BUM-CLENCHINGLY expensive is how one performer has described the cost of bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Story after story has appeared in the media about the spiralling costs but some performers are so determined to be there, they have resorted to crowdfunding to raise the cash.
The Sunday National has been speaking to a number of Scots, Scotland-based performers and theatre makers from as far away as Australia to find out how and why they did it ...
As a queer artist telling a deeply personal story, Edinburgh-based Conor O’Dwyer said he didn’t want lack of finance to stop him staging his show at the Fringe.
However, even with support from Creative Scotland for the development of his show, Homo(sapien), and with the Assembly venue giving a space without a guarantee, he has still had to fundraise to meet the “inordinate” costs of the Fringe.
“It’s getting harder every year to bring work to the Fringe without serious backing,” he said. “We’ve had to meet huge costs for tech, marketing, and PR, which can spiral into the thousands. And that’s all before artist fees.
“As a queer artist telling a deeply personal story, I don’t want finances to be the thing that stops me. Crowdfunding has become a necessary part of the process, not just for raising money, but for building a community that’s rooting for the show from the beginning.
“This was my first time using the service, and the Irish in me felt apologetic for asking for money! But it shocked me how people really get behind you when you’ve got a dream and a vision. I was overwhelmed by the support we received. And it’s made this whole thing possible. It really does take a village.”
Belfast-based Amanda Verlaque said the cost of staging her show, This Shit Happens All The Time, was “anxiety-inducing”.
“It’s eye-wateringly, bum-clenchingly expensive,” she said. “My main goal is to ensure the actress and director are paid properly and the crowd funding donations are a life saver in this respect.
“Personally I’m not expecting to see a wage but it doesn’t mean I’m happy to settle for an ‘artist working for free for the exposure’ tag around my neck.
“It’s anxiety-inducing. I’m excited to have my play at the Fringe and I can’t wait to soak up the atmosphere. But having to constantly hustle for money alongside all the other tasks that come with producing a show is overwhelming and demoralising at times. I’m steadying myself with the knowledge that it’s for a finite period and come August 26, I’ll be able to say that audiences loved the show and I had an absolute blast.”
This Shit Happens All The Time is at Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Four), July 30 to August 25 (not 6, 13, 20)
Glasgow's Sanjay Lago said he was very grateful for the support for his show, Love Me Like A Chai Tea Latte.
“The Fringe is a great place to create art but it feels that to be able to live when you aren’t funded you have to fundraise,” he said.
“It’s hard. And no one should have to work for free. My team and I are so grateful to the support we’ve had with a fundraiser and it shows people want to support art. But it’s hard to create art when you come from up the road in Glasgow – or to be blunt, don’t come from money.”
Sanjay Lago, Love Me Like A Chai Tea Latte, is at Assembly Roxy (RoxyBoxy), July 30 to August 25 (not 11, 18)
ALL the way from the US, The Monkeypox Gospel has a budget of $27,000 for its run at the Fringe and director, Alex Hare, said fundraising was still ongoing.
“The cost of housing this year was a little shocking but not exactly surprising – we’re coming from NYC, where high rents affect us and everyone we know, so that aspect of the Fringe unfortunately feels like home,” he said.
“Our main costs are fees paid to our venue Underbelly, our PR team, housing, and sound equipment (it’s a podcast-play with a fairly intricate sound design). Because we’re independent artists and it’s our first Fringe, we’ve been aiming to balance scrappiness with responsibility.
“On the one hand, that means having me as the director doubling as the sound board operator, while on the other hand prioritising good housing, for the sake of mental peace during the performing of a very personal show.
“Our show started life as a podcast memoir and will eventually be released in that form, but we’ve felt called to adapt it for theatre and bring it to the Fringe in order to create a group listening experience.
“The financial costs associated with that decision have been a lot for us – especially since many costs are front-loaded, with the expectation of some reimbursement later in the form of ticket sales.
“But like so many other artists coming this year, we believe in the work, in the process of making art from our lives, and in the prospect of sharing it with strangers.”
The Monkeypox Gospel is at Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Laugh), July 31 to August 24 (not 11)
Glasgow-based American playwright Connor McKenna is making his Edinburgh Fringe debut and said there was no question about having to fundraise because the costs are so high. A total of £3000 has been raised to stage Selzer Boy but he is not sure it will be enough.
