A History of the Edinburgh Arts Festivals

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A History of the Edinburgh Arts Festivals

The first Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) took place in 1947. It as !oined fro" itsinception b# hat subse$uentl# beca"e kno n as the Fringe and b# the Fil" Festival. %ipesand &ancing also took place in the earl# #ears' beco"ing the ilitar# Tattoo in 19 *. TheTraverse Theatre' hich has greatl# enhanced both the EIF and the Fringe' !oined the Feastin 19+ ' to be follo ed b# the ,a-- festival in the late 197*s' the ook festival in the earl#19/*s' and "ore recentl# the 0rt Festival in **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 ouse and 5orri6s oo"s (a circus and concert hall that

as situated on the corner of 8eith alk and roughton :treet). 0 profit of ;1' ** asdistributed to the o#al Infir"ar# and other charitable institutions. 0 second festivalfollo ed in 1/19 ith the Theatre o#al taking over fro" 5orri6s oo"s. There have been anu"ber of Theatre o#als < this is the first one that as situated at the east end of %rinces:treet. This festival produced a profit of ;1' =1 that as again distributed to charities.Further festivals follo ed periodicall#' vi-. 1/ 4' 1/4= and 1/71 although the 1/4= venturelost ;+**.

5o"ing for ard to the * th centur#' a nu"ber of individuals ere instru"ental in getting the1947 festival off the ground. The original idea ger"inated in the "ind of udolf 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 and0ustrian 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 giveni"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 orld ar. A@ford ashis first choice as the venue' but this fell through and atte"pts to interest other cities beganin late 1944.

Edinburgh as proposed b# enr# arve# ood ho as based in the cit# orking for Theritish 5ouncil' an organisation that had been set up to i"prove international relationships

through the pro"otion of education and culture. hile ood encountered local enthusias"and apath# in e$ual "easures' he found strong allies in :ir ,ohn Falconer' the 8ord %rovostat the ti"e' and 8ad# oseber#. The# ere e@tre"el# influential in "oving the idea for ard'ulti"atel# resulting in the for"ation of a festival co""ittee in late 194 . ing' the proposedartistic director' advocated a =?4 eek festival' but he did not help his cause b# suggesting tocouncillors in 5alvinist :cotland that the festival should open ith a igh ass in :t. >iles5athedralB 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 ( 4 th 0ugust < 1= th :epte"ber 1947)' voting ; *'*** 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 besur"ounted. Ane of the first issues as the logistics of dealing ith large nu"bers of visitors
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to the cit#. otels ere re$uisitionedC hostels and student residences usedC plus +'*** bedsere "ade available b# private households. The 0sse"bl# oo"s in >eorge :t. beca"e the

ho"e of the Festival 5lub' and it also served "eals. There as also the $uestion of venues.The 5ouncil o ned the Dsher all but other venues ere in private hands' and none of thevenues as technicall# ell e$uipped. Then there as the proble" of getting high calibre

artists to appear. Fro" the D the o#al 8iverpool %hilhar"onic' the all Archestra and:adlers ells 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 ingG sTheatre hile the o#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 theTattoo.

In addition to the International Festival' t o other i"portant events took place. Firstl#' aeeklong fil" festival as organised b# the Edinburgh Fil" >uild' eventuall# to beco"e

kno n as the Edinburgh International Fil" Festival. :econdl#' eight theatre groups arriveduninvited' and although officiall# e@cluded fro" the festival' the# set up shop in venuesa a# fro" the official festival and did their o n thing. This as the start of the EdinburghFringe. It as belatedl# given that soubri$uet after obert e"p' a :cottish !ournalist'

rote during the second Edinburgh International Festival in 194/ J ound the fringe ofofficial Festival dra"a' there see"s to be "ore private enterprise than before K I a" afraidso"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 Edinburgh6sciti-ens "ight not enter into the spirit of the festival proved to be ill?founded. Averall' the1947 festival as !udged to be a success despite co"plaints that a nu"ber of areas ereinade$uatel# covered' vi-. too little ballet' neglect of the visual arts and no choral "usic.

Fro" a financial perspective' the esti"ated deficit of ; *'*** as not e@ceeded.

Edinburgh International Festival

There are a nu"ber of interconnected strands that run through the histor# of the EdinburghInternational Festival (EIF) the individual arts and the co"petition bet een the"C the ideasof the various artistic directors hich ere obviousl# influenced b# their individual tastesCfunding and politics (the t o 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

hile the International Festival has valiantl# atte"pted to present high $ualit# festivals thatare balanced across the arts spectru"' it is probabl# true to state that over the +*L #ears of itse@istence' "usic and opera have received "ore attention than dra"a' dance and the visualarts. 0rguabl#' the pri"ar# reason for this has been the passions of the individual artisticdirectors. 0part fro" Frank &unlop in the 19/*s ho as a theatre "an' all the directorshave had a "usic or opera background.

Rudolf Bing (1947?1949). 0s discussed' the "ain instigator of the EIF. e as the directorof >l#ndebourne Apera ho subse$uentl# took up the post as head of "anage"ent at the3e 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 orld arII. e is arguabl# best kno n for his contacts in the artistic orld. It as during his regi"ethat the visual arts ere accorded "ore e@posure. 0fter leaving Edinburgh he foundedvarious festivals around the D ' including ath and righton' and advised on festivalplanning 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. e introduced late night revues such as Flanders and : ann andBeyond 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 tosa# 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"esstarted during his tenure ith a ussian the"e in 19+ and a 5-ech the"e in 19+4. 0lso' theco""issioning of pla# rights to rite for the festival co""enced under his regi"e. ecancelled a sho in 19+4 after its first perfor"ance because he considered it to besubstandard.

!eter Dia$and (19++?197/) as a "usic "an. e as director of the olland "usicfestival prior to taking the Edinburgh post and beca"e the general director of the o#al8ondon %hilhar"onic Archestra after he left Edinburgh. e 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 iththe 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# ofthe i"presario6s death and Venice 1900 (19/=). e encouraged the ook Fair (19/=)'subse$uentl# to beco"e the ook Festival.

