Intelligence for reviewers and Fringers alike.

Festival Awards: Do We Need Them?

Lunchtime, first Sunday of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: it must be the Perrier lunch. Have you got your invite? I have. At the lunch Nica Burns, the impeccable empress of comedy, who created, and has directed, the Perrier Comedy Awards for its duration, talked about the evolution of the comedy award and hopes for its future.

There have been many awards at the Edinburgh Festivals over the years. Some company or other decides to throw a bit of advertising budget money about, so they think up an award, obviously with the name of the company and its logo attached. Roll out some affordable, crusty wordsmiths and certificated experts, throw in some (free) drink, and there you have the formulae for a new award.

Very few of these so called prestigious gongs ever last more than two or three festivals. In the end, they do very little for the recipient other than boost their ego for a few days, which is probably a good thing, but has no time value. For example, does anyone know what has happened to the International Festival's biggest award the Hamada Award which has not been seen for several years? Answers in an e-mail or on a postcard please.

There are two awards that have survived, and really mean something throughout the world. The Scotsman Fringe Firsts (download the entry form for the Scotsman Fringe Frists here), created by the late great Allen Wright, who I had the honour of knowing, although I never worked for him. There is now a very worthwhile award for young writers at the festival in his name.

The Fringe Firsts were the first awards of the Fringe, and remain one of the awards that really say 'Hey! This is an excellent show!'

Historically, and I may well get corrected on this, the Perrier Comedy award comes next, this being its 25th year. It has stood the test of time, and is worth the metal it is engraved on. It is the premier comedy award which has launched many a now famous face’s career.

Whether you like them or not, both these awards are for excellence in different areas of the Fringe, and are open to all-comers, that fit a wide spectrum criteria.

With hundreds shows squeezed into the month of August, the various Edinburgh Festivals need these awards as yardsticks to quality, and excellence. The participants need the reward target to work towards.

What we don’t need are awards that go against the spirit of the Festival. Awards that are only available to one-legged, black, Caucasians that wear a patch over their left eye on a Friday.

This could be the thin of the wedge, that will eventually destroy the egalitarian nature of the Edinburgh Festivals.

John Ritchie, Editor of Edinburghguide, and veteran of 25 Edinburgh Festivals.

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