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 number 158. I was doing a WIP in Whistlebinkies at 6.30pm. Venue worked well for me. I wasn't in the main brochure and averaged around 15-20 audience members per show. I hired one flyerer and we both flyered around the royal mile or on niddry st for an hour and a half before the show. The staff were really friendly and helpful. They have their own mics and PA system, I provided my own aux lead. Venue seats around 50-60 ish I think. I removed some of the chairs at the back of the room for my performances. There is only a curtain separating the performance area from the bar, so there was some noise bleed at times. Not a huge amount of stage space as there is a lot of music equipment on it - drumkits, etc. Good for stand up though.
Jew-O-Rama has been at Whistlebinkies on multiple occasions. The staff are excellent. The show was at 5:15. Sometimes full sometimes not. Near excellent flyering spots. I ended up bringing my own mic https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/r.html?C=2X8R0PK3LTH9J&K=20M9595WCA58N&M=urn:rtn:msg:202208091620588a94e8833ab445328f91da22b450p0eu&R=22I0GAAWI5ARC&T=C&U=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB07SNPNFKC%2Fref%3Dpe_27063361_487055811_TE_3p_dp_1&H=RSQA8MZNVAD30OAFSQI5JW5KZV4A&ref_=pe_27063361_487055811_TE_3p_dp_1
This was to counter the noise bleed at the weekends.
It worked well
It's one of the best free fringe venues available. If you get offered it. Take it. Simples.
Show 62. Small room. Tales Of Ancient Egypt. 13-19th Aug. 4.15pm Spoken Word. First time at the Fringe so nothing to compare with. The small room was good for storytelling and spoken word. It fits 15-20 in benches around the walls of the barrel vault (it also had red LED lighting providing good atmosphere for stories but the previous show had song lyrics which didn't get on with the colour lighting so watch that). Performer tends to be by the door which means there is some noise bleed which can be quite bad at weekends closer to 5pm ending of the show, and a little distracting for the performer. The audience didn't seem to hear it as much as I did which is good. With the bleed I think there was consensus to put up a curtain which will also prevent anyone from accidently wandering in while searching for the loo at the opposite end of the corridor (though I did get a few sit down and stick it out to the end because they were too embarrassed to leave - so that was a win). Perhaps too if your show is quiet the end slot which mine was might be a challenge. I did get through it OK despite that without any PA. The curtain though might make a difference.
Watch card machine use in there as you are well inside and down. There is little signal and that can be a problem with CC machine, you would need to come up the steps and stand in the main bar area. Numbers varied greatly for the week run (4, 4, 3, 10, 1, 0, 9) but for a niche spoken word show with an unknown I'm happy with that. Those that turned up really enjoyed the show and that is important for me. The only day I didn't get anyone I managed to rehearse new material, during which someone turned up 15min into the time slot. I did offer to do some of the show for them but they were a little embarrassed and said they would come back another day. Flyering was a little crowded at the top of Nidry Street so I went to the steps of the market over the road and managed to get a good flow in both directions with the WBB, as well as talking to various people who sat on the steps for lunch etc. Exit flyering for other spoken word at the venue was very useful too. Staff were fantastic and camaraderie with those of us in the venue was amazing so thank you it makes for a smooth run. Didn't have any issues with run over either, all went to plan, we all spoke and helped one another. I would love to be in there again, though I need to consider better signage for my show as some didn't spot the directions for the Small Room, and I failed to put up any posters. Lots of poster space around the venue so should have used it.
Pic from entrance in
My show was at Whistlebinkies at 1.30pm in the main room. I can't speak highly enough of David and the team, they went way beyond the call of duty to help and support me and other acts at the venue. The space is fantastic to perform in with a great tech set up for shows containing music.
Have to agree the staff were great. I was in the small room. it was a mixed blessing. One the one hand a tiny red cave was perfect for a show about monsters. on the other, the noise bleed was intense. I was on at the same time as a show for Gareth Richards and fair play to them getting the big crowds in. But what it did mean was that the last 15 or so minutes of my show were borderline inaudible over people coming out to use the toilet and talk loudly about the great show they'd just seen. There was talk of a curtain but air flow into the room is important too as it gets pretty close in there. Definitely needs a mic/amp set up, and louder shows rather than, say, quietly menacing poetry, to compete with the ambient noise!