Fran& Dunlo' (19/4?1991) as a theatre "an. e had to battle ith the 8abour?do"inatedcit# 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 (199 ? **+) ca"e fro" an opera background. e "oved the "anage"entof the EIF to EdinburghC it had previousl# been based in 8ondon. is ob!ectives ere to

reduce fringe?st#le events' particularl# in the field of dra"aC present high $ualit#' large scaleperfor"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 ( **7?present) is an 0ustralian and another "usic "an. is 5H includes theco"position of t o s"all operas and artistic director of the elbourne Festival. e asgiven a #ear contract hich as subse$uentl# e@tended to *14. In general' he appears tobe a keen advocate of festival the"es.

Fergus (inehan ill take over as artistic director hen ,onathan ills leaves after the *14festival.

Individual Art For$s


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(199/)C and the EIF production of en!a"in ritten6s % rlew Ri)er ( ** ).

Fro" the audience6s perspective' the abilit# to see so "an# outstanding "usic and operaperfor"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# bet eenperfor"ers and audience has continued up to the present da#.

Ane aficionado sa#s N%erfor"ers have al a#s been ver# professional and ell preparedhen 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 isun"atched an# here else. hile there are "an# other outstanding festivals there is aninti"ac# and shared e@perience at Edinburgh that is not evident else here. I have gone to"an# other perfor"ances ith great artists at the best concert halls' and often the perfor"erssee" 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 feelthe 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 notperfor"ing. 0nother re"arkable thing about Edinburgh is the onderful opportunit# to seethe beginning of so "an# onderful professional careers. The artistic director is ver# adeptin identif#ing the ver# best of ne ' #oung perfor"ers and it is an opportunit# to see the" ata 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. 3otableperfor"ances in the earl# #ears included :adlers ells ith oira :hearer in Swan La#eand Ballet &m!erial (19 1)' plus :travinsk#6s The Soldiers Tale (19 4)C Le Bo rgeois

entilhomme b# 5o"edie Francaise plus Fire(ird ith argot Fonte#n (both in 19 4)' andSwan La#e 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 notablefor the appearances of ark orris6s &ance >roup' including a co"bined opera ballet'>luck6s *rfeo ed E ridice . Averall' c aster6s tenure arguabl# sa an upturn in thefortunes of dance' as e@e"plified b# Swan La#e ( ** )' choreographed b# 5hristopher

heeldon. ore recentl#' Matthew Bo rnes /orian ray as ell received b# punters in**/' 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 interestin the for". hile it is so"e hat facile to generalise' it is probabl# fair to sa# that' over thepiece' the Fringe has a better track record on dra"a' helped i""easurabl# b# the fact that theTraverse Theatre' apart fro" si@ appearances on the EIF' has been on its side of the fence.

o ever' there have been so"e great successes at the EIF' albeit less than "ight bee@pected. 3otable triu"phs have included The Thrie Estates (194/)C $lay(oy of the 2estern2orld b# the 0bbe# Theatre (19+/)C Ian c ellen in Richard && and Richard &&& (19+/)CTeatro 8ibero6s *rlando F rioso (197*)C a "ini eckett festival including an eleven da#progra""e of talks' discussions and fil"s (19/4)C Mukio 3inaga a6s 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# &avidarro er ( ** ).

0fter the criticis" that it as not represented at the first festival' the visual arts en!o#ed agolden period in the 19 *s hen it received considerable attention. E@hibitions of noteincluded e"brandt (1949)' Focus on :panish art ? El >reco' >o#a and Helas$ue- (19 1)'&egas (19 )' 5e-anne (19 4) and ra$ue (19 +). Thereafter' it as pushed to the sidelinesand e@posure tended to a@ and ane although the Epstein e@hibition in 19+1 as a hugesuccess. Funds ere curtailed in 197= and there follo ed periods hen it as treated as anassociate' that is it si"pl# appeared in the progra""e. The concept of a separate 0rt Festival

as eventuall# introduced in **4 as the visual arts sought a separate identit#. ills startedhis tenure b# reintroducing a visual arts strand' including 4ardins $ (lics in the **7progra""e' installations sited at three locations around the cit#. o ever' a reducedprogra""e in **9 as a precursor to an e"pt# *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 toprovide a degree of coherence across the progra""e. The# invariabl# "eet ith "i@edreceptions so"e applaud the idea hile others consider that in fact the overall $ualit# of theprogra""e suffers because of the atte"pt. ,onathan ills has reintroduced the"es recentl#

-rtists witho t Borders in **/' The Enlightenment in **9' The 3e orld in *1*(focusing on the 0"ericas and 0ustralasia) and 0sian influences in *11.

)enues

The availabilit# of suitable venues as a perennial proble" for the EIF. In 19+1 theEdinburgh %la#house cine"a' a huge building ith over ='*** seats hich as opened in19 9' as being investigated as a possible venue but it as considered too e@pensive toconvert at the ti"e. It closed as a cine"a in 197=' and it as eventuall# used as a venue forthe first ti"e in 19/1.

ean hile' the general situation had deteriorated in the "id?19+*s hen the E"pire beca"ea bingo hall hile the ingGs Theatre' the default ho"e of opera' as beco"ing an annualproble"' e@acerbated b# criticis"s fro" artists that it as too s"all. atters ca"e to a head

hen %rofessor 8ieber"ann ( a"burg Apera) criticised it in 19+/. The o ners ( o ardand #ndha") retaliated b# sa#ing that the# ould no longer "ake it available to the EIF. 0large grant fro" the :cottish 0rts 5ouncil and a substantial donation fro" an anon#"ousEdinburgh 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

all. This as a disused church that as converted to beco"e the ho"e of the :cottish5ha"ber Archestra. 0 tent as erected in the sa"e #ear in the eado s for ballet' a si"ilarventure having recentl# been undertaken successfull# in 8ondon 6s attersea %ark. Therehad been tentative plans' going back to 19+*' to build a Festival Theatre. 5astle Terrace'dubbed the N ole in The >roundO' as the preferred site' but an on?off saga developed' andin 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 TraverseTheatre. In 1991 ank sold the E"pire to the 5ouncil after a less protracted saga. ;11" asthen 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 toclose both the ingGs Theatre and the Pueen6s all.

