My marmalade dropper of the week came after reading The Independent’s report into the staggering costs of taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which kicked off its 78th iteration yesterday. Six and a half grand in accommodation costs alone for the university revue, The Leeds Tealights (excellent name)!
It highlights the most worrying culture of “extract, don’t invest” that exists around its future stars, with minimal government or private investment – despite the Fringe flogging more tickets than any event bar the Fifa World Cup and Olympics – but maximum expectation of scooping up a winner for Netflix or the Beeb. These don’t appear overnight: it takes opportunity.
