Show must go on – but search for new Fringe boss put off indefinitely

Published on Thursday 23 October 2008 22:37

THE search for a new head of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been delayed indefinitely – despite massive troubles at the box office this year.

Fringe officials and board members have put off hiring a new director until January at the earliest.

Two crucial reviews – investigating the failure of the Fringe box office this year and who should take over the ticketing system next year – are running behind schedule. A decision on when to hire a new figurehead has been postponed until a major review is complete.

The decision means a new director may not start until after next year's Fringe programme is finalised in April. The Fringe is currently being run by Tim Hawkins, a board member, who agreed to take on the post of general manager midway during this year's festival.

Director Jon Morgan later resigned – days after revealing that the Fringe had been hit by the first slump in ticket sales for eight years. The Scotsman has learned that Mr Hawkins, co-founder of the Aurora Nova Theatre Company, will operate as "acting director" for the next few months.

One venue manager, who asked not to be named, said: "It is a bit surprising the recruitment drive has been put on hold. I'd have thought a new director would have had a crucial role to play in deciding how the box office should run, never mind how to repair some of the damage done over the summer."

But Assembly director William Burdett-Coutts said: "I'm confident the Fringe is heading in the right direction and fairly relaxed about the timetable. It's better to wait to make the right appointment."

Councillor Steve Cardownie, the city's festivals and events champion, said: "The Fringe is able to call on a wealth of experience from its own staff and outwith the festival. They're under a great deal of scrutiny after what happened and will be weighing up all the factors before starting a recruitment process."

Although bad weather and the staging of the Beijing Olympics at the same time as the Fringe were thought to have affected Fringe ticket sales, both the International Festival and the capital's book festival reported increased sales.

BACKGROUND

MAJOR problems with the Fringe box office emerged within hours of it opening in June.

Sales had to be suspended several times. Problems mounted in mid-July after a crucial deadline for posting out tickets was missed.

Hundreds of ticket-buyers faced lengthy queues outside the Fringe Office to pick up pre-paid briefs, while venues brought in extra staff to deal with over-booked shows.

The box-office woes were blamed for a slump of almost 10 per cent in sales.