Funding

In the 194*s and earl# *s funding had not been particularl# noticeable as an issue. This asprobabl# due in part to the illingness of govern"ents around the orld to subsidise visits toEdinburgh' as it as a "eans of Nsho ing the flagO.

o ever' the financial pressures graduall# "ounted as these subsidies lessened. Atherfactors included the increasing ease of travel' hich naturall# increased the a"ount ofco"petition and the counter?attractions of recording' ,ul# to :epte"ber being the peakperiod for this activit#. Funding issues beca"e particularl# noticeable hen the 19+ festival"ade a loss of ;1/'*** and there as an overdraft of ; ' **. The proble" as resolved onthis occasion hen the 5ouncil bought the festival office. o ever' it beca"e a recurring

the"e ith the first stand?off bet een artistic director and the 5ouncil occurring in 19+/hen the latter anted to reduce the subsid# for 19+/ and 19+9' hile the director' statingthat it as not possible to produce a $ualit# festival for that sort of "one#' said that he asnot prepared to organise it on that basis. The 5ouncil eventuall# backed do n.

Apera' the "ost e@pensive art for"' as fre$uentl# under the spotlight. In 197= a proposedstaging of /on io)ann i 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 beconducting an opera for the first ti"e' and %eter Dstinov' an unkno n $uantit# as an operaticdirector. 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 politicalrepresentation on the Festival 5ouncil' hich in turn led to a degree of political pressureover the progra""e. In the 19/*s 8abour councillors' considering the festival to be tooelitist' 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 eventssuch as !uggling at the ing6s Theatre and !a-- at the Dsher all ere slightl# "oresuccessful.

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. Thisas follo ed in 19/9 b# an incident hen &unlop got hi"self into hot ater throughnonchalantl# "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 o n half?hearted bid to be European cit# of culture and conse$uentl# lost out to >lasgo . This as asevere blo to its pride and caused the politicians to reconsider their attitude to the Festivaland its funding. In part' this episode resulted in the &istrict 5ouncil and the 0rts 5ouncilagreeing to guaranteed funding over a three #ear period. 8othian egional 5ouncil as alsointerested in rene ing support. In addition' an endo "ent fund as set up ith the ai" ofraising ;1*". The fund $uickl# reached ;7** . 0long ith sponsorship of ; *'***' it

beca"e possible for the first ti"e to plan ahead and spend "ore "one# on "usic and operaith star na"es.


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In *1 the total cost of the International Festival as appro@i"atel# ;1*.+". 1Q of thefestivalGs inco"e ca"e fro" public sector grants and 49Q fro" ticket sales' sponsors anddonations.

*o$'eting #ith The Fringe

The Fringe has generall# been so"ething of a thorn in the side of the International Festivalalthough the pain is so"e hat i"aginar# and largel# un arranted. It tended to reside "orein 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 to ards theFringe.

hatever' the EIF has "ade various efforts over the #ears to co"pete ith the Fringe' so"eof hich have been ver# successful. In 19 9 Flanders and : ann' the co"ic "usical duoappeared at the EIF' follo ed 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 thelate evening ith light entertain"ent sho s. Beyond the Fringe ith %eter 5ook' &udle#

oore' ,onathan iller and 0lan ennett' all relativel# unkno n at the ti"e' as a latenight revue that as hugel# successful and has been clai"ed to be a ke# forerunner to thesubse$uent boo" in satire in the 19+*s. It is so"e hat ironic that "an# people no thinkthat the sho as on the Fringe' si"pl# because the na"e appears in the title. It isinteresting that a book celebrating * #ears of the Fringe so"e hat sha"elessl# included alarge picture of the fourso"e' albeit the Ns"all printO "entioned $uickl# and ver# briefl# thatit as part of the EIF.

0 successful riters 5onference in 19+ ' hich included people ho ere "ore associatedith the Fringe' as follo ed b# a &ra"a 5onference in the follo ing #ear. This event is

largel# re"e"bered for an incident here a nude fe"ale "odel as heeled across theorgan galler# in the cE an all as part of a Npla# ith happeningsO organised b# enneth&e e#' an avant garde director fro" 8os 0ngeles. This caused a stor" and ,ohn 5alder'

ho organised both the riters and &ra"a conferences' and the "odel ere prosecuted forindecenc#. Abviousl#' the s inging 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 althoughit is "ore likel# that it as related to this incident as various councillors ere unhapp#. Anthe 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 aistup ards. The 8ord %rovost and t o councillors ent to Frankfurt on a !oll# to see it forthe"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 a#"arket Ice ink. Teatro 8ibero6s*rlando F rioso as a great success ith "an# scenes staged si"ultaneousl# in differentparts of the rink' the audience andering fro" one scene to another. ean hile' Arlandoand 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 199 . 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# directorhose 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'not ithstanding that individual progra""es "a# not necessaril# s$uare ith our o ndesires.

The Edinburgh Fringe

It is fitting to co""ence b# giving details of those original eight groups that appeareduninvited at the inaugural festival in 1947 and did their o n thing >lasgo Dnit# Theatre(>ork#6s The Lower /e!ths and The Laird * Torwatletie b# obert ac8ellan < both at

the %leasance)C 5hristine Arr %la#ers of Edinburgh ( Mac(eth at the M 50)C Edinburgh%eoples6 Theatre ( Th nder Roc# b# obert 0rdle# at the %leasance)C Edinburgh &istrict5o""unit# &ra"a 0ssociation ( The -natomist b# ,a"es ridie at the %leasance)C %ilgri"%la#ers (Eliot6s The Family Re nion and M rder in the %athedral at the >ate a# Theatre in8eith alk)C Edinburgh 5ollege of 0rt Theatre >roup ( Easter b# :trindberg at the M 50)Ca series of short puppet pla#s ( anchester arionette Theatre in the restaurant of the 3eHictoria 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 kno n as the se"i official ele"ent of the festival.

The histor# of the Fringe needs to be vie ed fro" a nu"ber of perspectives its generalorganic gro th' including the necessar# logistical and ad"inistrative processesC the obviousand so"eti"es $uirk# venues that have been usedC "ost i"portantl#' the art for"s that it hassupported over the #earsC relations ith the EIFC its reputationC and the ine@orable spreadingof 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?incentre at addington %lace. This as used b# "an# Fringe perfor"ers as it providedcheap food and a bed for the night.

