A History of the Edinburgh Arts Festivals

The first Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) took place in 1947. It as !oined fro" its
inception b# hat subse$uentl# beca"e knon as the Fringe and b# the Fil" Festival. %ipes
and &ancing also took place in the earl# #ears' beco"ing the (ilitar# Tattoo in 19)*. The
Traverse Theatre' hich has greatl# enhanced both the EIF and the Fringe' !oined the Feast
in 19+)' to be folloed b# the ,a-- festival in the late 197*s' the .ook festival in the earl#
19/*s' and "ore recentl# the 0rt Festival in 1**4.
In The Beginning
The first festival as held in 1947' or as it2 In fact' Edinburgh had hosted a nu"ber of
"usic festivals during the 19
th
centur#. The first event as held in earl# 3ove"ber' 1/1).
The venues included %arlia"ent 4ouse and 5orri6s 7oo"s (a circus and concert hall that
as situated on the corner of 8eith 9alk and .roughton :treet). 0 profit of ;1')** as
distributed to the 7o#al Infir"ar# and other charitable institutions. 0 second festival
folloed in 1/19 ith the Theatre 7o#al taking over fro" 5orri6s 7oo"s. There have been a
nu"ber of Theatre 7o#als < this is the first one that as situated at the east end of %rinces
:treet. This festival produced a profit of ;1'1=1 that as again distributed to charities.
Further festivals folloed periodicall#' vi-. 1/14' 1/4= and 1/71 although the 1/4= venture
lost ;+**.
5o"ing forard to the 1*
th
centur#' a nu"ber of individuals ere instru"ental in getting the
1947 festival off the ground. The original idea ger"inated in the "ind of 7udolf .ing' the
>eneral (anager of >l#ndebourne' around 194=. .ing as an 0ustrian?born i"presario
ho had fled 3a-i >er"an# in 19=4' bringing ith hi" all that as good about >er"an and
0ustrian culture. >l#ndebourne as in need of additional funding and his idea as for a
"usic festival in association ith >l#ndebourne' utilising its resources. The idea as given
i"petus b# the fact that it as e@tre"el# unlikel# that "usic festivals ould be possible on
"ainland Europe for so"e ti"e after the conclusion of the :econd 9orld 9ar. A@ford as
his first choice as the venue' but this fell through and atte"pts to interest other cities began
in late 1944.
Edinburgh as proposed b# 4enr# 4arve# 9ood ho as based in the cit# orking for The
.ritish 5ouncil' an organisation that had been set up to i"prove international relationships
through the pro"otion of education and culture. 9hile 9ood encountered local enthusias"
and apath# in e$ual "easures' he found strong allies in :ir ,ohn Falconer' the 8ord %rovost
at the ti"e' and 8ad# 7oseber#. The# ere e@tre"el# influential in "oving the idea forard'
ulti"atel# resulting in the for"ation of a festival co""ittee in late 194). .ing' the proposed
artistic director' advocated a =?4 eek festival' but he did not help his cause b# suggesting to
councillors in 5alvinist :cotland that the festival should open ith a 4igh (ass in :t. >iles
5athedralB It as decided' because of the preparator# ork that as necessar#' that 1947
ould be the earliest possible date for the event.
In :epte"ber 194+ the 5it# 5ouncil agreed to a three eek festival (14
th
0ugust < 1=
th

:epte"ber 1947)' voting ;1*'*** to a guarantee fund to go alongside e$uivalent su"s fro"
The 0rts 5ouncil and fro" private citi-ens. There ere plent# of proble"s to be
sur"ounted. Ane of the first issues as the logistics of dealing ith large nu"bers of visitors
to the cit#. 4otels ere re$uisitionedC hostels and student residences usedC plus +'*** beds
ere "ade available b# private households. The 0sse"bl# 7oo"s in >eorge :t. beca"e the
ho"e of the Festival 5lub' and it also served "eals. There as also the $uestion of venues.
The 5ouncil oned the Dsher 4all but other venues ere in private hands' and none of the
venues as technicall# ell e$uipped. Then there as the proble" of getting high calibre
artists to appear. Fro" the DE the 7o#al 8iverpool %hilhar"onic' the 4allF Archestra and
:adlers 9ells .allet agreed to take part. In the field of dra"a Taming of The Shrew and
(oliere6s LEcole des Femmes ere perfor"ed. >l#ndebourne put on opera at the EingG s
Theatre hile the 7o#al :cottish 0cade"# e@tended its su""er e@hibition of Huillard.
0ssociated events included pipes and dancing on the 5astle Esplanade' a forerunner of the
Tattoo.
In addition to the International Festival' to other i"portant events took place. Firstl#' a
eeklong fil" festival as organised b# the Edinburgh Fil" >uild' eventuall# to beco"e
knon as the Edinburgh International Fil" Festival. :econdl#' eight theatre groups arrived
uninvited' and although officiall# e@cluded fro" the festival' the# set up shop in venues
aa# fro" the official festival and did their on thing. This as the start of the Edinburgh
Fringe. It as belatedl# given that soubri$uet after 7obert Ee"p' a :cottish !ournalist'
rote during the second Edinburgh International Festival in 194/I J7ound the fringe of
official Festival dra"a' there see"s to be "ore private enterprise than before K I a" afraid
so"e of us are not going to be at ho"e during the eveningsB6
The eather' hich is prone to be proble"atic' as fine and concerns that Edinburgh6s
citi-ens "ight not enter into the spirit of the festival proved to be ill?founded. Averall' the
1947 festival as !udged to be a success despite co"plaints that a nu"ber of areas ere
inade$uatel# covered' vi-. too little ballet' neglect of the visual arts and no choral "usic.
Fro" a financial perspective' the esti"ated deficit of ;1*'*** as not e@ceeded.
Edinburgh International Festival
There are a nu"ber of interconnected strands that run through the histor# of the Edinburgh
International Festival (EIF)I the individual arts and the co"petition beteen the"C the ideas
of the various artistic directors hich ere obviousl# influenced b# their individual tastesC
funding and politics (the to go together as "uch of the subsid# ca"e fro" the 5it#
5ouncil)C the use of the"es in certain #earsC ongoing proble"s surrounding the availabilit#
of suitable venuesC and last but not least' atte"pts at tr#ing to co"pete ith the Fringe.
The Artistic Directors
9hile the International Festival has valiantl# atte"pted to present high $ualit# festivals that
are balanced across the arts spectru"' it is probabl# true to state that over the +*L #ears of its
e@istence' "usic and opera have received "ore attention than dra"a' dance and the visual
arts. 0rguabl#' the pri"ar# reason for this has been the passions of the individual artistic
directors. 0part fro" Frank &unlop in the 19/*s ho as a theatre "an' all the directors
have had a "usic or opera background.
Rudolf Bing (1947?1949). 0s discussed' the "ain instigator of the EIF. 4e as the director
of >l#ndebourne Apera ho subse$uentl# took up the post as head of "anage"ent at the
3e Mork (etropolitan Apera hen he left the EIF.
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Ian unter (19)*?19))) had been a colleague of .ing at >l#ndebourne before 9orld 9ar
II. 4e is arguabl# best knon for his contacts in the artistic orld. It as during his regi"e
that the visual arts ere accorded "ore e@posure. 0fter leaving Edinburgh he founded
various festivals around the DE' including .ath and .righton' and advised on festival
planning around the orld. &uring the 19/*s he as chair"an of the English 3ational
.allet.
Robert !onsonb" (19)+?19+*) as an A@ford organ scholar and subse$uentl# controller of
"usic for the ..5. 4e introduced late night revues such as Flanders and :ann and
Beyond the Fringe in an atte"pt to co"pete ith the Fringe in the evenings.
The Earl of are#ood (19+1?19+)) ai"ed to give opera a higher profile. It is reasonable to
sa# that prior to his regi"e the EIF as still in its hone#"oon period. &uring his tenure
"atters beca"e "ore noticeabl# difficult on the financial front. The concept of the"es
started during his tenure ith a 7ussian the"e in 19+1 and a 5-ech the"e in 19+4. 0lso' the
co""issioning of pla#rights to rite for the festival co""enced under his regi"e. 4e
cancelled a sho in 19+4 after its first perfor"ance because he considered it to be
substandard.
!eter Dia$and (19++?197/) as a "usic "an. 4e as director of the 4olland "usic
festival prior to taking the Edinburgh post and beca"e the general director of the 7o#al
8ondon %hilhar"onic Archestra after he left Edinburgh. 4e anted to have an EIF co"pan#
and "ount Festival productionsC he succeeded in the latter.
%ohn Dru$$ond (1979?19/=) as "ore eclectic in his tastes than the other directors ith
the possible e@ception of the visual arts. (an# consider that the "ost successful the"es
occurred during his reign' particularl# the &iaghilev the"e (1979) on the )*
th
anniversar# of
the i"presario6s death and Venice 1900 (19/=). 4e encouraged the .ook Fair (19/=)'
subse$uentl# to beco"e the .ook Festival.
Fran& Dunlo' (19/4?1991) as a theatre "an. 4e had to battle ith the 8abour?do"inated
cit# council for a significant part of his tenure' particularl# ith their desire to reduce elitis"
and pro"ote "ore populist events all the #ear round' not !ust during 0ugust.
Brian McMaster (1991?1**+) ca"e fro" an opera background. 4e "oved the "anage"ent
of the EIF to EdinburghC it had previousl# been based in 8ondon. 4is ob!ectives ere toI
reduce fringe?st#le events' particularl# in the field of dra"aC present high $ualit#' large scale
perfor"ances that Fringe groups could not affordC place a tighter control on $ualit#' partl#
b# insisting on EIF organised and pro"oted eventsC and reflect the best of :cottish culture.
