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Race to find pitch for festival spiegeltent

9:51am Wednesday 6th February 2008

comment Comments (104)   Have your say »

By Rachel Wareing »

Festival organisers are in a race against time to find a site for an ornate spiegeltent, which has graced the fields of Glastonbury.

With its circular wooden dance floor, billowing red curtains and stained glass windows, the glamorous Pussy Parlure hails from the same era as the Famous Spiegeltent, which was popular with visitors when it appeared during Brighton Festival Fringe for three years from 2004.

Organisers hoped to pitch the art deco Parlure and another smaller tent on the grass north of St Peter's Church in York Place - but church officials have said no because they are worried the venue is too raunchy.

Brighton and Hove City Council, which owns the site, had agreed to rent it out, but only with the church's blessing.

Now the Fringe and the Pussy Parlure's owners are making a last-ditch effort to get church officials to change their minds. They have only a few days before they must submit a bid for a premises licence for the site.

With the Udderbelly venue already booked for the Old Steine, the St Peter's site is one of the last options.

The vicar of St Peter's, Father David Biggs, was unavailable for comment last night but a diocese spokeswoman said there were concerns that the venue's name and the nature of performances held there might cause offence.

Malcolm Haynes, the owner of the Parlure, said the programme would include family-friendly cabaret acts and tea dances, as well as activities for children, live music and DJs.

The smaller tent would house a cafe and seating area which would be open to the public.

He said the venue's name was not intended to be lewd - saying it referred to cats - but suggested it could be renamed the Parlure for the duration of the festival in May.

He said: "We have tried to address their concerns. It won't be risqué. We don't do anything sordid - it's a clean sort of naughtiness."

My Haynes has assured the church that noise would be kept to a minimum during services and the grass would be fully restored once the tent was taken down.

He will provide round-the-clock security to discourage the drinkers and drug-users who gather near the church.

It has been suggested the council could let the Parlure pay the £5,000 ground rent into church funds.

St Peter's, known as Brighton's cathedral, has been earmarked for closure by the Diocesan Pastoral Committee because of falling congregations and high running costs.

Holly Payton, communications manager at the Fringe, said: "The spiegeltent could be really positive for them to build their popularity.

"We are desperate to get a spiegeltent back into the city and we are disappointed it is proving so difficult."

She added: "The council are being brilliantly supportive in trying to help us find a site."

She said an application to use the Pavilion Gardens has already been turned down.

  • Do you think St Peter's Church should allow the spiegeltent to be pitched nearby? Leave your comments below or click here to vote in our online poll on the right hand panel of the main news page.
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Your Say YourArgus

Ken, Brighton says...
10:29am Wed 6 Feb 08

Come on lets get a site for the tent. Last time they had a great stripper and her little red hankie!

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Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
10:36am Wed 6 Feb 08

I would love to have the spiegeltent in Brunswick Square.

Perhaps they would allow me to perform my Argus comments in front of an appreciative audience.

I hope they have Wi-Fi!

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amanda Stafford, says...
11:23am Wed 6 Feb 08

I think the spiegel tent should come back to Brighton. Everyone loves it and it gives something very special to the city

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Janine, Moulsecoomb says...
11:38am Wed 6 Feb 08

The Spiegeltent has been one of the best things about the festival I think all the stops should be pulled out to get it back - Me and all my friends were very dissappointed that it wasn't there last year. Did anyone else feel that the streets were a bit of a wash out last year? I believe it has been taken over by the main festival and consequently has been "organised to death" The best thing about the streets was their sponteneity and whackyness. I usually take the Thurs and Fri off work just to see it - wish I hadn't wasted my holiday on it last year. Where were the giant ant bands, the wandering poets, the magic carpet salesmen and the Tom Jones experience and all the other silly things - nowhere to be seen - replaced by a few slick bits of theatre I grant you - but that is not what the Brighton Fringe is about - my overseas visitors were left feeling very underwhelmed and let down and I was left feeling embarassed that I had persuaded them to visit Brighton for it. It used to be brilliant - why change it?

