Director of Edinburgh Fringe quits
Posted
The director of the Edinburgh Fringe arts festival has quit after just 18 months in charge.
"Following discussions with the board I have now decided to step down with immediate effect," Fringe director Jon Morgan said.
Problems in printing and delivering tickets affected some of the record 2,088 productions during this year's month-long Fringe which, along with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Book Festival, makes up the world's biggest annual arts festival.
Officials also blamed unseasonably heavy rain and the distraction of the Beijing Olympics for cutting into sales.
Sales were down 10 per cent from last year, but officials said the festival had achieved its target of more than 1.5 million sales for a third year in succession.
Nearly 19,000 performers, including more than 3,000 from abroad, took part in the Fringe which ended last weekend.
Morgan joined as director for the 2007 festival from the Manchester Contact Theatre where he had been executive producer.
"The roll of Fringe director has taken me away from my first love: producing and presenting exciting performances to audiences and my intention is to return to that more direct relationship with artists and audiences," he said.
- AFP
