Retrospective: Edinburgh Fringe Festival

A few days ago I returned home from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016, and I am completely exhausted. I am so tired I’m pretty sure I can smell colours now. In many ways the fringe was the best experience, but it was also the worst. I don’t think I have ever had a month so full of ups and downs; I have essentially become a human yoyo.

I wanted to go to the fringe because I had never been – it was a completely new experience for me. I had never even been to Scotland, and to end my first year of university, I thought why not try something new once again, and so I headed to the world’s largest arts festival.

I don’t think I have ever had a month so full of ups and downs; I have essentially become a human yoyo.

Upon my departure I really had no idea what to expect; I was nervous but excited, and more than anything I was ready for our shows to take the Fringe by storm. This was a rather unrealistic expectation, I learnt, because performing in Edinburgh is one thing, but getting a hype up around your show is another. It’s not uncommon for shows to leave the festival early and go back home if they aren’t being as successful as hoped. But before I left I was full of optimism for the month to come.

After the longest car journey in the world up to Scotland (approximately nine hours), we arrived at our home for the month. In Edinburgh I was living in a flat which was designed to hold twelve people. However, we valiantly tried to cram in as many of us as possible, with people sleeping on the floors and sofas. This made it a rather stressful place to come home to after a day of flyering and performing, as you would never have any alone time. One thing I definitely missed while I was at the Fringe was personal space, and clean mugs.

However, sharing accommodation is the sad reality for many performers at the Edinburgh fringe. The accommodation is just so expensive that without sharing, many people wouldn’t be able to afford to go. This is a middle class arts festival after all, and that is said by someone undeniably middle class.

It can be hard to keep yourself motivated after you have had a bad show, and there will be bad shows.

I don’t want to paint too bleak a picture of the Fringe though, because performing there is amazing; there is nothing better than being able to do a show you love everyday and have positive feedback from the audience. Although, there is the slight problem of not always having an audience, per se. Some days you may have a full house, but the next day only four people will turn up, and two of them will leave half way through because they (apparently) “have another show to go to”. It can be hard to keep yourself motivated after you have had a bad show, and there will be bad shows. It is impossible to do two weeks of performances without having at least one bad run.

Despite all this, when you have a good show and the audience love it, there is really no better feeling. I was performing everyday in a sketch comedy show called ‘Children of the Revuelution’, with The Warwick Revue, and I also did three nights of stand up comedy with Warwick Comedy Society’s other show entitled ‘SoLOLoquies’.

Flyering is definitely one of the worst parts of the Fringe, but it is a necessary evil in ensuring the success of your show.

The first thing you will learn if you are taking a show up to the Fringe is that you will have to flyer (a LOT), as this is your main way of attracting an audience. This means standing somewhere on the Royal Mile or near your venue, surrounded by thousands of other people who are also trying to give out flyers, as you cry compulsively. Flyering is hard, especially if you are tired, and the weather is miserable. Although, it is lovely when you get to talk to someone who genuinely seems interested in coming to your show (only never to turn up). Flyering is definitely one of the worst parts of the Fringe, but it is a necessary evil in ensuring the success of your show.

However, one of the best things about performing and staying at the fringe for all of August is it gives you the opportunity to see so many wonderful acts, I have honestly never felt so inspired. From Richard Gadd’s powerful show discussing masculinity, to Zoë Coombs Marr’s incredible stand up show, I was affected on so many levels. I came away from the Fringe with my definition of comedy substantially broadened, and my faith in the arts restored as a medium with which to help people. Being able to see so many talented people (often for free) is what makes the Fringe worth all the hassle, because although it sounds clichéd, performing at the Fringe amongst so many other wonderful productions and comedians is something really special which I will never forget. It is a truly inspiring place to live for a month.

I came away from the Fringe with my definition of comedy substantially broadened, and my faith in the arts restored as a medium with which to help people.

If you are thinking of heading to the Fringe next summer, you should. It will be the most intense and exhausting month, but the fun you will have, the people you will meet and the opportunities you will get far outweigh any negatives.  I would go back in a second, although this time with more realistic expectations, and maybe some sleeping tablets.