What are you doing for the next three weeks?
Today is the official starting date for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, although there have been many preview shows – we have seen in total snippets of around 70 shows so far (and there is still Pleasance on Saturday…)
Fairfield Ludlowe High School from Connecticut perform Pride & Prejudice at 9am this morning so this is one for the early birds.
“This isn’t your grandmother’s Austen! Bold, surprising, boisterous and timely, this Pride and Prejudice for a new era explores the absurdities and thrills of finding your perfect (or imperfect) match in life. Outspoken Lizzy Bennet is determined to never marry, but can she resist love, especially when that vaguely handsome, mildly amusing and impossibly aggravating Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn?! Bridgerton meets Upright Citizens Brigade meets Jane Austen. Join this amazing cast of 14 high school students from Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.A. as they dance, mug and shade their way through the Regency marriage game.”
What we didn’t see yesterday
We did not get to see The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on press night on Thursday. The event welcomes a total of 220,000 people to the Esplanade every August, and this year The Edinburgh Reporter requested media access for photographers and a video journalist. Usually on press night photographers get to take photos up close and personal right next to the performers on the Esplanade.
Despite several requests we have been denied media access to one of the biggest festivals taking place in the city. We were however offered a seat in the Royal Box at Thursday night’s opening night, but chose not to accept that as our aim is always to bring you our own photos and video of events in the city. We would not have been allowed to take photos from that position.
We have been told that the reason for reducing numbers of photographers on the esplanade is a matter of health and safety. A spokesperson said: “Our primary goal is to create a safe and manageable environment for everyone, and this decision is in line with best practices and is in response to learnings from previous years.”
What we saw at the Festival yesterday
We went to the Gilded Balloon launch on Thursday night which was excellent and varied – although as one comedian said it started so late it was almost their 41st anniversary.
Karen Koren’s speech was not as long or detailed as Ed Bartlam’s was at Underbelly on Wednesday evening (when he must have named every member of staff who ever worked for the company), but she did take time to thank the people who have mattered along the journey to running a production company now for four decades.
She referenced the 2002 Cowgate fire which destroyed eleven buildings including the Gilded Balloon, but somehow the organisation survived. She admitted to a gruff manner which kept other business partners at bay until Katie “decided she wanted in”. But she said : “After giving so many years of my life to developing the Gilded Balloon, it’s impossible to let go, so I’ll be around for a while.”
Katie has taken over at least some of the day to day, and to prove her boss woman status she was wearing one of Karen’s trouser suits that her mother had worn in the seventies.
The launch was slickly handled by legendary Canadian actress and comedian Caroline Rhea who was in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and who has come to Edinburgh for a very limited run to help Gilded Balloon celebrate their big birthday. She was honestly the best part of the whole show but it was peppered with a variety of other names – all of whom deserve mention. But we especially liked – and may go to see – Mark Forward (another Canadian comedian), Dark Room (completely mad and yes the room does go quite dark!), Arthur Hull who appears in Flop which we previewed here, Alana Jackson (very funny and Scottish) and Penman who is The Imaginator and will read your mind.
And remember to join Gilded Balloon on 6 August when it will be Pink Wednesday and funds will be raised for Waverley Care from £5 tickets across the programme. Get yours now.
Today’s top tip
Read Kerry Teakle’s top tips on how to stay fuelled at this year’s festival. It is often the case that you are running from one thing to the next without thinking about eating. Kerry has it all worked out for you.
One of her recommendations is to venture further afield from the centre of the city where most of the festival action takes place. We found a quiet corner in the ground floor café at the National Museum of Scotland for a bowl of soup and a cheese scone. (Scone 4*). There are some quite secluded tables away from the madding crowd which is sometimes a real necessity in this three weeks of fun.
Who did we meet?
We met these lovely guys at Gilded Balloon – only two members of the Jive Aces who will be the opening act for Van Morrison in Belfast in a couple of weeks. How is that for famous?
Again this is an act which is only here for a short time – until 8 August. They told us that they have digs outside the city – a tale we are being told by many of the acts taking part in the festival this year.
