Holly Burn: Fringe expectations Vs. Realities
Published: Thursday 11th August 2016
With the festival underway, Holly Burn explains how the expectations of performers heading to the Edinburgh Fringe are somewhat different from the reality of what occurs in August.
Let's face it, Edinburgh is our Hollywood: where dreams come true and where stars are born. But just like Hollywood, dreams are crushed and stars are found walking the streets alone being sick into bins...
It's the best of times and definitely the worst of times. The trick is to have no expectations whatsoever - sadly it's hard not to make Edinburgh all about expectations. Here are some common pitfalls of expectations and their harsh realities...
Edinburgh is a beautiful city to spend a month in...
Well, bad luck, because you'll never see any of it. You'll see the inside of some lecture theatres, lots of wheely bins and food vans but none of the architecture or surrounding beauty. You will promise yourself a walk up Arthurs Seat and spend plenty of days at the beach, Portobello and Leith, but you'll most likely stay in bed screaming silently to yourself.
A chance to be inspired and reinvigorated culturally.
You may have circled all the performance art, poetry readings and book launches in the brochure but it'll never happen. You will only get your head out of your own show by Day 24 just in time to see your flatmate's show.
A chance to eat clean and stay off alcohol for the month.
A great idea but unworkable in practice. The call of the crepe and the whisper of the gin is too much post show, and only the toughest of will powers can resist.
Expect to be noticed.
When I was doing my first show here, my director warned me that the worst thing in Edinburgh is to be ignored. It's a far worst feeling than being hated. It's easy to be ignored here, it's over saturated and there's too much to choose for punters - a good show can pass people by. Standing out is hard.
Expect your accommodation to be habitable.
This is by no means a given. In 2007, my accommodation was so bad it was condemned by the Fire Brigade and the council. We had to get out and find somewhere else to live. We then took the landlord to court and won two years later. The case set a precedent in Scottish Law because nobody ever seems to complain about the horrific state of the properties and the sky high charges. That was almost 10 years ago now and it's no better.
Expect to leave Edinburgh with something tangible.
This ain't Hollywood babes. Don't presume that a telly fat cat in a suit with a cigar will approach you after your gig in a sweaty room at the back of a pub saying "Stick with me - I'm gonna make you a star kid!" Most of the time it's just an up and down slog and you will get to the end and wonder what was the point was in it all.... Then when you've finally bounced back from the pit of despair that is September, October, November.... you will realise you are better at what you do, people know who you are more and that you actually had quite a nice time.
Help Holly have a good month by going to see her show 'I Am Special'. It's at Underbelly: Buttercup at 6:55pm until the 28th August. Listing
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