It as 19 4 before Fringe groups held their first "eeting to discuss the possibilit# oforking together. N e 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 theestablish"ent of a !oint bo@ office and publicit# vehicle ere given high priorit#. The firstFringe progra""e as produced in this #ear b# 5. ,. 5ousland' an Edinburgh printer.

In the follo ing #ear Edinburgh Dniversit# students set up a central bo@ office and a caf ina part of the Ald 5ollege. o ever' 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 dra n up'stating that elected officers should oversee the running of a bo@ office' produce a progra""ebrochure that ould include ever# event that as not on the International Festival' and run aclub here perfor"ers could "eet' eat' drink until late' and generall# feel involved. The firstpresident 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 ofthe participants' the :ociet# had been set up to help the perfor"ers that co"e to Edinburghand to pro"ote the" collectivel# to the public. It did not co"e together so that groups couldbe vetted' or invited' or in so"e a# artisticall# vetted. hat as perfor"ed and ho it asdone 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+ hen =4 groups ere e@pectedthe 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 thevarious 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.o ever' 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** sho s. %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 forthe 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 tohelp prospective groups ith the "#riad of non?artistic ite"s that the# needed to take careof' e.g. getting a te"porar# licence for the pre"ises in hich the# intended to perfor" if thepre"ises did not have a per"anent licence ("ost venues did not).

In 197 0llen right' 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 0 ards. The ob!ective as to attractattention to ne pla#s that needed publicit#. Three critics fro" The :cots"an had to agreethat a Fringe First as "erited for a pla#. 4 ne pla#s ere pre"iered in 197= and 1*a ards ere "ade.

0listair offat' ho took over as 0d"inistrator in 197+' succeeded in getting a "uch higherprofile for the Fringe' "anaging to agree sponsorship deals ith local fir"s' particularl#bre eries' 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"e hat biased advocates of the Fringe and egged on b# the "edia. &uringoffat6s tenure the Fringe gre rapidl# to 494 groups in 19/1' a gro th 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 sho sfor punters. The popularit# of this concept lead to it being "oved to ol#rood %ark in 19/=

here it as soon attracting 4*'*** people.

offat as succeeded in 19/ b# ichael &ale. is tenure sa the arrival of the first super?venues 0sse"bl# oo"s' %leasance' >ilded alloon and the 5ircuit ( hich no longere@ists). e totall# reva"ped the appearance and la#out of the progra""e and orked to getthe Fringe accepted as an integral part of the co""ercial and tourist life of Edinburgh.

hairi acken-ie? obinson' ho took over in 19/+' oversa the necessar# fund?raising tofinance the "ove to the :ociet#6s current location at 1/* igh :t. in 19//. There ere 4full?ti"e staff at this ti"e' supple"ented b# "an# te"porar# staff in and around festivalti"e. In the follo ing #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 discussionsfortunatel# averted the crisis ith 1* da#s to go.

In 199 the Fringe belatedl# !oined the * th centur# hen it discovered co"puter?basedbooking s#ste"sB This allo ed bookings to be "ade at satellite locations such as

aterstone6s bookshop in >eorge :t. Eventuall#' the age of online booking via the Internetarrived as the 1 st centur# da ned.

ilar# :trong arrived in 1994 at a ti"e of intense debate about the si-e of the Fringe and itsopen?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 ithN0rtistic &irectorO. :trong as follo ed b# %aul >udgin in 1999' and the Fringe6sine@orable gro th continued. e in turn as succeeded in ,une **7 b# ,on organ.

Dnfortunatel#' organ6s arrival signalled the start of the "ost cala"itous period in theFringe6s histor#. 0 ne bo@ office s#ste" had been procured' an i""ature soft are s#ste"that appeared to have functionalit# issues and one that had not been ade$uatel# tested. Theproble"s "anifested the"selves as soon as the bo@ office as opened in ,une **/. %unterse@perienced difficulties hen booking hile there ere also ticket printing proble"s. 0fterbattling 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"revie s ere co""issioned but organ' ho probabl# inherited so"e of the proble"s'dutifull# fell on his s ord' resigning at the end of the **/ festival.

The Fringe decided to revert to an ad"inistrator' to be called 5hief E@ecutive' thus droppingan# pretence of the need for artistic e@perience. ath ainland as appointed to the post inearl# **9. The accounts for **/? **9 sho ed the disastrous effect of the bo@ officedebacle ith the balance sheet sho ing liabilities of ;+7 against assets of ;4/ .

The period since the debacle of **/ has seen a stead# recover# in the Fringe6s fortunese@cept for the de"ise of Fringe :unda# in **9 after the failure to attract a sponsor for anevent 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 degreeof c#nicis". In truth' it is all so"e hat acade"ic hile the# continue to fail to attract asponsor 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".

ean hile' the debacle in **/ had convinced the Fringe that it as ti"e to revie ' andhere necessar#' a"end its constitution. 0 co""ittee as set up in **9' led b# riter and

actor %ip Dtton' and it spent over a #ear orking on the pro!ect. 0 series of livel# andoccasionall# acri"onious public sessions eventuall# cul"inated in an e@traordinar# "eetingin Edinburgh on 3ove"ber 1st' *1*. 0t this "eeting it as decided that the follo ingchanges should be "ade to the constitution no artificial cap on the nu"ber of "e"bers ofthe Fringe :ociet# or restrictions on the criteria for "e"bershipC a RparticipantsG councilR tobe created for artists' producers and pro"oters to help tackle "a!or issues and lobb# theboard ? it ill co"prise a "a@i"u" of 1 societ# "e"bers' ith four each fro" "e"bers

ho are perfor"ers' producers of Fringe sho s or are no"inated b# a registered fringevenueC the "ake?up of the board ill be four perfor"er "e"bers' four "e"bers no"inatedb# venues and four "e"bers ho have Nan interest in the furtherance of the charitableob!ectives of the societ#OC the board ill be able to co?opt a further four directors to "ake upfor 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= festival include 4 '4+4 perfor"ances of '/71 sho s. 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' ordo 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 theirdroves ( ritish and foreign)' groups fro" all over the orld ho are attracted b# thereputation 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 on ards to help Fringe participants to cope ith the "#riad of issues thatneed to be tackled in order to put a sho on in Edinburgh. 0s the Fringe got bigger so thosedifficulties 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 . evised versions haveperiodicall# 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' legalre$uire"ents' acco""odation' "edia S "arketing and Fringe facilities. 0dditional guidescover 5hoosing a Henue and egistering a :ho .

