This year Underbelly is celebrating 20 Fringes at its original home, Cowgate.
The Cowgate is the heart of Underbelly, home to its new writing theatre, comedy, cabaret and late-night music and mischief.
Through the colourful years fabulous artists and companies have flocked to Cowgate. Some of the big names that have graced its spaces include Stewart Lee, Eddie Redmayne, Russell Howard, Flight of the Conchords, Tim Minchin, Mark Owen and Keane among hundreds of others.
Artists whose early Fringes were at Cowgate include Will Adamsdale, Frisky and Mannish, Joan Rivers, Schlomo, Foil Arms and Hog, Danny Bhoy and Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller Bridge.
Plays including Fleabag, 1927’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and Imaginary Body’s 100 have had their premieres at Cowgate, and companies including Barrel Organ, Rhum and Clay and The Last Great Hunt have brought their work to audiences in the winding stairs and spaces of Edinburgh’s most shapely venue.
Underbelly has championed new writing through awards such as the Old Vic New Voices, Underbelly Ideas Tap Award and now Untapped in partnership with New Diorama Theatre. Over the years the new writing programme has picked up many awards including Fringe Firsts in 2018 for dressed, It’s True, It’s True, It’s True, and Angry Allan.
People have danced till dawn in Belly Dancer to the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, Mark Owen, Keane, The Thrills, Skin and Athlete.
This year 75 shows are performed in 7 spaces from Belly Dancer to Belly Laugh.
This year’s Untapped award winners – Tokyo Rose, Conspiracy and Art Heist, join other theatre shows including America is Hard to See, direct from its sell-out run in New York, an expose around next day delivery in Fulfilment, Francesca Moody Productions returning with Do Our Best performed by Remy Beasley, US playwright Jonathan Caren’s razor sharp dark comedy Four Woke Baes, the National Youth Theatre’s F.OFF, and Sam Steiner’s new A Table Tennis Play among many others plays.
One of the most talked-about comedy shows on last year’s Fringe Garry Starr is back with his new show Garry Starr Conquers Troy, Paul Foot continues to entertain audiences in Belly Dancer, Lucy Farrett, Courtney Pauroso, Roisin Crawley Linton, Danny O’Brien and Jack Tucker all bring new shows to Cowgate this year, and Double Denim bring their hilarious Contiki tour gone wrong, Hey Boss.
Keep up to speed with Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe
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Underbelly is a UK based live entertainment company. Their events and festivals division operates one of the largest operations at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, selling over 460,000 tickets for over 200 shows, in 22 venues over 25 days in 2018.
2018 was the sixth year Underbelly produced Edinburgh’s Christmas for City of Edinburgh Council which saw 771,074 tickets sold to visitors from more than 40 countries, and the second year of producing Edinburgh’s Hogmanay also on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, which welcomed 160,000 over 3 days.
2019 marks the eleventh year of Underbelly Festival on the Southbank – one of the biggest multi-arts offerings in London and London’s original pop-up festival, with over 140 shows programmed over 6 months on the South Bank.
Underbelly also produces Christmas in Leicester Square, Udderbelly Festival in Hong Kong, West End Live in Trafalgar Square for Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre.
In 2018 Underbelly sold over 1.5 million tickets to their various events.
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