Underbelly
Encyclopedia
Underbelly Limited is an English
company that operates a series of four venues at the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival, in Scotland
. From 2000-2004, Underbelly, Cowgate was the only venue operated by Underbelly. In 2005, Underbelly added the Baby Belly venue. In 2006, these venues were joined by the E4
UdderBELLY
and the Cow Barn. Since 2007 Underbelly have also used venues such as McEwan's Hall in Bristo Square and Appleton Tower in Crichton Street. In 2009 they also created the atmospheric Hullabaloo in George Square Gardens with its Al Fresco bar and hosting shows in the Bavarian Wooden Bosco Tent.
as well as the venue's second bar. Space downstairs which is now used for the Belly Dancer was used to exhibit a film installation by Nick Hornby
.
In 2002, the Underbelly venue was renamed Smirnoff Underbelly to reflect its sponsorship by Smirnoff
vodka. The number of performance spaces was increased to include the Belly Button and Belly Laugh comedy venues and a third bar, the Jelly Belly, on the first floor. The number of shows increased from 18 to 50+.
In 2003, the Belly Dancer was soundproofed to ensure that it could be used throughout the day without disrupting performances in other spaces. This allowed Underbelly to team up with Forth One 97.3 to host a series of free live music gigs every night in the Belly Dancer, known as the Forth One Fringe. Acts have included established acts such as Mark Owen
, Ocean Colour Scene
and Skin
and newer bands like Keane, Athlete
, The Thrills
and Nizlopi
.
In 2004, the Delhi Belly space was added. The bars were rearranged to create more space and ease congestion and queuing. Finally, a new box office was created in one of the rooms off the front alley, which freed up the old box office to become a larger and more usable publicity office. The shows at the Underbelly venue won a record number of awards, including the Perrier Award for Jackson's Way; Fringe First Awards for The Ignatius Trail, Manchester Girl and The Jammer; Perrier Newcomer Nomination for Joanna Neary in Joanna Neary is Not Feeling Herself; and an Amnesty Award nomination for Someone Who'll Watch Over Me.
In 2005, Underbelly was joined by the Baby Belly on Niddry Street, just off Cowgate, a two minute walk from the original venue. The number of shows was now up to 140 spread over the three weeks of the Edinburgh Fringe.
, Assembly Rooms
and Gilded Balloon, with a combination of seven venues:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
company that operates a series of four venues at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
Festival, in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. From 2000-2004, Underbelly, Cowgate was the only venue operated by Underbelly. In 2005, Underbelly added the Baby Belly venue. In 2006, these venues were joined by the E4
E4 (TV)
E4 is a channel on British digital television, launched as a pay-TV companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. The "E" stands for entertainment, and the channel is mainly aimed at the lucrative 15–35 age group...
UdderBELLY
UdderBELLY
The udderBELLY is an upside-down giant purple cow tent owned by the event venue and management company Underbelly, and sponsored by E4.The udderBELLY can be used for a variety of different purposes as it can be adapted to contain a stage and all-seater 322 seat venue, or alternatively can be...
and the Cow Barn. Since 2007 Underbelly have also used venues such as McEwan's Hall in Bristo Square and Appleton Tower in Crichton Street. In 2009 they also created the atmospheric Hullabaloo in George Square Gardens with its Al Fresco bar and hosting shows in the Bavarian Wooden Bosco Tent.
History
Underbelly Limited was set up in 2001 to turn the Underbelly venue into a professional venue with a number of performance spaces and a wide range of productions. The venue was set up with performance spaces in the Iron Belly, White Belly and Big Belly. The Belly Laugh (then named the Belly Bar) was also used for late night cabaretCabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
as well as the venue's second bar. Space downstairs which is now used for the Belly Dancer was used to exhibit a film installation by Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
.
