Festival breakaway 'no joke'

FESTIVAL Fringe bosses are said to be worried that four of the event's biggest venues are planning to break away and set up their own Comedy Festival.

The Assembly Rooms, Pleasance, Underbelly and Gilded Balloon are promoting their shows as the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and publishing more than 400,000 copies of their joint programme.

And although the shows at the four venues will still appear in this year's official Fringe programme and tickets for them will be on sale at the Fringe box office, there is speculation that they could go their own way as early as next year.

Tommy Sheppard, director of the Stand Comedy Club, said he had been approached by the group but chose not to get involved.

"It's very much a breakaway thing," he said. "It's a great shame they are taking such a divisive attitude."