But all that said, best venue I've performed in as regards staff and fellow performers
Name: James Downey. Show: James Downey: Irish Rebel Emo. Large room. Show number: 436. 21-27 August. This venue was amazing. Honestly top quality. 10/10. Staff were friendly and easy to talk to. Stage was great setup and allowed me to put acoustic guitar and stand on stage. Traffic wasnt bad on Monday so I was able to park on the royal mile and load in, then get the train the rest of the week. Sound system awesome. Monitors and acoustics great. This is controlled by staff and not performer. Went to flyer everyday on the royal mile and picked up about 15-20 people on 3 days. And then around average of about 10 the rest of the days. (I did 6 days with one day off) Good to flyer outside venue, I did this as I was after another show called the full Irish, and with mine being another Irish theme, it worked well. Also turn left and under metal arches where people pass through is good to flyer. Also the venue allowed me to store props in basement. This is at your own risk. But was very nice of them. 10/10
is there a word count limit? when i post it keeps putting them into little documents?
Pete and the Moon Pact Present Horror For Breakfast (Show 252) Whistlebinkies Small Room 5-27th 12:30pm Niddry street Venue The placement on Niddy street makes it very well located. It worked for my horror storys and I would be more than happy to bring more new material to the space next year. I think overall this small room could be used for poetry and storytelling quite effectively. There are some issues that I think if resolved could make this an excellent space. Everyone else on the bill was helpful and cooperative as where the venue staff. Audiences You can only fit around 15 people in this room. Slightly more if they bring a few stools in but Id say the max is perhaps 18. First few days numbers where low. Average around 5. But the advantage of this room is it doesnt feel weird at all to play to a small crowd. Later on after some word of mouth it was filling up and on some weekends and you have to turn people away. Perhaps a token system like in the Banshee could be used for people to save themselves a spot. I had some issues with the App with horror not appearing but later once this was resolved it picked up quite a bit. Also had a lot of people coming after seeing the Moon Pact Trial so lots of returning audiences Flyering I generally flyer the mile for 1.5 hours before the show can be quite at that time 11:00-12:30. I ended up flyering a bit later on near the banshee as they have a horror crowd there. I got through almost all the 5000 flyers though.
Bucket Donations fairly generous most days but mid-week averaging 10 people. The weekends and Thursdays can be full but as that tops out at 18 that limits the total donations. Not being able to connect to a card reader in the room hurts donations. If there could be a wifi booster for that room that would help. I had the same wifi issue last year at the banshee but now they introduced a new one and my post show donations went up noticeably because of the convenience to the punters. Here I had to do them in the street outside. Tech set up. There is nothing. No mic no Pa to plug sound effects into. Its totally bare. A red LED makes the room sinister. Great for horror. I took my laptop to play music. I would be great if you could connect to the little speakers in the room but apparently, they are connected to the main bar music so cant be used. Dont try and bring a technical show. Perhaps next year someone could just bring some small speakers people could share for sounds. No mic is not really an issue unless it gets really loud outside. Normally I do my stories with lots of sound design so I had do a stripped back version. The main negative is a lack of curtain or door this means people wander in thinking its a toilet. The venue had ordered some stuff, but it wasnt fireproof so was unable to be used. If this is put up next year and a sign saying show in progress that prevents people entering by mistake this will be a massive boost to this rooms viability. On a few Saturdays it was distractingly loud from the bar. My show was ok but I was on early. I saw a few other performances in the room later on that were more negatively affected as the noise gets louder late on in the day.
