Class and Inequality Major Themes of This Year's Fringe

EDINBURGH – As the curtains rise on this year’s Fringe Festival, issues of inequality, class, and opportunity take centre stage. The Fringe, renowned for its vibrant atmosphere, groundbreaking performances, and diverse artistic expressions, has long been celebrated as a pinnacle of the global arts scene. However, beneath the glitz and glamour lies a stark reality—the pervasive issue of wealth inequality that casts a shadow over this iconic event. With the gap between the rich and the marginalised widening in society, the festival’s accessibility, diversity, and very essence are at stake.

To address this pressing issue, Fringe Society President Phoebe Waller-Bridge has taken action by establishing the £100,000 Keep it Fringe fund. The fund aims to provide financial support to artists and companies participating in the Fringe, with bursaries of £2,000 being distributed among 50 selected individuals and groups in 2023. The initiative receives support from the Fleabag for Charity fund, as well as donations to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society from individual donors and the partnership with Edinburgh Gin. The fund’s intention is to level the playing field for artists, giving them the opportunity to fully embrace the rewards the Fringe has to offer. However, as the issue of wealth inequality extends well beyond the Fringe, and indeed theatre itself, any initiative by individual organisations risks being little more than a sticking plaster over a gaping societal wound.

Within England, the lack of government funding and local support has led to accusations that the theatre industry has become an exclusive domain for the privileged. Without substantial financial backing, aspiring artists often struggle to navigate the years of low pay or even no pay that are typically expected as an entry point into the industry. It’s not that money alone can buy success, but without it no amount of hard work or talent will suffice. If the industry as a whole can’t support emerging artists, the impact of inequality on the arts becomes much more significant than anything the Fringe Society alone can address. Given the all pervasive nature of inequality and the scars it creates on society, it should be no surprise that it is emerging as one of the key themes at this years festival.

Keep it Fringe fund recipient Best in Class, at Laughing Horse, aims to champion the talents of working-class comedians, presenting a mixed bill of the finest new voices in comedy. Just the Tonic presents A Leftie’s Guide to Why Everyone Hates Lefties, an attempt to find common ground amidst the volatile British political climate and rising inequality. Pleasance introduces Tones: A Hip-Hop Opera, a groundbreaking piece of gig theatre combining hip hop, grime, drill, and opera to explore social issues. Meanwhile, comedian Mark Thomas takes the stage in England & Son at ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall, a kaleidoscopic odyssey examining disaster capitalism, empire, stolen youth, and stolen wealth through the lens of a working-class boy yearning for his father’s smile.

Addressing the issue head on, Saskia Solomon’s solo show Fool’s Gold at ZOO Playground invites audiences to explore their own relationship to money, class and opportunity – and asks what we can do about it. Saskia commented:

“We don’t talk about money – how much we do or don’t have, how much we feel we should or shouldn’t have – it’s a social taboo. Instead we just silently assess each other based on our clothes, accent, job, education, car, house, even our food choices. This is what inequality does – it creates the ‘us’ and ‘them’. Meanwhile our silence around money allows inequality to thrive. I created Fool’s Gold to break that silence, to name the money elephant in the room… starting with my own.”

As the Edinburgh Fringe Festival continues to evolve, it is hoped that concerted efforts will be made to bridge the gap between the privileged and the marginalised. By embracing inclusivity and tackling wealth inequality directly, the festival can reaffirm its position as a platform for diverse voices, artistic excellence, and genuine cultural exchange. Only by dismantling the barriers created by wealth inequality can the Edinburgh Fringe Festival fulfil its true potential. The negative impact of wealth inequality isn’t an issue which can be solved by the arts alone, but only when inequality, and the need to tackle it, becomes part of the national dialogue will wider action be taken, and that is where the arts can take the lead.

Saskia Solomons’ Fool’s Gold performs from 04-27 August (not 16), 16:30, ZOO Playground. Boxoffice: www.zoofestival.co.uk