Freestival puts a solution on the table

A deal has been tabled that could solve the chaos surrounding the Cowgatehead venue at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Around 150 comedians booked into the venue through the Freestival operation have been left in limbo for the past four days, since rival Peter Buckley Hill made a public statement claiming they had no right to offer rooms there. Instead, he said his PBH Free Fringe outfit had struck a deal with the licensee Kenny Waugh, to programme the venue.

Freestival board member Jools Constant, pictured, met with Waugh today and says he has ‘hammered out a compromise agreement’ that would save the shows.

The proposal is that Freestival would retain the lower three floors which are already booked in, and PBH would take the upper floors.

A Freestival spokesman said: ‘Under this arrangement no Freestival acts would be required to move, and all existing time slots would be honoured. PBH would take the upper floors and would have ample space for the six rooms he has proposed and would be able to book those as he sees fit.

‘A meeting to discuss this is arranged for next week. Freestival and the Licensee have already confirmed attendance. All that remains is for Peter and the Free Fringe board to sit down with us and work out the details.

‘We have sent an e-mail to Peter requesting that he meet with us in the spirit of cooperation and in the best interests of the acts.’

Dozens of acts have paid up to £360 to be in the official Edinburgh Fringe programme under the Freestival banner and could stand to lose their slot if a deal is not reached.

The news comes two days after Freestival vowed ‘to do our utmost to work with Peter Buckley Hill to ensure that the performers are disrupted as little as possible’. However they also ascribed blame to the Free Fringe founder, saying: ‘This has devastated people who are hoping to perform at the 2015 Fringe…. Why would PBH agree to sign the deal so late in the year without first speaking with us, in full knowledge of the commitments already made by ourselves and the performers?’

Published: 25 May 2015