Tag: Fringe

Letters: Murky side of Fringe is no laughing matter

Dear Editor

As we enter September and local residents begin to feel comfortable venturing back into Edinburgh’s city centre, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on some of the lesser publicised issues of the many festivals hosted during August by the Scottish capital.
Whilst many celebrated the wealth of incredible domestic and international talents on show at The Fringe and the Edinburgh International Festival, record ticket sales for a sixth successive year, and an unprecedented number of visitors, the exploitative practices of many employers and local landlords were once again hidden in plain sight.
As noted during the Scottish Socialist Party’s fantastic Wheel of Misfortune event (Saturday 25th August 2018), staff at several festival venues earned mere pennies per hour, whilst year-round tenants faced being turfed out of their homes in favour of more lucrative profits to be made thanks to the largely unregulated official festival partner AirBnB.
Whilst there is much to enjoy for those able to afford tickets to witness the musical, comedic, and literary talents brought to our city, should it be permitted to take priority over local communities?
Thanks to pivotal work from not only the Scottish Socialist Party, but also the Fair Fringe, and Living Rent Campaign, worker exploitation, intimidating workplace practices – such as replacing paid posts with ‘volunteers’ (thus avoiding worker rights) – and the disgraceful treatment of many year-round tenants are rapidly coming to light.
Luke Campbell (by email)

UK Government support for Scottish festivals

Mundell’s on the Fringe!

Scottish Secretary David Mundell will be joined by other UK Government cabinet ministers in Edinburgh this week in a show of support for Scottish festivals and to celebrate the international profile and significant economic boost they bring. Continue reading UK Government support for Scottish festivals

Cast of Bravo 22 joins forces with Poppyscotland

Sick and injured veterans from Bravo 22 Company, one of the most remarkable theatre groups at the Fringe, visited Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Warriston yesterday to highlight the work of Poppyscotland. All are taking part in Unspoken, a premiere inspired by the stories of 100 ex-Servicemen and ex-Servicewomen which runs from 21-27 August. Continue reading Cast of Bravo 22 joins forces with Poppyscotland

Is homophobia alive and well at The Fringe?

Flyering Fringe performer encounters homophobic abuse on the streets

Fringe performer Nick Cassenbaum has encountered some extreme reactions on the Edinburgh streets when promoting his show. 

Nick’s show is about his childhood hero, a TV personality loved by millions and once the highest paid man on British television. His name: Michael Barrymore.

Barrymore fell from grace 17 years ago, enduring tabloid fury after a tragic incident at his home left a young man dead and the star came out about his bisexuality.

The show, My Kind of Michael, chronicles Cassenbaum’s childhood infatuation with the Strike it Lucky presenter and how he was inspired by Barrymore to take to the stage himself.

But flyering the show around Edinburgh has proved eventful.

“After all this time I thought people may be prepared to accept him as a brilliant “working class boy made good” entertainer, but it’s become apparent that not only do some people hold strong views about him but that they are prepared to use blatantly homophobic language to make their point”, said Nick.

‘He’s as bent as a ten-bob note. He killed a man. He raped a man. He’s a pervert’
‘He raped a man and drowned him’
‘He’s alwight in the back hole’
‘Get that murdering pervert away from me’ (referring to a cardboard cutout of Barrymore)

Others have accused Barrymore of being known for preying on young boys.

“I have been flyering for this show for two weeks now and this type of language has shocked and surprised me. Especially at a ‘liberal’ arts festival that is known for controversial and cutting edge productions’ said Cassenbaum.

“Barrymore has had to put up with this for nearly 20 years now. I want to make it clear that he was never charged for anything, yet people treat him as if he is a perverted murderer and child molester, tarring him with the same brush as those convicted following Operation Yewtree. It seems that old fashioned homophobia and trial by tabloid is alive and well at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

But not everyone shares these views. Recent audience members have included comedian Mark Thomas (above) and TV actor and musical theatre star Claire Sweeney.

Leaving the show Thomas described Barrymore as a ‘comedic hero in fact the last great working class hero to strut the boards.’

Sweeney said: ‘I Loved the show, it was so lovely about Michael and I’m glad about that as he was brilliant and such a nice man, I really enjoyed it.’

You can judge for the show yourself. My Kind of Michael runs at Summerhall to 26th August at 7.30pm (no show 20th).

 

 

 

Cramond’s Alistair performs in Fringe ‘trash-hit musical’

A talented young performer from Cramond is currently making his professional debut in a popular musical at the world’s largest arts festival.

Alistair Robertson has secured a role in a new production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 21-year-old recently graduated with a diploma in Musical Theatre from The MGA Academy of Performing Arts in Edinburgh and will spend his summer taking to the stage as part of the fun show, which will run at the city’s C Too venue throughout August.

The hilarious off-Broadway musical, which explores the relationships between the quirky tenants of the Armadillo Acres Trailer Park in Florida, has been given a new lease of life from Beyond Broadway Productions and the team behind 2015’s standout Fringe hit Zanna, Don’t!

Alistair, a former pupil of Stewart’s Melville College, explained: “The Great American Trailer Park Musical is a very high-octane show featuring lots of country-style music. I am playing a character called Duke who is a young anarchist who is chasing after his ex-girlfriend who has gone on the run. He is the villain of the show and playing him has been great fun.”

Alistair (above) has spent the past four years honing his craft at the renowned Edinburgh institution, which earlier this year became the first full-time professional training academy in Scotland to be awarded accreditation by CDET, the UK’s quality assurance and membership body for the professional dance, drama and musical theatre industries.

He said: “I have had so many great opportunities whilst training at The MGA Academy. I have learnt so much and gained lots of practical experience which I think will help me when it comes to moving to London and auditioning for more professional jobs. Ideally, I’d like to gain employment as a performer in the musical theatre industry but I’d also eventually like to work as a director.”

Andrew Gowland, Director of The Great American Trailer Park and Managing Director of The MGA Academy, said: “Everyone at The MGA Academy is very proud of Alistair and all he has achieved since he started training with us. We are confident that the training he has received here will ensure he goes on to be a great success in the future and we look forward to supporting him during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.”

He continued: “We are currently accepting applications for places on our full-time diploma courses. Our next set of auditions will take place on Sunday 13 August in central Edinburgh and we would welcome applications from anyone with similar aspirations to Alistair. Application forms can be downloaded from our website.”

Recent graduates of The MGA Academy include Disney film star Thomas Doherty (The Lodge, Descendents 2) and West End star Fergal McGoff (Matilda, Mamma Mia and The Bodyguard).

The Great American Trailer Park Musical runs daily as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from Tuesday 3 August to Monday 28 August, 8.40-10.15pm at C Too (St Columba’s by the Castle, Johnston Terrace). Tickets, priced £13.50/£11.50, can be purchased via edfringe.com or via 0131 226 0000.