The 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 56th

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

. The Fringe ran from 3–25 August 2003 and presented 1541 shows over 207 venues. 2003 was the first year that over one million tickets were sold at the Fringe.

Venues

The Pod, a 400-seater theatre on Festival Square, was erected for the first time and hosted acts including

Daniel Kitson Daniel John Kitson (born 2 July 1977) is an English comedian and writer. Early life Daniel John Kitson was born in Denby Dale on 2 July 1977, the son of a primary school headteacher mother and a lecturer father. He was a pupil at Scissett Midd ...

Tommy Tiernan Tommy Tiernan (; born 16 June 1969) is an Irish comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for hosting ''The Tommy Tiernan Show'' (2017–present) and playing Gerry in the sitcom ''Derry Girls'' (2018–2022). Early life Tiernan was born in ...

and

Danny Bhoy Danny Bhoy (born Danni Chaudhry) is a Scottish comedian who has performed in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United States. Early life Bhoy was born in Moffat, Scotland, as one of four children. Danny att ...

The Spiegeltent moved to a new location on George Square Gardens, to where it has returned each year since. Unusual venues at the 2003 Fringe included a public toilet, a bus and a lift.

Awards

Comedy

Perrier Comedy Awards

Perrier Comedy Award Winner: *

Demetri Martin Demetri Evan Martin ( el, Δημήτριος Ευάγγελος Μάρτιν, ''Dimitrios Evangelos Martin''; born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, writer, director, cartoonist and musician. He was a contributor on ''The Daily Show'' ...

– ''If I'' Nominees: *

Adam Hills Adam Christopher Hills (born 10 July 1970) is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. In Australia, he hosted the music quiz show '' Spicks and Specks'' from 2005 to 2011, and again in 2021 onwards, and the talk show ''Adam Hi ...

– ''Cut Loose'' *

Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords is a New Zealand musical comedy duo formed in Wellington in 1998. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Beginning as a popular live comedy act in the early 2000s, the duo's comed ...

– ''High on Folk'' *

Howard Read Howard Oliver Drinkwater Read is a British screenwriter, comedian, and animator best known for his work with his animated sidekick, Little Howard. His other creations include an angry manager with a conversational style and the worldview of Bern ...

– ''The Big Howard and Little Howard Show'' *

Reginald D. Hunter Reginald Darnell Hunter (born March 26, 1969)Maxwell, Dominic (March 10, 2007).The N-word is out. ''The Times'' (Times Newspapers). is an American stand-up comedian based in the United Kingdom. Early life and family Hunter was born in Albany, G ...

– ''White Woman'' Best Newcomer Award Winner: *

Gary Le Strange Gary Le Strange is a character created by comedian Waen Shepherd. Le Strange is played as an eccentric English cult-rock composer, songwriter and performer, who believes his surreal and abstract performances to be groundbreaking. Le Strange's ...

''Polaroid Suitcase'' – (with Waen Shepherd) Nominees: *

Alex Horne Alexander James Jeffery Horne (born 10 September 1978) is a British comedian and musician. Horne is the creator of BAFTA award-winning TV series '' Taskmaster'', in which he also performs as the Taskmaster's assistant. He is the host and ban ...

– ''Making Fish Laugh'' (with

Tim Key Timothy David Key (born September 1976) is an English poet, comedian, actor, screenwriter and radio personality. He is best known for playing Alan Partridge's sidekick Simon in '' Mid Morning Matters'', '' Alpha Papa'', and '' This Time'', as ...

) *

Miles Jupp Miles Hugh Barrett Jupp (born 8 September 1979) is an English actor, singer, and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian before playing the role of the inventor Archie in the children's television series ''Balamory''. He also played ...

– ''Gentlemen Prefer Brogues'' *

Michael McIntyre Michael Hazen James McIntyre (born 21 February 1976) is an English comedian, writer and television presenter. In 2012, he was the highest-grossing stand-up comedian in the world. He currently presents his own Saturday night series, ''Michael Mc ...

So You Think You're Funny?

Tom Wrigglesworth Thomas James Wrigglesworth is an English comedian. He was born and raised in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. In 2009 he was nominated for the main Edinburgh Comedy Award (formerly the Perrier awards) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Early life W ...

BBC New Comedy Award

Rhod Gilbert Rhodri Paul Gilbert (born 18 October 1968) is a Welsh comedian and television & radio presenter who was nominated in 2005 for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award. In 2008 he was nominated for the main comedy award (as the Edinburgh Comedy Awards w ...

Theatre

Scotsman Fringe First Awards

*''Pandora 88'' (Fabrik) *''Those Eyes, That Mouth'' (

Grid Iron Theatre Company Grid Iron Theatre Company is a Scottish theatre company, one of the world's leading specialists in site-specific theatre although they also produce for the stage. Over the 27 years the company has won 31 awards and another 20 nominations across ...

) *''Pugilist Specialist'' (The Riot Group) *''The People Next Door'' ( Traverse Theatre Company) *''Boy Steals Train'' (78th Street Theatre Lab) *''NE 2nd Avenue'' (Teo Castellanos) *''Pickle'' (Indian ink) *''Baby Jane: Show Number 113'' (The People Show) *''The Birds of Sarajevo'' (Théâtre de la Fenêtre) *''The Echo Chamber'' (en masse theatre) *''Love, Sex and Cider'' (

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...

) *''Thebans'' (Theatre Babel) *''White Cabin'' (Akhe Group) *''Ladies and Gents'' (Semper Fi) *''A Very Naughty Boy'' (VSM)

References

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2003 in Scotland 2000s in Edinburgh {{UK-festival-stub