Leader: Feuding on the Fringe

F YOU thought it was all happy- clappy and full of fun at the Fringe, think again. An attempted coup is under way. Think Chile. Think Allende. Or might another coup be a better fit? Four “Free Fringe” candidates standing for the Fringe board on a platform of slashed registration fees for small groups and support for free shows are contesting today’s elections. The “Free Fringe” group, led by Peter Buckley Hill, claims to have a bloc of about a third of eligible voters. Rival candidates warn that this agenda would imperil an organisation that relies on ticket sales and registration fees.

But hang on. It’s not so simple. The “Free Fringe” comprises two feuding camps. There’s Peter Buckley Hill’s original “Free Fringe” group, and a breakaway group, run by Alex Petty, known as the “Free Festival”. The “Free Fringe” features 326 shows this year (up 42 per cent on last year) at eight venues, while Alex Petty now has – gosh – 352 shows (up about 50 per cent) at eight venues. Only those familiar with the history of the ideological divide between the Judean People’s Front and the People’s Front of Judea can grasp the complex issues at stake here. There’s also a bitter personal feud on the other side between Tommy Sheppard and Underbelly venue co-director Charlie Wood. Free at the door. Donations welcome.