Working at the Edinburgh Fringe
- Annie Lennam
- Dec 14, 2024
- 6 min read
This summer I worked at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival for the first time and it was an amazing experience that I hope to be able to repeat next year! I have attended fringe shows for many years but it is only recently that I have spent more time at the festival and experienced the full festival atmosphere in Edinburgh. I love the festival and all that it brings to the city. It is a chance to see performances of all kinds and to see Edinburgh come alive with artists, street performers, pop-up venues, food trucks and visitors.
Applying
I decided last year that I really wanted to work at the Fringe and so I started applying as soon as I could. There are many different positions available during the festival but I decided I would try for front of house staff as it sounded the most interesting and it was a little different from the jobs I had done before. I applied to a couple of the big Fringe companies around March time and at the beginning of May I was invited to some interviews. The interviews were relatively straightforward as I had sufficient experience in customer facing roles to refer to when answering the questions. The first company to offer me a position was Assembly and I was delighted to accept. At this stage I did not know which venue I would be working in, how many hours a week I would be working or when exactly I would start but I was excited all the same!
I was later given a start date at the end of July and was informed that I would be based on George Street. Whilst this is one of the quieter venues, a bit removed from the main venues up in the old town, I was happy because it was very convenient for me to get to. I was invited to a training day along with all the other Assembly festival employees. This was the first time I met the management team as well as the people I would be working with at my venue. We got a tour of the site, which at the time was still being built, and an overview of the job.
Daily routine
There were a few different tasks we had on a day-to-day basis. There was queue management, scanning tickets as people went into the shows and seating everyone in the right place. Then there was accommodating anyone with additional needs by, for example, allowing early access, providing seating in the queue, getting wheelchair users into accessible seats, etc. We also got to sit in on the shows to make sure there were no issues during the performance (such as prohibited use of cameras, vaping, eating, drinking or heckling). And then, since the site also had a bar and food vendors, there was the job of ensuring everywhere was kept clean and tidy (tables cleared, bins emptied, toilet roll restocked). We were the first point of contact for anyone with any questions about anything (from where's my show, to where's the best place for coffee, to what's happening in that venue, to what is the fringe) so a big part of the job was just being around and helping everyone have a good Fringe experience.
Socials
Sunday nights were the Assembly staff nights out and they were actually really fun. It was the time of the week when we all spent time together outside of work and got to know each other better. Since those working an evening shift didn't finish working until nearly midnight, we were always out pretty late - multiple nights of staying out until 5am which is very unlike me. But I enjoyed it! And we all suffered together at work on Monday!
Other socials included our venue party inside Assembly Rooms which involved drinks and snacks with just the people on our site. There was also a costume party at the end of the festival where everyone dressed up as characters from the shows. I went to everything I could since I didn't know many people in Edinburgh. It was nice to meet a group of young people in a new city.
Shows
For me the best part of the Fringe was all the amazing shows I was able to see. I could get into any Assembly shows as long as there was space in the venue and I did my best to see as many as I possibly could. With over 200 to choose from, this was a pretty full-time task. In the end I managed to tick off around 70. I was going to give my top 5 recommendations but it was impossible to choose so here are my ten picks of the fringe:
Ten Thousand Hours
This group of acrobats delivered a jaw-dropping performance. The things they are able to do should not be physically possible. More than that, they are fantastic performers and their show was perfectly put together. There was just the right amount of audience interaction, comedy and breath taking displays of skill. Whilst there are many circus groups at the fringe, in my opinion, none were so impressive and entertaining as this one.
Mary Queen of Rock
A fun take on the story of Mary Queen of Scots in the form of a musical. A very energetic and funny retelling of history, portraying Mary as a rock star. The performers are very talented and the music is fantastic. A great evening of entertainment.
Weegie Hink Ae that
A musical comedy group from Glasgow. Very funny show based on Scottish culture. I knew the group from social media (they have a great song about Aberdonian seagulls which is naturally pretty famous at Aberdeen University) so I was really excited to see the group in person and they did not disappoint!
Rêves
Rêves is an acrobatic group from the Ukraine. I particularly loved it because it was so unexpectedly brilliant. Based on the description in the programme I wasn't that drawn to it but it became the first show I saw this Fringe which really blew me away. And I wasn't the only one - the audience may have been small but the standing ovation at the end was very enthusiastic. The juggling and acrobatics were extremely impressive and the story the five men told through their art was very moving.
Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor is a very well known comedian in France, perhaps less-so in other countries. He is an Englishman living in France and normally performs bilingual shows. I had seen his content online and so I was keen to see him and he was even better in person. My favourite comedian of the Fringe. Needless to say, at least half the audience was French and his comedy does rely on knowledge of French culture so the market may be a little more niche but I though he was fantastic.
The Old Queen's Head
A very funny one-man-show filled with raw emotion as David Patterson plays the roles of multiple characters as to share his personal experience as a queer man at a pivotal moment in his life. The production is moving, hilarious, heart wrenching and uplifting all at once. A brilliant performance and a beautifully told story.
Swamplesque
A very silly, hilariously fun burlesque show. I went to see it on the last night of the festival with a sold out audience in the Assembly Hall (which has a capacity of over 800). This was everything you could want from a burlesque show and more. A very high quality production, fantastic costumes, comedic lip syncing, fabulous dancing and just the right amount of ridiculousness. My cheeks hurt from smiling by the end. Brilliant entertainment.
Beats on Pointe
Beats on Pointe was my favourite dance performance of the fringe. It's a theatrical fusion of hip-hop and ballet which brings the two styles together to create an entertaining show for all ages. The dancers were very talented but, more than that, they produced a show which was engaging, funny and stood out from other dance shows. I loved the music and the energy of the performance.
Recirquel Paridisium
This show is an awesome work of art. It is bold and dramatic and powerful. It explores the concept of rebirth through physical theatre and circus, showcasing majestic feats of strength and talent. It is very atmospheric with dramatic use of sound, lighting and props. A creative and beautiful performance that I would highly recommend to anyone.
In the Sick of it
In the Sick of it is a beautifully created, moving and playful theatre performance which shares the stories of NHS workers. The two actors play multiple roles to portray moments from the lives of nurses, cleaners, porters, doctors and other frontline workers during the pandemic and beyond. The result is powerful and thought-provoking but it is delivered in the form of an entertaining and funny piece of theatre. It feels like an important piece of work for raising awareness, understanding and compassion for NHS workers. By sharing the stories of those who are often taken for granted, an important conversation is opened and the performers invite the audience to share their thoughts at the end of the show.
Overall, the Fringe was a fantastic experience. It is a really fun environment to work in and I highly encourage everyone to go and see as many shows as possible. There are so many hidden gems to be discovered!
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