%onathan Mills (1**7?present) is an 0ustralian and another "usic "an. 4is 5H includes the
co"position of to s"all operas and artistic director of the (elbourne Festival. 4e as
given a ) #ear contract hich as subse$uentl# e@tended to 1*14. In general' he appears to
be a keen advocate of festival the"es.
Fergus (inehan ill take over as artistic director hen ,onathan (ills leaves after the 1*14
festival.
Individual Art For$s
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.ing as correct in his assertion that Edinburgh ould have the festival field to itself hile
Europe recovered fro" the devastating effects of 9orld 9ar II. This relative lack of
co"petition helped to shape the Edinburgh e@perience in the areas of "usic and opera as it
beca"e a "agnet for the leading figures and co"panies. Aver the first 1) #ears of its
e@istence "an# of the orld6s leading orchestras' opera co"panies and solo artists appeared.
0part fro" .ritish co"panies the appearance of the 3e Mork %hilhar"onic in 19)1 as
one of the earl# coups. Ather notable first appearances includedI Hienna %hilhar"onic
(19)=)C Mehudi (enuhin' Isaac :tern and >iaconda &e Hito (19)4) hen the the"e as
four centuries of the violinC .oston :#"phon# (19)+)C .erlin %hilhar"onic ith Eara!an
(19+1) ho had previousl# conducted the %hilhar"onia Archestra in 19)=C and the D::7
:tate Archestra6s visit in 19+/ hen there as a degree of apprehension surrounding its
reception in the light of the %rague Dprising earlier that #ear' fortunatel# "isplaced. %opular
solo artists includedI Eathleen Ferrier ho sang in all si@ festivals before her earl# death in
19)=' Teresa .ergan-a and (aria 5allas.
0 significant develop"ent as 4areood6s decision in 19+) to for" the :cottish Festival
5horus' later na"ed the Edinburgh Festival 5horus. It consisted solel# of a"ateurs. Their
lauded debut as in a perfor"ance of (ahler6s /
th
:#"phon#. 0fter a perfor"ance of
.ach6s Magnificat ith the .erlin %hilhar"onic Archestra in 19+7 Eara!an placed the"
a"ong the top three choruses in Europe.
Ather "usic highlights have includedI (ahler6s Resrrection Sym!hony b# the 8ondon
:#"phon# under 0bbado ith (argaret %rice and ,anet .aker as soloists (1971)' and the
8ondon :#"phon# ith the Festival 5horus (197=)C Herdi6s Re"iem ith the 8ondon
%hilhar"onic conducted b# >iulini ith 0rro#o' 5assotto and %avarotti (197=)' and again in
19/1 ith the 8ondon :#"phon#C the .olshoi Theatre Archestra in 19/7 as part of a
7ussian the"e (7*
th
anniversar# of the revolution)C and the concert b# :t. %etersburg
%hilhar"onic as part of the &vorak the"e (199)).
The increased costs of bringing star na"es has led to the introduction of "ore up and co"ing
artists in the recent past' includingI Ian .ostridge' .r#n Terfel' &"itri 4vorostovsk#'
.arbara Frittoli' :alvatore 8icitra' Earita (attila and ,onas Eauf"annC and conductors
>unther 9and' 5laudio 0bbado' and the #oung %hilippe ,ordan. :everal atte"pts have been
"ade to prevent the progra""e fro" beco"ing stale' notabl# b# &ru""ond in the earl#
19/*s. This continued ith the introduction of "ore conte"porar# ork b# (c(aster' e.g.
the ,a"es (ac(illan the"e in 199= and the 11 hour "arathon Fidelio da# in 1994.
Apera has often been caught in the "iddle beteen the devotees ho inevitabl# crave the
best perfor"ances ith star na"es and those favouring other art for"s ho generall#
consider that opera is e@pensive and does not provide value for "one#' although the advent
of concert opera (opera ithout costu"es' scener# or an entire opera co"pan#) has gone
so"e a# to blunt this criticis". 3otithstanding this debate' pro"inent perfor"ances over
the #ears have includedI >l#ndebourne6s 19)= productions of :travinsk#6s The Ra#es
$rogress' 7ossini6s La %enerentola' and (o-art6s &domeneoC ,anacek6s 'ata 'a(ano)a b#
the %rague 3ational Theatre (19+4)' hich as one of 4areood6s favourites during his
tenureC Florence Apera ith &oni-etti6s Maria Starda and Herdi6s Rigoletto (19+9)C
Edinburgh Festival Apera6s La %enerentola ith Teresa .ergan-a (1971)C Edinburgh
Festival Apera6s %armen (1977)C Apera de 8#on6s LEtoile b# 5habrier (19/))C 9eber6s
*(eron directed b# &unlop (19/+)C 4ouston >rand Apera6s +i,on in %hina (19//)C -
Midsmmer +ight.s /ream b# Apera 0ustralia (1994)C the 7o#al Apera6s /on %arlos
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(199/)C and the EIF production of .en!a"in .ritten6s %rlew Ri)er (1**)).
Fro" the audience6s perspective' the abilit# to see so "an# outstanding "usic and opera
perfor"ances in such a short ti"e span at ver# affordable prices has been e@tre"el#
attractive. Aver and above these ele"ents' both perfor"ers and audience have undoubtedl#
been affected b# the into@icating at"osphere of the overall festival. This che"istr# beteen
perfor"ers and audience has continued up to the present da#.
Ane aficionado sa#s N%erfor"ers have ala#s been ver# professional and ell prepared
hen the# sho up. There is so"ething about the audiences at the Edinburgh Festival that
"ake the perfor"ers ant to put on their best sho. I think there is an aura of e@cite"ent'
enthusias"' and appreciation at Edinburgh fro" both the perfor"ers and audiences that is
un"atched an#here else. 9hile there are "an# other outstanding festivals there is an
inti"ac# and shared e@perience at Edinburgh that is not evident elsehere. I have gone to
"an# other perfor"ances ith great artists at the best concert halls' and often the perfor"ers
see" to be !ust going through the "otions. This has never happened to "e in Edinburgh.
The artists see" to be there because the# trul# choose to do so as artists. The# see" to feel
the sa"e e@cite"ent about being ith so "an# great artists' such enthusiastic audiences' and
!ust see" to be en!o#ing the"selves as ell !ust doing hat the rest of us are doing hen not
perfor"ing. 0nother re"arkable thing about Edinburgh is the onderful opportunit# to see
the beginning of so "an# onderful professional careers. The artistic director is ver# adept
in identif#ing the ver# best of ne' #oung perfor"ers and it is an opportunit# to see the" at
a stage before the# beco"e spoiled or too seasoned.O
&ance has e@perienced so"ething of a roller coaster ride in ter"s of e@posure over the #ears'
alternating good and bad periods that have possibl# corresponded to criticis"s of the lack of
dance on the one hand ith co"plaints that it as too e@pensive on the other. 3otable
perfor"ances in the earl# #ears includedI :adlers 9ells ith (oira :hearer in Swan La#e
and Ballet &m!erial (19)1)' plus :travinsk#6s The Soldiers Tale (19)4)C Le Borgeois
0entilhomme b# 5o"edie Francaise plus Fire(ird ith (argot Fonte#n (both in 19)4)' and
Swan La#e1 again ith Fonte#n in 19)+. There as a gradual shift ith the introduction of
"ore conte"porar# dance perfor"ances ith (artha >raha" in the si@ties' T#la Tharp
ho first appeared in 197+' and the 0ustralian &ance Theatre ith their innovative
Fli((ertigi((et in 19/* hen 1= dancers appeared in boiler suits. The 199*s ere notable
for the appearances of (ark (orris6s &ance >roup' including a co"bined opera ballet'
>luck6s *rfeo ed Eridice. Averall' (c(aster6s tenure arguabl# sa an upturn in the
fortunes of dance' as e@e"plified b# Swan La#e (1**))' choreographed b# 5hristopher
9heeldon. (ore recentl#' Matthew Bornes /orian 0ray as ell received b# punters in
1**/' though less so b# the critics.
The lack of attention that has been generall# accorded to dra"a has been highlighted b#
"an# critics over the #ears. :o"e directors have been accused of having little or no interest
in the for". 9hile it is so"ehat facile to generalise' it is probabl# fair to sa# that' over the
piece' the Fringe has a better track record on dra"a' helped i""easurabl# b# the fact that the
Traverse Theatre' apart fro" si@ appearances on the EIF' has been on its side of the fence.
4oever' there have been so"e great successes at the EIF' albeit less than "ight be
e@pected. 3otable triu"phs have includedI The Thrie Estates (194/)C $lay(oy of the 2estern
2orld b# the 0bbe# Theatre (19+/)C Ian (cEellen in Richard && and Richard &&& (19+/)C
Teatro 8ibero6s *rlando Frioso (197*)C a "ini .eckett festival including an eleven da#
progra""e of talks' discussions and fil"s (19/4)C Mukio 3inagaa6s Medea (19/+)C
*(ser)e The Sons of 3lster Marching Towards The Somme (199)) ritten b# Frank
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(c>uinnessC and "ost recentl#' Blac#(ird' co""issioned b# the EIF and ritten b# &avid
4arroer (1**)).
0fter the criticis" that it as not represented at the first festival' the visual arts en!o#ed a
golden period in the 19)*s hen it received considerable attention. E@hibitions of note
includedI 7e"brandt (1949)' Focus on :panish art ? El >reco' >o#a and Helas$ue- (19)1)'
&egas (19)1)' 5e-anne (19)4) and .ra$ue (19)+). Thereafter' it as pushed to the sidelines
and e@posure tended to a@ and ane although the Epstein e@hibition in 19+1 as a huge
success. Funds ere curtailed in 197= and there folloed periods hen it as treated as an
associate' that is it si"pl# appeared in the progra""e. The concept of a separate 0rt Festival
as eventuall# introduced in 1**4 as the visual arts sought a separate identit#. (ills started
his tenure b# reintroducing a visual arts strand' including 4ardins $(lics in the 1**7
progra""e' installations sited at three locations around the cit#. 4oever' a reduced
progra""e in 1**9 as a precursor to an e"pt# 1*1*.
