Ticket Talk | Edinburgh Cliff Courting No.1

Week -5

The News, Muse and Whisperings of Edinburgh Festival

Week -5:

Cliff Courting No.1;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7ilisAGj0

Festival whispers were today rife with the news that a resourceful sketch troupe are campaigning to reinstate Cliff Richard with a new Number.1 The 1976 hit Devil Woman, may oft. be submitted across the UK on local radio request shows, but it never enjoyed the lofty heights of the bachelor boys blockbusters such as Summer Holiday. Notably it was Scots classic Auld Lang Syne that took Richard rocketing to No.1 last time around.

You can vote for Devil Woman here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=16417774175&ref=mf

Ticket Talk | Edinburgh: Underground, Overground

The News, Muse and Whisperings of Edinburgh Festival

Week -6:

Underground, overground;

In Edinburgh there is often as much to be seen below the world heritage streets as above. For every temporary structure (purple or otherwise) is a cave, vault or subterranean carpark playing host to a variety of performances in August. The newly discovered Pleasance UnderGrand, a disused air raid shelter, may only be available for one year, but has captured the resourceful spirit of a Festival arguably in danger of loosing a sense of itself.

http://www.pleasance.co.uk/edinburgh/listings/undergrand

(The shelter was apparently built to hold upto 300 brewery workers - if it were not for the theatre programme no doubt one of the Festival's 'impressarios' would be keen to convert it into accommodation for Festival performers)

Ticket Talk | Edinburgh: Laugh Out Loud

The News, Muse and Whisperings of Edinburgh Festival

Week -6:
Laugh: Out Loud

Are you one of the thousands of people that descend upon Edinburgh only to disappear post-Festival in a cloud of promotional pamphlets?

If you are you could be forgiven for browsing your 2008 Festival Fringe Programme in blissful ignorance of her younger sibling. After journalists had recovered from the relishing prospect of Joan River's stage debut at Edinburgh this year, there was only one story that captured the collective imagination of Scottish and Industry press.

The avid reader should be pleased to read below details of the annual August festivities' newest addition: The Edinburgh Comedy Festival

Born in name in 2008 The ECF took centre-stage in late May. It entered the world as the comedy love child of Underbelly, Pleasance, Assembly and - arguably the venue that wrote the book on 'festival comedy' - The Gilded Balloon.

It did not come as a complete surprise. In Festivals gone by you could hear the faint but definite chant of 'It's behind you', when Festival whisperers floated the idea of a separate comedy festival. The weight of comedy at Edinburgh's multi-art-form festival had not gone unnoticed. In fact 2008 was to be the year that comedy outnumbered non-comedy, by over 50%. Statistics aside, it is a truth universally acknowledged that comedy was a key component of the City's Calendar.

However, the new festival family member would appear to have forgotten that Edinburgh is actually quite funny year-round.

Tommy Sheridan, Edinburgh's comedy captain continues to host a playpit of top comics. The addition of Jo Caulfield, Phil Nicol and Andy Zaltzman, to the venue programme confirms that The Stand stands up to the mighty moose of the Edinburgh Comedy Festival proper. In fact Sheridan is not alone.

The sheriff of independent comedy, is in good company, with the likes of festival venue managers Peter Buckley Hill, Ally Hill and Alex Petty, curating comic offerings across the city. In addition the devilish delights presented by David Bates and The Spiegel Garden, continue to offer some of the most prestigious events (comic or otherwise) at the Festival. However, you will not find these events listed within the new Edinburgh Comedy Festival brochire. These venues all continue to operate independently in August.

So, what's in a name?

The news that future festivals may see the inclusion of venues such as The Stand, within comedy festival brand, supports the argument that the old alliance often referred to as The Big Four, welcomes new friends. However, notably the two festival figures, most associated with the festival and Edinburgh comedy, artistic directors of Assembly and The Gilded Balloon respectively, have remained relatively silent. As such, the Festival's future seems unclear.

When commenting Fringe Director, Jon Morgan points to the existing 'mini-festivals' that the official Festival Fringe promotes. This includes, but is not limited to, The Edge (formerly T on the Fringe), Festival of Film Shorts and the new InvAsian Festival, which celebrates Far Eastern art forms. However, the new kid on the block is taller and louder. Festival commentators question whether one playground (read: programme) can accommodate the festival friends. Or whether in-fest marriage and offspring will continue to cause drama. What does this mean for the integrity and legacy of Edinburgh Festival fringe?

Young, good looking Edinburgh Comedy Festival wltm brand with gsoh

The need to attract headline sponsors is clearly evident, regardless of the venue. The 'new' festival brand positioned itself well in order to attract a headline sponsor for 2008. Although to date, no organisation has been announced. Edinburgh Festival Fringe, continue to enjoy the support of well-known Scots business. However, without a sponsor the Comedy Festival stands straight and unsupported. It is a risk.

As an arts festival, Edinburgh reigns supreme. But, with prestigious comedy festivals in Brighton and Leicester - plus our neighbours at Magners Glasgow Comedy Festival - our new local brand of fun-fest enters a brave new world. It will need to mean something to the comedy circuit in order to survive. To date the industry has arguably been attracted to Edinburgh simply to savour to pick n' mix of professionals v the promise of young, new and exciting work.

In the heat of national competition such as this, it is tempting to admire the funny men (and women) behind this ambitious adventure. Arts Impressarios, Festival Figures, Venue Chiefs; however you label the team behind Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly - they have undertaken to trust their experience in Edinburgh. Never mind the why and wherefore, Edinburgh Comedy Festival is born of good stock - a team who collectively have helped develop the city into the destination for discerning festival fanatics.

Needles, haystack and a liquid refreshment

Naturally audiences have their wish-list of must-see performances. As soon as their brochure(s) drop in June, heralding a Summer of Edinburgh entertainment, out come the tools of choice to demark, which of the 2000+ events will be top of their list. This year, however, the process is a play of two acts. The parental Fringe Programme and sibling summer Comedy Brochure will exist independently of each other.

In the Blue Corner:
The FP maintains its encyclopedic purpose as the A-Z of Edinburgh, within which lies a treasure trove of every art form: Quality, questionable and otherwise.

In the Red Corner:
The CFB weighs in as select slice and scintilating taste of what Edinburgh has to offer at Assembly, Gilded Balloon, George Square Theatre, Pleasance and Underbelly.

Whilst every Comedy Festival event appears within the Fringe Programme, the Brochure boasts a colourful collection of comedy (and indeed non-comedy) exclusively at those venues. Whether two publications is necessary or eco-friendly is debatable - but the word of mouth generated by it is priceless.

Ultimately, the audience will vote with their felt-tip pens which publication best serves their needs. Who wins: you decide!

Who will have the last laugh?

Events organisations are often accused of acting in ignorance of audiences, whether it be sport, arts or festivals. That said, Edinburgh is often placed above that - held in high regard, as the festival of festivals. That very sentiment that may prove her undoing, with this, the latest of mini-fests, set to become a major event in its own right.

Anthony Alderson, Pleasance Director, opened the 2007 season urging Edinburgh to take care of the Festival Fringe - stating that it is 'precious'. On the whole festival fanatics agreed, but what of the Edinburgh itself. Arguably the most precious part of any festival is the audience.

What does the Edinburgh Comedy Festival mean to them?

[Our guide to Independent Comedy at Edinburgh coming soon]

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/latestnews/A-comedy-breakaway-could-mean.4148955.jp

http://www.edfest.com/

http://www.thestand.co.uk/