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The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is often called the '''Edinburgh Fringe''' and sometimes just the '''Fringe'''. It is one of the arts festivals collectively termed the Edinburgh Festival . It takes place annually in the city of Edinburgh during August . It was originally set up to complement the Edinburgh International Festival but now dwarfs it. The Edinburgh Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. INTRODUCTION The Fringe is focused almost exclusively on the Performing Arts , particularly theatre and comedy. Fringe material can be anything from Shakespeare to modern works; however the nature of the fringe encourages experimental works. At first there was a lot of animosity between the fringe and the official festival, however now this has almost entirely disappeared. The Festival Fringe Society run the fringe. They publish the Programme , sell tickets and offer advice to performers. The office is located on the Royal Mile . HISTORY The Fringe started when eight theatre companies turned up uninvited to the first year of the Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. They aimed to take advantage of the large theatre crowds and showcase their own, more alternative, theatre. It initially got most of its support from University Of Edinburgh students who set up drop-in centres and a central booking service. In 1958 the Fringe became more organised with the Fringe Festival Society producing up the first guide to all Fringe shows. A constitution was drawn up in which the policy of not vetting or censoring shows was set out. In 1959, 19 companies attended the Fringe. In following years there were problems as competition increased and the Fringe became too big for students and volunteers to deal with. In 1969 the Fringe Society became a limited company and in 1971 it employed its first administrator. Between 1976 and 1981 the number of companies performing rose from 182 to 494. In 1988 the Society moved to its current headquarters on the Royal Mile. Since then the society has increased the amount of technology used by introducing computerised ticketing and in 2000 the Fringe became the first arts organisation in the world to sell tickets online in real time. In 2005, over 1,335,000 were sold for Fringe performances and the Fringe Society now plans years in advance. Much of the history of the Fringe has become obscure in popular terms but there is general agreement that the artistic credentials of the Fringe were established by the creators of the Traverse Theatre, John Calder, Jim Haynes and Richard Demarco. Their work in presenting cutting edge drama to an international audience in the impressive setting of the city's Royal Mile set a standard to which other companies aspired. In its new home adjacent to the grand Usher Hall, the Traverse continues to go from strength to strength and has a worldwide reputation for presenting contemporary drama in a daring and imaginative context. FRINGE LEGACY The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has spawned many fringe festivals around the world. These include festivals in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and many around the rest of the world. The Fringe also has a legacy in the comedians and actors, and groups that have been ‘discovered’ at the fringe these include, but by no means limited to:
THE FRINGE TODAY In 2005 the fringe sold 1,335,000 tickets and was the 3rd year in a row that they sold over 1 million tickets. The website states there was "26,995 performances of 1800 shows in 247 venues, and hosted 16,190 performers". It was the largest festival on record. The 2005 festival was also the first year that the Metro Half Price Ticket Tent was used, offering special ticket prices for different shows each day, it sold over 45,000 tickets. Today the Fringe exists over many different venues but can be sampled by visiting the Royal Mile around St. Giles Cathedral. This historic and busy area is pedestrianised during the Fringe period and becomes the focal point where members of production casts hand out flyers, attempt to sell tickets for their show. Use of technology Over half a million tickets have been sold online since the official website was launched in 2000. An E-Ticket Tent was introduced in 2004, allowing people to book tickets online at the festival. The website also lets people post their own reviews and ratings for shows. In 2005 a text rating system was introduced, whereby audience members could 'text in' ratings out of 5 for shows they have seen. All major venues are now using electronic and computerised ticketing systems that are linked to the central fringe system. In 2003 Sweet TV became the first online TV station for the Fringe with daily Webcasts of shows, performer interviews and daily news bulletins. In 2004 they linked up with Web Portal Yahoo! [http://uk.news.yahoo.com/promo/sweet/index.html . Festival FM was launched in 2004. It broadcasts during the festival on 87.7 FM within the city, and Streams on its website from a temporary studio in Bristo Square. It features interviews with performers, reviews and competitions. High profile shows In recent years, high profile plays have been performed at the Assembly Rooms on George Street using stand up comedians. '' 12 Angry Men '' was produced in 2003 , directed by Guy Masterson, starring Bill Bailey and Stephen Frost . A year later, Masterson directed '' twice contracted Chicken Pox , and the opening was further delayed. However, tickets for the run sold out before opening. The production subsequently transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End . In 2005 , Masterson's production of Neil Simon 's '' The Odd Couple '', starring Bill Bailey and Alan Davies , became the fastest selling show in the festival's history {Link without Title} despite poor reviews. Some feel that the fringe is not the place for these high profile shows but should be reserved for more experimental and independent theatre. CRITICISM In recent years the festival is attracting criticism for its growing commercial emphasis and corporate sponsorship: Orange caused concern when they pulled out of the sponsorship deal with the Assembly Rooms after only one year [http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php?sid=425 . There are also concerns about high ticket prices, which were once on average £3 but now average around £10-15. VENUES The Fringe comprised 247 individual venues in 2005. The largest and most popular of these comprise: The festival is renowned for staging shows in unusual venues; 2003's festival featured shows staged in a public toilet, a red Ford Escort , a lift and a stepladder {Link without Title} . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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