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Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Shorter runs and smaller shows - how the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is changing as costs rise
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When Samia Rida began planning her first year performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her show Kidnap, she found she was unable to make the numbers add up. A recipient of the Keep It Fringe award, which this year handed out £2,500 bursaries to 180 performers, she knows she was in a more privileged position than many. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But she still could not afford to commit to the full, four-week run that has launched many comedians' careers, instead performing for 12 days between July 30 and August 10. Late 'n' Live at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh 'I was eventually offered two options [from venues],' she said. 'One was a full run and one was the run that I'm doing, and I could only afford the shorter run. So it was a no brainer for me.' Comedian Ms Rida, who played GP Sammi on Scottish soap River City in 2009, is keeping costs down by staying with a friend's family. 'I'm thrilled to be able to get there at all, because it felt like a dream at one point,' she said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It was actually intimidating. But it's frustrating. I think it's really sad for who didn't get any funding and just can't take a show up there at all. It's tragic, really, that the arts are segregating people in this way - people who have money and people who don't.' Samia Rida was a recipient of the Keep It Fringe Award. | Samia Rida The increased cost of performing at the Fringe has seen a rising trend in artists opting for shorter runs rather than staying at the event for an entire month. Fringe venues have said while the number of performances held throughout the month remain the same as previous years, the number of different artists performing has risen, due to shared slots and shorter runs. Meanwhile, others have admitted they have more requests for shorter slots than they can fulfil. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It comes against the backdrop of the 2025 programme having 3,352 shows - the second most in the Fringe's history - across 265 venues. Some veteran performers have opted not to attend the Fringe at all this year due to a lack of availability of shorter venue options. Others are cutting corners by self-producing, or turning to friends and contacts to help out - rather than using a major show production company with a bigger budget. Casts and production teams are also getting smaller, with one venue owner warning the event was at risk of becoming a 'one monologue festival'. When planning for this year's Fringe, comedian Rosie Nicholls found out the flat she had rented for her Fringe shows every year had gone up in price again to £8,000 for the month. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After three years of successful runs as part of award-winning sketch duo Grubby Little Mitts, the only option available to Ms Nicholls and her team was to cut short their run. However, she could not secure a venue and has been forced to entirely scrap the idea of performing in Edinburgh this year. Ms Nicholls said she had applied to two major venues, but had not received any suitable offers for a two-week slot - with only full, month-long residencies on offer. 'It was kind of strange to have had a hit show at the Fringe with really good sales, good audiences, good reviews, for three years in a row, and then as soon as we didn't want to do a whole month and sink thousands into that, it wasn't an option for the venues,' she said. 'You have to not take it personally, because they're just trying to make money as well.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Performer Connor McKenna has managed to secure a venue for a shorter, two-week run for his show, Seltzer Boy at Snug at Paradise in Augustines on George IV Bridge. But high accommodation costs mean he is having to undertake a daily commute to his home in Glasgow, rather than immerse himself in the festival. 'Performing at the Fringe has been a dream for me,' said Mr McKenna, who said the less-well known venue he had chosen was three times cheaper than a similar-sized space at one of the larger venue operators. 'When you're younger, you're starry eyed, you think 'I'm going to go and have such success and I'm going to meet with all these people, and be just like Phoebe Waller-Bridge'. 'Fleabag' writer and actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge is heavily rumoured to have been offered the part of Petunia Dursley - Harry's pompous aunt who takes him in after the death of his parents, only to largely ignore him. Fiona Shaw played the part in the original film series. | Getty Images for Paramount Pictu 'You have all these dreams and part of that fantasy is living in Edinburgh, being in Edinburgh and finding all these wonderful artists and seeing all these wacky shows and having your mindset completely changed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'And of course, when you get to the reality, it's like 'OK, the train comes at 12.30 and if I can make it, then I will have time to eat dinner at home'. Part of the wonder of it is a little dampened by the fact that I can't afford to stay there.' He added: 'I really wish I could do the full run, a longer run, so that I can build up an audience as I go through word of mouth. But it being it only two weeks. I don't have as much time to do that.' Tom Forster, Summerhall Arts fringe producer and programmer, warned performers were being 'priced out' of doing full runs, which he said were vital to securing recognition - and generating audiences by word of mouth to create more revenue. A lack of options for those on a tighter budget means only performers with money behind them can afford to put on a show, which he said favoured professionals, rather than emerging talent and meant the Fringe was no longer 'an experiment on the side like it used to be'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Each year we are receiving more requests for shorter runs due to financial barriers, but the value of doing a full run at the festival cannot be understated,' he said. 