The Fringe :ociet#6s %articipant &evelop"ent provides a nu"ber of "ore general guides (allord docu"ents) %articipants >uide to the 0rts Industr# ' 3et orking ' Fundraising and

Touring .

:ince the turn of the centur# the Fringe :ociet# has run a nu"ber of roadsho s around,anuar# and Februar# each #ear' "ostl# in the D but ith a couple held further afield. Inlate *1= and earl# *14 there are currentl# plans for roadsho s in 3e Mork' 0delaide'8eicester' Arlando' 8ondon and Edinburgh. The# are part guidance and part % and


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"arketing.

0rguabl#' the "ost co"prehensive guidance for ould?be participants hich has so farbeen produced is b# ark Fisher' the !ournalist and critic. The Edinburgh Fringe :urvival>uide ' as published in earl# *1 . It covers all aspects of putting a sho on fro" theinteresting artistic aspects to the boring bureaucratic but essential ele"ents. e follo ed thisup b# running a successful sho at the *1 Fringe hich featured guests fro" all areas ofthe 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 thereere reputedl# 7= in *1= although this probabl# refers to the nu"ber of perfor"ing spaceshich 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 all in the

0sse"bl# oo"s)' to lecture theatres (%leasance and >eorge :$uare)' other universit# roo"sand spaces' (disused) church halls' schools' the back of a ta@i' a public toilet on oneoccasion' a flat in the 3e To n or even in #our o n 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 popularas a "eans of cutting costs ith a single perfor"ing space being used for up to + or 7different sho s per da#. :uper?venues ith "an# perfor"ing spaces' such as 0sse"bl#

oo"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 N ole in The >roundO' here the :altireco"ple@' hich no houses the Traverse' as subse$uentl# built.

The ranks of the super?venues graduall# e@panded ith the gro th of 5 and the rapid rise inthe earl# ***s of Dnderbell#.

ean hile' 0sse"bl# oo"s beca"e kno n as 0sse"bl# (or 0sse"bl# Theatre) as itadded other venues' "ost notabl# the Free 5hurch of :cotland head$uarters hich it called0sse"bl# on the ound. %lans b# the cit# council to carr# out a "a!or refurbish"ent of the0sse"bl# oo"s building ere vigorousl# opposed b# 0sse"bl#' as it ould have "eantthat the building ould be closed for 1/ "onths and it ould ulti"atel# end up ith lessspace 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 asunavailable in *11.

The bad blood that as engendered b# this prolonged episode led to the council agreeing toThe :tand (another venue) using the venue at festival ti"e for three #ears ( *1 ? *14).0sse"bl# "oved its head$uarters to >eorge :$uare in *11 and presu"abl# ill re"ainthere' at least in the short ter".

Art For$s

Dntil **/' hen co"ed# overtook it for the first ti"e' dra"a had been the do"inant artfor" 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"e hat better than the EIF. It hasbeen responsible for "an# seldo" produced orks and "an# ne pla#s. e# "o"ents haveincluded the pre"iere of To" :toppard6s Rosencrant5 and ildenstern -re /ead b# theA@ford Theatre >roup in 19++ hich fe raved over at the ti"eC 5o""unicado6s %yranode Bergerac (199 )C Moscow Stations ith To" 5ourtne# (1994)C the 3ational Theatre of

:cotlandGs Blac# 2atch ( **+)C and Mies 4 lie ( *1 ).

0part fro" individual pla#s' there are several strands that have contributed to the success ofdra"a over the #ears.

Firstl#' there as the birth and subse$uent flo ering of the Traverse Theatre (as described inthe ne@t section). It is the stal art 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 toEdinburgh consistentl#' including the 8ondon 5lub Theatre >roup (19 *s)' 7 /4 :cotland

(197*s)' 3ational :tudent Theatre 5lub (197*s and various other periods)' 5o""unicado(19/*s and 199*s)' ed :hift (199*s)' and >rid Iron "ore recentl#.

Thirdl#' there is the creature that is the one?"an (or o"an) sho . hile 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 afavourite 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 sho s are seldo" v#ing for five star ratings' the# are generall# en!o#able andell?acted' and i"portantl#' the# can generall# be relied upon. Earl# e@a"ples of the genre

included Elspeth &ouglas eid doing her *ne 2oman Theatre (19 ) and ,ohn 5airne#6s

urns sho There was a Man (19+ ). ore recent e@a"ples have included Eileen %age6s Eleanor of -" itaine >areth 0r"strong6s Shyloc# %ip Dtton6s -dolf and *nly the Lonely (about a look?a?like o# Arbison)' >eorge Telfor6s a"using and poignant ielg d6 a 'nightin the Theatre Ta" &ean urn6s Ven s as a Boy ' ,ustin utcher6s spellbindingScaramo che 4ones ' >erard 8ogan6s e@cellent The Ra!e of L crece . and 8uc# EllinsonGsco"pelling ro nded .

