Peter Buckley Hill


 

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EDINBURGH 2002

AN INSTITUTION FAILS TO FADE OUT GRACEFULLY

I aimed for one gig for every year of my age (54) at Edinburgh 2002. I didn't achieve it. I achieved 55.

And this in a year when I hadn't expected to be there. The Three-Quarter, venue for the last three years, is now a fish and whisky restaurant. I raise a glass of haddock in its honour.

But I settled well into the new, friendly venue at the Canon's Gait. Other side of town, but people still found it, at least for PBHASC. It's nice.

To be honest, I wasn't sure it was worth the trouble finding a new venue just for PBHASC -- yes, it's fun, but seven years of the same thing isn't sufficient incentive. But then I wrote My Old Man's a Dustman and I was pleased with it, and I had to take it to Edinburgh. And, as you might expect, nobody came. Or not very many. Even at zero cost. I despair. This is going to come back until somebody notices it. Or something.

Numerous acts played PBHASC, many for the first time, and only two died in the whole run, which must be some sort of a record, It was a good atmosphere, only occasionally disturbed by stupid drunken hecklers, all of an age who should have known better, and who were eventually persuaded not to return, leaving only a crowd of nice people. Dave Williams and Gordon Brunton both collected their seventh medals, and remain the only two people who have played the show in all its seven years.

The roll of honour (or scroll of shame) showing all the artistes (if that's the right word) who have played PBHASC has been updated and can be found elsewhere on this site. It needs more photographs. If you've played the show and are beautiful, please send a jpeg.

And now, THE SHIT LIST. Firstly, a big fuck off to the Sunday Herald, who referred to the legendary status of PBHASC, and then added "pity he's not very funny". Same expletive in the direction of the American woman who talked all the way through it, twice, and walked out without putting anything in the hat. To those who were supposed to play and just didn't turn up, eternal scrud upon you and your descendents, even unto the seventh generation. People who stayed in character backstage, sometimes even asking for gigs in character; try respecting your fellow performers. Yellow card also to Jaik Campbell, whose website shows that he played PBHASC on Wednesday 21st August. He didn't.

GOOD BITS: Most people seeming to like Dustman; consistent good standard of PBHASC acts, and so many prominent acts going out of their way to play it; 60 in 60 at the Establishment -- 120 in 120 next year? Nice new venue.

NEXT YEAR (2003)?: If I can get the same venue, yes. PBHASC and a one-man show. Either the return of Dustman (not enough people have seen it) or back to the old talk-and-songs format (called Return of the Same Old Shite, or similar) or yet a third show (the Stuffed Sheep Show springs to mind).

POLITICS: This year, I stood for membership of the Fringe Board of Directors. This was because I believe that performers, who not only make the Fringe by their performances but also finance the whole thing by the losses they personally make, are only represented by one director out of 14, This is not right. It is also not right that performers have to pay an extra £10 to join the Society and thus gain the right to vote for the Directors.

In the event, I was not elected. If I bring a show in 2003, I will stand again. There has been some discussion in the Fringe Forum on chortle.co.uk on this subject; please post your views there if you wish, or email me if you want to discuss the politics and future of the Fringe. I think, if you're a performer, you should have a view on this.








Here's 2001's Edinburgh-afterwards page; here's the outdated preview for Edinburgh 2001 and here's the report on Edinburgh 2000. Here's the old report on Edinburgh 99 and here's the Edinburgh 2000 preview page. Don't say I don't archive things.


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