COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL SINCE 1996
Question Time: Getting the most from the Fringe as a performer
This Festival we’ve been chatting to some of the people who run venues as part of the Edinburgh Fringe, including C, the Free Festival, Gilded Balloon, Greenside, Pleasance, Summerhall, theSpace and ZOO.
We’ve now collated their answers to put together ten tips for getting the most out of the Festival as a performer, including advice on promoting a show and getting reviewed, and also about how performers can hone their craft and make valuable connections while they are in the city.
OUR TEN TOP TIPS…
1. Speak to potential audience members – and venue staff and local businesses
Getting out on the streets of Edinburgh to flyer remains a powerful way of promoting a show at the Fringe, even in the age of Instagram and TikTok. Though the most effective way for performers to flyer is to talk to potential audience members rather than just handing them a piece of paper.
It’s also worth getting to know venue staff, including those on the box office and in the bar, and making sure they get to know about your show. And if you are able to give out comp tickets early on in the run, maybe invite people working at nearby cafes and bars. All these people can help spread the word about your show.
2. Maintain momentum throughout the Fringe
Don’t just focus your marketing on the weeks before and the first few days of the Festival. New audiences arrive in Edinburgh throughout the month, so try to maintain momentum throughout August, with flyering, online activity and reaching out to the media.
3. Have a great press release and be targeted when approaching press
The Fringe Society can provide a list of key press contacts in the run up to August, and by following all the media that cover the Festival you can identify additional reviewers that it might be worth contacting. Then send all those people a punchy press release before the Festival starts.
It’s also worth following up with reviewers by email once the Festival is under way, especially if you’re getting great audience feedback but little press coverage. Many reviewers leave room in their schedules to add shows later in the month.
When following up with reviewers, prioritise those critics who seem like the best fit for your show, so if you’re doing a comedy show, target reviewers who review comedy, and so on.
4. Use your reviews
Reviews serve multiple purposes at the Fringe. Having media cover your show obviously helps get the word out directly, but there are other things you can do with those reviews.
Most obviously, use the reviews – both star ratings and key lines from positive critiques – in your own marketing throughout August. Attach the stars and key lines onto your flyers and posters, share them on social media, and make sure your venue is highlighting the reviews within the building.
When posting about reviews on social media, you can thank the reviewer or publication and link to the review online. That way it looks like you’re thanking the critic rather than just bragging about your success! Plus the reviewer and publication will appreciate the compliment and may be more likely to give you further coverage in the future.
Reviews also have value beyond the Fringe of course, helping you to pitch your show to bookers, venues and other festivals – and when promoting future performances after Edinburgh. So make sure you keep a copy of all the positive reviews and add them to relevant places online.
5. Look for other opportunities to perform
The Fringe is famous for having lots of shows with different guest line-ups every day, which are a great way to promote your own show, as well as reaching new audiences and meeting other performers.
Obviously these sorts of shows work better for certain genres – comedy in particular – but it’s worth asking your venue and the Fringe Society for advice on what opportunities there are that could work for you.
6. Set clear goals and share them with your team and venue
There are obviously lots of reasons why you might want to perform at the Festival.
For some people it’s simply the enjoyment of being part of the world’s biggest arts event. For some it’s about honing their craft by getting on stage every day for three weeks. For some it’s about growing their audience or progressing their career. And, believe it or not, some people do actually perform at the Fringe to make money.
It’s good to be clear what you are trying to achieve each Festival, setting realistic goals at the outset. Obviously, things rarely go completely according to plan at the Fringe, but it’s still good to have a plan. And make sure your team are aware of the priorities, so they can consider how best they might help.
7. Attend industry events
There are numerous events staged in Edinburgh during August aimed at performers and people working in the arts industry, and if you are at the Festival to progress your career these are great places to meet useful people.
Which is to say, people who can offer great practical advice and insider knowledge – and who are potential future supporters and partners.
Some venues organise their own industry events plus the Fringe Society has a programme of activities throughout the month. Ask around to find out more about what events are happening where.
