Trimming the fringe

20 August 2026, The Tablet

Seeking absolution: Maxwell Caulfield in Pilate: The Lost Gospel.

PLEASANCE THEATRE; LYCEUM THEATRE, CAIO LIRIO

THIS YEAR’S Edinburgh Festival started a week later than usual, which tells a story. Due to greedy landlords, almost no performers can afford a month here. A company who played a sold out run in a biggish venue last year told me that they still made a significant loss due to accommodation costs. So most companies now come for one or two weeks of the shortened span, spending what they can afford but almost guaranteeing insolvency.

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