Performance space I think this is great for new material as they are sat in a U formation in front of you. This is great in some ways as you can see everything they are thinking. You can figure out if something is boring them. What you need to cut and/or rework. I would say as pointed out by another performer. If one person in there is having a bad time, everyone is. There are facing each other so if someone is disruptive or not enjoying it this makes everyone uneasy. Its probably best to try and get them to leave as soon as possible as then the others who are enjoying it can relax. Conclusion I think its a good space and with a few tweaks it can become a great spot for new material particularly storytelling, poetry or other solo act. If the curtains can be sourced I would 100% want to bring a new collection of stories here next year. + Intimate and great for new material + Even a small audience doesnt feel awkward. + Central location and other shows with big crowds in the main room + laid back atmosphere with lots of other solo performers easy get in/out -Noise from bar on weekends can be distracting -No curtain to mark venue entrance means you are interrupted -No internet in the small room for card reader
Show Title: Absurd: A Live Cabaret Panel Show Kane & Abel Full run 18.30 We had an absolute joy performing our cabaret at Whistlebinkies this year. We found flyering outside the front (South Bridge) and back (Nidry St) doors to be a great way to pull some extra people in as there was always a passing trade. David and his staff were absolutely phenomenal. They took a great time and effort to ensure we had everything we needed sound and tech-wise before each show began. On one occasion, we had an issue with our phone playing music from the stage, one of the bar staff even ran our cues for us. A brilliant atmosphere was created in the pub and we felt valued and wanted as a show in the venue. It's a long, thin room with a nice stage. Although you will share it with a drumkit. It certainly worked for us and was perfect for what we wanted.
The main room is curtained off so helped keep attention in the room. We managed ok with wifi or phone signal from the main bar for taking card donations
Doing a proper report instead of a vague rant Tom Juniper Monstrous Whistlebinkies Small Room 20-27th 4.15 Niddry street Venue The location is fantastic. The small room is great for a small scale and spooky/folky show such as mine was. But: that's one noisy hand dryer. I had the room just as the bar started to get lively and the crowd from A Show For Gareth Richards let out about of the way through. No mic plus no door made for a challenging last 15 minutes sound wise. I reckon that up until about 4pm it's a great venue for small shows that will benefit from an intimate and atmospheric space but once enough beer has been consumed it's not! The staff and other performers were a delight. Audiences It's a small space and I generally had between 5 and 10 in which was fine by me. One show to one person but bless her, she stayed and really enjoyed it! It could perhaps have done with a fan or something because on a good audience day the collective body heat of the previous audiences created a sauna atmosphere! Also, a curtain or something for the door. Please. And if the room is to be used after 4pm, there either needs to be a mic set up or performers should be warned that they need one. Flyering: I did an hour before each show and exit flyered a couple of spoken word shows. We really need something like Other Voices or Hammer and Tongue as a nexus where spoken word people can cross promote. I really felt that absence this year. I ran out of flyers on the last day but I still got people in by looking like an elf. my latex pointy ears absolutely paid for themselves: people were coming up and asking about my show off the back of them! They didn't all *come* but nevertheless!
Ciaran Whyte Scotland Has It All (158) Whistlebinkies Small Room 3pm most days First off, I want to say that Whistlebinkies is a tremendous venue with the loveliest, most accommodating staff, especially David. I cant thank them enough for making the place a wee home for me. The show itself was a success beyond anything I couldve imagined. Most days the room was completely packed, and on a number of occasions I had to turn people away. Being a busker, I found that advertising my show (and the WBB) while busking was by far the best way to advertise the show. It gave people a taste of what they were going to experience in the show itself so they knew what to expect. Noise bleed was a bit of an issue in the small room, but I used my portable amp every day so it wasnt as bad for me as some of the other acts in that room. The lighting was also a bit of an issue for me because I had printed off booklets for the audience to use to follow along with the show, but ach well, it gave me a funny opening line. A bigger room may suit my show better if possible for next year, but if Im back in the wee room at Whistlebinkies again then Ill be pleased nonetheless
*show 128* sorry!
