Glasgow comedian reveals the reality of £7,000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe 'slog'
Performers have warned of the rising costs of the Fringe
A Glasgow comedian has raised the lid on the financial and mental stresses of performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, admitting it is a “slog at times”.
James Gardner, who is performing at the festival, said his show has cost him more than £7,000 so far in venue, accommodation and production costs. He described the stress of monitoring ticket sales “the worst form of doom scrolling you can get”.
Posting on social media, Mr Gardner told his fans: “It’s a real privilege to be able to go and do the Fringe for a month, but it’s also a slog at times, certainly mentally.
“I’m checking my ticket sales every two minutes, it’s the worst form of doom-scrolling you can get. Every time you refresh the ticket portal and don’t see sales (which if you do every two minutes you won’t) you start catastrophising about the month that’s still ahead of you.”
The comedian revealed his venue - in the basement of Le Monde on George Street - had cost £2,000. However, Mr Gardner said the deal he had brokered with the site allowed him to keep 100 per cent of his ticket sale revenue, unlike other major venues, which take a cut of the earnings.
His comments come in a year when many Fringe performers have warned that spiralling costs have priced them out of bringing a show to the festival.
“Putting on a show costs a lot of money,” Mr Gardner said. “I’m really happy to have more control over my earnings, but I’m over on the New Town with less footfall, which has made it much more difficult to get people in from flyering as the folk that wander around and take chances on shows are normally over in [the] Old Town.
“I’ve got to take responsibility for that ‘cos I made what I thought was the right call based on how many folk came to see me during the last two Fringe shows.”
He said he believed it would have made more financial sense for him to perform at the Free Fringe, when audience members pay a voluntary contribution at the end of the show, but that he had been unable to secure a venue. The comedian said he would try to do so next year and “go with the flow”.
Mr Gardner also laid out other costs of performing in Edinburgh, including £1,550 for a month’s accommodation in a single-bed dorm in a university halls, £1,200 for a director and £1,000 for PR. He said registering a show with the Fringe costs £380, while “to get a few posters and A4s on lampposts” costs around £700, plus printing charges.
“You don’t get paid until at least the end of September,” he said. “So not only are you having to pay out all these costs, you then incur the daily Edinburgh Fringe prices for food and drink.”
He added: “There are lots of stories and examples of comedians going to the Fringe, playing a room at the Pleasance or whatever [big prestige venue] and having a great run, which is mostly sold out, and still owing their agent or promoter money, which is wild.
“What’s crazy is everyone else gets paid in that supply chain - the promoter, the venue, the PR agency, the people doing the flyers, the tech person, the bar staff and the director etc. Doesn’t seem right does it?”
Mr Gardner is performing at 6.45pm in the basement of Le Monde at George Street.
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