:upple"entar# events that "a# appeal to the aficionados have varied over the #ears.
E@a"ples include lunchti"e talks and late afternoon conversations ith artists.
0s "entioned above' the"es have been used periodicall# over the #ears in atte"pts to
provide a degree of coherence across the progra""e. The# invariabl# "eet ith "i@ed
receptionsI so"e applaud the idea hile others consider that in fact the overall $ualit# of the
progra""e suffers because of the atte"pt. ,onathan (ills has reintroduced the"es recentl#I
-rtists withot Borders in 1**/' The Enlightenment in 1**9' The 3e 9orld in 1*1*
(focusing on the 0"ericas and 0ustralasia) and 0sian influences in 1*11.
)enues
The availabilit# of suitable venues as a perennial proble" for the EIF. In 19+1 the
Edinburgh %la#house cine"a' a huge building ith over ='*** seats hich as opened in
1919' as being investigated as a possible venue but it as considered too e@pensive to
convert at the ti"e. It closed as a cine"a in 197=' and it as eventuall# used as a venue for
the first ti"e in 19/1.
(eanhile' the general situation had deteriorated in the "id?19+*s hen the E"pire beca"e
a bingo hall hile the EingGs Theatre' the default ho"e of opera' as beco"ing an annual
proble"' e@acerbated b# criticis"s fro" artists that it as too s"all. (atters ca"e to a head
hen %rofessor 8ieber"ann (4a"burg Apera) criticised it in 19+/. The oners (4oard
and 9#ndha") retaliated b# sa#ing that the# ould no longer "ake it available to the EIF. 0
large grant fro" the :cottish 0rts 5ouncil and a substantial donation fro" an anon#"ous
Edinburgh citi-en enabled the corporation to purchase the theatre and let it to the Festival
:ociet# for ;1'*** per eek. 0 ne venue appeared in 1979 in the shape of the Pueen6s
4all. This as a disused church that as converted to beco"e the ho"e of the :cottish
5ha"ber Archestra. 0 tent as erected in the sa"e #ear in the (eados for ballet' a si"ilar
venture having recentl# been undertaken successfull# in 8ondon 6s .attersea %ark. There
had been tentative plans' going back to 19+*' to build a Festival Theatre. 5astle Terrace'
dubbed the N4ole in The >roundO' as the preferred site' but an on?off saga developed' and
in 19// it as ulti"atel# leased to :cottish (etropolitan %ropert# for the building of a
financial centre' The :altire 5o"ple@' hich also provided a ne ho"e for the Traverse
Theatre. In 1991 7ank sold the E"pire to the 5ouncil after a less protracted saga. ;11" as
then spent in converting and refurbishing it' and in 1994 it opened as the Festival Theatre
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hich no provides a ho"e for opera and ballet. In recent ti"es there have been threats to
close both the EingGs Theatre and the Pueen6s 4all.
Funding
In the 194*s and earl# )*s funding had not been particularl# noticeable as an issue. This as
probabl# due in part to the illingness of govern"ents around the orld to subsidise visits to
Edinburgh' as it as a "eans of Nshoing the flagO.
4oever' the financial pressures graduall# "ounted as these subsidies lessened. Ather
factors included the increasing ease of travel' hich naturall# increased the a"ount of
co"petition and the counter?attractions of recording' ,ul# to :epte"ber being the peak
period for this activit#. Funding issues beca"e particularl# noticeable hen the 19+1 festival
"ade a loss of ;1/'*** and there as an overdraft of ;11')**. The proble" as resolved on
this occasion hen the 5ouncil bought the festival office. 4oever' it beca"e a recurring
the"e ith the first stand?off beteen artistic director and the 5ouncil occurring in 19+/
hen the latter anted to reduce the subsid# for 19+/ and 19+9' hile the director' stating
that it as not possible to produce a $ualit# festival for that sort of "one#' said that he as
not prepared to organise it on that basis. The 5ouncil eventuall# backed don.
Apera' the "ost e@pensive art for"' as fre$uentl# under the spotlight. In 197= a proposed
staging of /on 0io)anni as under the "icroscope. It as esti"ated that it "ight lose
;7)'***' a risk that as e@acerbated b# the presence of &aniel .arenboi"' ho ould be
conducting an opera for the first ti"e' and %eter Dstinov' an unknon $uantit# as an operatic
director. In this particular case the risks proved to be e@aggerated.
The price to be paid for increased subsid# fro" the 5it# 5ouncil as greater political
representation on the Festival 5ouncil' hich in turn led to a degree of political pressure
over the progra""e. In the 19/*s 8abour councillors' considering the festival to be too
elitist' pushed for the inclusion of "ore populist events. The erection of The &o"e in %ilrig
%ark during the 19/+ festival as an atte"pt to attract Nordinar# folkO. It as a failure'
attracting lo attendances and losing ;)7'***. It as not repeated although s"aller events
such as !uggling at the Eing6s Theatre and !a-- at the Dsher 4all ere slightl# "ore
successful.
The politicians ere occasionall# put on the back foot. &uring the 19/7 festival the# ere
put on the defensive hen >lasgo announced that it as doubling its grant to the arts. This
as folloed in 19/9 b# an incident hen &unlop got hi"self into hot ater through
nonchalantl# "entioning at a press conference that Edinburgh "ight benefit fro" closer ties
ith >lasgo' hich as due to be the European cit# of culture for 199*. Ane Tor#
councillor anted hi" to consider his position. In fact' Edinburgh had put in its on half?
hearted bid to be European cit# of culture and conse$uentl# lost out to >lasgo. This as a
severe blo to its pride and caused the politicians to reconsider their attitude to the Festival
and its funding. In part' this episode resulted in the &istrict 5ouncil and the 0rts 5ouncil
agreeing to guaranteed funding over a three #ear period. 8othian 7egional 5ouncil as also
interested in reneing support. In addition' an endo"ent fund as set up ith the ai" of
raising ;1*". The fund $uickl# reached ;7**E. 0long ith sponsorship of ;))*'***' it
beca"e possible for the first ti"e to plan ahead and spend "ore "one# on "usic and opera
ith star na"es.
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In 1*11 the total cost of the International Festival as appro@i"atel# ;1*.+". )1Q of the
festivalGs inco"e ca"e fro" public sector grants and 49Q fro" ticket sales' sponsors and
donations.
*o$'eting #ith The Fringe
The Fringe has generall# been so"ething of a thorn in the side of the International Festival
although the pain is so"ehat i"aginar# and largel# unarranted. It tended to reside "ore
in the "inds of those "e"bers of the Festival board ho dislike an# for" of co"petition.
Fortunatel#' at the artistic level there as a "uch "ore laisse5 faire attitude toards the
Fringe.
9hatever' the EIF has "ade various efforts over the #ears to co"pete ith the Fringe' so"e
of hich have been ver# successful. In 19)9 Flanders and :ann' the co"ic "usical duo
appeared at the EIF' folloed b# the celebrated revue Beyond the Fringe in 19+*.
The EIF as largel# a da#ti"e and earl# evening pasti"e' leaving the Fringe to "op up the
late evening ith light entertain"ent shos. Beyond the Fringe ith %eter 5ook' &udle#
(oore' ,onathan (iller and 0lan .ennett' all relativel# unknon at the ti"e' as a late
night revue that as hugel# successful and has been clai"ed to be a ke# forerunner to the
subse$uent boo" in satire in the 19+*s. It is so"ehat ironic that "an# people no think
that the sho as on the Fringe' si"pl# because the na"e appears in the title. It is
interesting that a book celebrating )* #ears of the Fringe so"ehat sha"elessl# included a
large picture of the fourso"e' albeit the Ns"all printO "entioned $uickl# and ver# briefl# that
it as part of the EIF.
0 successful 9riters 5onference in 19+1' hich included people ho ere "ore associated
ith the Fringe' as folloed b# a &ra"a 5onference in the folloing #ear. This event is
largel# re"e"bered for an incident here a nude fe"ale "odel as heeled across the
organ galler# in the (cEan 4all as part of a Npla# ith happeningsO organised b# Eenneth
&ee#' an avant garde director fro" 8os 0ngeles. This caused a stor" and ,ohn 5alder'
ho organised both the 9riters and &ra"a conferences' and the "odel ere prosecuted for
indecenc#. Abviousl#' the singing si@ties had not #et arrived in Edinburgh at this point.
Ideas for a %oetr# 5onference ere shelved ith finance being given as the reason although
it is "ore likel# that it as related to this incident as various councillors ere unhapp#. An
the sub!ect of controvers#' a production of %rokofiev6s The Fiery -ngel b# Frankfurt Apera
as planned in 197*. It had an org# in the final scene ith three nuns naked fro" the aist
upards. The 8ord %rovost and to councillors ent to Frankfurt on a !oll# to see it for
the"selves. 0fter being ined and dined before the perfor"ance it as clai"ed (in the
"edia) that at least one councillor do-ed through part of the perfor"ance. The production
as given their seal of approval.
In the sa"e #ear there ere so"e events of note at the 4a#"arket Ice 7ink. Teatro 8ibero6s
*rlando Frioso as a great success ith "an# scenes staged si"ultaneousl# in different
parts of the rink' the audience andering fro" one scene to another. (eanhile' Arlando
and his knights' "ounted on horseback (ell trolle#s actuall#)' charged at the audience'
scattering the" ? pro"enading ith a differenceB
0tte"pts to co"pete ith the Fringe ere reduced hen .rian (c(aster took over the reins
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as artistic director in 1991. This as probabl# a prudent step.
