Nathan Cassidy: Why I'm bribing the press this year!

Written by: Nathan Cassidy
Published: Wednesday 12th July 2023

The title of this article sets the topic up nicely. Here's Nathan to explain more...

It's hard to get press at the Edinburgh Fringe; there are thousands of shows and maybe 50 or so publications... or maybe 49 now, as I don't think theangrymicrowave.com does stuff any more. The only time it's been easy for me was the 2020 Edinburgh Fringe, when I was the only live show at the festival... and, even then, I only got 3 reviews!

Of course, you can get more, but often only if you pay for PR, and that can cost you around £2500 with no guarantee of a single review or article. That works for some, but it's never seemed like good business sense to me - when else would you pay out thousands of pounds with no guarantee of anything tangible? Answer: the Edinburgh Fringe!

And that's the thing, Edinburgh is expensive enough, you really shouldn't have to pay out so much money to get press coverage - the press should be covering what they genuinely think are going to be the best or the most interesting, newsworthy shows.

But before I send out my press releases, I know realistically that won't happen - over the last four years I've been nominated for and won 8 Best Show awards at UK fringe festivals and received great reviews, 2 Amazon Prime Specials, a podcast with nearly a million downloads and regular appearances on BBC Radio 5 Live and Times Radio - and I got to Grade 7 on the mother-fucking piano - but I know all this isn't enough. There are hundreds of acts with similar and with PR. What makes me stand out if I don't have a PR pressing my case and no one gives a shit that I can play C# major scale 4 octaves both hands?

I get it. There are only so many hours in the day, and the press are going to use PR as a shortcut to flag up what they think are the best shows to promote. But obviously if the press are over-reliant on that, then the shows with no budget for PR are going to be overlooked. I don't know what the answer is to this, but any press or reviewers that say, for example, "here are acts on the Free Fringe", or "here are acts without PR that I think are interesting or good", then I personally think that's great. It's just to strike a balance between those with money and those without, because one thing's for sure, those who can't afford to spend too much in Edinburgh have an absolutely equal chance of delivering a great show, so they should get an equal chance of publicity.

But it's the way of the world, not just the Fringe. There's no point moaning about it (or worse writing a blog about it). Obviously there is a split at the Edinburgh Fringe just like the rest of life between those that can afford to lose £10,000 and those that can't. I can't. The thought of going to Edinburgh and not making money is ludicrous to me. I'm there for a month away from my kids; my first priority now is to make money. My second and equal priority is to make good shows. And both things need good audiences. So how do you get them?

Well, in those first few days of the Fringe before, you hope, the word of mouth kicks in, you need to stand out. There are so many great comedians on at the Fringe, and it's not just people like Frankie Boyle and Frank Skinner who are playing the Fringe this year; many years ago Doug Stanhope did a small basement bar and often wasn't full - there are precious gems that go un-noticed by crowds if people aren't told about them by the press or festival goers.

So what can you do? Well two things - firstly a hook, a gimmick to get you some press attention, and that's what I'm doing this year - for every article/review I get I'm going to give £50 to the Alzheimer's society (up to a max of £500, some of which I'm going to ask my mum for, but she doesn't know that yet!).

Dementia has been horrible to my family and I've often raised money for Alzheimer's over the years - and this blog post counts, so thank you British Comedy Guide, another £50 to charity!

And secondly, in that first week and really throughout the Fringe until you're sold out, you need to shout about your show on the street - there really is no substitute for these hard yards. Some of the biggest breakthrough acts over the last few years are the ones that I've seen working the hardest and longest hours flyering for their own shows. Paying a street team is not always the way - no one sells the show like you do. Obviously, having a huge number of social media followers have taken away the need for all this for the small number of acts that have got a big following, and, to those acts: you lucky, lucky, (hard working in a way), lucky bastards!

And, talking about social media, my shows this year are perfect for the TikTok generation, with short bits of comedy: 29 2-minute bits in Amnesia that you will never remember, and 50 1-minute bits in 50 for my grandma's 100th birthday. No connections. Swipe up morons.

I wanted to do shows this year with depth, heart and soul, but I don't think the audience wants that any more! They just want bits. But it's the hardest thing for me, someone that is constantly seeking connection and soul. That's the thing that is seeping away - soul. Maybe somewhere in one of these shows I'll find some soul. Maybe together we'll find something truly magical and uplifting... maybe!

And finally, I'm often asked - what's the secret of a good gimmick to get you loads of press at the Fringe? Well there are two rules really. Number one, become the master of BS - I didn't actually pass my grade 7 piano, but the above makes it look like I did. And the second and most important secret... well, for that, you'd have to pay me £2,500... at least!