Crowdfunding and finding patrons are among less painful options as cost of performing at the fringe soars

In the run-up to the Edinburgh festival fringe last year, comedian John Tothill was having “horrific hallucinations of being pulled into hell by the devil”. But it wasn’t the stress of the festival’s ever-increasing costs that was causing Tothill’s nightmares, but rather the deadly disease he had willingly contracted to help him pay them.

Artists taking shows to the fringe shoulder a serious financial risk. The price varies depending on the type of show, but last year three artists revealed costs of between £7,000 and £22,000. Meanwhile, Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Fringe Society, called accommodation costs a “grim reaper” for the festival.