ATB Arts Barns

I’ve decided to review local Edmonton businesses and institutions as they are for Fringe venues because I’m a Fringe and Unilocaler nerd like that. So keeping that in mind this review is for The Westbury Theatre inside the ATB Arts Barn as a venue for The Edmonton International Fringe Festival. This is not a review for ATB Arts Barn or Westbury Theatre outside The Fringe. This is also not a review of any shows I’ve seen here. Let’s go.
The Westbury Theatre is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) Fringe venues. It’s a main venue right inside the Arts Barn. This is nice because it’s where the main box office is. So the venue is super easy to find. Before I continue with the good point, I’ll point out some of the less good points at this venue.
1. It’s at the main site, which is easy to find, but it means that this venue (and the queue to wait for shows here) can get busy. Usually there are volunteers to help make sure you’re in the right spot. The queue is outside and I’ve noticed they have arrows drawn on the sidewalk showing where you should stand.
2. This venue (or at least the queue for shows here) is busy. Lots of artists will be around plugging there show, something that happens at the Fringe all the time, but there will certainly be a lot more artists here than if you were at say the Hostel 4 blocks away. That being said if you hate crowds, the Fringe probably isn’t the best festival to check out.
The good points.
1. The venue is an actual theatre, which is nice for the fringe because it has a sound and light booth. It’s just a nice touch for the shows here.
2. The seating is on stepped platforms, so you are higher than the rows below you. Unless you are really short you can probably see the stage fine. The seats aren’t as a comfortable as some theatre seats, but they are padded (a bit) and definitely the more comfortable seats of Fringe venues.
3. There is AC here. In the middle of a hot August day seeing at Fringe show at The Westbury is like winning the lottery.
4. There are bathrooms inside the Arts Barn. They can get busy, but indoor washrooms (rather than a port-​a-​potty) is always a bonus.
5. The box office is right next to the theatre, so you can get your tickets basically at the venue. This is the main box office though so it will be busy. Try to buy your tickets online and stand in the shorter will call line up to pick up your tickets.
The Westbury, being a theatre, is used outside The Fringe too. Aside from the crowdedness that can occur around this area this is probably the best venue of any at The Fringe.

Now re-​named the ATB Arts Barns, FYI. If you are looking to have an event with an amazing location that is close to a ton of restaurants, pubs, shops and nightlife galore, well this is a fantastic spot! Not too big, best suited to events with about 100 attendees, the Arts Barns are clean and versatile (though a real lack of parking!). Really the best draw is not the place itself, but the location… You can attend an event then grab dinner or drinks after (or before too you party animal!) However, if you are going to an event here in the dead of winter, I have seen the line-​ups to get in, go down the alley — so dress warm!

I don’t know what to say about this venue, except that I had one of the scariest experiences of my whole life here. I missed the play, «The Bone House,» by Marry Chan at The Fringe, but luckily they were running it again on Halloween at the Transalta Arts Barns. The Play was set up in a room with a small stage. My friend and I had heard this play was so scary that people would start crying and have to leave. We knew not to sit in the aisles, so we sat near the back.
The play finally started, and I was listening to the guy speaking at the front. He was telling us about a serial killer that he was tracking. All of the sudden, I saw something in the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw a guy dressed up in a the «Scream» outfit holding a giant knife. He was staring right at me, and I was so freaked out. He ended up not being the serial killer, but rather the tracker’s crazy assistant. After that happened, my friend and I were split up, and I was seated in an aisle seat.
The tracker continued to tell us stories about the gruesome serial killer killings. Eventually, he led us to believe that the killer was right here in Edmonton. He had all of us stare at a negative image of the killer’s face, then the lights went, and we could see a reflection of the face. The lights came back on, but later they went out again, and I couldn’t see a thing. The side door opened, and the killer walked in. He walked up and down the aisles. Although I couldn’t see at all, I could feel the wind from his cape and at one point, he touch my head. I almost had a heart attack. Even though I knew this was a play, I literally was so afraid that I though I was going to die. The killer then tore out the tracker’s heart and squeezed it. It was funny, because they splashed water all over everyone to make them think it was blood. That eased my tension a little bit.
So, I’d have to say that the Transalta puts on some good plays, and I would definitely check another one out here sometime.

The Transalta Arts Barns does not put on shows in and of itself, but is used by a variety of organizations for shows and events. It is one of the biggest locations for the Fringe Festival, and includes the box office. I have attended the launch of a local television station here, as well as rented the main foyer for use during a peace rally for speakers. The foyer is huge and can seat around 150 people, and there are several theatres within the building. The foyer is also sometimes used for arts and craft sales of various kinds. The acoustics sound pretty decent, and the location is good, just a few blocks off Whyte Avenue with a reasonably large parking lot.

The Transalta Arts Barns is home to all the Fringe Theatre performances, in addition to the Varscona Theatre across the street. There are several theatres within the Transalta Arts Barns, with the Westbury Theatre being the largest, having a capacity of about 370 people. I haven’t been in the Westbury yet, but I caught a show this past summer in one of their smaller theatres, Studio A. This room seats about 60 people, and the rows are built in raised levels auditorium-​style, so that everyone can see the stage. Everything is fully wheelchair accessible, and the acoustics in the room are very good. You’re able to hear every sound when it’s quiet, even the drop of a pin. This is one of the best theatres I’ve been to. Transalta Arts Barns also rents out space for big events, whether corporate or personal. They provide shop and wardrobe facilities as well.