First Fringe Firsts Announced Today in Edinburgh

The first round of winners of this year's prestigious Fringe First Awards are announced today (13 August) as this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues to build up steam even before the launch of the official International Festival this weekend.

As usual, the Traverse (Edinburgh's premiere year-round new writing venue) leads off by capturing awards for Take Me Away and The Pull of Negative Gravity. The Assembly theatre also picks up two awards for Bombshells and Fatboy.

Also winning this week is Dias De Las Noches by Aurora Nova at St Stephens, How to Act Around Cops at the Pleasance and Bang Bang You're Dead at the C Venue.

The Fringe First Awards, presented by The Scotsman newspaper in conjunction with the Fringe Society, are the festival's most prestigious recognition for drama. They were established in 1973 when there was concern that the Fringe was not attracting the right quantity and quality of shows. The awards are announced weekly during the festival. There is no fixed number given and the only requirement for consideration is that the work must be new - having had no more than six performances in the UK, prior to the Fringe.

The Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest arts festival and now in its 58th year, continues to 30 August 2004.

- By Mark Shenton

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