Press clippings

Comedians' Choice Awards 2023 winners

Julia Masli, Sid Singh and Lydia Mason have been voted as the winners of The Comedians' Choice Awards 2023.

British Comedy Guide, 25th August 2023

Free Festival producer Lydia Mason dies aged 40

Lydia Mason, a producer with the Laughing Horse Free Festival at the Edinburgh Fringe, has passed away unexpectedly. A special tribute show is being organised at the festival for Thursday.

British Comedy Guide, 15th August 2023

Alex Petty on booking Brighton Fringe's lockdown comedy

"Hopefully it will bring back that festival buzz to city"

Blizzard Comedy, 19th April 2021

How Free EdFest brought comedy online

Alex Petty, who runs The Laughing Horse's Free Edinburgh Festival, said that the organization wanted to find a way of supporting performers during the pandemic by providing a way for them to make some money through donations, as well as giving them a platform for creative output.

Sooraj Shah, Forbes, 8th September 2020

Line-Up announced for August online Fringe festival

Laughing Horse Comedy has launched its programme of shows today for its 2020 Edinburgh Fringe line-up that has been taken online. The spirit of the Fringe will continue online this year, with a month of comedy shows, plus children's shows, cabaret and spoken word.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 7th July 2020

Fringe could become a 'playground for the privileged'

Grass-roots promoters are demanding an overhaul of the Fringe to end the "exploitation" of venue workers and ensure it is properly regulated for the first time.

Brian Ferguson, The Scotsman, 10th August 2019

Comedians' Choice Awards 2018 winners revealed

Paul Currie, Lou Sanders, Laura Lexx and venue promoter Alex Petty have won in the Comedians' Choice Awards 2018.

British Comedy Guide, 25th August 2018

An interview with Alex Petty (Free Fringe Festival)

Alex Petty interview.

Mister Kipper, FringePig, 27th May 2018

Why the Counting House is now free from ballooning fees

"My understanding," I said to Alex Petty, "is that the bar did not take as much money under the Gilded Balloon at last year's Fringe as it had at previous Fringes under the Free Festival. And the Gilded Balloon did not take as much money from the shows as they expected."

John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 13th January 2017

Fringe's free festivals as seen by Alex Petty

There are two types of venues in Edinburgh. There are the traditional 'pay' venues. That means audiences pay in advance to see the shows and the performers pay large amounts to rent the rooms and facilities. But there are now four organisations hosting 'free' shows. That means entry is free (though you are expected to donate money on the way out) and the performers pay nothing to perform in the venue.

Alex Petty, John Fleming's Blog, 28th July 2014

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