The Than&less %ob of the Artistic Director
The ti"e and effort that is attributable to fund?raising "ust be disheartening for an# director
hose soul lies in the art rather than in ad"inistrative functions and the inevitable politics. It
arguabl# "akes it a thankless taskC e should all be grateful for the ork that the# put in'
notithstanding that individual progra""es "a# not necessaril# s$uare ith our on
desires.
The Edinburgh Fringe
It is fitting to co""ence b# giving details of those original eight groups that appeared
uninvited at the inaugural festival in 1947 and did their on thingI >lasgo Dnit# Theatre
(>ork#6s The Lower /e!ths and The Laird * Torwatletie b# 7obert (ac8ellan < both at
the %leasance)C 5hristine Arr %la#ers of Edinburgh (Mac(eth at the M(50)C Edinburgh
%eoples6 Theatre (Thnder Roc# b# 7obert 0rdle# at the %leasance)C Edinburgh &istrict
5o""unit# &ra"a 0ssociation (The -natomist b# ,a"es .ridie at the %leasance)C %ilgri"
%la#ers (Eliot6s The Family Renion and Mrder in the %athedral at the >atea# Theatre in
8eith 9alk)C Edinburgh 5ollege of 0rt Theatre >roup (Easter b# :trindberg at the M(50)C
a series of short puppet pla#s ((anchester (arionette Theatre in the restaurant of the 3e
Hictoria 5ine"a in 5lerk :t.' subse$uentl# the Adeon)C and a production of the "oralit# pla#
E)eryman in &unfer"line 5athedral' sponsored b# the 5arnegie Trust.
:i@ of the eight co"panies ere :cottish and the Fringe < hich did not #et have that na"e
< as knon as the se"i official ele"ent of the festival.
The histor# of the Fringe needs to be vieed fro" a nu"ber of perspectivesI its general
organic groth' including the necessar# logistical and ad"inistrative processesC the obvious
and so"eti"es $uirk# venues that have been usedC "ost i"portantl#' the art for"s that it has
supported over the #earsC relations ith the EIFC its reputationC and the ine@orable spreading
of fringe theatre and festival concepts.
The Fringe +rganisation
%erfor"ing groups operated totall# independentl# in the earl# #ears. The first sign of an#
co""unal activit# occurred in 19)1 hen Edinburgh Dniversit# students opened a drop?in
centre at 1) 4addington %lace. This as used b# "an# Fringe perfor"ers as it provided
cheap food and a bed for the night.
It as 19)4 before Fringe groups held their first "eeting to discuss the possibilit# of
orking together. N9e are cutting each other6s throatsO as a $uote fro" one of the groups.
It as the logistics' the non?perfor"ance aspects that the# sa as a proble" and the
establish"ent of a !oint bo@ office and publicit# vehicle ere given high priorit#. The first
Fringe progra""e as produced in this #ear b# 5. ,. 5ousland' an Edinburgh printer.
In the folloing #ear Edinburgh Dniversit# students set up a central bo@ office and a cafF in
a part of the Ald 5ollege. 4oever' not all of the 1= groups on the Fringe that #ear "ade use
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of the facilities and the bo@ office lost "one#.
Eventuall#' the Festival Fringe :ociet# as set up in 19)9. 0 constitution as dran up'
stating that elected officers should oversee the running of a bo@ office' produce a progra""e
brochure that ould include ever# event that as not on the International Festival' and run a
club here perfor"ers could "eet' eat' drink until late' and generall# feel involved. The first
president as (ichael I"ison of the A@ford Theatre >roup.
0listair (offat (Fringe ad"inistrator 197+?19/1) states N0s a direct result of the ishes of
the participants' the :ociet# had been set up to help the perfor"ers that co"e to Edinburgh
and to pro"ote the" collectivel# to the public. It did not co"e together so that groups could
be vetted' or invited' or in so"e a# artisticall# vetted. 9hat as perfor"ed and ho it as
done as left entirel# to each Fringe groupO.
0t the 19)9 festival the first Fringe club' bo@ office and infor"ation bureau opened in the
M(50 in :outh 0ndre :treet. There ere 19 groups that #ear' along ith the first
"ur"urings that the Fringe "a# be getting too bigB In 19+1 hen =4 groups ere e@pected
the Dniversit# co"plained that their telephone s#ste" as struggling to handle Fringe?
related phone calls and the# urged the installation of a Fringe phone. 0round this ti"e ,i"
>allagher' the first publicit# secretar#' rote JFringe ithout Tears6 in hich he listed the
various pitfalls and proble"s hich Fringe groups ere likel# to encounter in Edinburgh.
The :ociet# as run b# volunteers' "aking a s"all surplus "ost #ears during the 19+*s.
4oever' as the Fringe continued to gro it beca"e clear that this as rapidl# beco"ing an
unsustainable s#ste"' and that professional staff ould have to be e"plo#ed. 0 decision as
"ade in 19+9 to turn the Festival Fringe :ociet# into a li"ited co"pan#' at hich point there
ere )7 groups and 1** shos. %ublic funding as sought to set up an office.
It as apparent that the Fringe could not be run b# co""ittee and at the annual general
"eeting in 197* the groups de"anded an 0d"inistrator. ,ohn (illigan' ho had orked for
the 0rts 5ouncil' took up the post at the beginning of 1971. 0lthough it as initiall#
thought of as a part?ti"e role' it $uickl# beca"e apparent that it as ithout doubt a full?
ti"e occupation. &uring his tenure the Fringe produced "onthl# bulletins and booklets to
help prospective groups ith the "#riad of non?artistic ite"s that the# needed to take care
of' e.g. getting a te"porar# licence for the pre"ises in hich the# intended to perfor" if the
pre"ises did not have a per"anent licence ("ost venues did not).
In 1971 0llen 9right' 0rts Editor of the :cots"an' and Ian Tho"son of the Fringe %ublicit#
&epart"ent ca"e up ith the idea of Fringe First 0ards. The ob!ective as to attract
attention to ne pla#s that needed publicit#. Three critics fro" The :cots"an had to agree
that a Fringe First as "erited for a pla#. 4) ne pla#s ere pre"iered in 197= and 1*
aards ere "ade.
0listair (offat' ho took over as 0d"inistrator in 197+' succeeded in getting a "uch higher
profile for the Fringe' "anaging to agree sponsorship deals ith local fir"s' particularl#
breeries' and inaugurating Fringe :unda# (an opportunit# for perfor"ers to advertise their
ares to the public). 5lai"s that the Fringe as the Festival began to appear' no doubt
touted b# so"ehat biased advocates of the Fringe and egged on b# the "edia. &uring
(offat6s tenure the Fringe gre rapidl# to 494 groups in 19/1' a groth that sa a si"ilar
proliferation in the nu"ber of venues. Fringe :unda# as introduced in 19/1. The idea as
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that Fringe groups could advertise their ares b# perfor"ing free snippets fro" their shos
for punters. The popularit# of this concept lead to it being "oved to 4ol#rood %ark in 19/=
here it as soon attracting 4*'*** people.
(offat as succeeded in 19/1 b# (ichael &ale. 4is tenure sa the arrival of the first super?
venuesI 0sse"bl# 7oo"s' %leasance' >ilded .alloon and the 5ircuit (hich no longer
e@ists). 4e totall# reva"ped the appearance and la#out of the progra""e and orked to get
the Fringe accepted as an integral part of the co""ercial and tourist life of Edinburgh.
(hairi (acken-ie?7obinson' ho took over in 19/+' oversa the necessar# fund?raising to
finance the "ove to the :ociet#6s current location at 1/* 4igh :t. in 19//. There ere 4
full?ti"e staff at this ti"e' supple"ented b# "an# te"porar# staff in and around festival
ti"e. In the folloing #ear the Fringe as threatened b# a dispute hich led to a strike b#
the council office staff ho issue te"porar# theatre licences. 8ast "inute discussions
fortunatel# averted the crisis ith 1* da#s to go.
In 1991 the Fringe belatedl# !oined the 1*
th
centur# hen it discovered co"puter?based
booking s#ste"sB This alloed bookings to be "ade at satellite locations such as
9aterstone6s bookshop in >eorge :t. Eventuall#' the age of online booking via the Internet
arrived as the 11
st
centur# daned.
4ilar# :trong arrived in 1994 at a ti"e of intense debate about the si-e of the Fringe and its
open?door polic#. The ter" N0d"inistratorO disappeared' being replaced b# N&irectorO.
This change caused occasional sniping fro" so"e EIF protagonists ho e$uated it ith
N0rtistic &irectorO. :trong as folloed b# %aul >udgin in 1999' and the Fringe6s
ine@orable groth continued. 4e in turn as succeeded in ,une 1**7 b# ,on (organ.
Dnfortunatel#' (organ6s arrival signalled the start of the "ost cala"itous period in the
Fringe6s histor#. 0 ne bo@ office s#ste" had been procured' an i""ature softare s#ste"
that appeared to have functionalit# issues and one that had not been ade$uatel# tested. The
proble"s "anifested the"selves as soon as the bo@ office as opened in ,une 1**/. %unters
e@perienced difficulties hen booking hile there ere also ticket printing proble"s. 0fter
battling to resolve the proble"s the Fringe eventuall# ad"itted defeat in late ,ul# hen the#
decided to "ake use of the HI0 s#ste" that as used b# the super?venues. %ost "orte"
revies ere co""issioned but (organ' ho probabl# inherited so"e of the proble"s'
dutifull# fell on his sord' resigning at the end of the 1**/ festival.
