Phoebe Waller-Bridge, best known for hit TV shows such as Fleabag and Killing Eve, has been appointed the first ever President of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The actor and writer will act as a representative for the Fringe Society, which supports performers hoping to showcase their work at the annual Edinburgh festival.
As part of the role, Waller-Bridge will attend events and speak on the society’s behalf. Her honorary appointment was unanimously confirmed by the charity’s Board of Directors earlier this month.
Waller-Bridge said “the Edinburgh Fringe has staged an annual cultural revolution for decades. It’s where thousands of writers, comedians, performers and artists cut their teeth and put their most raw work out into the world.
“This festival is a beating heart of an industry that has been all but crushed by the pandemic, and I’m proud to be a part of the fight with the Fringe Society for its much needed survival and glorious return.”
Waller-Bridge first performed her one-woman play, Fleabag, at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013. The show won a Fringe First Award that year. She then went on to adapt the play into the acclaimed television series for BBC Three and Amazon starring herself, Sian Clifford, Olivia Coleman, and Andrew Scott.
The Edinburgh Fringe will return from 6 to 30 August 2021, either at venues throughout the city, digitally, or a mixture of both.
Words by Saskia Harper.
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