Anger over venue’s overhaul prompted move

Zimbabwe-born William Burdett-Coutts first inquired about using a space at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms during the Fringe more than 30 years ago, as an aspiring actor.

He made the space a legendary gathering place for the Festival. Last year, after Edinburgh City Council closed the venue for an overhaul he bitterly opposed, he moved his entire operation to George Square to theatres in university buildings and tents on its lawns.

The move seemed to cement the Fringe’s shift to the south side of the city centre, away from its traditional base in the New Town.

It also marks a move into “bricks and mortar” for Mr Burdett-Coutts, observers said.

TIM CORNWELL