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Refelctions on the Aftermath of the 2007 FringeDateline: 7th September, 2007August 2007 was my fourth Fringe as a reviewer for British Theatre Guide, and thanks to a variety of circumstances it was one of the strangest Fringe experiences I've had thus far. In addition to my reviewing, I was also producing a piece of new writing at the Bedlam Theatre, and holding down my 'day-job' in the public sector. Compared to previous years, I felt let down by the 2007 programme. While a handful of productions stood out for me (Aeneas Faversham Returns, Little Red Things, Damascus, and Fuerzabruta to name a few), the vast majority of shows I saw glossed into a steady slick of overpriced commercialism and student drama. The only 'surprise' find was Famished at C Venues, a 'Victorian Comedy Musical…with Zombies,' which was laugh-out-loud funny and very well produced, but didn't carry much weight past the end of the show. Unlike previous years, where one or two shows have dominated public consciousness, this year the Fringe programme felt fragmented. Alan Cumming's appearance in NTS' The Bacchae was the closest thing to a pre-advertised Festival must-see (and it was an International Festival show), but for me what was lacking in this year's programme was a surprise find like Dublin by Lamplight or Hospitals And Other Buildings That Catch Fire, or last year's And Even My Goldfish and In The Heartland in previous years. There was a lot of buzz about shows like Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which I didn't manage to catch, but despite this I didn't actually hear from anyone who'd managed to see it. Part of me wonders if I'm getting jaded - is this what becomes of the Festival after it stops being an unexpected delight, and turns into the three weeks of the year that are expected to be nothing but mayhem? Have previous years set my expectations too high? But after speaking to friends and theatre contacts, I have to conclude that I wasn't the only one feeling this way after this year's festivities. Across the boards, the feeling on the ground seemed to be that this year's programmes were more or less mediocre. Yes, there were shows that stuck their heads above the parapet - a list of BTG's must-sees confirms this. But on the whole, there were very few discoveries to be made, and of these, very few which seemed to pick up and capture the imagination of Fringe audiences on the whole. The "Best Press Office" award is split evenly between Owen and Penny at the Underbelly and Alison at Assembly, while Promoter of the Year goes to Dan at Avalon; efforts by his team to rectify booking issues thrown up by one of their comedian's venues were above and beyond the call of duty. All four of these individuals were cheerful, helpful, and quick off the mark, happy to work with reviewers who wanted to fit as many shows into their schedule as possible. In contrast, while the Pleasance looked like it had an interesting selection of shows on offer, ongoing issues with the most disorganised press office on the Fringe (a conclusion reached after hearing reports mirroring my own experiences from other reviewers) meant that by the end of preview week I'd had it with turning up to collect tickets only to be told the staff 'didn't know what I was talking about' and wasn't in a position to helpfully resolve issues on the spot. Then again, attitudes like that generally stem from management level, and each time I tried to get in touch with the head of the Pleasance Press office the return volley was quick to point out a number of reasons (most of them invalid or a result of inaccurate information) why the cock-up couldn't possibly be their fault. These minor quibbles aside, the three weeks of the Fringe sped by in typical packed style. A few late nights at clubs, a handful of warm afternoons at the now-departed beer gardens, and a general feeling of good-natured entertainment pervaded the city in the usual fashion. While I don't know yet whether I'll be able to come back to Edinburgh next year (due to a visa crisis which sees me heading back to my native country in October), I have to say that all else aside 2007 was a good year to go out on - busy, fun, but not quite the storm of enthusiastic madness that I recall from previous years. Rachel Lynn Brody
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