Edinburgh venue boss honoured in Birthday honours

William Burdett-Coutts - the head of the Assembly venues at the Edinburgh Fringe – has been made an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

He was given the honour for ‘services to theatre, comedy and the arts', it was announced tonight.

Last year, he left his parallel role as artistic director of Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, West London, after 27 years,.

Born in Zimbabwe 66 years ago, Burdett-Coutts  began his career as a theatre director in Scotland in the late 1970s, before establishing the Assembly Rooms as a fringe venue in 1981, and it quickly became famed for its Club Bar where comedians hung out late at night.

He lost the control of the George Street venue during the festival following a controversial development to add shops and restaurants in 2011, and so moved to the Old Town, where it has been ever since.

Burdett-Coutts has also run Glasgow’s Mayfest and the Channel 4 Sitcom Festival, and launched the Brighton Comedy Festival and Manchester’s Festival of Arts and Television,.

Assembly will also be running a major hub in Coventry this year to mark its role as the UK’s City Of Culture.

Published: 11 Jun 2021