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Assembly Festival 2015
Information Pack for Presenters
Contents
Assembly and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Our Venues
Assembly Hall
Main Hall
Rainy Hall
Baillie Room
Assembly George Square
Gardens – Spiegeltent Colombino
Gardens – Bosco
Studios – One
Studios – Two
Studios – Three
Studios – Four
Studios – Five
George Square Theatre
The Box
Assembly Checkpoint
Assembly Roxy
Central
Upstairs
Downstairs
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4
5
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What Assembly Does
13
The Financial Deal & Costs
14
Our Team and Contact Info
16
Key Dates
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Last updated 24 February 2015
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Assembly and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Assembly brings the best talent in the world to Edinburgh. If you’re interested in joining our programme in 2015 for
our 35th year at the Fringe, we’d love to hear from you.
Assembly has an international reputation for the quality of our artistic programme and for showcasing new talent. Set
up in 1980 by our Artistic Director William Burdett-Coutts, we are the longest running of the multi-venue operators on
the Fringe, and our four hubs – Assembly Hall, Assembly George Square, Assembly Roxy and Assembly Checkpoint are all in the centre of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The Spiegel garden in George Square is the heart of our operation, with a
footfall of over 500,000, and contains, or is adjacent to, nine of our sixteen temporary performance spaces. Performers
prefer Assembly due to the high venue specifications and the calibre of our technical , marketing, press and support
teams. In our artist and industry only Club Bar, artists mingle with promoters, producers, programmers and journalists.
Every year our diverse, curated programme features exciting emerging talent alongside some of the world’s most
respected performers and artistic institutions, across all genres of performance. Recent break out shows or acts include
the immersive theatrical zombie experience The Generation of Z: Edinburgh, singing sensation Christina Bianco and Yael
Farber’s Amnesty International Award winning play Nirbhaya, who all performed alongside established household
names including Dame Dianna Rigg, Simon Callow, Fosters Comedy Award nominee Sara Pascoe, Jack Dee, Al Murray,
Frank Skinner, Nina Conti and other top talent.
In 2014, we issued well over 300,000 tickets – including 2,500 tickets to the press to review the shows and more than
1,000 to promoters who came looking for talent to present in the UK and abroad - with our programme widely
recognised as ‘the jewel in the crown of the Fringe’ (Scotsman).
THE FESTIVAL FRINGE SOCIETY
Since its inception in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has grown to be the largest arts festival in the world, taking place
every August in Scotland’s capital city. The founding and continuing principle of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is to
be an open-access arts event that accommodates anyone with a story to tell and a venue willing to host them. In 2014 the
Fringe programme featured over 2,800 shows across all art forms.
The Fringe Society provides information to participants, publishes the Fringe programme and runs a central box office.
The Fringe Society offers a number of services to participants which are included as part of your registration fee. They are
a fantastic resource and we encourage you to visit their website: www.edfringe.com/participants
Lady Rizo (Assembly Checkpoint, 2014).
Ankur Vikal and Priyanka Bose in Nirbhaya (Assembly Hall – Main Hall, 2013)
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Assembly’s Venues
The following pages include an overview of each of our performance venues. For more detailed information please
download the Technical Specification for each venue from the Performers page of our website.
ASSEMBLY HALL
Assembly Hall is an iconic Edinburgh landmark, facing out
across the city from atop Mound Place, next to the Castle. It
contains three performance venues, a box office and an
outdoor covered bar in the entrance Quad.
Main Hall – 840 seats
The Main Hall is one of the largest and most prestigious venues on the Fringe. Owned by the Church of Scotland, from
1999-2004 it was used as the home of the new Scottish Parliament. While the Main Hall is used for events year round, for
the Fringe Assembly installs a stage and extensive technical set-up. The Main Hall has a capacity of 840 seats, however
depending on the staging, up to 100 of these seats may have a restricted view.
Recent shows in this venue include: Jason Byrne, Brazouka, Milton Jones and the Henson Company’s Puppet Up!
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Rainy Hall – 264 seats max
We install a fully raked seating bank, full technical set-up and an air-conditioning unit to create an end on theatre space.
One or two rows can be removed from the front of the auditorium to increase the playing area, reducing the capacity to
240 or 256. The smaller stage with 264 seats may only be appropriate for stand-up comedy or shows with minimal set.
Recent shows in this venue include: Mies Julie, Smashed, Will Eno’s Title and Deed and Marcus Brigstocke.
Baillie Room – 60 seats
The smallest space at Assembly Hall, the Baillie Room, is a
converted classroom, ideal for small shows with little or no
set. The first four rows of the venue are chairs, with the
remaining rows being high stools.
