| |  | | | Neil McIntosh | | Editor of The Scotsman |
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Hello from The Scotsman. There's real excitement around the team this week as we've looked forward to the opening of the Edinburgh Festivals. It's not just that the arrival of the world's biggest arts festival in Edinburgh brings the city to life. We're all looking forward to the countless opportunities to get out and experience new work, new performers and even new venues. It's also that The Scotsman's own coverage of all that is going on matches the scale of the Festivals. We don't think there's another newsbrand in the world that publishes as much professional criticism of the arts as The Scotsman does every August. This year will be no different. Our arts editor Roger Cox, not yet wearing the thousand-yard stare of a man who edits hundreds of reviews over the course of 30 days, explains what we're offering here. He also introduces our brilliant band of reviewers, who bring years of experience in their various areas to bear as they evaluate the best (and, occasionally, the worst) of what the Festivals have to offer. The good news is that, as a subscriber, you get access to everything. Finally, we're also delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Scotsman's Fringe First awards. They are awards which have catapulted previously unheard-of acts to international stardom, with a hall of fame that includes Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly, Sam Shepard and many more. Sophie Waller Bridge, star of Fleabag and recently seen alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destany, told us she had "an out-of-body experience when I heard about the award". “It’s a reminder that people are coming, they’re watching, they’re taking you seriously no matter how much or little experience you’ve had," she tells The Scotsman's Susan Mansfield. If there's a better way of summing up the joy of the Fringe, I've yet to hear it. Finally, to kick off your festival month, here are three pieces from our opening day's coverage: Nicola Benedetti on the future of the Edinburgh Festivals, in which the director of the Edinburgh International Festival tells Arts Correspondent Brian Ferguson it's a "miracle" that the world's biggest cultural celebration takes place in Edinburgh every summer. I hope you can make it along to something this month and that, whether you do or just enjoy the festival through the pages of The Scotsman, you find something special in this cultural celebration. Best wishes, Neil McIntosh Editor, The Scotsman | |
