I am not in Edinburgh. I suspect I am not alone in not being in Edinburgh. In fact I'm almost certain that there are more people on this planet not in Edinburgh at this moment, than in Edinburgh - it's just that, given the blanket coverage afforded to the festivals in the press, it's easy to believe otherwise.
Edinburgh is inescapable in August. It colonises both the daily papers and the Sundays; there are Edinburgh previews, Edinburgh reviews, Edinburgh blogs and Edinburgh podcasts; the Newsnight Review team has been turfed out of their comfy studio and even the notoriously theatre-phobic Lynn Barber has been prodded out of her comfort zone and made to 'do' the Fringe.
This happens every year. Yes, it is the world's biggest arts festival, a unique cultural event that is worthy of considerable coverage, but sometimes the sheer volume of words devoted to all things Edinburgh-related seems, well, a bit excessive. Certainly, if you're interested in theatre and the arts, and your August is spent doing anything else other than being in Edinburgh (like, I don't know, working), then it can make you feel like the kid in the class who didn't get invited to the party.
It doesn't help that London turns into a bit of an arts dead-zone during the summer, with many of the best venues shutting up shop until September. OK, there's interesting stuff still playing at the National and the Donmar Warehouse, and at Chichester and Bath too for that matter, not to mention the Proms. And of course, being summer, there's plenty of al fresco theatre to feed one's habit, what with the Globe, the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park and the always interesting programme of free performances at the Scoop (though this year's particularly unpredictable weather may scupper plans in that direction). In fact, there's plenty going on, it's just easy to overlook this fact with so much focus on the goings on further north.
And, yes, part of this is motivated by envy: I am not in Edinburgh, but I want to be. I have been to the festivals in the past and hopefully I will find the time to visit again in years to come. But still, I wonder, is the current level of coverage too much? Is it really that relevant to those unable or unwilling to make the trek up to Scotland? Are you, like me, with a fortnight left to go, already feeling a little Edinburgh-ed out?