'Typically, reviews and word of mouth gathered in the first half generate revenue in the second half. 'However, emerging, and independent companies are being priced out of taking that risk; forced to place a higher value on specific portions of a full run - the alleged 'industry week' for example - that then devalues the other portion by inferring that there's no industry around the rest of the time, which is nonsense.' Mr Forster added: 'You're not going to take the risk on an unfinished product unless your certain the show is a belter and set to take advantage of the duration. Conversely, you might have to make cuts to the show to facilitate a full run to the point where it's not worth presenting. 'Either way, the only people who can work within that financial uncertainty are professionals, who get paid to strike the balance between finished and unfinished. And those kinds of quality producers, much like everything else, are becoming shorter in supply on the Fringe because often that tricky work goes unpaid.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Forster said some performers were no longer even opting for a 'half' run of two weeks, but a 'couple of days here and there' throughout the month. He said: 'That didn't exist when I first started working at the festival in 2008. Not only does splitting a slot up in that way become much more carbon intense - three shows travelling to one slot, instead of one show per slot - but it also puts pressure on the entire economy of the festival; less accommodation, more demand on press/industry and, of course, more competition for audience attention.' Rosie Nicholls and Sullivan Beau Brown of Grubby Little Mitts: Hello, Hi. Picture: Contributed. Katy Koren, co-artistic director of Gilded Balloon, said: "We've noticed an increase in shorter runs since the pandemic, with acts less keen to come to the Fringe for the full month - mostly due to the increased cost of accommodation for artists, which means it just isn't a viable option for many. "The Fringe used to be a development and training ground for acts to immerse themselves in the festival, improve their performance skills and maybe get spotted and be offered that next stepping stone beyond the Fringe. But a training opportunity that is no longer affordable or, even more worryingly, useful to a performer's career means they'll go elsewhere or look at options to reduce the risk, which is happening more and more.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Koren added: 'We've noticed the number of performances we put on flatline, but the number of shows we have each year is increasing, reflecting the fact that more shows are coming, but just doing shorter runs in our available performance slots." A growing number of experienced Fringe comedians who have learned the ropes over years of trips to Edinburgh have turned producer to help out up-and-coming acts new to the industry who cannot afford professional support. Ms Nicholls is one, producing a debut hour from new sketch duo The Mayor and His Daughter, visiting Edinburgh for just a couple of days at the beginning and end of their run. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, comedian Ignacio Lopez, who has appeared on shows including Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You and QI, is producing debut full-length performances from Welsh comedians Steffan Alun and Josh Elton alongside his own show. He is keen to show the up-and-coming comedians the Fringe is not entirely inaccessible. He said: 'I feel like I've done every kind of show, every kind of venue, every format of ticketing or free collection, pay what you want. I feel like I've tried and tested everything. I convinced them [Steffan and Josh] to take the leap this year. 'I said 'look, it's not as much of an expense to do a show in a venue with proper light, sound and tech as you think'. There's ways of doing it with a quite DIY mentality. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'll design a flyer, I'll get that cheap somewhere. I'll tie all those things together. So when I say producing, that's a really fancy way of saying 'I'm just introducing two friends to a bunch of other mates who'll do bits and pieces for them'.' However, a shorter run does not necessarily correlate with less success at the Fringe. Last year, comedian Amy Gledhill won the Edinburgh Fringe comedy award after performing a show only for the second half of August, as did Sam Campbell in 2022. Ignacio Lopez | Show poster Pleasance director Anthony Alderson has warned rising costs are forcing performers to scale back shows, putting the Fringe in danger of becoming a 'one monologue festival'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He told The Scotsman: 'Our entire industry is in danger of losing multiple opportunities for people on and off stage. The shorter runs themselves aren't the problem per se. People have always come for shorter runs for a variety of reasons. 'The issue is that people are now being forced to ditch their production values because of the cost of being in the city so shows are smaller, less technically ambitious and cannot employ as many people as needed to always create a polished product.' He added: 'The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the cornerstones of our theatre industry. Therefore, if the cost of being in the city becomes so high that we start losing jobs in theatre, then our industry as a whole, and our city, is going to lose out.


