On the Fringe of greatness

Has the Edinburgh Festival offended the gods? Just as visitor numbers were recovering from years of Covid disruption, Storm Floris swept in on the first Monday, cancelling trains, flights and many shows, high winds making elevated or temporary venues unsafe: the multi-venue Pleasance lost almost all its slots that day.

In coffee bars, performers were heard debating whether now to perform on their one day off mid-festival to defray economics already ominous due to August-soaring accommodation prices and steep venue rentals that can contain a second bite: many places charge producers a penalty per minute for delayed starts for technical or audience entry reasons – £80 per 60 seconds was quoted for one well-known stage.

But, despite the weather and expense, this year features some remarkable artistic achievements.

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