Money is changing hands during a number of Edinburgh festival performances this year, and not just when it is time for the traditional “bucket speech” at the end of Free Fringe shows. Mary O’Connell fires notes from shiny money guns at the start of Money Princess. Tom Mayhew has a suitcase full of bits and pieces, which he attempts to auction off to make his first million. And Stanley Brooks, AKA comedian Lewis Dunn, is paying his audience minimum wage to experience 10 seconds of doing their dream jobs.
With price rises and stagnant wages, we are all thinking about money more. And at the fringe, where the cost of performing and watching shows is ever increasing, it’s no surprise that plenty of artists are tackling the topic. Krystal Evans, Tamsyn Kelly and Alison Spittle discuss growing up poor. Lane Kwederis lets us know what it means to be a financial dominatrix. Paddy Young serves up cheeky digs at landlords and the financial precariousness of renting in London. On the flipside, Fool’s Gold sees one performer grappling with their financial privilege.
