The Skinny
Changing the culture: a new normal for the Fringe?
We catch up with Bilal Zafar, Eleanor Morton, Tom Mayhew, Chloe Petts and Sikisa about what the ‘new normal’ should be for future Edinburgh Fringe Festivals Feature by Yasmin Hackett | 07 Apr 2021
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a sorely missed staple for many comics who look to build on, and in some cases establish their careers. It’s been off the cards since April 2020 but it feels, however tentatively, as though we could see its return this summer, even if it doesn’t look or feel quite the same.
Between Fringes comedians have been finding various ways to fill the time over the last year. Sikisa found her platform online. “I was quite lucky during lockdown as I had the opportunity to perform at some of the big online shows like
Chortle editor Steve Bennett compiles his most memorable shows of 2020
You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone… Joni Mitchell sure got that right.
With the comedy industry all-but shut down in 2020, every gig staged against the odds became precious. In part, that’s because when gathering people together in clubs or theatres became outlawed, promoters got creative in their staging, creating intrinsically more memorable experiences.
But more significantly, the new rarity of being able to share a laugh as part of the ad-hoc community that is an audience heightened a sense of connection and occasion that was missing for so much of this locked-down year.