In 2002, the Underbelly venue was renamed Smirnoff Underbelly to reflect its sponsorship by Smirnoff
Smirnoff
Smirnoff is a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo. The Smirnoff brand began with a vodka distillery founded in Moscow by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov , the son of illiterate Russian peasants. It is now distributed in 130 countries.Smirnoff products include vodka, flavored...
vodka. The number of performance spaces was increased to include the Belly Button and Belly Laugh comedy venues and a third bar, the Jelly Belly, on the first floor. The number of shows increased from 18 to 50+.
In 2003, the Belly Dancer was soundproofed to ensure that it could be used throughout the day without disrupting performances in other spaces. This allowed Underbelly to team up with Forth One 97.3 to host a series of free live music gigs every night in the Belly Dancer, known as the Forth One Fringe. Acts have included established acts such as Mark Owen
Mark Owen
Mark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
, Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
and Skin
Skin
-Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat...
and newer bands like Keane, Athlete
Athlete (band)
Athlete are a British rock band formed in Deptford, London, comprising Joel Pott , Carey Willetts , Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall...
, The Thrills
The Thrills
The Thrills are an Irish rock band, formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band was founded by lead vocalist Conor Deasy and guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player Padraic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan. Their big break came with their debut album, So Much for the...
and Nizlopi
Nizlopi
Nizlopi were a two-piece band, from 1993–2010, with Luke Concannon on vocals, guitar, and bodhrán, and John Parker on double bass, human beatbox, and providing backing vocals. They were based in Leamington Spa, England. Prior to attending Trinity Catholic Technology College, Luke and John...
.
In 2004, the Delhi Belly space was added. The bars were rearranged to create more space and ease congestion and queuing. Finally, a new box office was created in one of the rooms off the front alley, which freed up the old box office to become a larger and more usable publicity office. The shows at the Underbelly venue won a record number of awards, including the Perrier Award for Jackson's Way; Fringe First Awards for The Ignatius Trail, Manchester Girl and The Jammer; Perrier Newcomer Nomination for Joanna Neary in Joanna Neary is Not Feeling Herself; and an Amnesty Award nomination for Someone Who'll Watch Over Me.
In 2005, Underbelly was joined by the Baby Belly on Niddry Street, just off Cowgate, a two minute walk from the original venue. The number of shows was now up to 140 spread over the three weeks of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Underbelly today
Underbelly has diversified away from its original routes as solely the operator of a venue at the Edinburgh Fringe. Today it operates four venues at the Edinburgh Fringe and also promotes and manages comedy acts and produces theatre and comedy shows around the country.Edinburgh venues
As a promoter, Underbelly has challenged the established triumvirate of Edinburgh Fringe venues, the PleasancePleasance
The Pleasance is a street in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is largely residential, although the University of Edinburgh owns property in the area.-University of Edinburgh union:...
, Assembly Rooms
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
and Gilded Balloon, with a combination of seven venues:
- Underbelly, Cowgate
- Baby Belly, Niddry Street (now Just The Tonic Caves)
- E4E4 (TV)E4 is a channel on British digital television, launched as a pay-TV companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. The "E" stands for entertainment, and the channel is mainly aimed at the lucrative 15–35 age group...
UdderBELLY, Bristo Square - Cow Barn, Bristo Square
- McEwan Hall, Bristo Square
- Hullabaloo, George Square Gardens
- Appleton TowerAppleton TowerAppleton Tower is a tower block in Edinburgh, Scotland, owned by the University of Edinburgh.- History :When the University developed the George Square site in the 1960s a huge swathe of Georgian Edinburgh was demolished, leading to accusations of cultural vandalism and megalomania...
, Crichton Street (now Fringe Central)
Comedians
- Stewart LeeStewart LeeStewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
- co-writer / director of Jerry Springer - The Opera - Gary Le StrangeGary Le StrangeGary 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....
- Will AdamsdaleWill AdamsdaleWill Adamsdale is an English actor.Adamsdale was educated at Eton College and the Oxford School of Drama. In 2004, he starred in a self-penned one man show called Jackson's Way at the Edinburgh Fringe. The intended run for the production was ten days, before the intervention of cult comedian...
aka Chris John Jackson in Jackson's Way - Rob DeeringRob DeeringRob Deering is an English stand-up comedian, guitarist and writer.Deering was the host and writer of three series of Out to Lunch on BBC Radio 2...