The Fringe decided to revert to an ad"inistrator' to be called 5hief E@ecutive' thus dropping
an# pretence of the need for artistic e@perience. Eath (ainland as appointed to the post in
earl# 1**9. The accounts for 1**/?1**9 shoed the disastrous effect of the bo@ office
debacle ith the balance sheet shoing liabilities of ;+71E against assets of ;4/E.
The period since the debacle of 1**/ has seen a stead# recover# in the Fringe6s fortunes
e@cept for the de"ise of Fringe :unda# in 1**9 after the failure to attract a sponsor for an
event hich as costing in the region of ;7*k to stage. This period has also seen the super?
venues atte"pting to fle@ their "uscles' principall# b# tr#ing to get the concept of a co"ed#
festival launched. The# have clai"ed (or should that be the# have protested2) that such a
festival ould still be part of the Fringe but these clai"s have been treated ith a fair degree
of c#nicis". In truth' it is all so"ehat acade"ic hile the# continue to fail to attract a
sponsor for a co"ed# festival and the prevailing econo"ic cli"ate is unlikel# to assist their
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efforts in the short ter".
(eanhile' the debacle in 1**/ had convinced the Fringe that it as ti"e to revie' and
here necessar#' a"end its constitution. 0 co""ittee as set up in 1**9' led b# riter and
actor %ip Dtton' and it spent over a #ear orking on the pro!ect. 0 series of livel# and
occasionall# acri"onious public sessions eventuall# cul"inated in an e@traordinar# "eeting
in Edinburgh on 3ove"ber 11st' 1*1*. 0t this "eeting it as decided that the folloing
changes should be "ade to the constitutionI no artificial cap on the nu"ber of "e"bers of
the Fringe :ociet# or restrictions on the criteria for "e"bershipC a RparticipantsG councilR to
be created for artists' producers and pro"oters to help tackle "a!or issues and lobb# the
board ? it ill co"prise a "a@i"u" of 11 societ# "e"bers' ith four each fro" "e"bers
ho are perfor"ers' producers of Fringe shos or are no"inated b# a registered fringe
venueC the "ake?up of the board ill be four perfor"er "e"bers' four "e"bers no"inated
b# venues and four "e"bers ho have Nan interest in the furtherance of the charitable
ob!ectives of the societ#OC the board ill be able to co?opt a further four directors to "ake up
for an# skills gap. 5ouncil and board "e"bers ill be elected b# all "e"bers of the Fringe.
To give so"e idea of the current si-e of the Fringe' the organisationGs $uoted statistics for the
1*1= festival include 4)'4+4 perfor"ances of 1'/71 shos. It is b# far the largest festival on
the planet.
In su""ar#' the Fringe has beco"e organised in the logistical sense but it is still anarchic' or
do I "ean that it adheres to the principles of the free "arket2 N0n#bod# can appear if the#
can dru" up the "one# for the venue and other related e@penses. :tudents still co"e in their
droves (.ritish and foreign)' groups fro" all over the orld ho are attracted b# the
reputation of the Fringe. (an# ill lose "one# on the venture but that ill not stop the"
co"ing' as the# seek fa"e and fortune' or at least to be able to put it on their 5HO.
Assistance for Fringe !artici'ants
It should be clear fro" the previous section that various initiatives have been instigated fro"
the earl# 19)*s onards to help Fringe participants to cope ith the "#riad of issues that
need to be tackled in order to put a sho on in Edinburgh. 0s the Fringe got bigger so those
difficulties increased.
Eventuall#' in the "id?199*s the Fringe :ociet# produced initial versions of The Fringe
>uide to &oing a :ho and The Fringe >uide to :elling a :ho. 7evised versions have
periodicall# been published in subse$uent #ears and the# are re$uired reading for an# ould?
be perfor"er or perfor"ing co"pan#' covering basics such as budgets' venues' legal
re$uire"ents' acco""odation' "edia S "arketing and Fringe facilities. 0dditional guides
cover 5hoosing a Henue and 7egistering a :ho.
The Fringe :ociet#6s %articipant &evelop"ent provides a nu"ber of "ore general guides (all
9ord docu"ents)I %articipants >uide to the 0rts Industr#' 3etorking' Fundraising and
Touring.
:ince the turn of the centur# the Fringe :ociet# has run a nu"ber of roadshos around
,anuar# and Februar# each #ear' "ostl# in the DE but ith a couple held further afield. In
late 1*1= and earl# 1*14 there are currentl# plans for roadshos in 3e Mork' 0delaide'
8eicester' Arlando' 8ondon and Edinburgh. The# are part guidance and part %7 and
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"arketing.
0rguabl#' the "ost co"prehensive guidance for ould?be participants hich has so far
been produced is b# (ark Fisher' the !ournalist and critic. The Edinburgh Fringe :urvival
>uide' as published in earl# 1*11. It covers all aspects of putting a sho on fro" the
interesting artistic aspects to the boring bureaucratic but essential ele"ents. 4e folloed this
up b# running a successful sho at the 1*11 Fringe hich featured guests fro" all areas of
the Fringe ho ere each able to relate their e@periences.
)enues
3o histor# of the Fringe ould be co"plete ithout a brief "ention of the venuesC there
ere reputedl# 17= in 1*1= although this probabl# refers to the nu"ber of perfor"ing spaces
hich is not the sa"e thing as the nu"ber of venues. In essence' use is "ade of ever#
conceivable space fro" proper theatres (Traverse)' custo"?"ade theatres ((usic 4all in the
0sse"bl# 7oo"s)' to lecture theatres (%leasance and >eorge :$uare)' other universit# roo"s
and spaces' (disused) church halls' schools' the back of a ta@i' a public toilet on one
occasion' a flat in the 3e Ton or even in #our on ho"e S place of rest.
In the 19)*s and 19+*s there as t#picall# one hall per group. :haring then beca"e popular
as a "eans of cutting costs ith a single perfor"ing space being used for up to + or 7
different shos per da#. :uper?venues ith "an# perfor"ing spaces' such as 0sse"bl#
7oo"s' %leasance and >ilded .alloon' took this idea further in the earl# 19/*s. The 5ircuit'
a no defunct super?venue' ca"e to set up a tented NvillageO (including one space ith roo"
for 4** punters) at the previousl# "entioned N4ole in The >roundO' here the :altire
co"ple@' hich no houses the Traverse' as subse$uentl# built.
The ranks of the super?venues graduall# e@panded ith the groth of 5 and the rapid rise in
the earl# 1***s of Dnderbell#.
(eanhile' 0sse"bl# 7oo"s beca"e knon as 0sse"bl# (or 0sse"bl# Theatre) as it
added other venues' "ost notabl# the Free 5hurch of :cotland head$uarters hich it called
0sse"bl# on the (ound. %lans b# the cit# council to carr# out a "a!or refurbish"ent of the
0sse"bl# 7oo"s building ere vigorousl# opposed b# 0sse"bl#' as it ould have "eant
that the building ould be closed for 1/ "onths and it ould ulti"atel# end up ith less
space due to the proposed creation of shops and a restaurant. The cit# council eventuall#
"anaged to get the go?ahead for a reduced refurbish"ent pro!ect and the venue as
unavailable in 1*11.
The bad blood that as engendered b# this prolonged episode led to the council agreeing to
The :tand (another venue) using the venue at festival ti"e for three #ears (1*11?1*14).
0sse"bl# "oved its head$uarters to >eorge :$uare in 1*11 and presu"abl# ill re"ain
there' at least in the short ter".
Art For$s
Dntil 1**/' hen co"ed# overtook it for the first ti"e' dra"a had been the do"inant art
for" since the inception of the Fringe in 1947. 8ooking over the lifespan of the Festival' it is
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also generall# agreed that the Fringe has served dra"a so"ehat better than the EIF. It has
been responsible for "an# seldo" produced orks and "an# ne pla#s. Ee# "o"ents have
includedI the pre"iere of To" :toppard6s Rosencrant5 and 0ildenstern -re /ead b# the
A@ford Theatre >roup in 19++ hich fe raved over at the ti"eC 5o""unicado6s %yrano
de Bergerac (1991)C Moscow Stations ith To" 5ourtne# (1994)C the 3ational Theatre of
:cotlandGs Blac# 2atch (1**+)C and Mies 4lie (1*11).
0part fro" individual pla#s' there are several strands that have contributed to the success of
dra"a over the #ears.
Firstl#' there as the birth and subse$uent floering of the Traverse Theatre (as described in
the ne@t section). It is the stalart of dra"a on the Fringe' indeed on the Festival as a hole.
:econdl#' there have been a nu"ber of co"panies that have brought $ualit# productions to
Edinburgh consistentl#' includingI the 8ondon 5lub Theatre >roup (19)*s)' 7I/4 :cotland
(197*s)' 3ational :tudent Theatre 5lub (197*s and various other periods)' 5o""unicado
(19/*s and 199*s)' 7ed :hift (199*s)' and >rid Iron "ore recentl#.
