Entry for October 15, 2006

Post Fringe Thoughts
I'm in that after-Edinburgh Fringe zone where I re-discover that there is more to life than directing shows (for Edinburgh), preparing budgets (for Edinburgh), raising funds (for Edinburgh), worrying (about Edinburgh)...
You get the picture.
The frustrating thing is, my mind has immediately turned to thinking about the next Fringe. It is plainly some sort of mania. It is not sane. It is not healthy.
The current problem is the expense of taking shows to Edinburgh. I still have to work out the final budget for last year, but I don't think it was a kick in the (raggedy) pants off seventeen grand. And I criticise my dad about his golf fees.
So the big question this year is whether to move venues. We've played at the Raddisson SAS on the High Street for seven years in a row now, and they've been great friends to us, but the commercial reality is that it is extraordinarily expensive to convert a conference room in a hotel into a theatre for a week. The hire of the room, staging, lights and so on is a huge drain on resources.
So, we're thinking closely about hiring a slot in one of the recognised venues next year. It might be that we could have the same level of fun, better theatrical facilities and a smaller budget if we move. Watch the blog for further news over the next few months.