The Big Four

The major theatres may be in competition with one another but they are working together to make the festival a success?

Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s four biggest venues, the Pleasance, Assembly, Gilded Balloon and Underbelly are to cross sell each other’s tickets.

Although the so-called Big Four venues will retain their independent identities, it means that they will begin promoting each other’s shows and enabling audiences to book all their tickets at one box office rather than having to visit the sales points in each individual venue.

The benefits to performers and producers are obvious too - more marketing, more choice for the audience for alternative shows if their original choice has sold out.

The move marks the biggest development in the relationship between the Big Four and the Festival Fringe as a whole since the introduction of the hugely successful internet booking service and the Metro Fringe Half Price Hut. Both of these ventures were considered to be fundamental to the 7% increase in sales in 2005 compared to 2004.

Assembly director William Burdett-Coutts said: “The Edinburgh Festival is an Olympic-size event that happens every year. Many people outside the city remain unaware of the scale and wonder of it. We survive on attracting the public and we have a major job to do to excite new audiences and sponsors to keep the event vital.”

Both the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe celebrate their 60th anniversaries this year. Despite its name, the Fringe is the biggest of the four August festivals in the city and the Big Four venues represent 70% of attendance. This year 850,000 visitors are expected at them.

Underbelly operator Charlie Wood adds: “The genesis of the Fringe was the loose association of disparate theatre companies to the monolith of the International Festival. Sixty years on this is no less valid, but 60 years ago there weren’t many other summer festivals - now it’s pretty much all that summer is about.

“This fantastic association between us all won’t check our individuality but stimulate it, allowing us to meet the challenge of the growth of summer festivals head on and celebrate the world’s best and brightest arts festival.”

But the Pleasance’s Anthony Alderson is quick to point out that the venues are retaining their individual autonomy.

“Yes, we are rivals in the biggest arts showcase on the planet and that is healthy,” he says. “But we share a responsibility for the Festival’s future and must work in partnership to ensure that we are visible and approachable for audiences, artists, promoters, sponsors and the media alike.”

Top shows at the Big Four:

* Breakfast With Jonny Wilkinson - E4 UdderBELLY. Norman Pace and Beth Cordingly lead the cast in Chris England’s new play.

* Cabin Fever - Gilded Balloon Teviot. Stephen Frost in Jim Sweeney’s boat-based comedy.

* Finders’ Fee - Assembly Rooms. Tony award nominee 2006 Wilson Milam directs Wesley Moore’s drama.

* In Pursuit of Cardenio - Smirnoff Underbelly. Ken Campbell quests for Shakespeare’s lost classic.

* Jim Henson’s Puppet Improv - For Kids! - Assembly Hall. Muppet-style fun and there’s an adults-only version too.

* Lies Have Been Told - Pleasance Dome. Appearing after a sell-out West End run, Rod Beacham’s comic biography of Robert Maxwell.

* Marlon Brando’s Corset - Pleasance Courtyard. Les Dennis and Mike McShane star.

* Midnight Cowboy - Assembly Rooms, Music Hall - Based on the Oscar-winning film. John Clancy and Tim Fountain present.

* My Name is Rachel Corrie - Pleasance Courtyard. Royal Court’s award-winning drama directed by Alan Rickman.

* True West - Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Suite. Stage award winner Phil Nichol in Sam Shepard’s darkly comic play.