Here is the place to write a Show Report for your venue, detailing as much information as you can that might help shows there in years to come. Include things such as dimensions of stage, passing traffic, good spots to flyer, useful promo, tech equipment, ambient noise; anything that will help give shows a good idea of the venue before they arrive. **Please include your show number so we can confirm your show report is in the right venue forum**
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Show: Harun Mushod: Why I Dont Speak To People About Terrorism (show 114) Dates: 3 - 25 August Time: 2.20pm Third year for this show but first time in this venue, having spent the last 8 years in Legends Downstais space. I was the venue captain. The venue holds around 40. It's a bit long, but caused me no problems on full days. It needs one speaker, and a speaker stand is essential. I borrowed one from one of our old venues, Legends, for the duration of the Fringe. Next year, a speaker with an aux output that wasn't broken would be helpful, but the workaround is to use the venue's background music system to which one can plug in a phone or tablet through an earjack. As some of the speakers for that system are in the performance area it worked fine in place of an aux input in our speaker. No photos as I forgot to take them, but the "room" is a curtained off area at one end of the main bar. Seating is one fixed long sofa against one entire wall, and then small stools in 7 rows of four. Problem is that the stools are uncomfortable so everyone sits on the sofa if they can creating one line of audience going away from you. Some perfomers moved their performance area. I tended to block the back rows of stools and sofa to force smaller audiences to sit in rows and toward the front, however, it would be better if the Free Fringe or the venue were able to provide proper chairs in future.
The venue is ok for stand-up (there was also a magic act who was able to adapt to the envionment). Theoretically there is sound bleed but it rarely bothered me or my audiences. However, I gather the sound bleed going the other way was considerable especially when I was on, as I have loud voice anyway regardless of amplification. As a result, the show following me knew my show by heart, and the Fringe Society's Chief Exec was able to follow my show without having to get past the bar staff (whom I had instructed not to let in latecomers. The Chief Exec later donated to the show ). Music might be ok too, but theatre wont work in this space. My numbers were down 15% from the year before, for which I partly blame the venue's location compared to my previous venue However total bucket was slightly up, which I also slightly attribute to the venue, because its a nicer place to have a drink in and less noisy than my previous venue. However, other factors independent of the venue probably also accounted for the changes. The venue staff and management were great, very helpful, as good as my previous venue. I'd be happy to come back to this venue, with this show again, and my new show next year.
Next year though: some signage pointing people to show entrance and blocking people from going through the other curtains either way would be helpful.
Echo most of what Harun says re Pilgrim set up. Will write own show report later!
First time doing an Edinburgh run with PBH. I ran my show for 1 week, 19th-25th. Show time was noon. While this was a good time in theory, it wasn't great for getting over from Glasgow each day, and enough time to flyer and set up my multimedia show. I hussled. I had decent audiences most days except Tuesday and Wednesday. There is nowhere to store equipment so if you have any/props you have to take everything in and away per show. One day of my show the TV screens were still on and I could see the audience looking up, distracted, but my tech was on it. It was an error and the staff apologised so no biggie, just make sure you check this. If you want donations make sure you set this up as people will just leave. I laid out a bit at the curtain area and as the week went on my tech did it for me which took awkwardness out of me asking. There was a show on after mine so I was mindful to finish on time, and clear out. 12noon is the first show time so you do have good time to set up and you can ask the bar staff to get in a bit earlier which eased my first day anxiety. The staff were great. They accommodated my asks with grace. I left them a tip at the end of my run, bought them a drink (of water) each day. I'm that kinda gal. My set up was a screen, projector on a stand. My tech, laptop, my props. I needed 3 of their higher chairs to set this up so the audience could see the screen ok. Then finally I had the mic and stand provided, which I had no issues with. I had my show filmed on the last day from more than 1 camera position and it worked quite well when I got the video through. Only downside for clear filming was lighting the 'stage' area. It's a good size room, 30 capacity. Stools are possibly problematic as I skew an older audience so most folk sat along the seating to the left along the room, so that's something to factor in. Would I go back to Pilgrim? For next year I will look at a venue with screen, just because of the faff and small stage area.