CMU School of Drama


Thursday, February 29, 2024

Get to Know the Big 4 Venues at Edinburgh Fringe

Playbill: The 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe has announced its first large batch of programming, with over 200 shows. With only six months to go until the festivities begin, why not brush up on the main venue operators? Known as the Big Four, these spaces dominate the programming for the world’s largest international arts festival. And if you're a Fringe newcomer, these four operators are a good start when it comes to deciding what to see.

2 comments:

Esther said...

This festival has been on my bucket list since 2019. It was my freshman year of highschool and the summer before 6 students in my highschool theatre program went to the festival and brought a play. My teacher and the students always talked about their experience and all of the events that they attended and it has been my dream to go one year, or multiple times honestly. I think the hype is so understandable because of how many performances are hosted in the festival and how international the event truly is. Obviously the architectural aspects of Edienburgh is beautiful and to be able to have the opportunity to perform there and see so many amazing artists is such a privilege. The way this festival brings so many different communities together and the art that is made and allowed to flourish is just a one of a kind experience.

Gemma said...

The Edinburgh Fringe is a festival that I have wanted to visit, and more recently, work for many, many years. Many folks in my family have been there, and they all report back talking about how fascinating, and deeply engaging of an experience it is. The plethora of entertainment available in the Big 4 Venues, as well as the many, many smaller venues is really exciting and groundbreaking theater. Out of all of the venues, the one that stuck out to me the most in the article was the Underbelly. Other than being a very quirky venue, the fact that it housed shows like Cabaret before they took off really cemented the importance of the fringe as a force in the entertainment industry. There is so much new work (and new adaptations of classic work) that really has established itself as a hotbed of theatrical talent and innovation in the heart of Edinburgh.