Thirdl#' there is the creature that is the one?"an (or o"an) sho. 9hile the concept "a#
not have been created in Edinburgh' although it ould naturall# clai" it' it has undoubtedl#
beco"e its ho"e. The "ain attraction fro" the perfor"er6s side is that ever# actor has a
favourite personalit# that she could readil# turn into a sho. The fact that it is relativel# eas#
to set up and has "ini"al overheads gives it great appeal. Fro" the punter6s perspective'
hile these shos are seldo" v#ing for five star ratings' the# are generall# en!o#able and
ell?acted' and i"portantl#' the# can generall# be relied upon. Earl# e@a"ples of the genre
includedI Elspeth &ouglas 7eid doing her *ne 2oman Theatre (19))) and ,ohn 5airne#6s
.urns sho There was a Man (19+)). (ore recent e@a"ples have includedI Eileen %age6s
Eleanor of -"itaine1 >areth 0r"strong6s Shyloc#1 %ip Dtton6s -dolf and *nly the Lonely
(about a look?a?like 7o# Arbison)' >eorge Telfor6s a"using and poignant 0ielgd6 a 'night
in the Theatre1 Ta" &ean .urn6s Vens as a Boy' ,ustin .utcher6s spellbinding
Scaramoche 4ones' >erard 8ogan6s e@cellent The Ra!e of Lcrece. and 8uc# EllinsonGs
co"pelling 0ronded.
0longside dra"a' co"ed# is the other "ainsta# of the Fringe. 0lthough the International
Festival put on late evening co"ed# revues starting in the late fifties' the# ere eventuall#
seen to be so"ehat staid' si"ilar to est?end revues' hile the Fringe as seen as "ore
innovative. The notable e@ception to this as the EIFGs Beyond the Fringe. :tudent theatre
groups started adding late night revues to supple"ent their "ore serious offerings. (an#
na"es ca"e through this route fro" the late 19)*s up to the earl# 19/*sI &udle# (oore'
0lan .ennett' (ichael %alin and Terr# ,ones (all A@ford )C The 5a"bridge Footlights turned
out 7ichard E#re (subse$uentl# director of 3ational Theatre)' Eric Idle' >rae"e >arden'
7oan 0tkinson' :tephen Fr#' 4ugh 8aurie' and E""a Tho"pson.
(ention "ust be "ade of the renoned TheTtre de 5o"plicitF (no si"pl# 5o"plicite).
The# appeared on the Fringe in 19/)' perfor"ing More Bigger Snac#s +ow and - Minte
Too LateC the latter as ver# successfull# perfor"ed again in 1**) ith the original actors at
the 3ational Theatre in 8ondon. The# on the %errier 0ard' hich had been going since
19/1 and as given to the revue that put "ost Nfi--O and NsparkleO into the Fringe. 9hile I
a" a big fan of 5o"plicite' I a" not sure hich I find the "ore surreal < the fact that the#
on the %errier in 19/) in the first place < or that an#bod# but the" has ever on it2 9hile
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on the sub!ect of eccentric' off?beat hu"our "ention should also be "ade of the 3ational
Theatre of .rent ho have appeared periodicall# on the Fringe. It is difficult to kno ho to
describe the" ? a skit on the theatre pla#ed as panto"i"e possibl#.
:ince the "id 19/*s co"ed# has beco"e a general free?for?all ith "an# co"edians using it
as a platfor" to tr# to "ake it into the big ti"e. The standard can be ver# variable and the
hu"our ver# generation specific. This host of NannabesO tends to be interspersed ith
periodic appearances b# established perfor"ers such as %aul (erton' 7or# .re"ner and .ill
.aile#.
Ather art for"s are included in the Fringe' albeit the# are not as popular as dra"a and
co"ed#. %uppets ere there in 1947. Ather art for"s did not appear until the "id?late 19+*s
hen 8indsa# Ee"p gave "i"e and dance perfor"ances. &ance and %h#sical Theatre has
had a variable histor# in ter"s of popularit#' co"ing and going in aves. It has recentl#
en!o#ed a period of popularit#' particularl# hile the 0urora 3ova venue (alias :t. :tephen6s
5hurch) as in e@istence. (usic of all t#pes has a ver# large shoing on the Fringe although
it see"s to arrant little attention in the "edia' particularl# outside :cotland.
Finall#' "ention should be "ade of those groups fro" other shores that have appeared at the
Fringe. The first 0"erican group ca"e in 19++C it had the so"ehat indigestible title of The
Dniversit# of :outhern 5alifornia :chool of %erfor"ing 0rts &ra"a &epart"ent Festival.
Ather 0"erican groups soon folloed. 3oada#s' the# co"e in large nu"bers' especiall#
school groups. Ather groups that spring readil# to "ind includeI 9iers-alin (%oland) ith
their i"aginative use of statuesC and Theatre 5redo (.ulgaria) ith its onderfull# inventive
version of >ogol6s The 0reat *)ercoat. 7ichard &e"arco' a co?founder of The Traverse'
ho set up his on galler# in 19++' subse$uentl# strove "ore than an#bod# else over the
#ears to bring an international di"ension to the Fringe at this and other venues.
Relations #ith the International Festival
In the earl# #ears "an# people on the Fringe ere looking for acceptance b# the official
festival' probabl# seeking integration ith it. 4oever' the International Festival did not
ant to integrate ith it' seeing the Fringe purel# as co"ple"entar# to the official festival.
The "e"bers of the EIF board tended to be particularl# insistent that no other perfor"ances
should detract fro" its on progra""e. In fairness' individuals at the artistic level ere
"uch "ore likel# to vie the Fringe s#"patheticall#.
It has been said that the battleground as dra"a. In fact' there as no battle here. 0s
"entioned previousl#' EIF artistic directors see"ed to sho little interest in this art for".
9ith several notable e@ceptions' such as The Thrie Estaites' their offerings ere all too often
staid and dull. This left a #aning chas" for the Fringe to fill hich the# "anaged to do. It
as "uch "ore adventurous' fre$uentl# putting on seldo" perfor"ed orks and ne pla#s.
The Fringe also "anaged to "onopolise the late evenings < the EIF as largel# a da#ti"e
and earl# evening activit# in the for"ative #ears. It did this b# introducing late night revues'
the first taking place in 19)1 hen the 3e &ra"a >roup put on -fter the Show. Dniversit#
groups soon latched on to this' ith the likes of 3ed :herrin riting revues. 0s discussed in
the EIF section' the International Festival eventuall# started to co"pete in this area' leading
ulti"atel# to Beyond the Fringe in 19+*.
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7elations ith the EIF continued to be periodicall# fractious right through to the end of the
19/*s. It is arguabl# reasonable to sa# that .rian (c(aster6s decision not to co"pete ith
the Fringe' even if this as fro" a so"ehat superior stance' led to a reduction in hostilit#.
The position toda# is one of tacit acceptance of each other. The EIF continues to consider
that it holds the artistic high ground hile the Fringe tends to rest content in the knoledge
that in ter"s of si-e it darfs the International Festival.
Re'utation
The Fringe has engendered "uch debate in the serious "edia over the #earsI so"e love it
and so"e hate it. This as personified several #ears ago hen the >uardian dra"a critics'
(ichael .illington and 8#n >ardner' did a Ngood cop bad copO routine. .illington e@pressed
his horror of the ine@orable groth of the Fringe so that it no darfed the International
Festival. 9hereas the Fringe once co"ple"ented the International festival' albeit
precariousl#' it as no a grotes$uel# outsi-ed and highl# co""ercialised beast that
sa"ped the International Festival. 4e criticised the poer of the super?venues and their
inevitable pla#ing safe. 8#n (the good cop) pla#ed on the thrill of the chase' the !o# of
finding those golden nuggets' of first co"ing across 5o"plicite' The 7ight :i-e' :teven
.erkoff and >rid Iron' of her first e@posure to international ork' e.g. &ario Fo' %hillipe
>aullier and the 0bbe# Theatre of &ublin. I veer "uch "ore to 8#n6s ca"p.
The Fringe has pla#ed a part in the success of "an# actors and co"edians over the #ears'
although as 0listair (offat said N(an# highl# successful perfor"ers first "ade a critical
success on the Fringe' but it ould be fatuous to clai" that the Fringe "ade an#one6s career.
0ll it did' and does' as to provide a platfor" for an#one ho' if the# are good enough' can
en!o# national' and even international' critical and popular acclai"O.
+ther Fringes
The concepts of fringe theatre and fringe festivals have been freel# adopted in various parts
of the orld.
The 0delaide Fringe began in 19+*' fringe activities in .righton fro" 19+7' Ed"onton in
19/1 and Hancouver in 19/4. In recent ti"es' 8ondon and &ublin have both got in on the act
but the real groth area is in the D:0 and 5anada. 4ere is a list of fringe festivals.
Traverse Theatre
UU 3ote ? ,o#ce (c(illan' dra"a critic at The :cots"an' presented an e@cellent progra""e
on the histor# of the Traverse on ..5 7adio = on (arch 17th' 1*1=. It is available via the
..5 i%la#er for the foreseeable future.
9ith regard to dra"a The Traverse' Edinburgh6s on repertor# theatre' pla#s a pivotal role
in the Festival. It stages around 11 shos each #ear' co"prising to of its on productions
hile hosting the re"ainder. It tends to provide an overall seal of $ualit# if such a thing is
possible on the Fringe. 0 case can ironicall# be "ade that it breaks the spirit of the Fringe
here' in theor#' an# co"pan# can take part. 4oever' the festival' as a hole' ould be
"uch di"inished ithout its co""anding presence.
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&escribed as Nthe Fringe venue that got aa#O' the Traverse surfaced in the earl# 19+*s out
of a co""on desire a"ong a core set of individuals to "aintain the spirit of the festival in
Edinburgh for the rest of the #ear. Harious ideas ere floated' including a galler# space and
a bookshop' as ell as a theatre. :o"e of the original pla#ers ho ere involved includeI
,i" 4a#nes' a soft?spoken' rela@ed' genial 0"erican. 4e loved Edinburgh and the Festival
but hated provincialis". 4e had bought a !unk shop in 5harles :treet' and opened it
as a paperback bookshop
7ichard &e"arco as an Edinburgh art teacher ho hated teaching but loved organising
e@hibitions and as passionate for a vibrant Edinburgh life outside the Festival
To" (itchell as a designer and propert# developer fro" 3orthern England ho as in
love ith the actress Ta"ara 0lferoff ho lived in Edinburgh. 4e had bought the
:phin@ club in ,a"es 5ourt (off the 8an"arket)' for"erl# a doss?house and brothel
knon as Eell#6s %aradise. 4is original intention had been to convert it into studios
and flats for struggling artists
,ohn (alcol"' an actor appearing in a Fringe production at 4a#nes6 bookshop
,ohn 5alder ho organised the EIF6s 9riter6s and &ra"a 5onferences in the earl# 19+*s'
and beca"e Ninfa"ousO for the nude "odel scene in a pla# at the &ra"a 5onference
and :heila 5olvin ho ent on to beco"e 0ssociate &irector of the International Festival.
