It’s hard to believe Daryl Cloran (@darylcloran on Twitter and Instagram) has only been the Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre for 2 years this September. His enthusiasm as he addresses the audiences at the top of the Citadel’s shows is infectious, making it impossible not to be excited about the theatre magic that follows him. This past theatre season (2017/2018 – tell me I’m not the only one still listening to the Hadestown soundtrack!) was the first one he programmed at the Citadel and the energy of it has made me thoroughly excited about what’s to come at the Citadel.

Here’s Daryl’s bio:

Daryl is the Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre. He came to Edmonton from Kamloops, B.C., where he served as Artistic Director of Western Canada Theatre for six seasons. Daryl’s directing credits include: As You Like It and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Bard on the Beach), Shakespeare in Love and The Silver Arrow (Citadel), Liberation Days (Theatre Calgary), Mary Poppins (WCT/Persephone), Tribes (Canadian Stage), And All For Love (National Arts Centre), Generous (Tarragon), and Afterplay (Shaw Festival).

Daryl was the Founding Artistic Director of Theatrefront in Toronto, where he directed numerous international collaborations including: RETURN (The Sarajevo Project) – produced in Bosnia and Toronto; and UBUNTU (The Cape Town Project) – produced in South Africa, Halifax, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Daryl is now a proud resident of Edmonton, where he lives with his wife Holly, and their sons Liam and Jack.

 And here’s how Daryl Fringes:

How long have you been Fringing? What is your favourite Fringe memory?
As a new Edmontonian, last summer was my first Edmonton Fringe (and it was fantastic!). My first Fringe ever was 1998, when I travelled to the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia and performed Daniel MacIvor’s solo show, “House”. That was a life-changing experience. Also, it was pretty much the last time I acted.

How do you choose the shows you’re going to see at Fringe? It’s still early, but do you have your eye on any shows you’re interested in seeing this year?
For me, the Fringe is a great chance to see artists taking risks. I often choose the shows I see based on the artists in them – seeing an actor tackle a role or project that is outside their normal comfort zone. I also choose shows that are innovative in their approach to storytelling – challenging the traditional actor-audience relationship.

What advice would you give to a first-time Fringe-er for the best way to enjoy the festival?
Pick at least one show you know absolutely nothing about (and know absolutely nobody involved in the production!) Fringe is about taking a risk on the unknown!

Has something you’ve seen or experienced at the Fringe had an impact on your life? How did it change you? Or, alternatively, tell me about a time where you couldn’t stop recommending a Fringe show to everyone you knew. 
Years ago, when I was performing at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, I saw a production of Jez Butterworth’s play MOJO. I was blown away by it, and immediately found a copy of the script because I knew I wanted to direct it in Canada. It was one of the first shows I directed in Toronto, and the reviews from that helped open some doors for me as a young director. It was also the WORST opening night I have ever had in my life. But I’ll tell you about that over a beer at the Fringe…

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Sounds like quite the story that I can’t wait to hear! Daryl – I will definitely be tracking you down for the rest of that story in the beer tent this Fringe!

For more about the 2018/2019 season at the Citadel, check out the Citadel Theatre’s website.

Daryl’s profile is part of my 2018 How to Fringe series highlighting some of the folks I look up to in Edmonton who have generously agreed to share a bit about themselves and how they Fringe. If YOU want to Fringe, tickets for the 37th annual Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival go on sale August 7.