0longside dra"a' co"ed# is the other "ainsta# of the Fringe. 0lthough the InternationalFestival put on late evening co"ed# revues starting in the late fifties' the# ere eventuall#seen to be so"e hat staid' si"ilar to est?end revues' hile the Fringe as seen as "oreinnovative. The notable e@ception to this as the EIFGs Beyond the Fringe . :tudent theatregroups 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/*s &udle# oore'0lan ennett' ichael %alin and Terr# ,ones (all A@ford )C The 5a"bridge Footlights turnedout ichard E#re (subse$uentl# director of 3ational Theatre)' Eric Idle' >rae"e >arden'

o an 0tkinson' :tephen Fr#' ugh 8aurie' and E""a Tho"pson.

ention "ust be "ade of the reno ned The tre de 5o"plicit (no si"pl# 5o"plicite).The# appeared on the Fringe in 19/ ' perfor"ing More Bigger Snac#s +ow and - Min teToo Late C the latter as ver# successfull# perfor"ed again in ** ith the original actors atthe 3ational Theatre in 8ondon. The# on the %errier 0 ard' hich had been going since

19/1 and as given to the revue that put "ost Nfi--O and NsparkleO into the Fringe. hile Ia" 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 hile


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on the sub!ect of eccentric' off?beat hu"our "ention should also be "ade of the 3ationalTheatre of rent ho have appeared periodicall# on the Fringe. It is difficult to kno ho todescribe 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 itas a platfor" to tr# to "ake it into the big ti"e. The standard can be ver# variable and thehu"our ver# generation specific. This host of N annabesO tends to be interspersed ithperiodic appearances b# established perfor"ers such as %aul erton' or# re"ner and ill

aile#.

Ather art for"s are included in the Fringe' albeit the# are not as popular as dra"a andco"ed#. %uppets ere there in 1947. Ather art for"s did not appear until the "id?late 19+*s

hen 8indsa# e"p gave "i"e and dance perfor"ances. &ance and %h#sical Theatre hashad 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. :tephen6s5hurch) as in e@istence. usic of all t#pes has a ver# large sho ing on the Fringe althoughit 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 theFringe. The first 0"erican group ca"e in 19++C it had the so"e hat indigestible title of TheDniversit# of :outhern 5alifornia :chool of %erfor"ing 0rts &ra"a &epart"ent Festival.Ather 0"erican groups soon follo ed. 3o ada#s' the# co"e in large nu"bers' especiall#school groups. Ather groups that spring readil# to "ind include iers-alin (%oland) iththeir i"aginative use of statuesC and Theatre 5redo ( ulgaria) ith its onderfull# inventiveversion of >ogol6s The reat *)ercoat . ichard &e"arco' a co?founder of The Traverse'

ho set up his o n 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 officialfestival' probabl# seeking integration ith it. o ever' 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"ancesshould detract fro" its o n 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".

ith several notable e@ceptions' such as The Thrie Estaites ' their offerings ere all too oftenstaid and dull. This left a #a ning 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"eand earl# evening activit# in the for"ative #ears. It did this b# introducing late night revues'the first taking place in 19 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' leadingulti"atel# to Beyond the Fringe in 19+*.


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elations ith the EIF continued to be periodicall# fractious right through to the end of the19/*s. It is arguabl# reasonable to sa# that rian c aster6s decision not to co"pete iththe Fringe' even if this as fro" a so"e hat superior stance' led to a reduction in hostilit#.The position toda# is one of tacit acceptance of each other. The EIF continues to considerthat it holds the artistic high ground hile the Fringe tends to rest content in the kno ledge

that in ter"s of si-e it d arfs the International Festival.

Re'utation

The Fringe has engendered "uch debate in the serious "edia over the #ears so"e love itand 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@pressedhis horror of the ine@orable gro th of the Fringe so that it no d arfed the InternationalFestival. hereas the Fringe once co"ple"ented the International festival' albeitprecariousl#' it as no a grotes$uel# outsi-ed and highl# co""ercialised beast thats a"ped the International Festival. e criticised the po er of the super?venues and theirinevitable pla#ing safe. 8#n (the good cop) pla#ed on the thrill of the chase' the !o# offinding those golden nuggets' of first co"ing across 5o"plicite' The ight :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 criticalsuccess 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' canen!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 partsof the orld.

The 0delaide Fringe began in 19+*' fringe activities in righton fro" 19+7' Ed"onton in19/ and Hancouver in 19/4. In recent ti"es' 8ondon and &ublin have both got in on the actbut the real gro th area is in the D:0 and 5anada. ere 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""eon the histor# of the Traverse on 5 adio = on arch 17th' *1=. It is available via the

5 i%la#er for the foreseeable future.

ith regard to dra"a The Traverse' Edinburgh6s o n repertor# theatre' pla#s a pivotal rolein the Festival. It stages around 1 sho s each #ear' co"prising t o of its o n productions

hile hosting the re"ainder. It tends to provide an overall seal of $ualit# if such a thing ispossible 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. o ever' 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 a a#O' the Traverse surfaced in the earl# 19+*s outof a co""on desire a"ong a core set of individuals to "aintain the spirit of the festival inEdinburgh for the rest of the #ear. Harious ideas ere floated' including a galler# space anda bookshop' as ell as a theatre. :o"e of the original pla#ers ho ere involved include

,i" a#nes' a soft?spoken' rela@ed' genial 0"erican. e loved Edinburgh and the Festivalbut hated provincialis". e had bought a !unk shop in 5harles :treet' and opened itas a paperback bookshop

ichard &e"arco as an Edinburgh art teacher ho hated teaching but loved organisinge@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 inlove ith the actress Ta"ara 0lferoff ho lived in Edinburgh. e had bought the:phin@ club in ,a"es 5ourt (off the 8a n"arket)' for"erl# a doss?house and brothelkno n as ell#6s %aradise. is original intention had been to convert it into studiosand flats for struggling artists

,ohn alcol"' an actor appearing in a Fringe production at a#nes6 bookshop ,ohn 5alder ho organised the EIF6s riter6s 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+ ' looking for a Fringe venue.The :phin@ 5lub as eventuall# used. It as around this ti"e that a#nes and &e"arco

ere pushing the idea of a general "eeting place. o ever' alcol" sa it as a theatre andhe "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 availabletheatre space consisted of a long narro roo"' onl# 1 feet ide and / feet high. 8ane6s idea

as to have t o banks of seating at either end of the roo" ith the pla#ing space in the"iddle. e thought that this arrange"ent as called Traverse' hen in fact it as calledTransverse.

