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Post by curiouskc on May 6, 2024 11:27:50 GMT
With a lot of 2024 shows starting to announce, I was wondering what recommendations people have and what shows people are most looking forward to? I was really excited to hear Rob Madge's 'My Son's a Queer' will be doing another Edinburgh run. I'm doing the 11th - 16th. Can't wait!
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Post by stevejohnson678 on May 6, 2024 13:01:07 GMT
Accommodation booked from 2-11 and 16-25 August, although the length of the second trip may change. Depends how appealing the rest of the line-up is! Excited for loads more shows being announced this week when the real planning can begin! Ten of my must-sees from the selection on sale so far include: - Breathe by Half a String at Pleasance Dome
- The Emu War: A New Musical by Pearl Whirl Productions at Pleasance Courtyard
- Experiment Human by Hooky Productions at Underbelly Cowgate
- Fringe! The Musical by Little Big Stack at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose
- The Gardening Club: A New Musical by Wright and McRitchie at theSpace at Venue 45
- A Jaffa Cake Musical by Gigglemug Theatre at Pleasance Courtyard
- Kafka's Metamorphosis: The Musical! With Puppets! by Thoroughline Projects LLC at Pleasance Dome
- Mary: A Gig Theatre Show by Knot Tied Theatre at theSpace at Symposium Hall
- Solve It Squad by Tin Can Bros at Assembly George Square Studios
- Stuffed by Ugly Bucket at Pleasance Courtyard
Comedy wise, Dara O'Briain, Grubby Little Mitts, Maeve Press, Milton Jones, Reginald D Hunter and Vlad Ilich are all on my list. Happy to also see Ulrooj Ashfaq back with a new show (and a short run of her award-winning debut from last year too) in Assembly's latest batch of shows - I'll definitely be checking out her new work-in-progress.
It's going to be a slightly strange festival with Gilded Balloon's Teviot Row House out of action this year while it's closed for major refurbishment but all the signs are it's going to be a bumper Fringe line-up, approaching 2019 levels, regardless.
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Post by joem on May 6, 2024 13:18:35 GMT
I'm going for my fourth (third in a row) and have accommodation booked. There's something about commedia dell'arte in Elizabethan times which I'm looking forward to and I'll probably go and see Richard Pulsford - the king of the bad puns - again, but I intend sitting down this weekend and preparing a grid for the week I'm there. Hoping to see 30/35 shows all together.
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Post by scarletmood on May 6, 2024 14:19:27 GMT
With comedians doing the fringe do established comedians get offers to debut a show there or is it more a showcase for emerging or maybe a veteran talent returning.
Established comedians like Milton and Dara have no financial need to do Edinburgh for example.
I enjoy watching some of the preview shows in the Midlands.
One comedy musical group I saw last year who were very funny and I know are doing Edinburgh again after a national tour are Flat and the Curves.
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Post by zahidf on May 7, 2024 13:13:30 GMT
Givne the big bump in accommodation prices, is a no for me this year alas. Shame
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Post by distantcousin on May 7, 2024 18:22:41 GMT
Going this year, but suspect it'll be the last. It's becoming a highly elitist activity - we were very lucky to get our airbnb at the same price as last year (by going direct) everything else is up 50%. The Scottish government are hellbent on killing off the golden goose.
If the average earning performer can't afford to fund their Edinburgh run anymore, then the end is surely nigh?...
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Post by joem on May 7, 2024 18:44:50 GMT
Going this year, but suspect it'll be the last. It's becoming a highly elitist activity - we were very lucky to get our airbnb at the same price as last year (by going direct) everything else is up 50%. The Scottish government are hellbent on killing off the golden goose. If the average earning performer can't afford to fund their Edinburgh run anymore, then the end is surely nigh?... I fear you are right. Our airbnb from last two years was up 60% but we managed to get another one nearby for more or less same as last year. At some point there is going to be a big shake-up if this is going to survive. The fringe depends on numbers and if people can't afford to stay in Edinburgh they won't go, local audiences probably not even 5% of the total attendances. Add that to the increasingly intolerant attitude towards comedy in particular and perhaps other cities could consider having a go at their own festivals.
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Post by stevejohnson678 on May 8, 2024 8:36:55 GMT
There's no doubt the accommodation is a major barrier to the Fringe, but the fears about the impact it could have on the festival don't seem to have materialised so far. The Scotsman's coverage around the April show reveal date, just before the printed programme deadline, reported that show registrations for 2024 were on a par with the the record-breaking 2019 festival. Whether that's a good thing is, of course, open to debate!
The Fringe Society have at least commandeered accommodation they've offered at affordable prices to performers and the Keep it Fringe fund has been expanded so, despite the woeful lack of funding to support artists from the SNP, the Fringe Society are trying to help. But there's no doubt more is needed.
I think people staying outside the city centre and travelling in daily will be an increasing trend for audiences. I'm in the same accommodation as last year and my accommodation costs are down around 10% year on year (booked the moment they went on sale) which was unexpected. I do agree though the general trend with pricing is not good and, considering all the time it takes to plan as well, I may eventually move away from going every year. The number of shows returning from previous years is another incentive to do that but, for now, the pull of places like Pleasance Courtyard in August remains too strong, despite the challenges.
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