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a programme of their own. Peter
Buckley-Hill stated that he would consider applications from Freestival acts if they agreed to the Free Festival "Ethos and Conditions", which forbid being a permanent member of a show in any rival free venue. The majority of shows were eventually rehoused in venues organised by
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venue. Freestival believed they had secured the lease for the building and booked a full programme of over 120 events. After the Fringe brochure deadline, by which time most acts had already paid to register their show, PBH Free Fringe announced that they had secured the building and would be booking
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with the show "Peter
Buckley Hill And Some Comedians". Buckley Hill had lost £4,000 as a performer at the 1994 Fringe. The venues used by the Free Fringe have increased since 1996 from the original Footlights and Firkin venue to (in 2015) 529 free shows on 59 stages - over 9,260 performances.
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issued an instruction that Free Fringe acts could not use flyering companies which also promoted other free shows, saying that "by using a service that leaflets for both without distinction, you are endorsing their tactics of riding on our coat-tails and taking our credit".
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on promoting Free Fringe shows. However, the partnership ended in 2006. After the split, the two parties operated separate programmes under the "free" banner - Buckley Hill continuing to bill his programme the "Free Fringe", with the
Laughing Horse adopting the name the
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Unlike most event promoters at the Fringe, the Free Fringe does not charge performers for use of performance spaces, on the condition that they do not charge an entry fee into their shows. Audience members are, however, asked to make a donation at the end of a show.
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This business model has been cited as an important development in the Fringe's culture and infrastructure, and has been credited with restoring the "idealistic spirit of the Fringe". Peter
Buckley Hill was awarded the Panel Prize at the 2009
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Predominantly the shows are comedy but the programme has expanded from its comedy roots to include magic, theatre, science, cabaret, music and spoken word. Performers range from newcomers to major names such as
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for Comic
Originality in 2008 and in the "Most Likely To Make A Million Quid" category at the 2014 Malcolm Hardee Awards, where organisers said he would have won the "Least Likely To Win A Million Quid" Award
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was ejected from the Free Fringe and not allowed to continue his run at The Canon's Gait when the Free Fringe organisers realised that he also had a permanent role in a play at a
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and its side streets, PBH has a strong presence on Niddry Street but also a satellite group at
Picardy Place and extending down
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The organisation should not be confused with other promoters of free events at the Fringe, which include
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main prize with his Free Fringe show, having previously won Best
Newcomer in the previous year. In 2016
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529:"Free Fringe comic thrown out of his venue : News 2015 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide"
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show. This action was against the PBH Terms and
Conditions that Carlin had previously agreed to.
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In 2015, there was a dispute between PBH Free
Festival and rival promoters Freestival over the
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Panel Prize, in recognition of his work on the Free Fringe. He was also nominated for the
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391:"Edinburgh Free Fringe founder Peter Buckley Hill to step down | News | The Stage"
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The Free Fringe has been described as 'the true spirit of the Fringe' by comedian
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By 2009, PBH's Free Fringe had 176 shows at 19 venues, a growth of 50% in a year.
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Johnny MacAulay as
Nosferatu in the Man of 1000 Farces, Edinburgh Free Fringe
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From 2004, Buckley Hill worked with the team behind comedy promoters
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Since 1996 the Free Fringe has won several awards including...
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Buckley Hill stepped down from managing the festival in 2016.
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60:) is an organisation that promotes free shows during the
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Angel Baby (Victoria Watson) in the PBH Free Fringe 2024
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Elsie Diamond in a cabaret show, Edinburgh Free Fringe
337:"Opinion: Who Is Causing Edinburgh's Free Gig Chaos?"
318:"Free shows are ringing the Edinburgh Fringe changes"
64:, the world's largest arts festival, every August.
223:Additionally, in 2009, Peter Buckley Hill won the
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44:David Alnwick at the Free Fringe, Edinburgh 2022
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142:Free Edinburgh Fringe Festival
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335:Dessau, Bruce (24 May 2015).
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469:"Comedy Panel Award winners"
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1184:Funniest Joke of the Fringe
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1174:So You Think You're Funny?
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996:Southside Community Centre
816:St Columba's-by-the-Castle
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207:Award for Innovation 2007
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62:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
18:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
16:Not to be confused with
1169:Edinburgh Comedy Awards
455:"Chortle Award winners"
225:Edinburgh Comedy Awards
219:: Editor's Choice Award
156:Edinburgh Comedy Awards
74:Edinburgh Comedy Awards
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1317:William Burdett-Coutts
1006:The Famous Spiegeltent
856:Royal Over-Seas League
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821:The Stand Comedy Club
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1201:British Comedy Guide
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229:Malcolm Hardee Award
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956:Edinburgh Playhouse
936:Hill Street Theatre
299:, The Free Festival
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1054:Meadowbank Stadium
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432:on 4 December 2010
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1295:Prominent figures
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1021:St Bride's Centre
901:St Cecilia's Hall
881:John Hope Gateway
851:Sweet Grassmarket
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558:www.chortle.co.uk
533:www.chortle.co.uk
508:www.chortle.co.uk
181:, especially the
54:PBH's Free Fringe
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767:Free Fringe
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