Recent shows in this venue include: Burton, True Brits and
Mercy Killers (Fringe First Winner 2013).
Simon London and Ben Farry in Generation of Z (George Square, 2014). Eddie Izzard (Assembly George Square Studios Three, 2014).
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ASSEMBLY GEORGE SQUARE
Our largest hub in George Square contains nine performance
spaces ranging in size from 60 to 500 seats, as well as multiple
bars, gourmet street food and our main box office. By day,
George Square Gardens is a popular lunch and coffee spot for
Fringe-goers of all ages, and as evening approaches the lights
in the trees come on and the Festival atmosphere builds. The
Gardens are surrounded by seven indoor venues at Assembly
George Square Studios and Assembly George Square Theatre.
Spiegeltent Colombino – 400 seats
The beautiful Spiegeltent Colombino is our larger tent, with a capacity of 400 when configured facing a stage at one
end. Cabaret style seating and an in-the-round or runway stage configurations are also possible, with a reduced capacity.
It’s also a great venue for late night shindigs when the chairs can be cleared from the floor. It is almost identical to our
beloved Spiegeltent Palazzo, photos below, which is undergoing some maintenance this summer.
Recent shows in this venue include: Al Murray, Briefs, Rich Hall, Knee Deep and This Is Ceilidh.
Bosco – 180 seats
The Bosco is a unique space with bench seating on one side of the tent. This tent is the smaller of our two tents in the
Gardens and it is popular with performers and audiences alike.
Recent shows in this venue include: Four Screws Loose, Red Bastard and Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho.
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George Square Studios One – 288 seats
Assembly George Square Studios are opposite the main entrance to the Gardens. We install a stage and use the existing
seating as in the photos below. The lighting and sound equipment brought in by Assembly is rigged on permanently fixed
bars. Entrance to the stage is from the stairs on stage right that lead directly into the dressing room and storage area.
Recent shows in this venue include: Jack Dee’s Help Desk, Race by David Mamet and One Man Star Wars.
George Square Studios Two – 168 seats
Located next to Studio One, we again install a stage and use the existing seating as in the photos below, and the lighting
and sound equipment are hung on permanently fixed bars. Entrance to the stage is available from the stairs on stage left
that leads directly into the dressing room and storage area.
Recent shows in this venue include: Sara Pascoe, Des Bishop, Blood at the Root and Festival of the Spoken Nerd.
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George Square Studios Three – 250 seats
The largest of our new studios in 2014, Studio Three has a flat wedge shaped stage with well raked seating angled
around it. Access to the stage is via staircases stage left and right, and there is a crossover via the staircases. There is no
capacity to store large items of set. The angled seating helps make the audience feel very involved.
Recent shows in this venue include: Eddie Izzard, B.J. Novak: One More Thing and Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe.
George Square Studios Four – 60 seats
An intimate space perfect for stand-up comedy and small
scale theatre with minimal set. Four has a very slightly
raised stage, with three rows of flat floot seating at the
front and another two rows of slightly raised seating at the
rear.
Recent shows in this venue include: Alfie Moore, Silk Road,
Suzi Ruffell and Marlon Davis.
George Square Studios Five – 87 seats
Five is a converted classroom with shallow raked seating.
Entrance to the stage is from the wings on stage left. Five
has quite a low ceiling, but some projection is possible.
Recent shows in this venue include: Hannah Gadsby, Freak
by Anna Jordan, Holly Walsh and Last Christmas.
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George Square Theatre – 500 seats
This is Assembly’s second largest venue and a purpose built theatre. It has 500 seats including freestanding chairs in the
first three rows, with the rest being fixed seating. As this is a purpose built theatre it has dressing rooms and warm up
spaces, as well as generous storage space relative to our temporary theatres.
Recent shows in this venue include: Frank Skinner, Out of the Blue, David Baddiel, Josh Widdicombe, Richard Herring,
David O’Doherty and the Menier Chocolate Factory’s Educating Rita.
The Box – 80 seats
Located opposite George Square Theatre, next to the Gardens, The Box is a container venue with the audience
surrounding the stage on three sides on raked seating. It’s a wonderfully intimate space for stand-up comedy and smallscale theatre.
Recent shows in this venue include: Scottee, Paul McCaffrey and FanFiction Comedy.
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ASSEMBLY CHECKPOINT – 241 seats
This beautiful building was originally built as the Edinburgh Congressional Church and the high ceilings, sweeping
staircase and beautiful wood panelling now help create an atmospheric venue that provides the perfect surroundings for
live music and cabaret. The seating is flexible with cabaret tables or theatre style options, and 60 seats in the balconies.
