Audiences urged to drop in on Leith for Fringe fun

A NEW Fringe venue has been set up to put Leith on the festival map.

Leith on the Fringe, which is an extension of the current Edinburgh Festival network, hopes to sell 26,000 tickets over the four-week period to pump money into the local economy.

Local organisers Natasha Lee-Walsh and John Diamond have stressed that they want Leith to be an integral part of the festival for both residents and tourists, but without going down the mainstream path.

Instead of stand-up comedy and cabaret, LOTF will showcase circus, aerial and street acts. Its hub, at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall, has a cafe, bar and box office.

The family-friendly venue is planning to work with local businesses to offer discounts on tickets, food, drink and shopping if visitors spend a certain amount of time in the area. The money raised will go straight back into LOTF.

Ms Lee-Walsh, 33, said: "We hope it works a bit like the I Love Leith Bag. We've tailored the programme so that people spend at least half a day in the area. They could go to a show, then get something to eat at a discounted rate, then go to another show.

"The Drill Hall is very high so it's perfect for circus and aerial work, such as acts using the trapeze and flying features.

"While we're keen to bring Leith into the heart of the Fringe, we're not going to make it a mainstream attraction. There'll be no stand-up comedy, we'll focus on circus and aerial acts and shows that you don't often see elsewhere in Edinburgh. Leith is somewhere for locals to get away from the festival mania, so we don't want to saturate it too much. But we believe the area offers another unique side to the city."

She added that LOTF planned to run workshops that could be offered as a package with a show or in their own right. Both local acts and national shows have been invited to perform at the venue.

Co-organiser, John Diamond, 33, said he had drawn up a three-year business plan for the venture. He said they hoped to expand to other venues and, if all went well, establish a Spiegeltent-type venue on the water at the Shore.

He said: "Leith doesn't have people staying around and spending money during the festival, which is a shame for all the vibrant local businesses. This year will be a pilot for LOTF to show locals that the festival can be good for the area. In two or three years we'll hopefully have other venues on board and be a recognisable festival area. We'd like to bring any shows happening around Leith under the banner. The dream target in five years' time would be to have a Speigeltent in the water at the Shore."

Local businesses last night discussed how they could work together to provide a range of offers throughout the festival period. The LOTF programme will be announced next month.