Postcard from Edinburgh - Leaflets

So, you’ve made it. You’ve brought your fabulous, world-changing show that’s going to make you a star to Edinburgh. But how are you going to let the world know about it, especially when there are thousands of other shows here?

Grabbing the camera of a BBC crew here to cover the festival is one idea, as is trying to bribe your way to a decent review in ‘the Scotsman’ but, generally, you’ll be out and about trying to force an uncaring and apathetic public to take a leaflet about your show that, if they bother to read it, will convince them that you are worth an hour of their life and a tenner of their money.

Or you could stick your leaflet, probably on top of somebody else’s, on one of the leaflet towers that adorn the Royal Mile. Or you could just get a girl in a skimpy top to hand them out.


How do you avoid leaflets? It’s not enough to just keep your head down, or even to extend your palm and straight arm like a rugby player, the kids doing the leafleting are young, fit, keen and eager. No, you’d got to accept you are going to have to accept at least thirty to forty leaflets when you, say, pop out to the newsagents or go to the loo in a pub. The best tactic is to tailor your response, so for instance, if an earnest young woman is trying to give you a leaflet about a show depicting the struggles of a union organiser in south America, consisting of mime, dance and puppets, then asking ‘any knob gags?’ may just get you off the hook. Warning: trained dancers can kick like mules.