Recent shows in this venue include: Lady Rizo, Dame Diana Rigg: No Turn Unstoned, Janis Joplin: Full Tilt and Divallusion
starring Christina Bianco and Velma Celli.
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ASSEMBLY ROXY
Assembly Roxy is our year-round home in
Edinburgh, and during the Festival houses
three performance spaces. Originally a
church, December 2013 marked the building’s
centenary.
Roxburgh Place outside of the Roxy is closed
to traffic during the Festival, and we install a
box office and terrace bar in front of the
building. The Snug Bar is located in the
basement of the Roxy.
Roxy Central – 250 seats
This wonderfully atmospheric temporary theatre is built into what was the church nave. Roxy Central is a raked
auditorium with a capacity of 250. There is some capability for rigging for aerial work in this venue.
Recent shows in this venue include: The Pajama Men, Baby Wants Candy, Black Grace and Glenn Cosby: Food Junkie.
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Roxy Upstairs – 170 seats
Our year-round theatre has been recently refurbished, including the installation of comfortable new seats in the main
seating bank of this end on raked auditorium.
Recent shows in this venue include: Actors Touring Company’s Blind Hamlet, Nina Conti, Auckland Theatre Company and
The Bloody Ballad (Winner: Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Award).
Roxy Downstairs – 60 seats
Located in the basement of Roxy, Downstairs is a black box raked auditorium. There is no wing space, but there is access
to the back of the stage via a curtain to the dressing room. Full raked end on theatres of this size are rare at the Fringe,
and this a wonderful venue for small theatre shows, small physical theatre shows and stand-up comedy.
Recent shows in this venue include: Squidboy, Calypso Nights and Jon Bennett’s Fire in the Meth Lab.
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What Assembly Does and How We Programme
Assembly build, curate and manage all of the performance spaces within our four Festival hubs. We provide front of
house staff, a full box office service and marketing, press and technical staff to support you and your team.
Assembly’s box office syncs live with the Fringe Society’s box office so that tickets will always be available across the
Fringe’s box office, our individual venue box offices, phone room and www.assemblyfestival.com. Tickets for Assembly
shows may also be purchased in person from the box offices of Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly. Assembly
operates as your ticket agent, as well as managing the allocations for press, promoter and guest complimentary tickets.
You will receive your own box office log-in to track and monitor your sales once signed contracts have been returned.
Assembly’s in house Press and Marketing teams are there to provide additional support to you in promoting your show.
They will work with you to coordinate the issuing of press, promoter and promotional ticketing as well as assisting with
marketing campaign support and advice. Further information will be available detailing the specifics of the services we
can help provide in early 2015.
SCHEDULING
We schedule up to ten shows per day in each venue, with shows starting from around 10am until midnight daily. Most of
the shows in our programme will run for the full duration of the Festival, and are generally about an hour in duration.
Turnaround times between shows tend to be around 15 – 20 from the end of one show to the beginning of the next. It is
important to keep these time constraints in mind when planning your set etc.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS AND COSTS
The technical specifications for each space outline what is provided within the Minimum Theatre Facilities Fee. Technical
specifications can be downloaded from the Performers page of our website. Any additional equipment you require beyond
these specs would need to be discussed and arranged with our technical team and would be recharged to you at
settlement. Additional equipment that we would hire on your behalf would include radio mics, projectors and screens,
any backline requirements and additional lighting equipment. Assembly receives a discount from its suppliers for you and
we try to share as many costs as we can among the other shows in your venue to reduce equipment costs whenever
possible. In order to get a better sense of what these costs are it is important to get in touch with our Technical Team
sooner rather than later. It is important to note that we have very limited storage in each of the venues, and we will ask
you to complete a full technical questionnaire to make sure we can facilitate the show.
PROGRAMMING
For Festival 2015 we will programme on a rolling basis from January 2015 until the Fringe registration deadline of 8 April
2015. Please complete our online Application Form, letting us know as much about the show as possible and, ideally,
when and where we can come along to see it. If we can’t come along, then video recordings, a script, reviews, images
and artist biogs all help us to consider your application.
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The Financial Deal
Our standard deal for visiting companies is a charge for the use of the venue and the Assembly services that is the higher
of a) a 40%+VAT venue share of your Box Office Income; or b) the Minimum Theatre Facilities Fee (MTFF).
Assembly’s 40%+VAT share is calculated on your Gross Box Office Income if you are not UK VAT registered, and 40%+ VAT
of your Box Office Income net of VAT if you are UK VAT registered. The MTFF varies by venue and time slot.
