Clara Plackett, Deputy editor, talks about her experience reviewing at the world’s largest arts festival.
We’re now approaching mid-September, and I think I may just have recovered from the Edinburgh Fringe. I wouldn’t want to put anyone off going, but volunteering there is definitely not for those who can’t get by without a lot of sleep. Reviewing for Broadway Baby is not something I’ll be offering to do for free again, but after being asked to review forty-one shows in three weeks, I do at least feel that I’ve had the real Fringe experience, and have played a part in the world’s largest arts festival.
As a first-time reviewer, I was left with some pretty dodgy shows. Low points included ‘Yannis Pappas in the Yannis Pappas show’, where I felt obliged to sit through an hour of Pappas talking about his cock with a few other members of the audience, who all looked suspiciously like box office staff. Aside from this and some painfully average theatre, however, I was very lucky. Being able to hear one of my favourite artists, Gabriel Orozco, discuss his life’s work on my first day was invaluable, as was attending gigs starring Orkestra del Sol, the most flamboyant brass band I will probably ever see. Although reviewing meant that I had to spend a lot of time on my own, it was worth it for rewards such as these, and I now have no fear of being picked on by crazed comedians after the brilliant Joseph Morpurgo interviewed me on stage and made up a rap about my hair and sunglasses. Slightly mortifying, but hilarious.
Image credit: Flickr user Skotpics
As vibrant as Edinburgh manages to be for the whole of August, this year’s Fringe was far from struggle-free for anyone, as I quickly learnt after a few days of being there. Due to arts cuts, theatre companies are struggling to stay for as long or to even get to the Fringe at all, and there are real and very rational fears of a talent drain in Britain. I met two performance poets who had moved to Canada to make a decent living and a couple of playwrights who are working in Germany, where they feel far more valued. This was such a shame to observe, particularly because events such as The Free Fringe give so much back to anyone who has travelled to Edinburgh or lives there permanently. Performance poet Rob Auton’s ‘Sky Show’ was definitely one of the most moving pieces I saw whilst I was up there, for example, and I know many who went to see him multiple times. You can easily spend £10 on a bad show in Edinburgh, and though The Free Fringe has its fair share of duff acts, there are also some truly amazing and award winning ones.
It’s difficult to see everything you want to at The Fringe, and I was disappointed to have missed out on the feminist tone of this year’s, having to avoid Bridget Christie and Adrienne Truscott because of my busy schedule. Reviewing did mean that I saw the entire city, however, and attending a world jewellery collection and a hidden art exhibition in a bookshop, as well as a talk on veganism, are definitely not events I would have sought out myself, though I enjoyed them all. If I had to give advice to anyone planning on going next year it would be to see something you know absolutely nothing about; it’s called The Fringe for a reason and in a way, it doesn’t really exist for the big names. I’ll definitely return – next time just for pleasure – and I can’t imagine filling my August with anything quite as entertaining.
Clara Plackett, Deputy Editor
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