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More than 1,600 producers, comedians and agents have signed an open letter, accusing organisers of the world-famous Edinburgh fringe festival of a series of perceived management failures, including scrapping the event\u2019s mobile ticketing app.<\/p>\n
The letter \u2013 signed by major acts such as Joe Lycett and Jo Caulfield \u2013 also blamed organisers for what they said was a lack of transparency, and additionally failing to help with rising accommodation costs and reduced train services.<\/p>\n
Pax Lowey, the chair of the Live Comedy Association (LCA), which coordinated the letter, said that organisers only revealed there would be no ticketing app and no half-price ticketing huts a few days ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil this week, the messaging was this year would be [back to] a big normal fringe, and then all of a sudden we learn of the lack of an app and the half-price huts,\u201d Lowey told the Guardian. \u201cIt really does feel like it will be a 50% year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shona McCarthy, the chief executive of the Fringe Society, said that the ticketing app had only been used by 7% of attendees, and required a total overhaul that the festival could not afford at this point.<\/p>\n
She also expressed disappointment that the LCA had publicised the concerns before talking to her first.<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally, you would expect people to talk to you first, to reach out and to kind of ask the questions before going into that sort of nuclear mode,\u201d she said. \u201c[Our] modus operandi is to collaborate, be collective, collegiate with people, to get the best results.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that the fringe had been forced to make difficult decisions due to a range of factors, including staffing issues.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s festival is expected to feature nearly 3,200 shows as it celebrates its 75th<\/sup> birthday.<\/p>\n \u201cI genuinely think it\u2019s nothing short of a minor miracle that it\u2019s here, that we\u2019ve got to this point, and it should be a day of celebration,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Image:\u00a0Kilyan Sockalingum<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n