Scotsman
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 Hot Comedy Tickets: Here are 17 of the biggest comedians with shows
August is fast approaching which means it's time to scour the Edinbugh Festival Fringe programme for the best shows to see. The physical programme was launched earlier this month, with 3,352 show across 265 venues, and some are already selling out. It can be a fairly daunting prospect to narrow those down when organising your Fringe. It's always nice to take a chance on something, hoping to be the first to see a hot new act - but sometimes it's just nice to see a couple of familiar faces from television. Edinburgh has been the launching pad for a host of household names - everybody from Emma Thompson to Graham Norton started out with shows in the city. Many enjoy returning with their latest show in August - or to try out a work on progress in front of a comedy-literate crowd before heading out on a nationwide tour. Here are 17 of the biggest, most famous, names performing this year. 1 . Jenny Eclair Jenny Eclair became the first woman to win the Perrier (now the Edinburgh Comedy Award) in 1995 for her show 'Prozac & Tantrums'. This year, she'll be appearing for two shows only to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Gilded Balloon. She'll be talking about her career, which as seen her branch out into acting, writing and presenting, at the Gilded Balloon from August 8-9. | Getty Images Photo Sales 2 . Rosie O'Donnell First finding fame in a television talent show in 1984, Rosie O'Donnell became one of the most famous faces on American television, winning mumerous Emmy Awards for her daytime talk show that saw her nicknamed the 'Queen of Nice'. She's now a prominent gay rights campaigner who is also a successful actor and author. See her at the Gilden Balloon from August 1-10 where she'll be performing new show 'Here and Now'. | Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Nish Kumar Former Mash Report host Nish Kumar brought work in progress show to Edinburgh last year. Now he's back with the finished product, 'Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe' at Assembly George Square from August 1-10. | Getty Images Photo Sales 4 . Smack the Pony Emmy Award winning sketch trio Smack the Pony - Sally Phillips, Fiona Allen and Doon Mackichan - will be reforming for four shows only, entitles 'Back in the Saddle'. They'll be chatting to Kirsty Wark and "having a gallop through a few favourite sketches" at the Gilded Balloon from August 17-20. | Channel 4 Photo Sales


Edinburgh Reporter
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Keep it Fringe US fund – five artists to receive funding
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced the recipients of the 2025 Keep it Fringe US fund. This is the first year of Keep it Fringe US, inspired by the UK Keep it Fringe, which has provided grants to Fringe artists in the UK since 2023. Five US-based artists will receive a bursary of $2,500, in addition to support from the Fringe Society's Artist Services team to help audience and career development, including marketing, screen development and industry networking opportunities. The Fringe Society explained that the partners and supporters who made this pilot possible include JetBlue, Playbill and individual donors Scott and Holly Plank, Heather and Paul Innella and others who wish to remain anonymous. THE SUCCESSFUL RECIPIENTS OF KEEP IT FRINGE US: A Drag is Born – ZOO Edu Diaz, a New York-based Spanish artist, presents A Drag is Born: a 'non-verbal blend of clown, drag and queer joy' that 'reminds us it's never too late to embrace your true self'. In A Drag is Born, 'an ordinary man finds himself magically transformed into the Queen of the Carnival. With advanced age, abundant body hair and limited talents, he is an unlikely candidate.' Driving in Circles – Gilded Balloon Set to an 'astonishingly cool electric art-pop score', Driving in Circles, from New Haven-based EPs Theater, 'traces the aftermath of intimate violence – mapping our hero's darkly funny, deeply felt, defiantly hopeful journey through the bodymind-altering landscapes of trauma towards something like happiness.' I See You Watching – Gilded Balloon Blind Faith Productions, based in Philadelphia, presents I See You Watching, a 'haunting, rigorous and sometimes brutal theatre show' exposing 'the invisible cages confining women in today's world' and questioning 'whether true freedom lies in victory, surrender or something else'. Leo Still Dies in the End – Gilded Balloon 'Presenting a one-woman parody re-enactment of Titanic in which Alice plays all the parts and the scenes are selected at random', New York-based Alice Fishbein presents a show 'about how childhood obsessions shape who we are as adults, nostalgia for aging '90s media, and claims of boats too big to sink'. Simple Town – Pleasance Hailing from New York, Berk's Nest presents Simple Town, a sketch show combining 'smart ensemble riffing with dumb slapstick in one hard-hitting hour'. Tony Lankester Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: 'We look forward to welcoming the Keep it Fringe US artists to Edinburgh this August, to experience the unmatched atmosphere and opportunities the Fringe offers. '2025 is a pilot year for Keep it Fringe US. We are keen to continue offering this opportunity to US artists. If you would like to find out more about supporting the initiative, please get in touch with the Fringe Society team.' The Fringe Society hopes to continue Keep it Fringe US going after this year, and is actively seeking new funding and donations to ensure the long-term sustainability of this important initiative. Donations can be made via Chapel & York Like this: Like Related