- Lucy PorterLucy PorterLucy Donna Porter is an English actress, writer and comedienne.She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Brighton Festival and many clubs around Britain. She has also a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 in various panel shows, including Quote.....
- Janey GodleyJaney GodleyJaney Godley is a British stand-up comedian and writer. Her autobiography, Handstands in the Dark, was a UK Top Ten bestseller and she was a 2006 Scotswoman of The Year finalist...
- Rain PryorRain Pryor-Personal life:Pryor was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Shelley R. Bonis and American comedian Richard Pryor. Rain Pryor's mother was a Jewish go-go dancer and Rain was largely raised with her Jewish grandparents who taught her about Jewish culture...
- Robin InceRobin InceRobin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
- Russell HowardRussell HowardRussell Joseph Howard is an English comedian best known for his TV show Russell Howard's Good News and his appearances on the topical panel TV show Mock The Week...
- Howard ReadHoward ReadHoward Oliver Drinkwater Read is a British comedian, animator and aspiring song writer 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 Bernard Manning, Roger T Pigeon, and H:BOT 2000, a...
- Paul ProvenzaPaul ProvenzaPaul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
- Peter KayPeter KayPeter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
- Topping & Butch
- Richard HerringRichard HerringRichard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring...
- Al MurrayAl MurrayAlastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a British comedian best known for his stand-up persona, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy...
- Reginald D HunterReginald D HunterReginald Darnell Hunter is an American stand-up comedian who works mainly in the United Kingdom.-Early life:Hunter was born in Albany, Georgia. He was the youngest of nine children. His mother beat him regularly; she died in 2004....
- Phil Nicol
- Joan RiversJoan RiversJoan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
- Frisky and MannishFrisky and MannishFrisky & Mannish is a musical comedy cabaret double act based in London, England.Formed in March 2008 by writers and performers Laura Corcoran and Matthew Floyd Jones, the duo is best known for a style of pop culture parody that consists of the musical and dramatic rearrangement of well-known pop...
Musicians
- Keane
- The ThrillsThe ThrillsThe Thrills are an Irish rock band, formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band was founded by lead vocalist Conor Deasy and guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player Padraic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan. Their big break came with their debut album, So Much for the...
- AthleteAthlete (band)Athlete are a British rock band formed in Deptford, London, comprising Joel Pott , Carey Willetts , Stephen Roberts and Tim Wanstall...
- NizlopiNizlopiNizlopi were a two-piece band, from 1993–2010, with Luke Concannon on vocals, guitar, and bodhrán, and John Parker on double bass, human beatbox, and providing backing vocals. They were based in Leamington Spa, England. Prior to attending Trinity Catholic Technology College, Luke and John...
- OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
- Ocean Colour SceneOcean Colour SceneOcean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
- Mark OwenMark OwenMark Anthony Patrick Owen , is an English singer-songwriter. He is a member of pop band Take That. The band were hugely successful during the 1990s and have enjoyed even more success since their reunion in 2005...
(of Take ThatTake ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
) - Tina DicoTina DicoTina Dico is a singer and songwriter inspired by artists such as Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.In Denmark she performs under her real name, Tina Dickow.- Beginnings :...
(formerly of Zero 7Zero 7Zero 7 is a British musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. The group members began their musical careers as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things was released in 2001 and received critical acclaim...
) - Gwyneth HerbertGwyneth HerbertGwyneth Herbert is a British singer-songwriter and pianist, initially known for her interpretation of jazz and swing standards, and now established as a writer of original compositions. She lives in Hackney, London....
External links
- Underbelly's website
- The Guardian article on Underbelly
- The Scotsman article on Underbelly
- Edinburgh Evening News article on Underbelly
- Official Edinburgh Fringe website
- Edinburgh Guide - news and reviews.
- Scotsman/Evening News reviews
- ThreeWeeks - comprehensive coverage of the Edinburgh Fringe and other festivals
- Official Edinburgh Comedy Festival website