Edinburgh once more

Just returned from our fourth jaunt to the Fringe festival in Edinburgh. This time not a full week. We spent a few days from Thursday until Sunday.

The Fringe is a learning curve unless you know exactly what you are looking for. Our first jaunt merely taught us the geography of the venues, many of which are close to each other as in the Pleasance's dozens of performance areas and the Assembly but, which, to the untrained, can be quite spread out.

The word performance area is chosen carefully, because as some can be called theatres, with stage, raked seating and with room for hundreds, many are quite tiny, little larger than a Maersk container which are seen on the trailers of lorries up nd down the motorways.

Having mastered the geography allows us some planning which minimises the distance each day to get around. There is no requirement to see lots of shows, but it seems right to pack some in in the time you are there. This year we pre-booked nine shows which included some stand up, some drama and a small amount of music. Whilst there, we added two more, one on the recommendation of a friend who was with us and without whom the whole Fringe experience might never have entered our lives and without whose planning would add stress of finding accommodation and of getting there.

We still make mistakes. With just over 2000 shows being presented at 369 venues, picking winners is a difficult task. We went on Thursday and came back on Sunday and had booked to see just ten shows, which, as can be seen, is a small ripple in a big pond.

But of the shows, we were disappointed really only once. And its a mistake we have made before.
Comedians, who seem quick and entertaining when on television, all too often descend, and, in my, it's a descent, into crude and frankly tedious areas. I avoid people when they sound off on basic comments and easy targets and subjects, usually in pubs. And thus it was with one act we saw.

The rest however were, in the main, theatrical experiences. A good narrative, a piece of whimsy or musical nonsense. Shows which would not be found anywhere else but at the Fringe.

So, all in all, a good few days, supported by eating at some splendid and affordable places, notably the Steak and Mussel bar in the Grassmarket.

Have I learnt anything for next time? Yes. Having mastered the geography, I need to plan the timings better. Group shows for each day closer together in time - an afternoon one day and evening together - and look for the producers who pleased us before.

I am rubbing my hands already.