Assembly Theatre has announced it will create a new city centre Fringe venue in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens, set against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Assembly says the venue will re-invigorate the Ross Bandstand site with a special sub-structure to create an elevated platform for a Belgian dance tent along with a Festival garden bar in association with Bulmers.
In previous years, "the Ross" has been a showcase for free Fringe acts, with shows being simultaneously webcast.
As in previous years, the Princess Street Gardens venue will be hosting the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival from Friday 30th to Thursday 5th August, the famous Carousel and new for 2010, Dinner in the Sky, a 22-seat dinner table hoisted 100ft into the air by a huge crane.
Assembly @ PrincesStreetGardens will showcase live music, comedy, theatre and cabaret and an outdoor programme of free entertainment including fringe showcases, Scottish music and an outdoor cinema.
The venue will be one of three main Assembly venues in the Fringe stalwart’s 30th anniversary year. Assembly began in 1981 by turning the Georgian Assembly Rooms into a multi-venue for upmarket theatre, comedy and music continues with this as its home base, along with the equally historic halls at the Assembly Hall on the Mound.
Although, as always with an outdoor venue, the Edinburgh weather remains an unknown factor, Assembly says the covered Princes Street Gardens venue will create "a garden pleasure palace in the heart of the city centre".
"Assembly has come a long way since it started in 1981," says William Burdett-Coutts, Artistic Director of Assembly. "Every year we have set out to improve the service we offer to the public, primarily through the quality of the work we present, but as much as what you see on stage is important a festival experience is also about what happens off stage. This new Ross Bandstand addition to our venues is aimed to augment what we can offer the public and is set in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. The venue will provide wonderful shows along with a special outdoor experience.’
Assembly at PrincesStreetGardens programme
The day starts at Assembly at PrincesStreetGardens with The Talk Show, hosted by Frank Skinner, an opportunity to celebrate festival stars. Also new for 2010 is a daytime version of Assembly’s celebrated comedy and music strand, Best of The Fest Daytime, a compilation showcase of the best entertainment at the festival.
Virtuoso clown, European sensation and former Cirque de Soleil star Julien Cottereau will entertain family audiences with his new show Imagine Toi in afternoon performances throughout the Festival; with music performances from acclaimed acoustic guitarist Antonio Forcione, Scottish contemporary pipe band Red Hot Chilli Pipers, South African singing sensations The Bala Brothers and amazing mind games with world-renowned mentalist Marc Salem taking us through into the evening.
As night falls in the gardens, cabaret diva extraordinaire Meow Meow sets pulses racing with her intoxicating musical mix of performance art exotica, The Crack featuring Miss Behave ups the ante with its raucous and anarchic comedy variety mix, and notorious club night Guilty Pleasures raises the roof until the early hours with its unabashed celebration of shameless pop nuggets.
All this, plus some one-off specials including Maxwell’s Fullmooners, The Unbelievable Truth hosted by David Mitchell, Caledon – Scotland’s Tenors and Time Out Live's Laugh Out Loud.
Free music
The new venue will include a programme of free entertainment on the Ross Bandstand and the ‘The Bulmers Summerside Garden’, featuring live music, instant prizes and plenty of fun in the sun. Festival-goers can watch ‘Bulmers Sun Lovin’ Criminals’ perform live on The Sunshine Stage with their playlist bursting with all the favourite sounds of the summer.
Brand Manager at Bulmers, Doug Cook, commented on the partnership: ‘Assembly is the perfect outdoor finale to celebrate our ‘Awake Your Summerside’ campaign. We’re really excited about the partnership and looking forward to a summer of fun with the people of Edinburgh at the summerside garden.’