Edinburgh Fringe: Minefield or goldmine?

With less than two weeks to go before the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe kicks-off, the virtual rush for tickets is already well under way…

Late Night Gimp Fight: Heading back to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

But many performers who draw the crowds to the Scottish capital will ultimately struggle to break even and may even leave empty handed, while the costs for their audiences also continue to spiral ever upwards.

So who is the real winner at the Fringe? And with much of the festival’s creative talent being previewed this month in and around London, is there any actual need for English based fans to make the long voyage north of the border?

This year’s edition will see my own debut at the world’s largest arts festival, but fans of comedy will be relieved to learn that it will only be in a spectating capacity.

The lure of the fringe has long been at the back of my mind, but the somewhat unalluring prospect of the Scottish ‘summer’, overpriced accommodation and general overcrowding have thus far kept me confined to the local stand-up scene.

Comedy, to many people at least, is what Edinburgh is all about, but it was not until 2008 that the genre actually took over as the dominant form amongst the extraordinarily broad variety of talent on show during the annual August spectacular.

With 2,098 different shows at Fringe 2009 and even more now on offer twelve months later, it’s perhaps no surprise that the official programme looks startlingly similar to the telephone directory, albeit with slightly more pictures!

The Fringe’s equally daunting website (www.edfringe.com) also does its best to help guide you through the dilemma of deciding which act is more deserving of your hard-earned cash, but its streamlined look masks the veritable gold mine that lies beneath.

The almost month-long showpiece’s name alludes to its rebellious origins as the ‘alternative’ to the more high-brow distractions offered by the Edinburgh International Festival, which still offers treats for fans of classical music, theatre and dance alongside its now much larger offspring.

But with a 90p ‘handling fee’ added to each ticket bought through the Fringe website, and around 1.8 million tickets sold each year (by all methods) then there’s a potential fortune to be made by the organisers at least.

Performers’ financial experiences may well end up being slightly different. But the overall experience of playing the Fringe, and the career boost that could come from it for a lucky few, should not be overlooked, with the great and the good from TV and radio also descending on the city to sniff out the next big thing.

Pre-Edindurgh previews are one way of seeing what’s on offer before you get up there, but what you may see is still not the finished product, with many acts using them as the ideal opportunity to hone their set before they are unleashed upon the full-paying public.

One such sneak peak that I have managed to see this summer was that of sketch group Late Night Gimp Fight, who are returning for their second year at the Fringe after creating significant buzz first time around.

The five guys who comprise the up-and-coming troupe have obviously been busy over the past twelve months, and have already had some of their off-the-wall material filmed and put on YouTube by SO Television.

Nevertheless the lads were still having to work equally hard to raise funds to support their second Fringe foray, which they hope will cement their burgeoning reputation as one of the more promising breakthrough acts on the circuit.

For the discerning punter, however, it remains a tough call to sort the comedy wheat from the chaff, especially if the official programme is your only guide.

Nor is ticket price really much help, because although more established acts will feel able to charge a little more, the majority of shows fall between the £8-£12 range and consequently come with no giggles guaranteed.

The best advice may be to book a few names you know you will like via the website in advance and then pick up the vibes and go with the word of mouth crowd when you arrive.

That’s my plan this time at least…and I will of course report back on how it all goes once I do finally make it up there.

The buzz of the event itself will no doubt throw up some unexpected surprises along the way, but no matter what happens, actually being there will hopefully be well worth the hassle.

LATE NIGHT GIMP FIGHT will be appearing at Pleasance Courtyard from Aug 4th - Aug 29th (no show on Aug 18th).
Time Slot: 23:00-23:55         Price: £9/£10 or £7.50/£8.50 concessions.