Around five months into the pandemic, while some worked on their sourdough, Duolingo and Netflix binges, one passionate team was determined to bring live theatre back. With a pun from Glaswegian writer Gary McNair, Shedinburgh Fringe Festival was born; an online festival of theatre, music and comedy.
“It was incredible to have something that gave me great sense of purpose in a time which was pretty devastating for the arts,” recalls Francesca Moody, who co-founded Shedinburgh with McNair and producer Harriet Bolwell. Moody’s own company Francesca Moody Productions has put on theatre shows which became two of the most globally successful TV shows of the last decade: Fleabag and Baby Reindeer.
”I remember the absolute adrenaline rush every time an artist who we never thought would say yes welcomed the opportunity to perform in the shed – Jayde Adams, Chris Thorpe, Tim Crouch, Sophie Duker – all coming back this year too.” In August 2020, 25 shows were livestreamed to an audience of over 5000, from two sheds – one in London’s Soho Theatre, the other in Edinburgh’s Traverse.
“I remember how special it felt to be able to sit in the very small, socially distanced audience, mostly just Harriet and I laughing, crying, whooping or cheering.” In 2021, Shedinburgh returned with a hybrid programme of live and in-person events. This year, Shedinburgh will set up home in a purpose-built venue at Edinburgh College of Art, presenting its inaugural programme of 28 one-off, one-night-only shows. By day, they will run a café/bar (look out for pizza, coffee and beers from Wanderers Kneaded, Williams & Johnson and Newbarns Brewery), and by night, the stage will see performances from Fringe favourites, household names and rising stars. And they are putting their money where their mouths are to make it accessible.
“I’ve had so many conversations in the past few years about how the Fringe is becoming increasingly expensive and inaccessible for artists,” says Moody. “I wanted us to do something about that. I’m incredibly passionate about the Edinburgh Fringe and fringe theatre in general – it’s a place for risk taking. The best and most exciting work can start there. It felt important to create a new model which ensures that is still able to happen. Ultimately, I wanted to make sure that artists weren’t out of pocket, so covering travel and accommodation and paying a guaranteed fee for performance allows us to do that. Because it’s pay-what-you-can, as an audience you won’t really be out of pocket too.”
Moody’s programme highlights include their ‘Shed Originals’. “These are handpicked new pieces of work from emerging artists who we are incredibly excited about. I’d like to think people will say in the future they were the first to see those shows – The Briar Patch by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth; Jack in a Box by Joanna Thomson; Rebellion: After the B’nei Mitzvahs by Nick Cassenbaum; Mercurial by Rosaleen Cox and A to B by Tia Renee Mullings. I also can’t wait to see Jayde Adam’s new work How to Lose and Not Cry.”
At the time of going to press, applications had just closed on Shedinburgh’s Shedload-of-Future Fund, awarding three £5,000 grants to artists making their Fringe debut in 2025. “I can’t share details yet, but I can say that we had over 100 applications and the breadth and diversity of the work was incredibly exciting to see.
“Shedinburgh started as my love letter to the Fringe. I’m excited to make the case for more philanthropy for work of this scale and I’m grateful that we have some incredibly generous and passionate people to help make Shedinburgh 2025 a reality.”
Shedinburgh, Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art, 2-24 Aug. Full programme at shedinburgh.com