Always go to these events with realistic expectations. You’re not going to get immediately hired or booked by the people you meet, but these events are a great opportunity to grow your professional network, and to learn from other people working in the same industry as you.
8. Invite relevant industry people to your show and follow up
It’s also worth inviting relevant industry people – including bookers and producers – who you know are in Edinburgh to see your show. Both your venue and the Fringe Society can help with this.
As with reviewers, these people are very busy and can never see anywhere near as many shows as they would like each August. But it’s still worth sending a polite invite explaining why you think your show might be of interest to them.
If industry people do attend your show, make sure you follow up with another polite email thanking them for their support and directing them to further information about you and your production – even if you end up sending those emails in September.
9. Speak to and support other performers
An obvious one, but in all the busyness of the Fringe it can be easy to forget this! There are so many performers at the Festival making it the perfect place to meet, chat with and learn from other performers – to share knowledge and make connections that could result in future collaborations.
10. See as much other work as possible
Finally, try to see as many other shows as possible, especially once your own production is up and running, and things are hopefully becoming slightly less stressful.
As a performer, you will usually have free access to shows in your own venue where seats are available – use that free access as much as you can. You’ll be supporting other performers, while getting ideas and inspiration for your own future projects.
WHAT OUR INTERVIEWEES SAID…
What is your advice for performers looking to promote their shows?
Anthony Alderson: Know your audience. Speak to them – in person, online, in the queue or at the bar. Be visible, be clear and don’t wait for people to find you. Be proactive, make sure to talk to people. A good flyer and a bit of charm go a long way. Audiences love discovering something new.
Alex Petty: Keep up that promotion as much as you can right the way through the Fringe. Promotion is cumulative so you need to be aware of it all the time, keeping material on you and making sure your presence is felt online, so through socials as well as on the street.
Darren Neale: Start early – but keep going once the Festival begins. Too often, performers focus everything on the first few days, but word of mouth can build across the month. Keep flyering, adapt your messaging and don’t be afraid to ask your audience to tell others.
James Mackenzie: Talk to everyone you can, word of mouth is king in this festival. Flyering does still work, but it needs to be backed up with a conversation, handing out bits of paper in the rain with no conversation will get you nowhere.
Katy Koren: One of the things I love about the Fringe is that flyering still works and audiences fully embrace the ‘take a punt on something’ spirit. Also make friends with your venue box office and front of house staff – chat to them and tell them about your show and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Tom Forster: Check your venues papering comp policy before arrival and distribute those comps to front-line customer service staff within your venue’s postcode at cafes and bars. That way, when those staff members inevitably get asked by tourists and the local community if they’ve seen anything they would recommend, they pass on your show.
Victoria Hadel: I always tell artists to just go about their day in costume and let people come to them. Go do your grocery shopping in Victorian attire! Go to the pub in full drag! And most importantly, go see other shows and make connections with your fellow artists.
What is your advice for performers looking to get reviewed?
Anthony Alderson: Start early, build relationships with the right press and make your press materials clear and accessible.
Alex Petty: A friendly reminder is much better than a desperate chase. What is unique about your show that a reviewer would like to see? What reviewers or publications are most likely to be interested? These are who to look for.
Charles Pamment: Start planning early. A well-prepared press release and professional-looking marketing materials make a real difference.
Darren Neale: Make sure you’ve got a strong press release, clear imagery and a reason why your show stands out. And when you do get a review – positive or critical – use it. Share it, learn from it and let it drive your momentum.
James Mackenzie: Be targeted in who you send your press release to. There is no point sending to every email address you find. A comedy reviewer will not come and see a theatre show.
Victoria Hadel: I always advise performers to pursue any opportunity to meet press in person. This can include events put on by the Fringe Society like ‘Meet The Media’, and attending press nights at our venues and other Fringe venues. With the massive amount of shows at the Festival, it’s very easy to get lost in a reviewer’s inbox. So, any chance to make an impression in person is better.
What is your advice for performers looking to grow their industry network while they are in Edinburgh?
Anthony Alderson: Be present. Go to shows. Attend industry events and meet-ups. This is the biggest concentration of producers, programmers and fellow creatives you’ll ever find in one city. You have to take advantage of it and know what the end result might look like before you start.