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Michelle, brighton says...
11:38am Wed 6 Feb 08

bring the spiegel tent back!! site next to st peters

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Paul, Hove says...
11:45am Wed 6 Feb 08

My vote in to find a site for the Spiegeltent. I might speak for many people, when I can say I have had one of the most fun nights of my life in that tent - just a great experience. The festival isnt the same without it.

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Jay Clifton, brighton says...
11:50am Wed 6 Feb 08

Big mistake for the council not to give the Sepigeltent a licence - a very professional, exotic and international evnt that the Big Udder - or whatever - doesn't match up to, Im afraid

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The Steyning Fox, Brighton says...
11:53am Wed 6 Feb 08

Absolutely bring it back. The strippers were great and Glen Tillbrook too!

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catherine, hove says...
11:54am Wed 6 Feb 08

please bring back the Spiegeltent - there's nothing that can beat it - it eptimises what a fringe festival should be about.

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Kelly Dibbert, Fiveways says...
11:56am Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring back the Spiegeltent - it was at Bestival last year and was the best venue there....the udderbelly was udderly souless....

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Isobel Smith, brighton says...
12:00pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Spiegeltent is a fabulous magical theatrical venue, it was horrible without it last year - really cheesy. Its unthinkable that it would not be in the festival this year - there is so much fantastic talent about in Brighton it should stay all year round.

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David Ashman, Kemp Town says...
12:01pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I am in complete support of the return of the spiegeltent

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Lars Schuy, says...
12:05pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Please allow the spiegel tent back to the Brighton Festival. It was always one of tyhe highlights of the festival.

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James Wragg, Hannover says...
12:10pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Spiegeltent is brilliant, always a highlight! I *love* going to see shows there - far, far better than that silly cow thing.

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JezzyinHove, Hove says...
12:11pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Udderbelly is terrible, it is the one which should be having these problems - restore the Spiegletent to its former glory on the Stein !

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Sam Chara, Hove says...
12:11pm Wed 6 Feb 08

the Spiegeltent is a part of history and culture. We need that in Brighton! Bring it back for us please!

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Spanner, Hove says...
12:14pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Why should the Church be allowed to make this decision? It's council-owned land (ie. we pay for it), put up or shut up.

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lisa Christie, brighton says...
12:30pm Wed 6 Feb 08

please allow it... it was really missed last year.. i couldnt take my elderly friends to the Udderbelly! the spiegletent brings the whole community together and makes my year... its the best and classist venue in town, the festival was lame last year without it.

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GG, Brighton says...
12:37pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Yes please find a space for the tent - was wonderful experience last time it was here i went twice!

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sw, Brighton says...
12:48pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Definitely bring back the Spiegeltent. It's graceful and elegant, which certainly cannot be said for that big fat purple cow.

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Den, Brighton says...
12:49pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Why are they bothering with the hopelessly inferior udderbelly thing? -- why not just the Spiegeltent? -- why was it ever replaced by the tacky udderbelly thing?

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Kate, Brunswick Square says...
12:53pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring back the spiegeltent!

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jack winsley, brighton says...
1:00pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring back the tent, a magic atmosphere, the upsidedown cow failed to enthrall.
jac

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Ian Smith, Haddington says...
1:02pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Spiegeltent presented many superb acts at last year's Edinburgh Fringe. I was privileged to attend the launch preview event and record the performance previews. You can see one for yourself at http://www.festivalp

reviews.com/blog/70/

edinburgh-fringe-bob

-downe-live-swinging



If the venue cannot find a site, then it will be a sad loss for the Brighton.

Ian Smith
http://www.festivalp

reviews.com

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fazzarello, brazil says...
1:06pm Wed 6 Feb 08

hi punks why not use the race hill?

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Nick Kos, London says...
1:06pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring back the Spiegeltent! So much history, so many memories! PLEEEASE!!!

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Sally Gamble, Bristol says...
1:09pm Wed 6 Feb 08

thanks for your support Ken! We havent programmed in the delight with the little red hanky, but will be bringing lots of other great performers!

cheers
Sally **** parlure


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Piers Henderson, Brighton says...
1:13pm Wed 6 Feb 08

For me the Spiegeltent provided the hub of the festival for the years it was there. It got me interested in a few things I wouldn't have seen otherwise and picked up my general interest in the festival which in turn made me go to more events outside the spiegeltent.

