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On Friday 07 August at 9pm, the first edition of the new Fringe cabaret – AJ Bell Fringe on Friday – is being livestreamed, with unique performances from David O’Doherty, Tiff Stevenson, Magical Bones, Erika Ehler, Lost Voice Guy, Craig Hill, Elaine Davidson, Marcel Lucont, Diane Chorley and Gareth Waugh. This new show will also shine a light on some familiar faces from around Edinburgh, with a series of Local Hero stories.  

This 60-minute Fringe variety show is hosted by comedian Suzi Ruffell and has been made possible thanks to the generous support of online investment platform AJ Bell. Tickets for the broadcast cost £9 (£1 less than the price of an average Fringe ticket), and the first show will be available to watch online until Monday 10 August.  

buy tickets for AJ Bell Fringe on Friday

Further editions will run on 14, 21 and 28 August, with Nigel Ng, Jayde Adams and Courtney Act set to host. The final line-up for each show will be confirmed weekly, the Wednesday before broadcast. 

AJ Bell Fringe on Friday is a key part of the FringeMakers campaign, a Fringe-wide fundraising initiative that has been developed in partnership with Crowdfunder. This new, zero-fee platform is designed to help Fringe artists and venues raise vital funds in the absence of a physical festival in 2020. Artists and venues keep 100% of the proceeds from tickets they sell, plus any donations made to their own campaigns. You can find more details – including a range of artist and venue fundraising campaigns – by visiting the FringeMakers website. 

The broadcast has been brought to life by Scotland-based cultural producers Lucky Cat and Michael Fraser, and production company Inner Ear.  

Suzi Ruffell, comedian and Fringe on Friday host, said: "It’s not August without a Fringe, and I’m so pleased to help bring the festival back to life for a special hour this Friday. I can’t wait to share these brilliant performances with you – with every penny going to creatives who have felt the impact of lockdown. So grab a ticket, pretend you’re in the back room of some venue and enjoy."

Hilary Goodfellow (Lucky Cat) and Michael Fraser, Co-Creative Producers, said: "Although impossible to recreate the bustling queues, the air of anticipation and atmosphere of a packed Fringe venue, the show aims to create an enthralling digital cabaret experience to entertain and provide a high-octane hour of respite from the unprecedented and relentless grimness of 2020 thus far."