From OnlyFans to medical trials - the extreme measures artists take to fund Edinburgh festival shows
Crowdfunding and finding patrons are among less painful options as cost of performing at the fringe soars
‘Relentless losses’ leave Edinburgh fringe venues fighting to recover from Covid slump
Ahead of next month’s festival, the city’s performing arts economy faces uncertain future amid funding cuts, wage stagnation and lack of business acumen
Tiny theatres take big risks – in cautious and precarious times, their survival is vital
Brian Logan
We need to keep open offbeat DIY spaces that belong to artists and communities. Even if the odd performance sells zero tickets, they push theatre forward
June 2024
Fame, lust and drugs: Dorian Gray staged as a genderfluid rock musical
Surprise election forces comedians to tear up Edinburgh festival scripts
March 2024
‘We are devastated’: London’s Vault festival to close after funding falls through
Launchpad for theatre and comedy talent, which had planned to open its new longterm home this year, announces its closure
September 2023
Seeing double: two visions of the Enfield poltergeist visit English theatres
The 1970s case that sparked headlines about supernatural activity has inspired a pair of stage productions. How does a fringe show compete with a starry West End behemoth?
Laughing through the pain: Edinburgh comics relive true-life traumas
Edinburgh fringe 2023 week two roundup: to the stars – via Essex
Edinburgh fringe 2023 week one roundup: Capote, Wilde and a lovesick angler
June 2023
Edinburgh festival fringe 2023 to host artists from nearly 70 countries
Executives urge audiences to ‘fill yer boots’ and watch as many shows as possible amid Covid fightback
May 2023
Adam Brace had a magic touch for comedy and theatre – both worlds will mourn his death
Brian Logan
Brace, who has died aged 43, was a hugely talented playwright, dramaturg and director who worked on a string of hits including One-Woman Show and Age Is a Feeling
January 2023
And Then the Rodeo Burned Down review – high noon for cowboy clowns
Chloe Rice and Natasha Roland deliver a playful two-hander about the wild west, power structures and the costs of making art
August 2022
Edinburgh fringe 2022 week one roundup: from care home tales to a Berlin fetish night
Sex, social commentary and shows with no actors: where else but the first full fringe since 2019, with standout moments from Sheeps, Bilal Zafar and ‘a show without actors’
July 2022
The key to Edinburgh Fringe stardom? Having your own TikTok army
During lockdown, fledgling comedians won virtual acclaim. Now they hope real-life festival crowds will find them just as funny
August 2021
The Guardian view on the Edinburgh festivals: signs of rebirth
Editorial: They may be smaller and quieter than they once were, but Scotland’s capital has its summer arts events, and even some visitors, back
June 2021
Edinburgh fringe performers feel ‘jilted’ as Covid closes venues again
Lockdown culture
Hottest front-room seats: the best theatre and dance to watch online
May 2021
Way beyond Hadestown: the windswept rush of folk musicals
Inspired by Anaïs Mitchell’s underworld opera, Maz O’Connor and Finn Anderson are among those putting folk songs and stories into musical theatre