Much as it will make my life promoting events in May much harder, it would be worth it to have it back!

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sarah, brighton says...
1:18pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I went to shows in the speigletent just for the venue, and the same to going to the festival club. Last year I didn't go to the Udderbelly because it looked awful. I also went to less other events as I just wasn't as interested - it wasn't as special without the spiegle.

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Andrew B, sussex says...
1:29pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I love the idea of Spiegeltents in general - my wife started learning the accordion after seeing a perfectly fringey performer in Edinburgh's Spiegeltent, only one of the reasons why. The blend of ornate German mirrors and 'let's do the show right here' tent-ness is exactly the sort of thing that a fringe festival ought to support, and if that involves some adult conversation between the tent and the church, well, let that happen. Letting the spirit go over a prissy worry in nomenclature? Do not want.

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Artist, says...
1:30pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Why worry about this festival so much when it does not promote local artists anymore,It's just another way of making money on people, the so called organizers have a small list of venues that an event can be held on and you have to go through that channel if you want to perform in the festival, plus you have to pay for it too , so you name can be printed in a microscopic 5x2 advert in the brighton festival brochure, that is getting thiner every year, of course you can have a full page advert, just empty your pockets. I did the streets of brighton 3 years ago and it was nice to include the local community in it having a free event or more free events is what Brighton really need. all the shows/performances that happen in the udderbelly or in the spiegeltent was out of the most peoples price range. can anybody having a say on that.
enough of moaning.
have a nice festival everybody.
Or tell me if I am wrong?

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Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
1:33pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Having "graced the fields of Glastonbury", I trust that the owners have cleansed it thoroughly of mud, drugs and traces of hippy.

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Laura Lay, says...
1:35pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Yes! Bring back the Spiegeltent to me to me!!

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RB Smith, BN3 1HJ says...
1:36pm Wed 6 Feb 08

We need the Spiegeltent back!

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martinp, Brighton says...
1:38pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Why the fuss about the church? No one goes there anymore, that is why they are going to close it, so why should it have any influence over the activities of those of no faith or other faith?

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Stoner, dunno says...
1:38pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Whassat?? gracie fields was at glastonbury? sheesh maaannnn!

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bob, bn3 says...
1:40pm Wed 6 Feb 08

i have no problem wih the spiegel tent. Like every one else i think it is a ver fun thing, lots of ood acts and a great addition to the festival.

I dod think thouh that the religious sensibilities of the church should be respected as they rightly would be for any other religion. The council should find a new location for the tent.

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Linda, brighton says...
1:56pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The spiegeltent must come back this year! the festival last year just wasn't the same without it..and the udderbelly tent was a very poor replacement by comparison. I just can't believe that in the whole of the city the council can't find anywhere else suitable for it to go?!! if the grounds of St. peter's are the only option then i think that the church should be bold and go ahead with it.. perhaps if st.peters was used more regularly for music / art and as a focal point for other city events it could stay open as the city's cathedral, as it should in my opinion.

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david, brighton says...
2:07pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Spiegeltent served as a cultural gem in brighton last time and was, for many people, the most important and intrinsicly fitting festival arena. Its seems to me that allowing this site to be used for such a cultural icon would reflect well on the church and its officials.

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Joey, Brighton says...
2:07pm Wed 6 Feb 08

"Artist", if that is your real name- what on earth are you going on about. "The organisers have a small list of venues?". I, and I think most other people, were under the impression that ANYWHERE can be a venue for the Fringe festival... As regards the brochure getting thinner every year- I'm not sure what brochure you're looking at. Maybe it was the Artists Open Houses. How much does that cost again? A good three times the price of the fringe Festival.

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Joey, Brighton says...
2:08pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Oh, and YES to the Speigletent!!

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Vanessa, brighton says...
2:19pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Please bring the Spiegeltent back!!!