“Plus, we’re operating on a profit share model, and we’re lucky that none of us are relying on our show to be a moneymaker first,” he said.
“It’s our first time coming to the Fringe and so don’t have any kind of institutional backing. We applied for a few different awards, such as the Keep It Fringe, but were unsuccessful. It’s an incredible initiative, but there’s unfortunately just not enough to go around for everyone.
“We’re really lucky that we had such a supportive network that were willing to help us out, but we also know that it’s not exactly a sustainable model, and not one that can be repeated year after year.”
Seltzer Boy plays Snug at Paradise in Augustines from the 2nd August to 16th August.
Teeside-based Scott Turnbull’s show Surreally Good has cost almost £15,000 for the entire Fringe run.
“My show is told for and through a working class lens – that kind of representation doesn’t often get seen in the media because there are financial barriers we have to jump over to make sure we can afford to come to big festivals like the Fringe.
“This one’s cost almost £15,000 for an artist like me to do a show for the month. The value in that isn’t necessarily the money that I will make from it, but the representation that I give to some of my local community and their voices.
“A lot of the stories I tell are based in Teesside. These small working class, post-industrial towns are underrepresented and get an unfair public image.
“I want to celebrate where I’m from and the cool, kind, good natured and sometimes dark sense of humour of the area.
“The Fringe felt like a great opportunity to take my regional work to a national level. By fundraising, it allowed the local community to support a local artist to come up to Edinburgh.”
Surreally Good is at Summerhall (Former Women’s Locker Room) July 31 to August 25 (not 11,18)
Milly Blue and Jessie Maryon Davies have spent around £10,000 so far, without counting unpaid writing and rehearsal time to bring Elysium to the Fringe.
“It’s kind of eye watering. But we really believe in our show and are excited beyond belief to be coming to Edinburgh. We’re realising some huge dreams. But they’re not messing about when people warn you it’s pricey!
“We only recently launched our Crowdfunder as we had really hoped we could manage without it. But it has been a really wonderful experience.
“There’s something deeply warm and encouraging about our community coming together and supporting us.
“I think that as we get closer and closer to our run and the nerves begin, affirmative messaging is really welcome. And we are so utterly grateful for the love we’ve been shown so far.
“We’re so grateful to have received the £2.5k Keep it Fringe bursary, which was also really validating at the beginning of this process. But that amount, whilst invaluable, can only really be supplementary to the considerable further costs of taking a show to the Fringe.”
Elysium by Ghouls Aloud Appleton Tower (Ruby), 30 July to August 24 (not 11).
Capgras Theatre Company, based in London, decided to tackle the cost problem creatively by throwing a fundraising launch party on the solstice in the crypt of a church. The event was appropriate for their creepy new show Strangewife which has a strong wedding theme.
“The cost of accommodation, travel, and production for even small-scale, low-budget work has skyrocketed in recent years,” said a spokesperson.
“On top of that it’s crucial to raise funds to pay our creative team what they deserve and achieve the artistic quality that would best represent our show. Despite the barriers, our work is ambitious and crowdfunding is key to realising its potential.
“Obviously getting all the necessary funds to cover the huge costs can be quite difficult, but we’ve chosen to take it as a creative challenge that has intertwined with the building of the show itself.”
Strangewife is at Assembly Rooms (Front Room), July 31 to August 24 (not 6, 13, 20).
Australian performer Darby James said running a fundraising campaign for Little Squirt felt like a whole project in itself.
“I’ve gone to crowd funding for a few reasons. When grant funding doesn’t come through, crowdfunding helps absorb the immense cost of touring a show overseas, especially as an early-career artist,” he said.
“It’s also an opportunity for me to connect with my community and have conversations about the work I’m doing.
“This year it’s given me a chance to capture my second year of Fringe in a documentary which I didn’t have capacity for last year.
“I’m really excited because it means we get to make something our donors can experience and bring a piece of the festival back with us.
“People have been so warm and receptive and it’s a really joyful feeling to go into a fringe season with the backing of your community.”
Little Squirt is at Appleton Tower (Bramley), July 30 to August 24 (not 6,18)
