The Edinburgh Fringe crowd

I’ve just made my way back from Edinburgh, shoes still soggy from the day before and with an inexplicably broken glasses case. I also have a head full of stories, ideas and questions. One of these questions being ‘what is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival really all about?’

The answer appears to be simple; Edinburgh in August is about various art forms gathering in one place, to entertain as many people as possible in the particular language and style that they use to do so. It’s about selling your wares on the Royal Mile in order to – hopefully – sell a show at some point that day. It’s about actors, directors and writers working themselves to the bone in an attempt to get noticed and to go somewhere.

I used to think that having a show in Edinburgh was impressive, now it seems more of a tiny rung on a giant ladder; one that is expensive to get on and won’t necessarily lead to the next rung. But if this is the case then why does everyone bother, what is the lure of this city whose summer weather is as varied as the shows on offer?

This was my first time at the festival, and I managed to take in 16 shows in four days including a lack-luster final day suffering from fringe fatigue and seeing only one show. Nothing I saw was terrible, a lot was average and most had flaws – with a few exceptions. Most of my selections came from reviewer’s recommendations or those from friends; I’m sad to say I didn’t chose anything from the merit of a flyer, but would have done had my stay been longer.

Communication is vital in Edinburgh – be that in the form of a review or an excellent flyering patter. It’s vital for shows to have a life within and beyond the festival, and for those working in the arts to make friends and find work.

Replace the word friends with contacts of course and what you have is a much more professional, competitive atmosphere that is all about the marketing, the jobs and the money.

Now let’s not lie to ourselves, Edinburgh in August is not only a hot bed for midges but for making potentially life changing contacts and touting your work to those who may be able to help. But the atmosphere at the festival isn’t one of people brutally vying to get noticed. It’s one of shared enthusiasm, passion and – I suppose – comradeship. Yes, you can get noticed, and yes you can find future projects out of it. But it’s much more of a cultural spa than a competition, where you can learn from those around you and maybe offer them something in return. It’s a place where ideas permeate the air and, if nothing else, give you that kick up the ass to try something new.