Mannie Manim, who had by now been Festival Chairman for several years, used his programme note in 2005 to encourage festival goers to visit the Fringe events. It was certainly true that the Fringe programme had continued to grow in leaps and bounds over the years. As Fringe work is completely self-funded, or at least reliant on Fringe artists finding their own sponsors and grants, a robust, healthy and varied Fringe programme is possibly one of the greatest markers of the health of a festival like ours, and an indication of the state of the arts in the county more broadly. The Fringe programme at the National Arts Festival is often packed with prolific and popular performers, talented writers, and well-known artists, and 2005 was no exception.

David Newton, Matthew Ribnick, Mark Sampson, Corne & Twakkie, and Dr Stef were all in attendance on the comedy seen, as was Nicholas Ellenbogen with Phantom of the Raiders – marking the 15th year his smash-hit Raiders series. The Centrestage company brought a myriad of dance and cabaret works, while the Cape Academy of Performing Arts and the Cape Dance Company each had popular runs at Alec Mullins.

And, if one needed a clearer sign that we were now well into the noughties, the programme was populated with pleas to the audience to silence their cell phones!