Following the story that the Gilded Balloon is taking over The Counting House and two other Edinburgh Fringe Festival venues that were recently part of the Laughing Horse's Free Festival the Gilded Balloon's artistic director Karen Koren has responded and explained their plans for the venue, which will allow comedy fans to buy tickets for shows or pay what they want (space permitting).

“When The Counting House agreed to work with Gilded Balloon again this year I was thrilled. I have so many wonderful memories of the times I had there from 1991 when I first started it as a year round Comedy venue. Eddie Izzard, Lee Evans, Phill Jupitus, Meera Syal and many of the UK’s now favourite Comedians all performed there at the start of their careers.

I am so happy to have been given this opportunity to return and hope one day to be able to turn The Counting House back into one of Edinburgh’s year round ‘go to’ Comedy venues.

We are running a different model than Teviot in that we sell tickets at max ticket price of £10 minimum £5 to secure a seat, however customers can come In without a ticket if there is room and pay what they want with a bucket at the end. Ticket holders would have priority though.”