The Stage

Edinburgh Festival Fringe box office up for comedy award

Published Thursday 21 August 2008 at 16:35 by Alistair Smith

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s box office system has found itself nominated for a leading comedy award, following the ticketing crisis which has engulfed this year’s event.

In what is expected to be its only award nomination, the system makes the five-strong list of nominees for the 2008 Malcolm Hardee Award, which is given out annually for ‘comic originality of thought or performance’ at the fringe and commemorates the ‘late godfather of alternative comedy’ Hardee.

According to award organisers, the fringe box office has been included in the nominations this year “for introducing surreal humour into the normally dull ticketing process”.

It will be competing with Edward Aczel for his show Do I Really Have to Communicate with You, Otto Kuhnle for 1,000 Years of German Humour, Peter Buckley Hill and Aindrias de Staic.

The awards will be presented by Hardee’s son Frank and sister Clare during the Late ‘n’ Live show at the Gilded Balloon from 1am on August 23.