Fringe Benefits by Helen Lloyd I

F it’s August it’s party time! The world’s biggest and best celebration of the arts, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is back with an innovative, international and adventurous variety of shows. Between August 7 and 31 audiences flocking to Scotland’s capital city can expect a record 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows from 49 countries in 313 venues across the city.

Everything from drama, dance, circus, comedy, music, musicals, opera, cabaret and variety are on offer along with a range of children’s shows, free shows, exhibitions and events. “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest, oldest, most well renowned festival in the world,” said Kath M Mainland, Chief Executive of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.

“Every year we think we know what it’s going to deliver, but every year it surprises, delights, amazes and inspires. The Fringe is a festival like no other. Completely open access

– where artists don’t need to wait for an invitation, where anyone with a story to tell is welcome. Where there’s no curator, no veting, no barriers. Just incredible talent from almost 50 countries all over the world.

“It’s also an incredibly important festival for Scotland, the UK and our performing artists. A vital platform to showcase the range and diversity of creative skills on offer. A profoundly international market place which can have transformative effects on careers. An explosion of culture which can be life changing for the audience. And lots and lots of fun.”

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Photo : S Gosset