Tidemark Edinburgh Fringe Experience 2004
Wednesday 4 August 2004
Day 1 and counting
! The Edinburgh Fringe is 58-years-old in 2004! Started in 1947, when the Edinburgh International Festival was launched as part of the post-war initiative to re-unite Europe, the Fringe has grown from a mere handful of companies in 1947 to 668 groups putting on 1,541 shows or 21,594 performances in 207 venues in 2003. The versatile, folds-flat-for-easy-storage set is now on the van, the long-suffering neighbours are booked to feed the cats and water the plants for three weeks and Tidemark are off to Edinburgh for another exciting and hopefully successful Festival Fringe. Entice
And thus we come to the main problem facing Tidemark Theatre (and the other 667 groups or so) in 2004 how to entice audiences to see your shows in preference to the 1500 or so other shows on the Fringe this year! Of course, a wonderfully witty, highly complimentary four or five star review in the Scotsman is practically guaranteed to send audiences scuttling to the Fringe Box Office, credit card in hand to secure tickets for your shows. But what happens if your reviewer has had an off day (and simply doesnt appreciate the subtle nuances of your writing or performance!) or your review doesnt appear until just after your penultimate performance? In this case, a brightly coloured band of company members, gaily handing out flyers for your shows on the Royal Mile is the only sure fire way to guarantee a decent-sized audience. And thats where Tidemark Theatre will be, this time tomorrow. Fifteen or so company members, outside the Fringe office, clad from head to toe in turquoise tie-dye, leafleting til we drop! If you see us, take pity on us and try to look pleased when we hand you (a rather soggy) leaflet about Delicates and Smoke or Odysseus and the Really Freaky Monsters, the two Tidemark productions being staged at the Pleasance this year. And thats the second problem facing performers. Its wet and its cold and its August, so we must be in Edinburgh for the Fringe!! And if the weather or the plague of flying ants dont put audiences off then were laughing! Possibly. Ill let you know tomorrow. Rebecca Russell Rebecca will be reporting on Tidemark's experiences throughout this year's Festival. Come back to see how she's doing! Are you taking a production to Edinburgh this year? Do you want to tell the world about it? If so, let us know by emailing [email protected] | 
