Edinburgh Staff At Fault for Ticketing Failure

An independent report blames the board and senior staff of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the monumental failure of its new ticketing system last year. The investigation started when the £385,000 computerized system crashed on the first day of sales in June. The system was eventually abandoned after several repair attempts. This cost the Fringe £300,000 and forced its funders to throw in £250,000 in emergency funds. Ticket sales dropped 10% from the previous year and led to the resignation of the festival’s director, Jon Morgan. Read a full account here.

Edinburgh Fringe Gets A Bailout

It’s nice to know that in some countries, such as Scotland, it isn’t only the financial and auto industries getting bailed out, but theatre festivals as well. The funding package for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival includes a loan of £125,000 from the city council and a one-off grant of £65,000 from the Scottish Arts Council. The Scottish Government will also provide an advance of £60,000 on future funding. Read the full BBC report here.

Edinburgh Fringe Director Resigns

The director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has announced his resignation. Jon Morgan, who has been in the role just over a year, leaves the job only days after it was revealed ticket sales for the festival dropped 10% this year. The Fringe was hit by several problems, including the failure of a new computerized ticketing system. Mr. Morgan, 46, insisted he had been considering the move for "some time" and that his decision had nothing to do with this year's difficulties. He said he wanted to return to working more closely with the artists. He added that he had not wanted to disrupt this year's program by announcing his resignation before the festival began.

The director said: "I feel privileged to have worked for the Fringe. It is the greatest arts festival on the planet and plays an important role in developing and showcasing new performing talent on a world stage. However, the role of Fringe director has taken me away from my first love of producing and presenting exciting performances to audiences and my intention is to return to that more direct relationship with artists and audiences."

Edinburgh Ticket Sales Down

Ticket sales at this year's Edinburgh International Fringe Festival were down by almost 10% - the first fall in eight years. Bad weather, the poor global economy, competition from the Olympics and problems at the Fringe box office were all cited as factors in the downturn. The Fringe sold more than 1.5 million tickets for the third year running but that was down from 1.7 million in 2007.

Fringe director Jon Morgan said he was delighted with the overall figures in what he had been a "difficult year". He also pointed to the increasing number of free fringe events which are not included in the final tally. Now the Fringe is over, an inquiry will begin into the box office problems which left many shows overbooked or described as sold out when they were not.

Mr Morgan said: "At the start of the festival many were worried about the loss of venues, impact of the Olympics and the economy. In a difficult year, with record rainfall and problems with ticketing, fringe-goers have come out in force and enjoyed the festival." Fringe 2008 featured 31,320 performances of 2,088 shows in 247 venues. An estimated 18,792 performers took to the stage. A total of 350 shows were absolutely free, an increase of 46 on 2007.

Edinburgh Roundup

As the Olympics come to a close, so do the annual Edinburgh International and Fringe Festivals. Click here to read the NYTimes Charles Isherwood’s round-up of the youthful offerings. Here’s also a link to the ‘Total Fringe Award’ winners.

Frugal Traveler Ends in Edinburgh

This summer, the NYT’s Frugal Traveler embarked on a ‘Grand Tour’, reimagining the classic European journey as a budget-minded, modern-day jaunt. Over 13 weeks, 16 countries and on less than 100 Euros a day, Matt Gross circled the continent in search of cool hotels, memorable meals and contemporary culture. He ends his trip in Edinburgh at 'the Festival’. Check out his final article here and to see the rest of the trip.

Traverse's New Leader

I’ve had the chance to hit the Edinburgh Fringe twice in my life, and, consistently, the Traverse Theater has stood above the other venues for producing quality work. I was lucky to see the premieres of Sarah Kane’s Crave, David Harrower’s Kill The Old, Torture Their Young, and Theatergroep Hollandia's monologues derived from the work of the radical Italian writer Pier Paolo Pasolini. Since January, a new artistic director has taken over the reins named Dominic Hill. Read the NYTimes article about him and his vision for the future.

The Slag of All Snacks: The Musical

This summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, one show in particular will stand out. Not because it has some famous movie star or because it’s a long lost Shakespeare play. It is distinctive in that it isn’t really a show. Well, OK, it is a show, but it might as well be ‘the commercial that never ends’. Get ready, folks, cause Pot Noodle: The Musical is on its way. In most cases, one would think that this was just the catchy, ironical title a fringe show would need to attract attention. Thing is, it’s not meant as a joke. It’s the real deal. The people at Pot Noodle have teamed with advertising agency Mother to create this comic musical aimed at selling dehydrated snacks. End of theatre as well know it? Read more here.

Edinburgh: Athens of the North

English actress and comedian Lucy Porter, a 17 year veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, offers some very helpful and humorous advice about attending (and surviving) that crazy month in Scotland. Read the full commentary here.

"Late nights and boozing are a key part of the Edinburgh experience for many performers and audiences. It always makes me chuckle when you hear American tourists alight at Waverley station and ask, 'Say, where can I get a drink?' The question is, where can you not get a drink? Possibly the only venue in Edinburgh that doesn't serve alcohol is the Temperance society, but even they are probably running some kind of hooch racket on the quiet. I've now lived in Edinburgh for 17 months in total. I've decided that, technically, this makes me about one-thirtieth Scottish - I just hope that thirtieth isn't the part that includes my liver. As a proud Scot, I would urge anyone to head to Edinburgh this August - just don't forget to pack an umbrella and a bikini."