- 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 ascomedy . Although theFringe 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 atAssembly ,Gilded Balloon ,Pleasance andUnderbelly 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 theEdinburgh 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 manycomedy shows as part of theEdinburgh 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 ofGlasgow 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 apress conference on Thursday 5 June explanations were made of the intention to plowsponsorship 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 byThe Scotsman andScotland 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] asAssembly andPleasance continue their media partnership withThe Scotsman andGilded Balloon andUnderbelly continue their media partnership withScotland on Sunday . Both publications are owned byJohnston 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 ofpreviews , with the officialstart date coinciding with theEdinburgh 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 andUnderbelly produced a joint venuesbrochure in2008 . It comprised of two sides - one side was presented as theEdinburgh Comedy Festival brochure, and all othergenres 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 bytheatre with 29 per cent. Last year 1.7 milliontickets 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 includeJoan Rivers cite 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 Merton cite 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 James cite web |url=http://www.edcomfest.com/shows/clive_james_in_conversation
title= Clive James in Conversation|accessdate= 2008-07-09 |work= Clive James] andRhona Cameron cite 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
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