Kevin Groves - Tales Of Ancient Egypt (62). Small room 3rd-13th 3pm. Same venue as last year and I adore Whistlebinkies Small Room. Great for storytelling and besides repeating everything from last year I will talk about the differences this time round. Slot this year moved 1hr earlier and that helped a great deal for spoken word. The first (opening weekend) had some noise bleed but we coped. Thankfully a smaller crowd meant I could shuffle up from the door and we hid from most of it. The second Saturday though was dreadful and the only bad day I had. I recall Edinburgh visitors almost doubling that day and the bar noise was so bad I had to cut short the show by 10-15min as my voice was failing. The audience were very understanding as I could see they were trying hard to concentrate too. With the sudden visitor increase had a few wonder in during the show thinking they could use the room to drink in which was distracting. By the end of the show I had to rest my voice for a few hours. That was by far the hardest show I have ever done. That said, previous comment still stand. Great venue absolutely amazing staff. and of course awesome venue captains and fellow PBH'ers who were my rocks. Overall numbers were quite down on last year (highest this year 4 avg 3, last year highest 10 avg 5) but consistent with no empty shows which I'm grateful for. Almost all left wonderful comments in my notebook and a few I think I will be hearing from down the line. Once again I think the WBB did most of the work as only the odd few came via my direct flyering. A niche show that I'm proud of and felt really solid this year. Despite the low numbers which I think many were concerned about I am really happy with how my run went considering the niche. Thank you all.
Lauren Maxwell - Show report - 0550 Always Aphrodite, Wee room 14 -18, 20 - 25, 16:15 We were in the wee room at Whistlebinkies and to be honest, the first day was rough. We were used to a larger set-up in Amsterdam and I was really thrown off by the intimacy of it. That space is great for storytelling, but our show was a bit more theatric and it's best seen in a bigger space. BUT SOMEHOW IT REALLY WORKED! We made it work. I did need a mic set up and amp because my voice was shot after 3 shows, but Dave at Whistlebinkies and Robin our venue captain were amazing about helping me get set up! The space ended up serving us so well, and we had a full house 9 of the 11 shows. We even had to turn people away! That room comfortably sits 15 and we averaged about 20. I'm so grateful for the word of mouth we got, for the assistance we had at Whistlebinkies and the hospitality of the venue and staff and Robin, our venue captain. It was a huge success. We even had a four star review! I'd highly recommend the venue whistlebinkies. If I apply next year for free fringe, I would love the main stage though. I don't think I will do the wee-room again because it ultimately doesn't fit the content that I want to create. But I'm so proud of what we accomplished in that room and the intimacy we created. We even put fake candles on the table and flyers, to really create this cabaret feeling. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of that. We also set me up in the back of the room so my voice could carry better and the amp was in the front of the room. Whistlebinkies is a great location and I couldn't recommend that place more. Thank you so much for the opportunity
Always Aphrodite - here's some images on how we used the wee room space -
Show Title: Absurd: A Live Cabaret Panel Show Ava Beaux and Kane & Abel Full run 18.30pm This was our second year in a row performing at Whistlebinkies in the main space, and again, we loved it. **Staff** Incredible. The best people who are always on hand to help. They always have enough staff on, so even on a busy Saturday they serve people at the bar quickly and can also help with tech if necessary. Our show is a mixed-bill panel show, so occasionally we had acts who needed to set-up a guitar or keyboard, and the team were really helpful and efficient with this. **Space** A large room that can seat around 80 I think, with a couple of side benches as well as the main seats. It is most suitable for louder shows as you do get some noise from the bar, and the atmosphere from the venue is great. Often people will join the show halfway through from the bar to see whats going on, which can be helpful for a little extra in the hat at the end. **Flyering** Especially great for shows with multiple people running it, as you can station someone flyering on both doors. Flyering around the bar is often effective, as the pub attracts a fun crowd who are up for seeing something unique. You can also effectively flyer at the bottom of the mile close to the show start time, as you can point people across the road to the venue entrance. **Other** WiFi is good for taking card payments, and playing music off iPads etc. For any show that isnt too atmospheric stand-up comedy, mixed bill, a raucous gameshow like ours I cannot think of a negative for this venue. Thank you Whistlebinkies!
Moon Pact Presents Horror For Breakfast Pete Mitchelson 12:30pm Full Run Small Room Still everything from the write up from 2023 above still stands Returning to the same slot as last year, same show title but with about 50%new material. I think i might take a saturday off as this is the toughest day with the noise from the bar. A curtian would really help Would return there for sure as its great for close up storytelling. I had a much tougher time this year with numbers however. Perhaps they were down across the fringe and my late shows in banshee were sheltered from that. Had to pull the show 3 times for no audience and I think my average was down form last year.