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Edinburgh Fringe (another topic)


the kid

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Posted

Basically you can either find a show (school, youth theatre, university, bunch of mates etc.) and go up with that and build set/ stage manage/ do sound or lights as you wish (or all of them!); OR you can go and work for a venue as a technician, rigging the venue, helping said shows with their get-ins and shows, doing FOH etc.

 

Either way, you're unlikely to make any money, and it's more than likely going to cost you some, as it's rare for amateur shows to make any/much money or for venues to pay you much (see previous discussions). But it's great fun and there's not much else like it.

Posted

I also worked for C Venues, although why don't I remember you Andrew?

I worked at Main C.

 

Working for C was good fun and I learned far more than ive learned in uni. I think I just about broke even money wise so its not too bad.

I think the pleasance pay more but they have you working around 16hours a day without any days off. So ive heard anyway. Everyone at C was friendly and I made some really good mates.

 

Good luck if you go. You'll have fun!!!

 

Em

xxx

Posted

hi,

on a vaugley related topic...

as well as being made to work all hours,

has anyone else had any experience with the pleasance group?

 

cheers

andrew

Posted

I was running lights + sound for a 2 week run at the Pleasance Courtyard.

 

Overall they were a great bunch, but from talking to our SM's they were very overworked, but all had a laugh.

ie, all the crew go up to edinburgh the week before start to set up the venues, spend the 4 weeks running shows, working as SM's and doing general running. They then stay up for another 2 days afterwards to strike every light in everyone (11 venues).

They work you hard, but its all worth it I think.

Bear in mind that the pleasance emplyees and casts get passes which get you in to all pleasance shows for free, and waiting lists at the assemberly rooms.

Posted

worked with C way back in '99... crap money, horrendous hours... has improved muchly over the past few years especially since our esteemed landlord started production managing it...

 

edinburgh is a collossal waste of time, energy and money... but great fun, really satisfying (in some ways) and there's always E D C... :)

 

everyone should do it at least once.

Posted
edinburgh is a collossal waste of time, energy and money... but great fun, really satisfying (in some ways)

So it's not actually a waste of time, money and energy! But agreed it does take lots of energy, however if you go up with a decent production company or work for a decent venue you should get free accommodation and maybe some pocket money/ or be being paid and it's only a few weeks' time out of long school or university vacations! If time's an issue, then many productions only go up for half, and many venues will take on employees for only half the festival.

Posted

This year will be my 6th year at the festival, and I admit I am startign to tire of it a smidgen, but you cant knock the licensing hours during the fringe. And that more than makes up for the fact that you bust your bo-hallacks for a bunch of americans to go wow jee oh aah. Oh and the number of english accents you hear is just irritating (no offence chaps!), I'm dead chuffed with myself with regards to the festival this year as I think we will have a marginally sensible timetable and I think (fingers crossed) I already have my crew sorted!

Anyways in answer to the question yeh do it its fannytastic.

 

Chris

 

Excuse the ranting and poor spalling, its down to the fact I have been sat in work since 7am waiting for an alarm engineer to arrrive (I am not meant to be in today...)

Guest lightnix
Posted
...you're unlikely to make any money, and it's more than likely going to cost you some...
...working around 16hours a day without any days off...
... crap money, horrendous hours...a collossal waste of time, energy and money...
:angry:

But...

but you cant knock the licensing hours during the fringe.
So are you saying that having worked hours which are demonstably dangerous (according to an increasing amount of medical research), it's OK to go consuming alcohol late into the night as well ? :blink:

 

Oh dear :o

 

Oh and the number of english accents you hear is just irritating...
Why ? :huh:

 

There's still the issue of inexperienced crew being illegally treated as "self-employed", when they are not registered as such, thereby losing out on employee's rights and pension contributions as a result :angry:

 

I'll mention no names, for fear of getting the thread deleted again, like it was last year :rolleyes:

Posted
Yeh I think I may go in the next two years so my two years of sixth form/the BTech years. But what would I do about housing or would it be a case of 'I cant find any where ah well im sure no one will notice me asleep here on the desk :angry: /props :angry: /stage :rolleyes: /street :o .'
Posted

All the major venues provide accomodation, normally involving sharing a cramped flat in the university halls.

 

All the money you make tends to be spent on beer and food... for some reason edinburgh seems to be a irritatingly (sp*llenfjklg?) expensive city durning the festival...

Posted

I've obviously had better luck going up with production companies - renting lovely tenament flats with huge ceilings etc. and not more than 2 sharing a room - but then maybe I've been lucky.

 

I've not found that Edinburgh is that much more expensive than going out in London or any other big city - in fact nights in the Standing Order have been pleasantly cheap! Fish and chips cost much the same as elsewhere and are pretty good, if you can pursuade them to give you some vinegar and lay off the 'sauce'.

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