As an example, assuming you are not UK VAT registered and your MTFF is £2,000, if your Box Office Income is £6,000 then
Assembly’s 40% share is £2,400+VAT as this is greater than the MTFF; if your Box Office Income is £4,000 then you will be
billed for the MTFF of £2,000+VAT as this is greater than a 40% share of Box Office Income.
MINIMUM THEATRE FACILITIES FEE
The MTFF for each space is outlined below and is for the full length of the Festival. We will pro rata the MTFFs for any
shorter runs. They are loosely based on your show achieving 30% capacity in venues with over 300 seats, and 25% capacity
for venues with less than 300 seats. The MTFFs are lower in the mornings and afternoons to reflect the generally lower
average ticket prices at those times of day.
2015 MINIMUMS
Assembly Hall
George Square Theatre
Speigeltent Colombino
Studios - One
Rainy Hall
Studios - Three
Roxy - Central
Checkpoint
Bosco
Roxy - Upstairs
Studios - Two
Studios - Five
The Box
Studios - Four
Baillie Room
Roxy - Downstairs
10:00-11:59
12:00-16:59
17:00-21:59
22:00-01:00
£
21,600
£
28,800
£
36,000
£
33,600
£
13,500
£
18,000
£
22,500
£
21,000
£
10,800
£
14,400
£
18,000
£
16,800
£
3,920
£
5,600
£
8,400
£
7,700
£
3,584
£
5,120
£
7,680
£
7,040
£
3,500
£
5,000
£
7,500
£
6,875
£
3,500
£
5,000
£
7,500
£
6,875
£
3,360
£
4,800
£
7,200
£
6,600
£
2,520
£
3,600
£
5,400
£
4,950
£
2,352
£
3,360
£
5,040
£
4,620
£
2,310
£
3,300
£
4,950
£
4,538
£
£1,218
£
1,740
£
2,610
£
2,393
£
1,210
£
1,728
£
2,592
£
2,376
£
840
£
1,200
£
1,800
£
1,650
£
840
£
1,200
£
1,800
£
1,650
£
840
£
1,200
£
1,800
£
1,650
UPFRONT COSTS
There are a few upfront costs that we will invoice you for at the point of signing contracts, but most other charges won’t
be invoiced for until settlement to assist cash flow. The main upfront charges are:
- A 20%+VAT deposit of your MTFF
- Fringe programme registration Fringe registration for a full season is £246+VAT for the Early Bird registration
deadline of 11 March 2015, or £328+VAT for the final registration deadline of 8th April.
- Joint Venue Brochure registration The Joint Venue Brochure fees are £500+VAT for a single size entry and
£900+VAT for a double size. More information on that can be found in the Marketing info pack
If you fail to pay your invoice by the due date, then we will apply interest at settlement of 5% per annum pro rata.
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PRS AND PPL
If your performance includes any music you may be subject to PRS or PPL deductions. PRS Music Licenses are required
for any live or recorded music used that is controlled by PRS. The Fringe Society has a special agreement with PRS that
means you will be charged up to 3%+VAT (subjection to confirmation for 2015) of your Box Office Income, or your Box
Office Income net of VAT if you’re UK VAT registered.
PPL collects and distributes royalties on the use of recorded music on behalf of record companies and performers. These
royalties are for the musicians that may have played on the album or the engineers that worked on it. It is your
responsibility to apply for a PPL license, more information can be found on www.ppluk.com
MERCHANDISE COMMISSION
Assembly charges 25%+VAT on all sales if one of our staff sell for you, or 15% VAT if one of your team sells.
COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS
You will be entitled to a certain number of complimentary tickets for your show, which varies depending on the size of
your venue. Complimentary ticket allocations are broken down as follows  Presenter Comps – This allocation is for your use across the season. You request these tickets through the Box
Office Manager’s office. Promoter Tickets are also deducted from this allocation.
 Press Comps – These tickets are assigned through the Press Office and are intended for any press wanting to
review a show.
 Venue Comps – Assembly’s Comp allocation matches your Presenter comp allocation. We typically use these
tickets for our sponsors, Board members and other Assembly VIPs.
VAT (Value Added Tax)
Assembly is a UK VAT registered company and as such we are required to charge UK VAT on all services we provide. All
references to VAT in this document refer to UK VAT. VAT is a service or sales tax charged at 20%. VAT is applied to
Assembly’s Minimum Theatre Facilities Fee or share of box office, commissions, registration charges, technical charges,
PRS any other service we charge you for. If you are EU VAT registered then EU VAT rules apply – it is best to seek
independent tax advice on what UK VAT you can claim back.
