By the end of the Edinburgh fringe, anyone who has been here all month will tell you how tired they are. There have been highs – after a tentative return last year, most people feel the fringe has found its feet again and audiences are back in bigger numbers. But also lows – not all performers saw those audiences in their rooms and everyone mentions accommodation costs.
“It is a tough and stressful month,” says Zach Zucker, comedian and producer at Stamptown. “Last year, it was three years since we’d had a proper fringe; everything felt harder.” Despite that, 2022 was a triumph for Stamptown. They sold out their namesake variety night, while two of their acts, Jordan Gray and Emily Wilson, received glowing reviews and Edinburgh comedy award nominations. This year, the group built on that momentum, bringing 17 shows, including Edinburgh comedy award nominee Martin Urbano, and are likely to have sold out 11 of those. Ticket pre-sales have been their highest ever, and they’re on track to leave with a healthy profit.