Scotsman
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe 2025: Fresh voices and bold new talent to watch
As the world's largest arts festival returns, Edinburgh Fringe 2025 is set to showcase an extraordinary wave of fresh voices and bold new talent. This year's lineup features powerful explorations of identity, resilience, friendship, and societal change—offering audiences a chance to connect with stories that are as timely as they are personal. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... From solo comedies packed with heartfelt humour and razor-sharp wit to innovative physical theatre and immersive performances, these shows reflect the diverse experiences shaping today's cultural landscape. Dive into this selection of unmissable new work that promises to challenge, entertain, and inspire across the city this summer. A STAN IS BORN!– Gilded Balloon Patter House (Blether), 15:00,from 30th July –25th August (not 11th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Musical comedy meets fan devotion: Alexis Sakellaris delivers ten original tracks, powerhouse vocals and razor-wit in a celebration of queer identity and pop obsession. A glittering, joyfully loud coming-of-age story that honours Beyoncé, Céline and Mariah. House Party, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Fringe Festival An Ode to the Casting Director– Gilded Balloon Patter House (The Penny), 11:40, from 30th July –25th August (not 12th) Sophie Fisher's cinematic solo tears into the audition grind with humour and heart. Expect live-feed scenes, biting truth and the chaotic surrealism behind every casting call. BAIRNS– Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 3), 14:05, 30th July –25th August (not 12th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Annie Davison channels surrogacy, sisterhood and the messy magic of modern womanhood into a compulsively paced, character-rich one-woman drama. Bold, honest and deeply moving. A STAN IS BORN!, Gilded Balloon Cara and Kelly are Best Friends Forever For Life– Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 3), 15:20, from 30th July –25th August (not 18th) Tense two-hander by Mojola Akinyemi about friendship, loyalty and the subtle creep of extremism. Sharp, unnerving and distinctly of-the-moment. Don't Tell Dad About Diana– Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Dancer), 12:50, from 31st July –25th August (not 12th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Set in the 90s, this is a riotous drag-infused comedy featuring two teens prepping a Princess Di act under nationalist family noses. In 1997 Dublin, grief and friendship collide in glitter-soaked catharsis. Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x) – Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 1), 14:15, from 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) Jade Franks' autobiographical solo show on class, privilege and hidden work at the University of Cambridge. Sharp, heartfelt, and as insightful as it is entertaining. FISH– Greenside (Jade Studio), 19:35, from Friday 1st – Sunday 23rd August 2025 (not 10th, 17th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Physical clowning meets climate anxiety, as a fish dreams of human life. Funmi Adejobi's whimsical performance is witty, engaging and unexpectedly poignant. FLUSH– Pleasance Courtyard (Upstairs), 12:15, from 30th July –25th August (not 11th, 18th) A women's toilet becomes a sanctuary of solidarity and raw confession. April Hope Miller's sharp drama delves into vulnerability, survival and connection. FLUSH partners with Ask For Angela, a national initiative supporting those in vulnerable situations in nightlife venues. Funny Though – Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker 1), 15:30, from 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 13th, 20th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Clare Noy's confessional comedy exposes performance anxiety and burnout behind the laughs. Honest, darkly funny, and remarkably relatable. Gimme a Sign!– Greenside (Fern Studio), 15:05, from 1st –23rd August 2025 (not 10th, 17th) Bailey Swilley channels grief, ghost-chasing and identity in this tender, eccentric solo show. A charming mix of humour, supernatural intrigue and authentic healing. Golden Time (and Other Behavioural Management Strategies)– Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome), 13:30, 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 11th, 18th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Poet-performer Kate Ireland reflects on ADHD, school culture and productivity through spoken word. Witty, illuminating and definitely uplifting. House Party– Pleasance Courtyard (Attic), 15:20, 31st July –25th August 2025 (not 12th, 21st) A vibrant solo music show about East London gentrification, cramped spaces and collective resistance. Chakira Alin brings heart, humour and political urgency. I L L B E H A V I O U R – Summerhall (Former Gent's Locker Room), 13:40, 31st July –10th August 2025 (not 4th, 7th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sensory theatre meets sonic