It as decided that the Traverse should be a private "e"bers club' as this ould "ake lifeeasier on several fronts fire regulations' licensing' and "ost i"portantl# it ould help tosteer clear of the 8ord 5ha"berlain6s office (the official censor of ritish theatre fro" 1/ 4until 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 7 is %los and Fernando 0rrabal6s *risons . Inthe second perfor"ance actress 5olette A63eil as accidentall# stabbed on stage ith apaper knife. :he Nal"ost bled to deathO' hich brought tre"endous publicit# ith the resultthat bookings soared and the "e"bership rapidl# gre to '***.

In the first three and a half #ears of its e@istence the Traverse put on 11* productions. Itssuccess as greatl# helped b# the fact that during the Festival "an# of the great and thegood of the theatre orld visited this s"all #et inti"ate space. In 19+ it produced acbethfor the International Festival' the first of si@ appearances on the EIF (19+ ?+/' 1979 and19/+).

The success of the earl# #ears as interspersed ith the argu"ents and resignations that areinevitable a"ong #oung and passionate individuals. alcol" left !ust before the Traverse


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opened hile 8ane resigned t elve "onths later' co"plaining about the Na"ateursO. 0fter asi@ "onth stint fro" 5alu" ill (actor and director)' ,i" a#nes took over as artisticdirector in addition to his duties as chair"an. is fort as the abilit# to be an e@cellentfront of house "an' representing the club to the press and public ith his laidback all thingsare possible persona. o ever' he as not a tea" pla#er and after financial proble"s and

the failure to deliver a presentable production at the 5o""on ealth 0rts Festival in 19+ heeventuall# resigned in 19++ over his atte"pted appoint"ent of a friend and associate' ,ack

enr# oore. >ordon c&ougall follo ed (19++?19+/) to stead# the ship after the thrillsand spills of the a#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. e anted a "oreleisurel# %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#or6sreport in arch 19+9 indicated that the internal floors ere unsafe' and that the building asunsuitable for use as a theatre or restaurant. This precipitated a "ove to the botto" of est

o here there as roo" for 1** seats. This coincided ith the arrival of ichaelud"an (197*?7=) ho as older than previous incu"bents and "ore "ature at the grand

old age of =1. e as the first orthodo@ artistic director. 0 Te@an ho as good at gettingpublicit#' 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# theinflation 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 orkingclass 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' astate of affairs that did not please the 0rts 5ouncil hose ; **'*** subsid# in 19/1a"ounted to + Q of inco"e. # 19/7 the &istrict 5ouncil as giving ;4*'***.

T o "a!or events took place in the late 19/*s and earl# 199*s. 0t the end of 19/7 the clubas ound up and the Traverse beca"e a theatre co"pan#. In 199 the infa"ous N ole 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 t o theatre spaces and a onderfull# at"ospheric bar.

The artistic polic# up to the "id 199*s had t o "ain strands the develop"ent of :cottishork 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 isthe first port of call for dra"a enthusiasts. &uring the *1= festival 1= productions fro" avariet# of co"panies ere staged at the Traverse.

Edinburgh International Boo& Festival

ith the encourage"ent of the International Festival a co""ittee as for"ed under 8ordalfour 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 1 * authors attending'including ,ohn Dpdike and 0nthon# urgess. N eet the authorO events' and the inspireddecision to have a children6s fair' attracted =*'*** visitors. The fair beca"e a festival' held


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19/22

bienniall# until 1997 hen its gro ing popularit# arranted the transition to an annualevent. 3ick arle#' appointed in Actober **9' is the si@th festival director' succeeding5atherine 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* festival' ith an attendance ofcirca '***' boasted of appearances b# over /** authors' poets' illustrators' !ournalists andpoliticians. igh profile debates have been introduced in recent #ear on sub!ects such asterroris" and "ulti?cultural ritain to supple"ent the staple diet of N"eet the authorO andauthor reading sessions. The the"e for *1 as Nrethinking the orld around usO. Ticketsfor the "ore popular authors can be sold?out ver# $uickl#' so"eti"es ithin a couple ofhours of going on sale in ,une.

In *1* 3n(o nd as introduced. This is a free late night progra""e of perfor"ance' "usicand literature hich is produced in association ith The :kinn#' the Edinburgh arts"aga-ine.

0n inaugural Edinburgh orld riters6 5onference as held during the *1 festival inpartnership ith the ritish 5ouncil. * authors fro" countries discussed the role offiction in the orld toda#.

Edinburgh International Fil$ Festival

The Edinburgh Fil" >uild' established in 19=*' as responsible for the creation of thefestival 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 follo ing #ear' sho ing in e@cess of 1** fil"s fro" countries over three eeks'e@tending be#ond docu"entaries. E@pansion continued in 19 * ith 17* fil"s fro" 4countries' including 14 feature fil"s and pre"ieres. 5lassics in the earl# #ears included

obert Flahert#Gs Lo isiana Story ' oberto osselliniGs ermany 8ear ero ' ,ac$ues Tati6s4o r de F:te and en!i i-oguchiGs 3gets Monogatari . It $uickl# beca"e a "eeting placefor directors and producers. The earl# 19 *s sa the introduction of education and children6sfil"s < 7 in 19 . 0 "aga-ine entitled NThe 8iving 5ine"aO as introduced in the inter of19 +. In the follo ing #ear a "ilestone as reached ith the appoint"ent of 5alu" ill asthe 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 recogniseand encourage all ne ideas and develop"ents hich contribute to a vital and vigorouscine"aO.

0s the #ears ent b# the festival as faced ith issues including Nco""ercialis" versusartO 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 paidtribute to the diverse talents of the likes of ,ohn uston' :a" Fuller' and &ouglas :irk. Theadvent of the 197*s heralded financial crises in 1971 it as rescued b# Edinburgh5orporation and the :cottish Fil" 5ouncil. An the artistic front the progra""e in the 197*sand 19/*s included 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 blackand fe"inist fil""akers.


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20/22

The last ten #ears have seen a strengthening of the critical fortunes of the Festival throughthe artistic direction of ark 5ousins' 8i--ie Francke and :hane &anielsen. :o"e of thenotable fil"s screened in the last fe #ears have included Mrs Brown The F ll Monty LaVie Re);e des -nges Se l %ontre To s Lo)e is the /e)il Ratcatcher East is East R n Lola

R n Billy Elliot -mores $erros -m;lie 1< 8ears of -lcohol 8o ng -dam &nfernal

-ffairs -merican S!lendor Motorcycle /iaries and *ld Boy and 7ero .

