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Dateline: 11th August, 2004 Show Switches Venue after Staff Strike Hoax Productions have taken their Edinburgh Fringe show Raw Beef to a new venue after rows between staff and management at the Greenside Church venue which left the company "frustrated" and feeling that the venue was "unstable" after having to cancel their show on the Fringe's opening day. Rows erupted between the managing director of 1/4RM@Greenside (venue 231), Michael Slack, and his staff. He admits to being short-tempered but lays the blame at the door of one member of the staff who, he said, did not like his style and "manipulated" the rest of the staff into not turning up for work. He and the 34 staff were sharing a nine room house in Mussellburgh and when he arrived home at 4am on Sunday he discovered excrement in his bed. When no one owned up, he threw them out, despite their protests that the most likely suspect was his own cat. A strike followed and two shows - Raw Beef and comedian Bill Bruce - were cancelled. Performers and crew from other shows manned the box office and operated lights and sound. After a meeting mediated by Fringe director Paul Gudgin, Mr Slack agreed to take a backseat and moved out of the accommodation into a bed and breakfast while the running of the venue was taken over by the staff, whose average age is 21. Andrew Neilson, the 18-year old who is now Managing Director for 1/4RM@Greenside and was formerly the press and publicity manager, said, “My colleagues, the companies and the staff at the Fringe Office have worked tirelessly to rescue the venue from closure. Some of the performers at the venue have already agreed to put on extra shows to help raise extra revenue. "The team are relatively young and inexperienced but they have won the confidence of the companies performing at the venue through their dedication and commitment. We are working from 8am in the morning until 3am in the morning and want to ensure that audience and performers have the best possible experience while at the venue.” 41 shows, now 40 after the loss of Raw Beef, were scheduled to play at the venue which is in Royal Terrace. Raw Beef will now be performed at the Gilded Balloon Teviot. Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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