It has been reported that legendary Edinburgh venue The Gilded Balloon is to take over the Counting House venue this year.

In recent years the Counting House, which is less than a five minute walk from the Gilded Balloon's main venue in Bristo Square, has been run by the Laughing Horse Free Festival and has become established as one of the major venues where audiences contribute by putting money in a bucket after the show rather than by buying tickets. Numerous acclaimed shows have been performed there, including Luisa Omielan’s last show, Am I Right Ladies?! 

Writing on his blog John Fleming says that he was hoping to stage the annual Malcolm Hardee Awards in the venue’s Ballroom again this year. But he writes that the Gilded Balloon has “poached" the venue, along with "the Pear Tree and Blind Poet" from the Laughing Horse Free Festival. 

This appears to place a question mark over the future of shows that were planning to be performed at the free venues. Janey Godley has said she will be sticking to free venues and will be performing at the Free Sisters this year.

Beyond The Joke has asked Karen Koren, who has run the Gilded Balloon for the last three decades, to confirm that The Counting House, Pear Tree and Blind Poet will be Gilded Balloon venues in 2016.