The Stand Comedy Club sponsors five new comedy acts for Edinburgh Fringe
Ifrah Qureshi, Matthew Gallagher, Chris Rutter, Amanda Dwyer and Jack Brookmyre are the first beneficiaries of the comedy club’s mission to nurture local talent
The prohibitive cost of the Edinburgh Fringe has been a major issue for at least a decade, for both audiences and performers alike. The Stand have joined the push for greater social mobility within the Fringe with a new programme aimed at nurturing grassroots talent during a famously expensive time of the year.
The club, which has been a keystone of Scotland’s comedy scene for three decades, will sponsor five acts as part of its Fringe 2026 programme, with a pledge to cover costs, provide creative mentorship and marketing support, and ensure that none of its performers will make a loss. The five selected, who are regular acts at the club, are Ifrah Qureshi, Matthew Gallagher, Chris Rutter, Amanda Dwyer and Jack Brookmyre.
Mike Jones, The Stand’s chief executive, said: ‘These five acts are exciting examples of how strong, diverse and incredibly funny the Scottish stand-up scene is. We are delighted that they are part of our Fringe programme and we want to give them the best possible platform to play on by putting the spotlight on these acts at the world’s biggest arts festival.’
Dywer said of the funding: ‘To get the backing of my favourite comedy club is a huge opportunity and I can’t quite believe it’s happening! I’m so, so bloody grateful!’
Meanwhile, Brookymyre said: ‘The Fringe is an international festival, but I think it’s important that Scottish comedy has a place there. Not just because Scotland hosts the festival, but because Scotland has a long history of punching above its weight culturally, especially in comedy. The Fringe is a chance for us to share our own favourites with the rest of the world.’
Debates around the cost of the Fringe have grown increasingly vociferous over the past few years, with high-profile act Richard Herring claiming the festival was exclusively ‘for the wealthy’ in 2023, while Glasgow comic Zara Gladman made headlines for outlining the cost of her show, Aileen: Cameron's Gap Year Fundraiser, last year.