exploration: experimental movement, live sampling of breath and heartbeat reveal the hidden soundtrack of being alive. In These Shoes– Underbelly Bristo Square (Dairy Room), 19:45, from 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) Fashion satire meets jazz cabaret in this witty portrait of style obsession and identity. Glynis Traill‑Nash delivers sass, insight and musical elegance. Lioness – Greenside (Clover Studio), 12:40, from 1st –23rd August 2025 (not 10th, 17th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kate Coulson's football-infused solo drama tackles sexism, ambition and friendship in the Women's Super League. Raw, empowering and full of drive. Macbeth by The Barden Party– ZOO Southside (Studio), 10:40, from 1st –22nd August 2025 (not 4th, 11th, 18th) A gender-flipped, bluegrass-infused revival of Macbeth, blending raw emotion, humour and musicality. Intimate, irreverent and refreshingly bold. medium dead – ZOO Playground 2, 16:50, from 1st –24th August 2025 (not 6th, 11th, 18th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a surreal afterlife office, a writer assigned to Anthony Bourdain's file navigates grief, bureaucracy and meaning. Darkly clever, deeply felt. Meg & Marge – ZOO Playground 1, 15:15, from 1st –25th August 2025 (not 12th) A tradwife social-media influencer is haunted by Margery Kempe, sparking a surreal, genre-bending comedy about perfection, faith and identity. Shell – ZOO Southside (Studio), 15:05, from 1st –24th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Drag-clown ritual and queer sex education fuse in Ana Evans's participatory performance. Bold, playful, and challenges what theatre can be. Terry's: An American Tragedy About Cars, Customers, and Selling Cars to Customers – Pleasance Courtyard (Beside), 12:55, from 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 11th, 19th) Satirical musical comedy set in a 1990s Midwestern dealership. Lecoq-trained ensemble combines absurdist humour with pointed societal critique. The Crawl – Pleasance Dome (10 Dome), 12:05, from 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 13th, 20th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad No water, no words: a duet tackling competition and performance through inventive physical theatre. Creative, energetic, family-friendly. The Essence of Audrey– Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar), 11:15,from 30th July –25th August (not 13th) Helen Anker's elegant solo tribute to Audrey Hepburn blends biography, humour and humanity in an intimate theatrical portrait. The Poetess– Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome), 11:55, from 30th July –25th August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Olivia Dodd's spoken-word play transforms viral poetry into a journey through grief, connection and creative legacy. Moving, hopeful. The Strongest Girl in the World– Gilded Balloon Patter House (The Snug),14:20, from 30th July –25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th) Truly Siskind‑Weiss weaves childhood grief into a magical, heartfelt solo about growing up, loss and resilience. All shows within this round-up can be found on the Edinburgh Fringe website.


Scotsman
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Just helping funny people create magic is such a privilege
Gordon (Kieran Hodgson) enrages Cathy (Doon Mackichan) with his impression on her in Two Doors Down Things are ramping up for the Fringe with meetings, calls and various encounters with artists filling my diary this month. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I was delighted to be on a call this week with the incredible talents involved in Smack the Pony. As part of our 40th year at the Fringe celebrations Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips get 'Back in the Saddle' and are joined by broadcaster Kirsty Wark to take a deep dive into the Emmy award winning show. This week's meeting with Sally, Doon, Fiona and Kirsty will go over the structure and plans for what will be an intimate insight into all things sketch comedy in the 90s and early noughties. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Doon will also be doing an 'in conversation' with her Two Doors Down co-star Kieran Hodgeson as part of our 40th celebrations. Doon Mackichan won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Actress: Television in November last year for her returning role as Cathy in the show. It's so exciting to be part of the creative process for both of these live shows with such talented performers. It's a process that never gets old over the 40 years that I've been running the Gilded Balloon and producing individual shows as part of our programme. Facilitating funny people to get together to create magic is such a privilege. Also, coming out of the Gilded Balloon archives this year is a show Women in Comedy, that I started in the 90s to help women, who were fairly rare in the comedy world, have a platform. I've been booking the acts for this show, which will feature the very best women and marginalised gender comedians from across the Fringe, this week and it's so exciting to see so much talent these days compared to three decades ago. The huge number and different styles of comedy on offer now is so exciting to see and I continue to enjoy designing diverse comedy line-ups as part of our Women in Comedy shows this Fringe as well as our other comedy line-up shows.