Fringe By The Sea Announces 2017 Programme

This week Fringe By The Sea announces the programme for its tenth anniversary. And why the fuss? Well only the biggest and best line up the festival has ever had! Music of all genres, comedy, film, theatre, authors and exhibitions - plus a great children's programme and various 'one-off' bits of nonsense!

The star-turns this year are undoubtedly KT Tunstall, Chris Barber, Steve Harley, Eric Bibb, Zoe Lyons, Barry Cryer, Richard Herring and Jan Ravens. Add to that Michaela Strachan, The Honeycutters, Aly & Phil, Lucy Porter, The Rezillos, Tiff Stevenson, Bombskare and Tommy Smith & Brian Kellock - and you can see why the organisers are so pleased with the line-up. Says Eric Wales, 'We've come up with a festival that I'd love to have the time to go and see every single act!'

NB Movies have helped mount a mini International Festival of film - with offerings from Germany to France to Spain to Iran - and a real highlight of a special showing of Tommy's Honour, telling the Tom Morris story and with lots of East Lothian backdrops.

Asked for favourites in the programme, John Shaw picks out the guided walks by both Dave Berry and the East Lothian Countryside Ranger Service, 'but I think the Hickory Shaft Long Driving Competition at the Glen and the Victorian Tennis Competition at North Berwick Tennis Club will be a real laugh. Luckily I have my long whites, cravat and wooden tennis racket to hand!'

Many of last year's major sponsors are continuing to support - notably Simpson & Marwick, ESPC, Shaw Marketing & Design, Eastern Exhibition & Display and Belhaven - joined by Edinburgh Carpet & Flooring Warehouse and The Ship Inn in North Berwick. 'We really couldn't do a festival at all if it wasn't for these companies giving us such invaluable support', said Jane Thomson. 'And in particular, East Lothian Council have again been very supportive with both grant funding and in-kind support. But perhaps it is the volunteers who we couldn't do without most - tireless, good humoured and well meaning - honestly!'

With a varied programme of music, drama, comedy and film, the two Spiegeltents create a magical atmosphere that inspires performers as well as audiences. The festival now attracts visitors from all over Scotland, the UK and overseas and the Economic Impact Report for the 2016 festival showed that Fringe by the Sea achieved a net additional economic impact for East Lothian of over £1.6m - incredible for a festival of only 7 days.

Ticket information is available from the www.fringebythesea.com website or in person from the ticket hut on Quality Street, North Berwick.

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