Fringe Report reviews 50 shows at Edinburgh and runs around 10 articles. The editor selects the list of shows we review like this:

We put every show in the printed Edinburgh Fringe Official Programme across all the genres - something over 2,000 in total - into an Excel spreadsheet and put a random-number generator against each one. We run the spreadsheet to create random numbers for each show (using the formula =RAND() for number enthusiasts), sort the entire spreadsheet in order of the random numbers, and review in that order.

The detailed way we use the result to produce individual schedules for our reviewers varies, but the principle of authentic random selection is constant. In years to 2007, we took the first 150 items, deleting the rest. This random list of 150 events and shows across all genres was further randomised and reduced to produce the list of 50 shows that formed our core review list, to be split into lists for each writer. From 2008, we randomised the entire 2,000+ list when preparing each individual reviewer's schedule.

The result of mathematically random selection is a list that covers small and large venues, well-known and unknown acts. Advantages of this method, which we have evolved after trying others, include being suggestion-proof, you've-really-got-to-see-this-show-proof, friend-proof, PR-proof, and perhaps most importantly, us-proof. We hope you will find it visibly fair, and a reasonably representative snapshot across the biggest arts event in the world.

The reduction process does involve discarding events or shows that are only on once, or last for several hours, or are on for very short or spread-out runs (eg shows on four times or less, or only once a week), because we have to face the practicalities and logistics of organising review tickets for shows that could be sold out or suddenly cancelled leaving our reviewer with an empty space in a tight schedule. It's probably best described as as random a list as is humanly practical.

In addition to our core 50 random shows reviewed at Edinburgh, we add any Edinburgh shows which (a) our reviewers see after completing the core 50 shows, or (b) we've reviewed at preview elsewhere, or (c) we have reviewed in recent months eg at festivals such as Brighton Fringe. Please bear in mind that shows may be works in progress, and that any shows reviewed earlier may have evolved. All our reviews state clearly when and where the review took place.

END

John Park, editor Fringe Report, 25 July 08 / updated 21 July 2011

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