UNITED KINGDOM: EDINBURGH KICKS OFF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FRINGE AND FILM FESTIVALS

Record ID: 336658

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: EDINBURGH KICKS OFF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FRINGE AND FILM FESTIVALS
  • Date: 9th August 1997
  • Summary: (AUGUST 11) EXTERIOR OF CLUB BANGARRA DANCE TROUPE PERFORMING
  • Embargoed: 24th August 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA604ZBEAOUPSRTPE8300CFHXUM
  • Story Text: Edinburgh has kicked off the world's biggest celebration of the arts with the 50th birthday International, Fringe and Film festivals cramming every theatre, church hall and street corner of the Scottish capital.

    Thousands of actors, musicians, comedians and dancers started a hectic three-week jamboree of round the clock entertainment that promises to delight many and disgust a few.

    Born amid the ruins and disillusion of World War Two, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe and Film festivals that grew up alongside it, have turned into a world showcase of the arts that now far outstrips in scale the music festivals of Bayreuth and Salzburg it once dared to emulate.

    Until August 30, arts lovers can breakfast on Shakespeare, heckle stand-up comedians on the back of a lorry, pore over the best in pop videos, and enjoy a Spanish multi-media soap opera.

    The 5.8 million pound (9.2 million U.S.dollar) International festival boasts its first appearance since 1961 by the Royal Opera Covent Garden and four world premieres in dance, music and theatre.

    The festival officially opened on Sunday (August 10) with a parade down Princess street, led by Scottish bagpipers marching in their kilts and fur hats under the scorching summer sun.

    Every August the city's population doubles as visitors flock to the festival.

    There's also a chance to spot a celebrity strolling down the Royal Mile or mixing with the crowds at late-night comedy clubs.

    The festival generates an estimated 120 million pounds of extra income for the city.

    This year's official festival programme contains international music and theatre including French director Stephane Braunschweig's production of Shakespeare's classic "Measure for Measure" by the Nottingham Playhouse company.

    The festival's opening had a European flavour, showing "Ma Vie en Rose" by first-time Belgian director Alan Berliner.The film tells the story of 7-year-old Ludovic, a boy who is convinced one day soon he will turn into a girl.

    Singers Kylie Minogue and Jarvis Cocker mingled with guests for the premiere.

    Edinburgh's Fringe festival offered more diverse entertainment taking place in every possible venue, including the city streets.Hundreds of theatre companies descend on Edinburgh, flooding it with advertising posters and staging street shows to pull in audiences.

    The Fringe, which started in 1947 with eight companies upset at being left out of the main festival, has mushroomed to 1,278 shows from as far afield as New Zealand,Australia and New York.

    On the dance side, Australian Aboriginal dance troupe, Bangarra, premiered their latest production, "Fish".

    Choreographed by Stephen Page, the performance features costumes designed by Issy Miyake.
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