Problems with the Fringe
One principal reason which folk offer for going to the Fringe is that you are able to see the big-name stand-ups, and can witness the up and coming acts in comedy at an early stage.
My personal experience is somewhat different. The most renowned comedians' gigs inevitably sell out before you've actually found out they're performing, therefore you are less able to watch them perform compared to any other time of the year.
And the argument that you'll have the opportunity to witness the rising stars being released upon the world: in truth, I guess it's conceivable, but you are probably going to see a comedian that gives you ten minutes of pretty funny material, and 40 mins of unfunny nonsense. Nevertheless, they had a fabulous write-up since the reviewer merely had long enough to watch the start of the show.
Most people believe that the best occasion on which to watch stand up comedy in Edinburgh is in the Festival each year. I'm one of those that doesn't agree with that logic.
Make the most of the Festival if you get the chance, but don't limit yourself to that.
Occasionally the support comedians elsewhere will be more entertaining.
Which are the reasons that folk give to support their affirmation that the greatest chance to experience standup in Scotland's capital is in the Festival? One argument is the number of performances that are happening. Rather than the normal selection of comedy events, there are a multitude throughout the Fringe. But my belief is that abundance doesn't always imply quality. In my time I've attended hundreds of stand up comedy performances at the Festival, and well over half of these have been awful. I have walked out of several shows after sitting for roughly thirty minutes without even getting the urge to crack a smile, never mind guffaw. Simply because a comedy gig is part of the Festival doesn't guarantee that it is likely to be hilarious. I see tons of stand-up events throughout the year, and in my opinion there are much fewer genuinely awful shows being staged at other times of the year.
Sometimes you are able to get hold of low-priced comedy tickets in the Festival because there are a lot of buy-one-get-one-free offers happening. All that really involves is that when you get a 2-for-1 deal, it means you pay the identical price to attend a show as it does ordinarily, since during the Festival all of the ticket prices multiply by two. I'll take open mic evening at my local comedy club any day.