Alex Petty: Always be open to speak to anyone who wants to talk about your show, you don’t know who they may be. Speak to performers in similar shows and take time to seek out industry as well as hoping they’ll come to you.
Charles Pamment: Fringe is a golden opportunity to make lasting connections. Attend as many events, panels and showcases as you can. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself – producers, critics, agents and fellow artists are all here and open to meeting new people.
Darren Neale: Be present and visible. Talk to people after shows, join post-show events and take part in anything your venue is organising.
James Mackenzie: It’s worth being very focused who you invite to your show. Find out what kind of work and what scale of work they programme, and invite those whose output is most similar to your show. And if a programmer does see your show, make sure you follow up with them after the Festival.
Katy Koren: There’s lots of official events for networking but also get out and see other shows! Meet performers and tell them if you enjoyed their show, ask for advice and support other artists. It can be a long hard month but having a little support network of people who are in the same boat makes it much easier.
Tom Forster: See as many shows as possible by other artists with a similar themed show, chat to those artists afterwards. Repeat.
How can performers get the most out of the Edinburgh experience in terms of their career?
Anthony Alderson: Think long-term. The real impact of the Fringe often comes after it’s over – in who saw your work, who you met and what you learned. Build relationships, go and see as much other work as you possibly can.
Alex Petty: Set realistic goals for your Edinburgh and strive to meet them. Everyone performing at the Fringe has, or should have, a different reason or goal.
Charles Pamment: Set clear goals, whether that’s securing a tour, getting reviewed or simply gaining experience. Then communicate those goals to your venue and team so they can support you.
Darren Neale: Set your own measure of success. Whether it’s press coverage, industry interest, audience feedback or simply making it through a month of daily shows – each one is valid. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.
James Mackenzie: Be very clear what you want from the Festival before you come. It’s not the same for everyone. Prioritise those areas, without a massive team you can’t do it all.
Tom Forster: Your artist pass grants access to see other shows for free and that’s probably about £2-£3k worth of free tickets. Use it and learn from others.
Katy Koren: Treat every show like you have a big reviewer in – even if you have a small audience in one day, word of mouth does so much and some of those shows can end up really special.
How can performers get the most out of the Edinburgh experience in terms of their creativity and performance skills?
Anthony Alderson: You grow fast when you perform every day. You learn what works and what doesn’t, and how to adapt. Again, seeing other work is hugely inspiring – it pushes you to take risks you might not otherwise take.
Alex Petty: Have a sensible approach to why you’re in Edinburgh, it shouldn’t be all about work and it shouldn’t all be about play. You should spend time meeting and talking with like-minded creative people, to share and bathe in the creative atmosphere, as well as chasing producers, bookers and work.
Charles Pamment: Edinburgh will test and stretch you – but that’s where the magic lies. Performing daily in a festival environment hones your stamina, your timing and your relationship with your audience. It’s also a rare chance to see dozens of other shows, often from radically different disciplines.
Darren Neale: Be open to change. Performing daily teaches you more than any rehearsal room ever can. You learn to respond to audiences, refine your rhythm and grow in confidence. Catch as many shows as you can. Try something outside your genre. Let the Festival push you creatively – it will.
James Mackenzie: You are one of over 3000 shows, go meet and talk to other artists. Stunning collaborations start here, so you may find the perfect person to make your next show with. Also see as much work as possible, the breadth of work is astonishing and it will feed your creativity no end.
Katy Koren: Soak up as much of the creative atmosphere as you can by taking a chance on shows you haven’t heard of, going on mixed bill spots and challenging yourself to try performance opportunities you might not normally try.
Tom Forster: The Fringe is an unparalleled opportunity for emerging companies to perfect their craft and perform it to likeminded people from every corner of the planet. It’s the most vast array of available dramaturgy anywhere and you shouldn’t be resistant to constructive feedback.
Victoria Hadel: Beyond just doing their show, there’s loads of additional opportunities to perform across the city! Opportunities like this can give performers a chance to promote their show, or showcase some of their other talents.