Comedians are being urged to work shifts as a “breakfast jester” during the Edinburgh Fringe festival in exchange for free lodgings more than 40 miles away.
The soaring price of accommodation during the world’s largest arts event has caused high-profile comics, including Jason Manford, to cancel plans to travel north.
The crisis has led an American hotel company to offer free stays and a paid fee in return for performing for its guests.
The AC Hotel Glasgow, run by Marriott, has posted an advert for a stand-up to entertain guests while they eat breakfast.
It reads: “Are you a laugh a minute lady? A witty wise guy? A rib-tickling rebel? We are seeking a breakfast jester to put guests in stitches during breakfast throughout the Edinburgh Fringe.
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“This role comes with free accommodation and travel expenses, ensuring one lucky comedian can bring joy and laughter to the Edinburgh Fringe — and the breakfast table.
“If you’re ready to bring the bacon in terms of laughter and have guests rolling in the aisles (or at least their breakfast chairs), this could be your big break.”
It adds: “Do you long for the days of yore when whimsical entertainers in flamboyant outfits, emblazoned with bells and bright colours, would thrive on bringing laughter, witty jokes, slapstick comedy, and clever antics to crease up courts and amuse audiences?
“You’ll be the toast of the hotel, transforming ordinary mornings into laugh-a-minute experiences.”
Candidates are being invited to audition by sending a 60-second video of their best gags.
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The winner will be given accommodation for the duration of their Fringe run, bus or train travel to and from Edinburgh, access to the hotel’s breakfast buffet, and paid a fee to be agreed during the application process.
A spokesman for the AC Hotel Glasgow said: “As well as providing guests with fantastic Fringe-related entertainment, this role aims to present Glasgow as an attractive and viable alternative to the challenges of finding suitable and affordable accommodation in Edinburgh during the festival. Already, we have a significant number of guests booked during the festival weeks with visitors recognising the benefits of staying a short train ride away in Glasgow.
“The successful candidate will be paid a fee, to be agreed as part of the application and interview process, in addition to the other benefits outlined in the full job advert uploaded to our website today. These include accommodation for the duration of their run, breakfast, and commuting expenses from Glasgow to Edinburgh, with the hotel a short walk from Queen Street Station, which has a direct line to Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley stations.”
Henning Wehn, the German comedian who has appeared on the BBC and Channel 4 shows Have I Got News For You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats, dropped his plan to return to the Fringe after being told the use of a two-bedroom flat for one month would cost £9,000.
He was also offered the use of a camper van in someone’s drive for £7,000, prompting him to write on Twitter: “I think that’s me done with the Fringe.”
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Gail Porter, the broadcaster, said she had been “priced out” of the festival, while Manford shelved plans for seven shows, stating: “Even if every show sells out, I’m still operating at a loss.”
Jack Docherty, the veteran comedian and star of the BBC sitcom Scot Squad, added: “It’s too expensive to come up and rent somewhere and live and perform. It’s maybe becoming a bit of a middle-class, rich man’s game.”
The shortage of accommodation means that a cruise liner that was used to house Ukrainian refugees will become a floating hotel during the Fringe.
The refurbished MS Ambition will be moored in Leith under the temporary name of the Playbill Fringeship.
Prices for all-inclusive stays start at £179 for one night or £1,250 for seven nights. A luxury cabin with a balcony view will cost £5,500 for the week.
