Edinburgh Comedy Festival

Introduction

Edinburgh Comedy Festival is the name given to a collection of roughly 250 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that are classed as comedy. Although the Fringe Festival includes around 2088 shows classed as fringe,cite web |url=http://www.edfringe.com/area.html?r_menu=global&id=48|title=Fringe Facts|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Official site of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival ] , only comedies at Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly are included in the Edinburgh Comedy Festival.cite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/news.aspx?article=12|title=Edinburgh Comedy Festival News|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Official site of the Edinburgh Comedy Festival ] These represent around 90% of the comedy shows in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.cite web |url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburghfestivalfringe/Making-Capital39s-comedy-festival-work.3907865.jp|title=Making Capital's comedy festival work is a serious business|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Anthony Alderson speaking to Edinburgh Evening News about Edinburgh Comedy Festival]

In the media

In June 2008, there were many news stories and commentaries in the media about the launch of the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, both positivecite web |url=http://living.scotsman.com/comedy/Fighting-the-good-fight-.4158909.jp|title=Fighting the good fight - the Fringe Festival|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Scotsman Article ] and negative.cite web |url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburghfestivalfringe/Comedy-awards-boss-warns-Fringe39s.3981300.jp|title=Comedy awards boss warns Fringe's 'big four' over split|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Scotsman Article ]

One critic of the move was Tommy Shepherd, owner of Edinburgh comedy venue, The Stand, which itself hosts many comedy shows as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.cite web |url=http://www.thestand.co.uk/fringe2008/|title=SCOTLAND’S COMEDY FLAGSHIP REMAINS AT THE HEART OF THE FRINGE|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= The Stand website ] Shepherd was reportedly invited to form part of the festival but refused in spring 2008.cite web |url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2008/03/does_the_fringe_need_a_separat.html
title=Does the Fringe need a separate comedy festival?|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= The Guardian website] . Shepherd is director of Glasgow comedy festival.cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/comedy/progpages/seriousaboutcomedy2.shtml|title=Serious About Comedy |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= BBC 7]

It is not, however, the first time the Edinburgh Comedy Festival name has been used. A similar project was attempted in the 1990s, with a cigarette brand as the sponsor.cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/paulinemclean/2008/06/laughs_lacking_for_breakaway.html |title=Laughs lacking for 'breakaway' |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= BBC News]

ponsorship

Much was reported of the lack of sponsorship in the festival's first year, cite web |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/20917/edinburgh-comedy-festival-launches-without|title=Edinburgh comedy festival launches without sponsor |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= The Stage] following reports that combined, the four venues involved in the festival made a £76,000 loss in 2007 cite web
title=How they managed that was a shock to everyone. |url=http://www.edinburghguide.com/story/edinburghcomedyfestival/1862|title=Q&A: The Edinburgh Comedy Festival |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Edinburgh Guide.com] . At a press conference on Thursday 5 June explanations were made of the intention to plow sponsorship money back into the festival, with the long term goal of making the festival cheaper for acts.cite web |url=http://www.fringereport.com/art080605edinburghcomedyfestival.php
title=Edinburgh Comedy Festival 2008 - London Press Launch |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Fringe Report]

The 2008 Edinburgh Comedy Festival is indirectly sponsored by The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday Newspapers,cite web |url=http://living.scotsman.com/comedy/Fighting-the-good-fight-.4158909.jp
title=Fighting the good fight - the Fringe Festival |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= The Scotsman] as Assembly and Pleasance continue their media partnership with The Scotsman and Gilded Balloon and Underbelly continue their media partnership with Scotland on Sunday. Both publications are owned by Johnston Press.cite web |url=http://www.johnstonpress.co.uk/jpplc/ourbusiness/publishingdivision/division.jsp?ref=7 |title=Johnston Press Titles in Scotland |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Johnston presst] Though with no Sponsor coming forward for 2008, the chances of this Comedy Festival carrying on is very slim.

2008

The 2008 Edinburgh Comedy Festival will run from Wednesday 30 July - Monday 25 August.cite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/ |title= Edinburgh Comedy Festival| accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Edinburgh Comedy Festival] It starts with 2 - 4 days of previews, with the official start date coinciding with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.cite web |url=http://www.edfringe.com/ |title= Edinburgh Fringe Festival |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Edinburgh Fringe Festival] .

Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly produced a joint venues brochure in 2008. It comprised of two sides - one side was presented as the Edinburgh Comedy Festival brochure, and all other genres including Musical Theatre at George Square http://www.festivals.ed.ac.uk/ were listed on the other side. cite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/brochurePDF.aspx |title= Edinburgh Fringe Festival Brochure |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Edinburgh Comedy Festival Brochure] .

For the first time, comedy is the biggest section of the programme, comprising 32 per cent of the shows, followed closely by theatre with 29 per cent. Last year 1.7 million tickets were sold at the Fringe.cite web |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2008/06/05/6867/fringe_4_hit_back |title= Fringe 4 hit back |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Chortle article] .

There are over 250 shows listed in the Edinburgh Comedy Festival programme. Recognisable names from the 2008 line-up include Joan Riverscite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/shows/Joan_Rivers_A_Work_In_Progress_by_a_Life_In_Progress |title= Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress by a Life In Progress |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Paul Merton] , Paul Mertoncite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/shows/paul_mertons_impro_chums |title= Paul Merton's Impro Chums |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Paul Merton] , Clive Jamescite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/shows/clive_james_in_conversation
title= Clive James in Conversation|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Clive James] and Rhona Cameroncite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/shows/rhona_cameron
title= Rhona Cameron |accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Rhona Cameron]

External links

* [http://www.edcomfest.com Edinburgh Comedy Festival 2008]
*Musical Theatre at George Square http://www.festivals.ed.ac.uk/

References