Woolfe takes centre stage for impressive Fringe role

Performing arts lecturer Allan Woolfe has been commemorated at a dinner held by the Edinburgh Fringe Society for his lifetime contribution to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

At the ceremony, held on Friday, January 14, Mr Woolfe was presented with his award, in the form of an inscribed Scottish quaich, by chairwoman of the Edinburgh Fringe Society, Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill.

The award marks his role as longest serving director of the Board of the Fringe, having worked since 1985 and with 20 of those years spent as vice-chair.

Mr Woolfe said: "I was delighted to be in receipt of the quaich and whisky, but the warm and kind words of my colleagues were even better."

Mr Woolfe was born in Glasgow but he has lived in Edinburgh with his wife Nancy and 12-year-old daughter Heather for the last 25 years.

Leaving his role was not an easy decision for Mr Woolfe as promoting the importance of the Fringe has been, as he said, a "massively challenging but also hugely entertaining task".

However, he added: "After 25 years it seemed the right time to step down. I intend to remain a member of the company and will continue to support the Fringe as an audience member."

He admitted that the Fringe has changed massively over the years, perhaps most noticeably in size. The full-time staff of three when he joined the board reached a high of 200 last August.

"Although the size has changed, the ethos is still the same," he said. For Mr Woolfe, it has been interesting to observe the changes that the Fringe has brought to Edinburgh as a whole.

He commented on its influence as "a model which has been copied all over the world, from Adelaide to Prague. It is hugely respected in the arts from all corners of the world".

It has been a long and varied career for Mr Woolfe. Despite training to be a social worker, he took a career twist into the theatre world, initially doing sound for Wildcat Theatre and then later becoming production manager for the politically iconic 7.84 Theatre Company.

He first took part in the Fringe as a technician in 1975 and has been involved in shows every year since then.

In more recent years, he has also undertaken both production and senior stage management roles for mainly outdoor events, such as the Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations and visits by the Queen and the Dalai Lama. As well as his esteemed reputation at the Edinburgh Fringe Society, he has become one of Scotland's most renowned theatre technicians with his extensive experience and knowledge.

Mr Woolfe is still teaching at Edinburgh's Telford College, with lectures focusing on lighting, sound and stage management. He now also has the time to concentrate on his other interests such as "walking up the hills of the West Coast".