Comedy Central
It's Not the Fringe
World of Heineken 42 - summer 2010
TAKING THE MICROPHONE
And while Deuchars IPA is taking centre stage
at the Fringe, there's another plan waiting in
the wings, tying in the Caledonian Brewery
brand with the Fringe sponsorship.
Together with the national The Sun
newspaper, Caledonian is organising Take
the Mic, a new contest aiming to discover
the top, comedy talent of tomorrow. "There
will be five regional £1,000 (approx. €1,200)
prizes for the heats in Aberdeen, Inverness,
Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee where the
winners will be decided via an online vote,"
says Cameron.
"During another event in Newcastle, the
Take the Mic winners will take on the best
local comedians in a cross-border 'laugh-
off, and a £12,000 (approx. €14,000) prize
will be up for grabs in the final." This will
be the biggest cash prize in the entire UK
comedy scene; bigger than the prestigious
Edinburgh Comedy Awards, previously
known as the Perrier Awards. "Perrier is for
more established comedians. Taking the
Mic is focusing on new talent in the same
way that people will discover Deuchars IPA
at the Fringe," Stephen says. The winners
of the heats will get the chance to perform
live at the Fringe and the final will be held at
the Caledonian Brewery - venue 268 at the
festival.
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
For Caledonian, this means they can
maximise their Fringe benefits beyond the
main event. "We are actually taking the Fringe
equity on the road and offering people the
opportunity through their association with us
to appear at the biggest arts festival in the
world. For some aspiring comedian, the hope
that they can be discovered at the Fringe is a
pretty good opportunity," says Cameron.
When the world-champion cask beer and the
world's biggest arts festival get together, it's
a marriage made in heaven. No wonder the
team at Caledonian is so excited. "It's a really
fun thing to be involved with. In addition,
we're bringing added value to the Heineken
group (working with other Heineken brands
in venues), it's good for Deuchars IPA and
cask beer in general because more people
will be trying it, and its a great environment
to be trying it in," says Stephen.
Expectations are high. "After the festival,
you'll hopefully be watching our Take the Mic
winner on top TV comedy shows, following
a successful sell-out, nationwide tour!" says
Cameron. One thing is certain: after this year's
event, the stage is already set for an encore.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest
arts festival on earth. It began over 60 years
ago when eight rebel theatre companies,
who had not been invited to participate in the
Edinburgh International Festival, attended
anyway and staged their own productions.
What began as a marginal, 'fringe' event
has since become an unparalleled culture-
magnet, drawing arts lovers from across the
globe with everything from musicals and
opera to street theatre and stand-up comedy.
6-30 August, 2010.
Not to be confused with the Edinburgh
Fringe, the famous Edinburgh International
Festival is for those with a more classical
taste. Founded in 1947 to help reunite a
continent devastated by war, the Edinburgh
International Festival has traditionally
showcased the culture of Europe, and last
year attracted more than 400,000 visitors.
Heineken UK's 19-year sponsorship of the
opening concert, in the spectacular Usher
Hall, continues in 2010 with John Adams'
El Nino, conducted by James Conlon and
performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra with a starry line-up of great
American singers. The festival's three weeks
of opera, dance, theatre, and music, runs
from 13 August - 5 September, 2010.
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