Brian Ferguson’s diary
It has become one of the most fashionable yearround hang-outs in the New Town in recent years. But bangers and mash have been on the menu for festival-goers to the George Hotel this year at the pop-up version of The Nag’s Head, Del Boy and Rodney’s local watering hole, in Only Fools: The (Cushty) Dining Experience.
It has joined the huge successful Fawlty Towers franchise there this year.
Most of the action happens during a chaotic pub quiz at the Nag’s Head and features an endless array of catchphrases from the sitcom.
But the show is stolen by the antics of Uncle Albert, who is somehow played by the same actor who steps out of Del Boy’s shoes and undergoes a full costume change in the blink of an eye.
If that wasn’t enough to keep actor Nick Moon on his toes he is also popping up as the beleaguered and bewildered waiter Manuel in the other show.
• Bonnie Prince Bob, the bête noire of the Edinburgh Festival, has reared his head during the last week of festivities.
After his now infamous Youtube video explaining why “There’s no Edinburgh in the Festival,” the artist and filmmaker is questioning why none of the money made in Edinburgh this month is funding “grand institutions in the arts”.
He asks: “Where is our Frank Gehry/ Norman Foster designed-overpriced architectural glass and steel marvel (funded through a combination of tourist tax, philanthropy and corporate loot) offering education in all artistic disciplines and providing bursaries and scholarships to the less privileged in our communities?”
Surely Bob has heard of Sir David Chipperfield’s vision for a new concert hall in the New Town that has £25 million worth of backing from the UK and Scottish governments, and the city council, and is being bankrolled by former American concert pianist Carol Grigor’s Dunard Fund?
If he hasn’t, he probably won’t be aware that those plans are likely to take a lot longer to bring to fruition than originally envisaged thanks to a legal challenge from the developers of a neighbouring hotel which is not built yet – and a soaring bill, the final cost of which won’t be known until next year.
• Lots of numbers will be getting crunched around Edinburgh ahead of the final day of sales and the fireworks on Monday.
However, it’s hats off in the meantime to comedian and producer Kev Sutherland (left), who has been working out the average audience for a Fringe show over the last decade or so. The best year so far was 2009, when the figure reached 881, but this had slumped back to to 675 in 2013. The good news is that it appears to be on the rise again and was up to exactly 800 last year.
Posting the figures on Facebook, Sutherland cheerfully declared: “So, now you know how bad your show’s doing. Glad to be of service.”