And So You Think You're Funny?'s future in doubt

Gilded Balloon’s main venue will be closed at next year’s Edinburgh Fringe, it has been revealed.

And its long-running new act competition, So You Think You're Funny?, is also under threat.

Teviot Row House – its base since a fire destroyed its former Cowgate venue 21 years ago – is to close for a ‘significant upgrade’. For the rest of the year it is the University of Edinburgh’s students’ association and is the world's oldest purpose-built student union, having been constructed in 1905.

Work is expected to start in October and not be finished until spring 2025.

However, the venue’s mother-and-daughter artistic directors, Karen and Katy Koren are in talks with university chiefs and say they are confident of securing a nearby base of similar size for 2024.

Katy told the British Comedy Guide: ‘We're making alternative plans. We've got quite good leads near to the Bristo Square area, a similar area to where Teviot is, we're going to have another space there.

‘But we don't want to announce anything prematurely ... I'm hoping we'll be able to make an announcement during the Fringe or just after.’

Regardless of what happens next year they will still run shows in Patter Hoose – the former C Venues on Chambers Street – and the National Museum of Scotland.

So You Think You're Funny? has run since 1998, SYTYF? with previous winners including  Peter Kay, Dylan Moran, Lee Mack and Aisling Bea.

But Katy Koren said the £30,000 a year it costs to stage is unsustainable.

The news follows the funding crisis which almost spelled the cancellation of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards this year, until a last-minute deal with a trio of sponsors was struck.

The Gilded Balloon has also revamped its once-infamous late-night show Late'n'Live to feature exclusively female comperes, and brought the start time earlier, to 11.30pm rather than the 1am it once kicked off. ‘People don't seem to be able to stay up so late at the Fringe now,’ Katy Koren said.

The University of Edinburgh say the building works will ‘ensure that Teviot’s character and its unique heritage and history is preserved, while providing the modern facilities that [students] expect. 

‘The upgrade will make the building more environmentally efficient and sustainable, and improve accessibility and toilet provision, while also making it easier to find your way around. 

‘These plans hugely improve access into and around the building. At present, none of the building is fully wheelchair accessible without assistance. This will change to the vast majority of areas becoming freely accessible to wheelchair users. The main entrance at Bristo Square will be ramped and Charles Street Lane will also have ramped access.

‘The historic character of the Library Bar, the Dining Room, the Debating Hall and Teviot Garden will be preserved. The Sports and Underground bars [called the Sportsmans and the Nightclub by Gilded Balloon] will be joined to create a bigger, accessible café bar which will function as both a day and evening space for events and will be designed to be as flexible as possible.  ‘

Published: 24 Jul 2023