interested in our concept and stopped to talk to us about it. It was also surprising to see just how effective flyering actually was. Many shows might have a tendency to invest heavily in posters and advertising boards, and as fun as it may be to see yourself across Edinburgh, the majority of your audience will be gained through the group’s hard work on the ground. Pre-show busks accompanied by flyering worked incredibly well for us.
