London’s West End has nothing like the joint creative impact of the annual Edinburgh arts festivals, argues Anthony Alderson, a dominant figure behind the city’s annual fringe: “It is the source for so much in this fast-growing part of the economy, and vital in the development of so much talent.” Yet he feels Britain does little to aid this annual, self-renewing artistic powerhouse – an engine that drives the country’s impressive entertainment industry.
The Pleasance runs 28 venues in Edinburgh, as well as three in the English capital, and has been around for 40 years this summer. For half that time Alderson has been its director, taking both the credit and the criticism for fringe shows that allegedly exploit the dreams of performers.
