Actor and writer Georgie Grier has kicked off her Fringe run at Gilded Balloon by going viral on Twitter…with support and messages from none other than Jason Manford, Dara Ó Briain and more. After posting a tearful photo on Twitter following a preview show with one audience member in attendance, Georgie’s post resonated with actors and comedians who are no stranger to the ups and downs of Fringe themselves.
Following her Tweet, which has now received over 5.4 million views, Georgie had a full crowd in for today’s (4th August) performance of Sunsets at Gilded Balloon’s Patter Hoose venue in Edinburgh with tickets selling well for upcoming performances. A solo play about romantic comedies, Sunsets is a feel-good, heartfelt exploration of one woman's relationship to fantasy and how far this can impact reality.
Georgie said, “What a wild start to my Fringe experience. From one audience member yesterday to a personalised video from Jason Manford, thousands of supportive messages on social media and seeing more faces in the audience today; it’s been a whirlwind 24 hours. When I posted, I was hoping for a few messages of support or advice from fellow Fringe acts, however I had no idea how much it would resonate with people. The Edinburgh Fringe really is a marathon, not a sprint, and I know there have been lots of people in similar positions.
“There are ups and downs every day (every hour) at the Fringe but ultimately I know I’m lucky to be performing here. The reaction and support from everybody including my family, friends, the staff at my venue, Gilded Balloon, people online and other performers has lifted my spirits, but I know there are still no guarantees. There’s a huge amount of talented people performing incredible shows at this festival and I hope audiences are able to support plenty of acts this month.
“I’m on at Gilded Balloon’s Patter Hoose every day in August (except the 14th) at 12.20pm – it would be great to have you there!”
Karen Koren, Artistic Director of Gilded Balloon (pictured left with Grier) said, “I was so pleased to see a full house for Sunsets at our Patter Hoose venue today. So many famous performers have been in Georgie’s position before, especially at the very beginning of the Festival, and they have reached out to support her now. The Edinburgh Fringe has a wonderful spirit of community and it was heartwarming to see everybody rally around Georgie online, and then by turning up for her show today. It’s an incredible thing to have the biggest arts festival in the world right on our doorstep so we really hope audiences will come out to support acts this August.”
With over 180 shows across three venues including Teviot Row House, the National Museum of Scotland and Patter Hoose, Gilded Balloon’s 2023 programme covers comedy, theatre, cabaret, drag, magic, kids shows and much more. Book tickets for Sunsets and more - tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk
