THE worst nightmare for anyone performing at the Edinburgh Fringe is playing to an empty room amid fierce competition for audiences at the event.
But some fear this could be their fate after the festival took the “backwards” step of removing a key mode of advertising for smaller acts who struggle to compete with the PR power behind big names at the international showcase of talent in the capital.
The festival’s app, which has the vital “near me” feature, has been axed leaving performers and punters frustrated, with acts gravely concerned about the impact it could have on drawing people in to their shows.
John Aggasild (above), a stand-up comedian originally from Aberdeen, described the “near me” feature as “make or break” for artists.
The 31-year-old said: “It’s the difference between having a handful of people and playing to a full room."
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This is because the feature allows those with an hour or so to kill between events to check what is going on around them, using GPS, at any of the 237 venues scattered across Edinburgh.
This passing trade is vital for smaller performers at the festival, who Aggasild said were taken by surprise by the move.
He paid £295 in registration fees to appear at the festival, under the impression he would be featured on the website and the app.
But the app was removed without consultation, leaving artists in the lurch, Aggasild added.
“People thought they were going to be appearing on the app,” he told The National.
“It’s the world’s biggest arts festival, it’s the start and end of the year in the stand-up comedy calendar internationally.
“The app benefits the performer and audiences equally. No acts were consulted about this.
“For the Fringe to go backwards … to make the decision that would impact negatively on [performers] in this way I just don’t understand.”
The Fringe have blamed the poor state of their finances in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The festival, due to take place on August 5–29, was cancelled entirely in 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions and took cautious steps to reopen last year with a greatly reduced programme of 673 performances.
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This year promises around 3198 shows, on par with its pre-pandemic levels.
The festival’s Twitter account was inundated with hundreds of replies demanding it reintroduce the app when it confirmed in a reply to a punter there would be none at this year’s festival.
A petition has also been launched to “bring back the app”, created by Steven Ellis.
He said: “The app features a Now and Nearby function that allows punters to simply 'take a punt', this function is invaluable for the smaller fringe shows.”
In a statement posted to Twitter in response to the controversy, Fringe Society CEO Shona McCarthy, said: "We share everyone’s disappointment about the absence of the Fringe app in 2022.
“The Fringe Society has been in recovery, along with the rest of the sector, still operating with a depleted team and trying to manage limited resources as best possible for the healthy return of the Fringe.
“After two pandemic-affected years running on shoestring budgets, we simply did not have the budget required to build and maintain the app this year at the point when this work needed to be undertaken (Dec 2021).
“The entire Fringe community is coming together after being battered and bruised by Covid-19. I’m confident that, with a year under our belts and some fresh income returning to the event, we will be in a much stronger position to invest in our digital offering.
“I am sorry this is the situation, and can reassure the Fringe community that we have every intention of re-instating the app once our finances are more robust.”
Some performers are ready to “put themselves into debt” to perform at the festival, said Aggasild because of the exposure it offers.
Registration fees, accommodation costs and travel are all weighed up with the boost an appearance at the festival - credited with boosting the careers of comedy giants such as Eddie Izzard, Billy Connolly and Rowan Atkinson - can bring.
The National has approached the Fringe for further comment.
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