5a"bridge Dniversit# Theatre 5o. had rung &e"arco in 19+1' looking for a Fringe venue.
The :phin@ 5lub as eventuall# used. It as around this ti"e that 4a#nes and &e"arco
ere pushing the idea of a general "eeting place. 4oever' (alcol" sa it as a theatre and
he "anaged to persuade (itchell to use the club for this purpose.
Terr# 8ane ' an actor S director and friend of (alcol"' beca"e involved. The available
theatre space consisted of a long narro roo"' onl# 1) feet ide and / feet high. 8ane6s idea
as to have to banks of seating at either end of the roo" ith the pla#ing space in the
"iddle. 4e thought that this arrange"ent as called Traverse' hen in fact it as called
Transverse.
It as decided that the Traverse should be a private "e"bers club' as this ould "ake life
easier on several frontsI fire regulations' licensing' and "ost i"portantl# it ould help to
steer clear of the 8ord 5ha"berlain6s office (the official censor of .ritish theatre fro" 1/14
until its eventual de"ise in 19+/). &e"arco appointed hi"self as recruit"ent agent and =**
"e"bers ere $uickl# recruited at a guinea < half?price for students.
The Traverse opened on a cold night in earl# ,anuar# 19+= to a capacit# audience of +*
invited guests ith perfor"ances of :artre6s 7is %los and Fernando 0rrabal6s *risons. In
the second perfor"ance actress 5olette A63eil as accidentall# stabbed on stage ith a
paper knife. :he Nal"ost bled to deathO' hich brought tre"endous publicit# ith the result
that bookings soared and the "e"bership rapidl# gre to 1'***.
In the first three and a half #ears of its e@istence the Traverse put on 11* productions. Its
success as greatl# helped b# the fact that during the Festival "an# of the great and the
good of the theatre orld visited this s"all #et inti"ate space. In 19+) it produced (acbeth
for the International Festival' the first of si@ appearances on the EIF (19+)?+/' 1979 and
19/+).
The success of the earl# #ears as interspersed ith the argu"ents and resignations that are
inevitable a"ong #oung and passionate individuals. (alcol" left !ust before the Traverse
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opened hile 8ane resigned telve "onths later' co"plaining about the Na"ateursO. 0fter a
si@ "onth stint fro" 5alu" (ill (actor and director)' ,i" 4a#nes took over as artistic
director in addition to his duties as chair"an. 4is fortF as the abilit# to be an e@cellent
front of house "an' representing the club to the press and public ith his laidback all things
are possible persona. 4oever' he as not a tea" pla#er and after financial proble"s and
the failure to deliver a presentable production at the 5o""onealth 0rts Festival in 19+) he
eventuall# resigned in 19++ over his atte"pted appoint"ent of a friend and associate' ,ack
4enr# (oore. >ordon (c&ougall folloed (19++?19+/) to stead# the ship after the thrills
and spills of the 4a#nes era' and he as succeeded b# (a@ :tafford?5lark (19+/?7*) ho
as dedicated to the idea of the Traverse as an e@peri"ental theatre. 4e anted a "ore
leisurel# %eter .rook st#le "ethod of orking ith long ter" research' needless to sa# a
"ore e@pensive approach.
0n 0rts 5ouncil capital grant had co"e through for building i"prove"ents but a surve#or6s
report in (arch 19+9 indicated that the internal floors ere unsafe' and that the building as
unsuitable for use as a theatre or restaurant. This precipitated a "ove to the botto" of 9est
.o here there as roo" for 1** seats. This coincided ith the arrival of (ichael
7ud"an (197*?7=) ho as older than previous incu"bents and "ore "ature at the grand
old age of =1. 4e as the first orthodo@ artistic director. 0 Te@an ho as good at getting
publicit#' he had a keen and discri"inating e#e for "arketable talent' audience preferences'
and visiting productions that ould strike a chord.
The 197*s as a period of uncertaint# hen financial proble"s' co"pounded b# the
inflation of the "id?197*s' sa the Traverse threatened ith closure. An the artistic front'
the latter half of the 197*s sa an e"phasis on :cottish pla#s fro" ne riters on orking
class the"es of aggression and hidden tenderness. The first half of the 19/*s as punctuated
b# successful festivals' interspersed ith periods of darkness during the inter "onths' a
state of affairs that did not please the 0rts 5ouncil hose ;1**'*** subsid# in 19/1
a"ounted to +)Q of inco"e. .# 19/7 the &istrict 5ouncil as giving ;4*'***.
To "a!or events took place in the late 19/*s and earl# 199*s. 0t the end of 19/7 the club
as ound up and the Traverse beca"e a theatre co"pan#. In 1991 the infa"ous N4ole in
the >roundO hich had been "ooted as a possible site for the Festival Theatre ulti"atel#
beca"e the :altire 5ourt co"ple@' pri"aril# an office develop"ent ith the 0triu" and
.lue .ar restaurants' but "ost i"portantl# it provided a ne ho"e for the Traverse'
incorporating to theatre spaces and a onderfull# at"ospheric bar.
The artistic polic# up to the "id 199*s had to "ain strandsI the develop"ent of :cottish
ork ith :cottish actorsC and the search for the best international ne riters. 8atterl#' the
"ission state"ent has been to focus on ne :cottish riting. 0t festival ti"e the Traverse is
the first port of call for dra"a enthusiasts. &uring the 1*1= festival 1= productions fro" a
variet# of co"panies ere staged at the Traverse.
Edinburgh International Boo& Festival
9ith the encourage"ent of the International Festival a co""ittee as for"ed under 8ord
.alfour of .urleigh to organise a book fair ith funding fro" the :cottish 0rts 5ouncil.
The first fair took place in 19/= and as an instant success ith 11* authors attending'
including ,ohn Dpdike and 0nthon# .urgess. N(eet the authorO events' and the inspired
decision to have a children6s fair' attracted =*'*** visitors. The fair beca"e a festival' held
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bienniall# until 1997 hen its groing popularit# arranted the transition to an annual
event. 3ick .arle#' appointed in Actober 1**9' is the si@th festival director' succeeding
5atherine 8ockerbie ho occupied the role for nine #ears.
The 17 da# festival is sited in 5harlotte :$uare >ardens at the estern end of >eorge :treet'
converting it into a tented village for the duration. The 1*1* festival' ith an attendance of
circa 11)'***' boasted of appearances b# over /** authors' poets' illustrators' !ournalists and
politicians. 4igh profile debates have been introduced in recent #ear on sub!ects such as
terroris" and "ulti?cultural .ritain to supple"ent the staple diet of N"eet the authorO and
author reading sessions. The the"e for 1*11 as Nrethinking the orld around usO. Tickets
for the "ore popular authors can be sold?out ver# $uickl#' so"eti"es ithin a couple of
hours of going on sale in ,une.
In 1*1* 3n(ond as introduced. This is a free late night progra""e of perfor"ance' "usic
and literature hich is produced in association ith The :kinn#' the Edinburgh arts
"aga-ine.
0n inaugural Edinburgh 9orld 9riters6 5onference as held during the 1*11 festival in
partnership ith the .ritish 5ouncil. )* authors fro" 1) countries discussed the role of
fiction in the orld toda#.
Edinburgh International Fil$ Festival
The Edinburgh Fil" >uild' established in 19=*' as responsible for the creation of the
festival hich no clai"s to be the longest continuall# running fil" festival in the orld.
The original ai" as to present unusual fil"s that ere not usuall# seen in ordinar#
cine"as. In 1947 the eeklong festival concentrated on docu"entaries. It e@panded rapidl#
in the folloing #ear' shoing in e@cess of 1** fil"s fro" 1) countries over three eeks'
e@tending be#ond docu"entaries. E@pansion continued in 19)* ith 17* fil"s fro" 14
countries' including 14 feature fil"s and ) pre"ieres. 5lassics in the earl# #ears included
7obert Flahert#Gs Loisiana Story' 7oberto 7osselliniGs 0ermany 8ear 9ero' ,ac$ues Tati6s
4or de F:te and Een!i (i-oguchiGs 3gets Monogatari. It $uickl# beca"e a "eeting place
for directors and producers. The earl# 19)*s sa the introduction of education and children6s
fil"s < 7 in 19)). 0 "aga-ine entitled NThe 8iving 5ine"aO as introduced in the inter of
19)+. In the folloing #ear a "ilestone as reached ith the appoint"ent of 5alu" (ill as
the first director' previousl# there had onl# been honorar# officials and part?ti"e orkers
ith one full?ti"e official. 0round this ti"e' the festival as e@tended in scope Nto recognise
and encourage all ne ideas and develop"ents hich contribute to a vital and vigorous
cine"aO.
0s the #ears ent b# the festival as faced ith issues including Nco""ercialis" versus
artO and the danger of publicit# that surrounded star na"es' including authors and directors.
