Performance spaces for the Edinburgh Fringe go up in Parliament SquareThe curtain goes up on the Edinburgh Fringe today for the first time in two years but its chief executive says that its “whole business model” remains under threat. Shona McCarthy was delighted that the recent softening of social distancing rules meant that about 800 shows could be staged this month but said the Fringe infrastructure was “creaking at its seams” and would have to be reformed before next year’s event. SponsoredMcCarthy, who heads the Fringe Society, the organising body, said the festival had to become “a viable option” for promoters and artists so that they did not “break themselves” during a month of shows in which it is notoriously difficult to turn a profit, even without social distancing. The experimental acrobatic circus company Barely Methodical Troupe is among 800 acts performing over the month IAIN MASTERTON/ALAMY“We have from now until

Source: The Times August 05, 2021 23:26 UTC