At this free public workshop organised by the Edinburgh Fringe's official body the Festival Fringe Society, Eileen O'Reilly, Promoter Liaison for the Edinburgh Fringe, and Richard Jordan of Richard Jordan Productions, offer an invaluable insight on how to tour after the Fringe. Here's a summary of their expert advice (any mistakes are ours rather than the speakers'):

The official Fringe brochure weighs more than Vogue; has over 2,088 shows and is the promoters' bible. It is extremely important that you make sure that your show is featured in it. That's not to say everything is lost if you don't, but it will make things a little tougher, and you will be competing with other shows to get bums on seats.

The important thing to remember is to prepare before you come up to the Fringe, especially if you want to tour; not just getting a slot in the programme, but by doing some research and homework. You should also be aware that the Fringe is attended not only by promoters, but independent production companies, scouts and by publishers. To them Edinburgh is a huge shop, everything is here. They will be looking for new talent in every conceivable genre of the arts - writers, costume, set and lighting designers, choreographers, songwriters, musicians, comics and anything else you can think of.

If you are hoping to get spotted, make sure you are noticed. Find out which promoters are going to be interested in your type of show. Write to them and invite them to see your production, but keep it brief. If you have a website, blog, MySpace, FaceBook or any other virtual window, make sure it is up to date and saying that you will be in Edinburgh. Include the title of your show, where it is, dates and times. A brief synopsis of what your show is about and brief bio is also a good idea.

Promoters and others will only be in town for a short time, four to five days and will see about twenty shows. To them, time is of the essence.

Once you are in Edinburgh, get to know the festival directors and the press office. Be nice, even if you've had a shitty day. People may not remember your smiling face, but they certainly will remember someone who is rude, impolite and sullen.

Things you should consider in the marketing of your show. You should think about hiring an independent publicist rather than one of the big boys - where you could easily be a small fish in a big pond. At least with an independent they will know exactly what you want. Marketing through a venue is another option, but you must remember that they receive huge amounts of press releases - what guarantee do you have they will send out yours?

And then there is flyering. This is another very important aspect of marketing your show. This is not the place for a shrinking violet, or someone who doesn't know anything about your show, or who doesn't have the right communication skills. Take a look at some of the flyerers that wander around the various venues. Who do you think are more successful at getting people into the shows - those who mumble, making no effort with engaging the punter, no eye contact; or the gregarious, outgoing, enthusiastic person? People flyering have no idea who they are handing flyers to. Not all press or promoters wear their passes, so you have to make sure that whoever is handing out your flyers has the requisite communication skills and knows how to make the punter want to come to your show.

What happens if you get rave reviews, win an award, then something happens and someone from the cast can no longer perform? Don't make compromises - you may have to consider pulling the show. If you don't have an understudy for that person, you could risk everything - reviews can make or break you. It may be heartbreaking, but it is better to go out as a success, rather than risk everything you have achieved and get bad reviews. Think - if you have had to replace someone and they are not performing to the standard at which you got your award - if a promoter hasn't seen your show, sees you've got an award, and on the back of that decides to get a ticket. what is the likelihood of them of taking a gamble with you? If you pull the show, they still may approach you once the festival is over.

It is, of course very exciting to be approached, but there are several things that may come as a blow. A promoter/production company may want your show for different reasons and these may not necessarily include touring. Some may have productions or writers who have projects that are close to yours, and they may want the rights to your work so that it may never be seen. It may be for the writing, costume, lighting and stage design. They may like the choreography but not the dancers. If the show has been specifically written for you, make sure you have the rights to it. You cannot afford to go on a verbal agreement and a handshake - make sure you have it in writing and what your entitlement to the piece is. Is it just for the Fringe, the tour, a year, lifetime? Get it in writing!

You may not be contacted during the Fringe, but don't give up hope. You may be approached after the festival, once the dust has settled and they have had chance to evaluate what they have seen.

Follow up anyone who has seen your show. The Fringe Office has a list of who has seen what. Once you have a list, send a quick email - did you like the show? If it doesn't sit with you, whom would you suggest we contact who might be interested? And thank them for the time they took to see your show.

Protecting your copyright. The best way to protect the copyright of your work is to send a copy of it via registered mail - or whatever the Post Office equivalent is - to yourself. Do not open it! Keep it in a safe place preferably with someone like a lawyer or your accountant. If you need to take up a legal stance, the date of posting will be your insurance as to your claim. The same applies to a show - video it and proceed as above.

What you need to consider before touring. Venues and theatres are now looking at performances for spring-summer 2009. Be realistic - it is hard to get bums on seats. For example, a venue of 200 to 300 seats could expect to make £750 to £1,000 a night. You have to consider all costs, not just the cost of the tour - travel, accommodation, food, petrol, wages, venue cost. The whole operational costs have to be included, not just being on the road, but the costs that still have to be paid at home - rent, mortgage, gas, electricity, council tax. What it will cost for you not to be there?

Have an experience in an Excel spreadsheet. Use rural touring networks for dead days. It may seem strange to be in the south of the country one day and Scotland two days later, but at least you have the chance of making some money rather than going back home. When considering touring, try not to wear both the production and admin hats.

Contracts can be a minefield. Be aware of barring clauses - these are clauses that restrict you from performing the same show within the same area for a set amount of time. For example, if you have a production in Brighton, you may not be able to put on the same show in Eastbourne for six weeks. Under no circumstances sign a contract without reading it fully, and understanding it completely. Seek advice from a professional on anything you don't understand. Trust your instinct. If you are not a hundred percent happy, walk away.

There are many more obstacles not covered, but there are resources and organisations that can help you. Below is a list of websites that you might find useful:

http://www.e-mailout.org
http://www.dartingtonplus.org.uk
http://www.scottishartstouring.com
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk
http://www.worldfestivalnet.com
http://www.tmauk.org/

Credits: Eileen O'Reilly, Promoter Liaison for the Edinburgh Fringe. Richard Jordan, Richard Jordan Productions. Edinburgh Festival Fringe, website - edfringe.com. Venue - Roman Eagle Lodge (The Lodge). Workshop Producer / Company - Festival Fringe Society.

END

(c) Lea Harris 2008

reviewed Monday 4 August 08 / Roman Eagle Lodge, Edinburgh

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com