Rival promoters’ free shows breathe new life into Fringe
SCORES more free shows are to be offered at the Fringe this summer after programmes were announced by two rival organisations.
Fringe promoter Peter Buckley Hill split from his London-based collaborators The Laughing Horse and both are now organising “free Fringe” events at 17 venues across the city.
Mr Hill - who is organising PBH’s Free Fringe - said free shows were the only way to maintain Edinburgh’s reputation as the world’s top festival city.
His programme this year offers 61 shows at seven venues including the Canon’s Gait, the White Horse and The Hudson Hotel.
The Laughing Horse’s Free Edinburgh Fringe Festival is putting on 130 free shows at ten venues, including The Underbelly.
Mr Hill said the success of multi-purpose venues like The Pleasance was forcing up ticket prices for stand-up comedy.
He said: “Comedians are paying for lighting, sound engineers and all the maximum spec things you need for things like theatre.
“Comedians don’t need all that. All they need is a microphone.”
Venues taking part in the free events agree to receive only bar takings, meaning comedians do not need to pay for their “performance space”.
It can cost comedians more than 1000 a week to perform at venues during the Fringe, meaning most acts lose money.
PBH’s Free Fringe will include theatre for the first time this year.
Mr Hill revealed he was looking to expand his non-comedy offering in the future. He said: “I want a venue doing only theatre and another doing only film.
“The Film Festival is great, but it has no Fringe - there is nothing for small independent filmmakers.
“I can see in 20 years an enormity of shows being free. The Fringe has lost all of what it’s about. I think free events will help to revive it.”
Alex Petty, director of The Laughing Horse, said it split from Mr Hill because they had different ideas about the set-ups they wanted to create, with Laughing Horse wanting to provide more equipment to acts, but at a low price.
Mr Petty said: “There is a huge feeling among people in Edinburgh that they want to avoid the Festival because of the cost. We’re trying to change that.
A Fringe spokeswoman said: “With more free shows, we believe more people than ever will be able to enjoy a larger variety of entertainment during the festival.”
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