Edinburgh Festival of Music and Drama, international event presented annually since 1947 for three weeks, opening usually in mid-August. Although the main emphasis is on music, some distinguished theatrical productions have been seen, including those of a number of foreign companies, since it has always been the policy of the Festival's directors to invite visitors from overseas. The first, in 1947, was
Jouvet's company. In 1948 and 1957 the
Renaud—
Barrault company appeared and in 1955 Edwige
Feuillère was seen in the younger
Dumas's La Dame aux camélïas. Other companies to visit Edinburgh include the
Comédie-Française, the
Théâtre National Populaire, the
Berliner Ensemble, the
Piccolo Teatro della Città di Milano, and the
Ninagawa Company. Marcel
Marceau has also appeared several times, and T. S.
Eliot's last three plays were commissioned for performance there. In 1948, 1949, and 1959 Tyrone
Guthrie directed the old Scottish morality play by Sir David
Lyndsay,
Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis, last seen in 1552. It was revived again for the 1973 Festival in a new version directed by Bill
Bryden. Other performances have included the
Old Vic company in
Romeo and Juliet,
Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, and
Schiller's Mary Stuart, and the
Stratford (Ontario) Festival Theatre company in
Sophocles' Oedipus the King and
Henry V. In 1950 the Glasgow
Citizens' Theatre was seen at the Festival, returning in 1968 with Michael
Blakemore's production of
Brecht's Arturo Ui. Scottish companies performing at the Festival also include the Edinburgh Civic Theatre Company from the
Royal Lyceum Theatre and the companies from Perth and Dundee. Other companies to visit the Festival include
Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the
Bristol Old Vic, the
Abbey Theatre, and the
Nottingham Playhouse. The
English Stage Company has made several visits, presenting the British premières of
O'Casey's Cock-a-Doodle-Dandy (1959) and
Ionesco's Exit the King (1963), and in 1962 the
RSC made its first visit with the British première of
Fry's Curtmantle; they returned in 1974 with Marlowe's
Dr Faustus. A memorable event of later years was the adaptation of
Richard III staged in 1979 by the Rustaveli company from Georgia, and the following year the
National Theatre company made its first visit to the Festival.
The term ‘Fringe’ was first coined to describe performances not included as part of the official Festival. From these unofficial beginnings the Fringe has grown to encompass diverse events from every area of the performing arts. The essence of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and every Fringe festival around the world that has sprung from it, is that no artistic control is exerted by the organizers. The Fringe is now the largest arts festival in the world, over 500 groups from many different countries presenting 1,000 productions and giving 9,000 performances. Participation by university groups has always been strong, providing a unique platform for emerging talent. Trevor
Nunn, Maggie
Smith, Derek
Jacobi, Tom
Stoppard, and comedians such as Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese all performed on the Fringe in their university days. New work is another strong element, over 300 plays being given their British premières on the Fringe each year. Experimental work,
Collective Creation, alternative comedy, and small-scale productions are other important components. The
Traverse Theatre, which expands its year-round programme of events during the Fringe, acts as a cultural catalyst to the proceedings.