&uring the 19+*s' retrospectives ere introduced hen the festival re?evaluated and paid
tribute to the diverse talents of the likes of ,ohn 4uston' :a" Fuller' and &ouglas :irk. The
advent of the 197*s heralded financial crisesI in 1971 it as rescued b# Edinburgh
5orporation and the :cottish Fil" 5ouncil. An the artistic front the progra""e in the 197*s
and 19/*s includedI fil"s fro" the 3e >er"an 5ine"a and the ne ave of 0"erican
Independents' ho"age to the "asters of ,apanese 5ine"a' and pioneering studies of black
and fe"inist fil""akers.
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The last ten #ears have seen a strengthening of the critical fortunes of the Festival through
the artistic direction of (ark 5ousins' 8i--ie Francke and :hane &anielsen. :o"e of the
notable fil"s screened in the last fe #ears have includedI Mrs Brown1 The Fll Monty1 La
Vie Re);e des -nges1 Sel %ontre Tos1 Lo)e is the /e)il1 Ratcatcher1 East is East1 Rn Lola
Rn1 Billy Elliot1 -mores $erros1 -m;lie1 1< 8ears of -lcohol1 8ong -dam1 &nfernal
-ffairs1 -merican S!lendor1 Motorcycle /iaries1 and *ld Boy and 7ero.
The 11 da# festival ran fro" "id to late 0ugust' usuall# finishing on the :unda# of the late
su""er public holida# eekend. The 1**) festival as hosted at five "ain venues' three in
Edinburgh and to in >lasgo' co"prising over 1+* ite"s.
In 1**7 the ne artistic director' 4annah (c>ill' took the bold decision to "ove the fil"
festival to ,une' starting in 1**/' in an atte"pt to gain a higher profile. 9hile the first to
#ears ent reasonabl# ell the global financial recession led to the fil" industr# cutting
back on festival appearances and it "a# be that in the current cli"ate the ,une date is too
close to that of 5annes. Ti"e ill tell.
1*11 proved to be a disastrous #ear. It actuall# started ith The 5entre for the (oving
I"age (5(I) assu"ing responsibilit# for the Fil" Festival' the resignation of 4annah
(c>ill in 0ugust 1*1* and the subse$uent failure to find a ne artistic director. 0 series of
announce"ents folloed' each ith a different cast of na"es S roles ho ould be
responsible for the 1*11 progra""e. This onl# served to convince outsiders that the festival
appeared to be rudderless. ,a"es (ullighan eventuall# took charge K arguabl# he dre the
short stra. :o"ehat inevitabl#' the festival as slated b# the critics. In :epte"ber 1*11
>avin (iller' 5EA of 5(I resigned and 5hris Fu!iara' an 0"erican fil" riter' author
and critic' as appointed as the Fil" Festival6s ne artistic director. The 1*11 and 1*1=
festivals ere reasonabl# ell received ith Fu!iara seen as a stead# pair of hands.
Edinburgh %a,, and Blues Festival
This is a 1* da# festival' spread over a do-en venues' hich spans late ,ul# and earl#
0ugust. It usuall# ends around the ti"e that the Fringe starts.
The ,a-- festival started in 0ugust 1979 at the 0delphi .allroo"' 0bbe#hill hich had a
capacit# of )** and as held over a single eekend. In the folloing #ear (ike 4art' the
festival director' approached &r#burghs breer# ith a vie to the" sponsoring the event.
The# agreed to finance perfor"ances in eight pubs around the cit#' ad"ission free' plus a
,a-- band ball that as held in Tiffan#Gs ballroo". This sponsorship arrange"ent continued
until 19/=. 0t this point :cottish .reers ca"e in ith a reduced sponsorship' but the
festival "anaged to continue along si"ilar lines. Eventuall#' econo"ic reasons' including
the appearance of bigger na"es ho obviousl# de"anded larger fees' resulted in the free
venues being taken out and replaced ith pa# venues. Funding over the #ears has co"e fro"
various sources' including a "uch increased figure fro" the 5it# 5ouncil' the 0rts 5ouncil'
and the lotter#' hile heav# use of sponsors continues. :t#listicall#' the Festival has "oved
on to include conte"porar# ,a-- and .lues hile still "aintaining its Traditional base. It
includes education orkshops' e.g. in 1**) the# ere N:ing ,a--O and N%la# ,a--O.
4art anted to "aintain the festivals shocase of lesser knon artistes' so he tried to
provide so"e free or ine@pensive events' i.e. R(ardi >rasR and R,a-- on a :u""er6s &a#R
hich are both held on the first eekend' attracting an audience of 1*'*** people. (ardi
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>ras is a vibrant "usical spectacular that starts at 11.=*p" ith a colourful parade fro" the
5it# 5ha"bers via Hictoria :treet to the >rass"arket' hich provides the setting for three
hours of non?stop "usic. R,a-- on a :u""er6s &a#R attracted a bigger crod than an# other
single !a-- event in the DE. It as set in %rinces :treet >ardens' under the shado of the
5astle' providing an opportunit# to sa"ple the older "usical st#les on offer in the festival.
4oever' the presence of a :piegeltent (0sse"bl# 7oo"s) in the gardens prevented it being
held in 1*1*' and in fact it has not been held since.
The Militar" Tattoo
%ipes and dancing took place on the 5astle Esplanade fro" 1947' the #ear of the first
International Festival. It as eventuall# superseded b# The Edinburgh (ilitar# Tattoo in
19)*. Dnder the direction of .rigadier 0lasdair (aclean' there ere eight ite"s in the first
progra""e. There ere no stands in that first #ear' the audience atching fro" the sides of
the Esplanade. :tands ere erected fro" the folloing #ear' groing to its current si-e hen
it houses an audience of around 9'***. The first overseas regi"ent to participate as the
.and of the 7o#al 3etherlands >renadiers in 19)1' hen there ere also perfor"ers fro"
5anada and France . Aver =* countries have been represented.
%ipes are an integral part of the TattooC there are usuall# ) or + pipe bands each #ear' not
forgetting the lone piper on the castle ra"parts ho traditionall# closes the sho. The "usic
the"e continues ith "ilitar# bands and the choir. &ance includes international perfor"ers'
as ell as the traditional 4ighland dancing. (ilitar# displa#s are e@tre"el# popular'
including co"petitive ele"ents and short dra"atic features' e.g. re?enact"ent of battles'
co"plete ith all the p#rotechnics (including e@plosions).
The Tattoo ver# $uickl# beca"e e@tre"el# popular ith both .ritish and overseas visitors'
eventuall# appearing to sell?out crods ever# #earC the annual audience is circa 117'***. In
1**) tickets ere sold out b# the end of (arch. It is esti"ated that 7*Q of the audience are
non?:cottish' being either English or overseas tourists. (an# further "illions atch the
Tattoo each #ear on international television. The Tattoo as set up and run for charitable
purposes' having gifted over ;) "illion to service and civilian organisations.
Edinburgh Art Festival
0s described in the International Festival section' art e@hibitions had initiall# been a fi@ture
in the International Festival progra""e' the earl# 19)*s arguabl# being the golden period.
4oever' funds ere ithdran in 197= and the visual arts ere relegated to NassociatesO'
i.e. linked to but not directl# part of the International Festival. In "ore recent #ears the
associate tag graduall# disappeared and it began to rel# on The Fringe progra""e to provide
e@ternal advertising of its ares.
The concept of a separate 0rt Festival as first piloted in 1**4 in an atte"pt to provide a
central focus for the visual arts. The Edinburgh 0rt Festival' supported b# the :cottish 0rts
5ouncil' The .ritish 5ouncil and Edinburgh 5it# 5ouncil' represents =*L galleries and runs
fro" late ,ul# to earl# :epte"ber. The# include all the public galleries hich (slightl#
confusingl#) co"e under the auspices of the 3ational >alleries of :cotland all the #ear
round.
The# e"braceI The 7o#al :cottish 0cade"# (at the foot of the (ound)C The 3ational
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>aller# of :cotland (also on the (ound)C The :cottish 3ational %ortrait >aller# (Pueen
:treet)C and the :cottish 3ational >aller# of (odern 0rt (.elford 7oad ? a =*?4* "inute
alk fro" the east end of %rinces :treet or on the no. 1= bus). In addition' there are
nu"erous other s"aller galleries. Af particular note are the 5it# 5entre 0rt >aller# (1
(arket :treet) and the Fruit"arket >aller# (4) (arket :treet)' hile private galleries also
have e@hibitions at festival ti"e.
3otithstanding the banner under hich the visual arts have operated' "a!or e@hibitions
have continued to be put on. 3otable e@hibitions at festival ti"e in recent #ears have
includedI (iro (1991)' >iaco"etti (199+)' (onet (1**=)' &utch (asters (1**4)' The 0ge of
Titian (1**4)' .acon (1**))' (ueck (1**+)' 9arhol (1**7) and I"pressionist >ardens
(1*1*).
and the Future-
Edinburgh 6s great su""er festival feast has entered its seventh decade facing a nu"ber of
threats.
An the financial front the state of the national and global econo"ies ill inevitabl# "ake
sponsors harder to co"e b# and reduce the nu"ber of punters' particularl# those ho travel
to :cotland for the events. The increasing cost of visiting Edinburgh for the festivals < for
both perfor"ers and punters alike ? is onl# likel# to e@acerbate this proble".
The position of the Fringe is one of gradual recover# after the bo@ office debacle in 1**/. Its
current proble"s are its over?bloated si-e < it is si"pl# too largeC and the veiled threat of a
breakaa# co"ed# festival.
9e can onl# hope that all the festivals ill eventuall# sail through these chopp# aters as
the# have done for over si@t# #ears' and that there ill be "uch "ore "aterial to add to their
histor# as 1*47 is approached.
5078A: 08A3:A
InglFs III < ESAD
EXTREMADURA
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