Added: 12/19/2005 |
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe As The Main Scottish FestivalScotland is attractive, due mainly to its fringe festivals, which are regarded as the major attraction of the country. Despite the fact that the majority of fringe festivals take place in summer, there are a number of attractions to visit all the year round, so that you are sure to enjoy your Scottish holiday regardless of the time of year.
Focusing on the performing arts, comedy and theatre in particular, the festival covers a large number of materials, ranging from Shakespeare to modern creations. It is run by the Festival Fringe Society, whose members bear responsibility for publishing programs, offering advice to performers, and selling tickets.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has originated from the Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. Nine years later it became organized owing to the Fringe Festival Society, which has produced the first guide to the fringe shows.
Initially deriving support from the students of Edinburgh University, the Fringe Society turned into a limited company in 1969. The increased amount of technology has resulted in the recognition of the festival as the first organization worldwide to sell tickets online. The web site also encourages people to rate shows of the festival.
Started in 2004, Festival FM features interviews with competitors and performers. Since the official website was introduced in 2000, more than half a million tickets were sold online. As of 2005, more than 1,330,000 tickets were sold by the Society.
The main Scottish festival has given rise to many fringe festivals in the United States, Canada, Europe, and many other countries worldwide. Among the high profile shows of the festival are 12 Angry Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the Odd Couple, and also others.
Lately the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been criticized for the growing commercial emphasis, as well as high ticket prices, which now make $13-15. Over 1,35 million tickets, worth nearly $18 million, are sold annually. The festival employs 10 staff members, though their number rises to 120 in August.
In 2005 the major Scottish festival the Edinburgh Festival Fringe featured more than 29,000 performances in 1800 shows in nearly 250 venues. It is more as compared to 25,300 performances in 1700 shows in 235 venues in 2004.
Throughout its history the festival hosted an estimated 16,100 performers. Today, as ever, the theatre remains the most popular art form, represented in 37% of the shows. The comedy ranks second (22%), followed by music (21%).
Musicals make approximately 5% of the program, while Dance and Physical Theatre, Children's Shows, and Exhibitions provide 4% of the program. Nearly 35% of the shows staged during the festival were world premieres, 8% were UK premieres, and 6% were European premieres.
In 2005, 167 shows of the festival were free. On its 50th anniversary, the Edinburgh Festival Fridge was rated by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest festival in the world, remaining unchallenged to the present day. Among the celebrities performing at the festival were Hugh Grant, Robin Williams, Jude Law, and Emma Thompson. There are also more than 1,000 producers and promoters engaged in the Scottish festival with the aim of discovering the next big name.
The 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will take place 13 August - 3 September.
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