THE FOREIGN ENTERTAINERS UNIT (FEU) AND WITHHOLDING TAX
Non-UK resident entertainers who perform in the UK fall within specific tax arrangements. Payers, including Assembly, are
obliged to deduct withholding tax from payments in certain situations.


If the total payment due to the Presenter by Assembly at settlement is less than the Personal Allowance for
2015/2016 (expected to be £10,500) then there is no withholding tax due.
If the total payment due to the Presenter by Assembly at settlement is in excess of the Personal Allowance then
withholding tax must be deducted from the total payment (not just the overage) at a rate of 20%, unless you
complete a FEU8 form and submit it in advance of the Festival to the FEU unit, and we receive a ruling from them
giving you an increased allowance. If on the FEU8 form you can include details of the expenses (travel,
accommodation, marketing, rehearsal costs etc.) that you have incurred for the Edinburgh presentation and your
projected income, and demonstrate that your profit doesn’t exceed the Personal Allowance then withholding tax
is unlikely to apply.
For more information on FEU please visit the HMRC website - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/feu/feu.htm
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COSTS SUMMARY
Mandatory Fringe and Venue Costs
Fringe Society registration fee
Joint Venues Brochure
Minimum Theatre Facilities Fee
Box Office Ticket Commission
Early bird £246+VAT
Regular £328+VAT
Short runs of 5 or less performances may be eligible for a reduced fee
Single size £500+VAT
Double size £900+VAT
Short run single £250+
20% deposit up front. See 2015 Minimums Breakdown on page 14.
A standard 4%+VAT commission is applied to all sales
Other Potential Costs
Foamex advertising
Technical Hires
Show Operators
Merchandise Commissions
Presenter Comps over Allocation
Travel and Accommodation
PRS
Marketing Campaign
Publicist Fee
£50+VAT per square metre
Contact [email protected]
£20+VAT pp per performance in sub-100 venues, £25+VAT in larger
venues.
25%+VAT if Assembly sells, 15%+VAT if you sell
40%+VAT of the ticket price
We suggest you budget for £35+ per bedroom per night for a 3 or more
bedroom flat
0% to 3%+VAT of net box office, depending on how much music is in
your show.
Posters, flyers, advertising, street team
We can provide contact details for publicists we’ve worked with
previously who know the Edinburgh Fringe
Key Assembly Contacts
William Burdett-Coutts – Artistic Director
Sharon Burgess – Managing Director
Heather Ruck – Head of Programming
David Sloan – Associate Producer
For any Programming queries please email [email protected]
Nik Whybrew – Operations Director
Pete McCabe - Technical Manager
Suzy Somerville – Head of Stage
Alex Lynn - Head of Lighting
Douglas Martin – Head of Sound
For any Technical queries once programmed please email [email protected]
OFFICES
London
The Assembly programming team spend most of the
period from December to June in our London office.
Assembly Festival
c/o Riverside Studios, 65 Aspenlea Road
London, W6 8LH
Edinburgh
Assembly Festival
2 Roxburgh Place
Edinburgh, EH8 9SU
Please note that during the Festival itself most of our
team relocate to temporary offices in George Square.
Tel: +44 (0)131 623 3000 or +44 (0)208 237 1000
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Key Dates for Assembly Festival 2015
FEBRUARY
MARCH
KEY DATES
DETAIL
11 February
Fringe Society’s discount advertising booking deadline
11 March
8 April
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
OCTOBER
Fringe Early Bird Deadline
(deposit and registration fees due)
Final Fringe Deadline
(deposit and registration fees due)
13 April
Fringe Society programme advertising booking deadline
21 April
Fringe Society programme advertising artwork deadline
By mid-April
Accommodation in Edinburgh during the festival is in high demand, so
we encourage you to arrange your accommodation soon after you
have accepted our offer.
Mid/Late April
Fringe programme proofing and listing sign off
Late May
Full Fringe programme on sale
By end of May
If you are from outside the UK you may need to submit a Reduced Tax
Payment Application to HMRC’s Foreign Entertainers Unit pre-Festival
4 June
Fringe Society programme launched
17 to 26 July
Assembly George Square Gardens and Main Box Office open in time
for the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival
1 to 5 Aug
5 Aug
5/6 to 31 Aug
Mid October
Get-Ins and Tech Rehearsals for Fringe shows
Assembly Gala Press Launch
Assembly Festival venues open for our Fringe programme
Final Settlements Issued