The 1 da# festival ran fro" "id to late 0ugust' usuall# finishing on the :unda# of the latesu""er public holida# eekend. The ** festival as hosted at five "ain venues' three inEdinburgh and t o in >lasgo ' co"prising over 1+* ite"s.

In **7 the ne artistic director' annah c>ill' took the bold decision to "ove the fil"festival to ,une' starting in **/' in an atte"pt to gain a higher profile. hile the first t o#ears ent reasonabl# ell the global financial recession led to the fil" industr# cuttingback on festival appearances and it "a# be that in the current cli"ate the ,une date is tooclose to that of 5annes. Ti"e ill tell.

*11 proved to be a disastrous #ear. It actuall# started ith The 5entre for the ovingI"age (5 I) assu"ing responsibilit# for the Fil" Festival' the resignation of annah

c>ill in 0ugust *1* and the subse$uent failure to find a ne artistic director. 0 series ofannounce"ents follo ed' each ith a different cast of na"es S roles ho ould beresponsible for the *11 progra""e. This onl# served to convince outsiders that the festivalappeared to be rudderless. ,a"es ullighan eventuall# took charge K arguabl# he dre theshort stra . :o"e hat inevitabl#' the festival as slated b# the critics. In :epte"ber *11>avin iller' 5EA of 5 I resigned and 5hris Fu!i ara' an 0"erican fil" riter' authorand critic' as appointed as the Fil" Festival6s ne artistic director. The *1 and *1=

festivals ere reasonabl# ell received ith Fu!i ara 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 acapacit# of ** and as held over a single eekend. In the follo ing #ear ike art' thefestival director' approached &r#burghs bre er# 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 continueduntil 19/=. 0t this point :cottish re ers ca"e in ith a reduced sponsorship' but thefestival "anaged to continue along si"ilar lines. Eventuall#' econo"ic reasons' includingthe appearance of bigger na"es ho obviousl# de"anded larger fees' resulted in the freevenues 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 "ovedon to include conte"porar# ,a-- and lues hile still "aintaining its Traditional base. Itincludes education orkshops' e.g. in ** the# ere N:ing ,a--O and N%la# ,a--O.

art anted to "aintain the festivals sho case of lesser kno n artistes' so he tried toprovide 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 *'*** people. ardi


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21/22

>ras is a vibrant "usical spectacular that starts at 1 .=*p" ith a colourful parade fro" the5it# 5ha"bers via Hictoria :treet to the >rass"arket' hich provides the setting for threehours of non?stop "usic. R,a-- on a :u""er6s &a#R attracted a bigger cro d than an# othersingle !a-- event in the D . It as set in %rinces :treet >ardens' under the shado of the5astle' providing an opportunit# to sa"ple the older "usical st#les on offer in the festival.

o ever' the presence of a :piegeltent (0sse"bl# oo"s) in the gardens prevented it beingheld in *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 firstInternational Festival. It as eventuall# superseded b# The Edinburgh ilitar# Tattoo in19 *. Dnder the direction of rigadier 0lasdair aclean' there ere eight ite"s in the firstprogra""e. There ere no stands in that first #ear' the audience atching fro" the sides ofthe Esplanade. :tands ere erected fro" the follo ing #ear' gro ing to its current si-e hen

it houses an audience of around 9'***. The first overseas regi"ent to participate as theand of the o#al 3etherlands >renadiers in 19 ' 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' notforgetting the lone piper on the castle ra"parts ho traditionall# closes the sho . The "usicthe"e continues ith "ilitar# bands and the choir. &ance includes international perfor"ers'as ell as the traditional ighland 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 cro ds ever# #earC the annual audience is circa 17'***. In

** tickets ere sold out b# the end of arch. It is esti"ated that 7*Q of the audience arenon?:cottish' being either English or overseas tourists. an# further "illions atch theTattoo each #ear on international television. The Tattoo as set up and run for charitablepurposes' 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.o ever' funds ere ithdra n 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 theassociate tag graduall# disappeared and it began to rel# on The Fringe progra""e to providee@ternal advertising of its ares.

The concept of a separate 0rt Festival as first piloted in **4 in an atte"pt to provide acentral focus for the visual arts. The Edinburgh 0rt Festival' supported b# the :cottish 0rts5ouncil' The ritish 5ouncil and Edinburgh 5it# 5ouncil' represents =*L galleries and runsfro" 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 #earround.

The# e"brace The o#al :cottish 0cade"# (at the foot of the ound)C The 3ational


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22/22

>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 oad ? a =*?4* "inute

alk fro" the east end of %rinces :treet or on the no. 1= bus). In addition' there arenu"erous other s"aller galleries. Af particular note are the 5it# 5entre 0rt >aller# (

arket :treet) and the Fruit"arket >aller# (4 arket :treet)' hile private galleries also

have e@hibitions at festival ti"e.

3ot ithstanding the banner under hich the visual arts have operated' "a!or e@hibitionshave continued to be put on. 3otable e@hibitions at festival ti"e in recent #ears haveincluded iro (199 )' >iaco"etti (199+)' onet ( **=)' &utch asters ( **4)' The 0ge ofTitian ( **4)' acon ( ** )' ueck ( **+)' arhol ( **7) and I"pressionist >ardens( *1*).

and the Future-

Edinburgh 6s great su""er festival feast has entered its seventh decade facing a nu"ber ofthreats.

An the financial front the state of the national and global econo"ies ill inevitabl# "akesponsors harder to co"e b# and reduce the nu"ber of punters' particularl# those ho travelto :cotland for the events. The increasing cost of visiting Edinburgh for the festivals < forboth 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 **/. Itscurrent proble"s are its over?bloated si-e < it is si"pl# too largeC and the veiled threat of abreaka a# co"ed# festival.

e can onl# hope that all the festivals ill eventuall# sail through these chopp# aters asthe# have done for over si@t# #ears' and that there ill be "uch "ore "aterial to add to theirhistor# as *47 is approached.

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A History of the Edinburgh Arts Festivals

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