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galactic paul, sunny brighton says...
2:44pm Wed 6 Feb 08

nice blurring of issues...
adding a touch of let's-help-save-st-p


eter's from-faling-down; a frisson of naughtiness in churchyard; and more than a mere hint of bash-the-bureaucracy


!
this 'p. parlure' is not the aussie-combo 'famous' spiegeltent which popped up in btighton previously
(that's @ sydney festival at the mo). but it is one of those wondrous-collapso-mo


ve'e'm'on-showbiz places that were ingrained into my soul (a mere half-belgian) a long time back. and i love 'em! so do so many others, by the look of it... somewhat difficult to be enamoured with the sterile udderbelly - the only thing i liked about that uncomfortable box was that it might've gone literally t*ts up in the wind.

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Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
2:50pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Flat Foot Soozie wrote:
I would love to have the spiegeltent in Brunswick Square.

Perhaps they would allow me to perform my Argus comments in front of an appreciative audience.

I hope they have Wi-Fi!
This comment is not by me.

It must be poor old tobi, who spends his life in state of permanent frustration beacuse I am the woman he will never possess.

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Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
2:54pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Flat Foot Soozie wrote:
Having "graced the fields of Glastonbury", I trust that the owners have cleansed it thoroughly of mud, drugs and traces of hippy.
Also not by me. I should be flattered the desperate tobi is sold on me in this way.

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H, beach says...
3:04pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I think theres plenty of room 4 both tents, both different both brilliant! udder with comedy and spiegel cabaret... it will be the best fringe yet! bring em both on! can't wait...

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Big Cheese, Peacehaven says...
3:05pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The tents would be better without Komedia's involvement.

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Ivor Tentpeg, Camp David says...
3:18pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I went to my doctor the other day and explained that on some days I think I'm a marquee and on other days I think I'm a gazebo. He told me I was two tents.......

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sue, brighton says...
3:22pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I really hope the spiegel comes to Brighton but don't bas h the Underbelly it was great. A fantastic mad idea, full of great shows and everything approached with a sense of humour. Brighton was the first place outside Edinburgh to get the Underbelly, let's celebrate the status it gave us. We can't wait to welcome the cow back!

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C, Brighton says...
3:22pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The more tents the better! Spiegel or cow-shaped, all welcome! Just make sure they all here every May.. Thanks!

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Karen Whittaker, Brighton / Hove says...
3:26pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring back the spiegeltent - perfect to have it next to St. Peter's church. All these people can't be wrong - just say yes.

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Aimee, Saltdean says...
3:35pm Wed 6 Feb 08

BRING BACK THE SPIEGELTENT! it has been missed. And the perfect location is obviously by the Church. It should be all about community spirit and people being happy!!

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Eco Man, Kemp Town says...
4:06pm Wed 6 Feb 08

All these supporting comments sound the result of an e-mail circular from Fanshawe.

I should think anybody would prefer a stand-up performance by Soozie (real or fake) to one of Fanshawe's "turns".

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jonathan Polkest, Penzance U.K. says...
4:14pm Wed 6 Feb 08

C'mon, bring back The Tent,
It's money well spent,
Budgetarily there is no dent,
Aesthetically, morally the source of great lament,
Is, the sad news you're holding back on more social cement
So, BRING BACK THE TENT.

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K.Sarah.Sarah, Kings Road says...
4:35pm Wed 6 Feb 08

While I do agree that the fees for registration & inclusion in the brochure are quite high (as the organiser of an Open House we're feeling the pinch!) I think the idea that the festival doesn't include everyone is ridiculous; get off yer arse and do something then if you want to get invloved. My tick is in the box for the speigeltent!!

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mutley, far side of the moon says...
5:08pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Seeing as the church, one of Britains richest institutions, has shown its contempt for the people of Brighton by indicating it is no longer prepared to support/maintain St Peters, then if they don't own the lawns, why give them any say in the matter at all...

One is tempted to suggest kicking out the clergy and having a full-time spiegelchapel instead...it'd certainly pack a fuller house...

(heh heh heh)

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Tentgirl, Tent says...
5:29pm Wed 6 Feb 08

What about the Level or where the Ladyboy tent usually is? I did not go to any events last year as the whole thing seemed flat without the focus of the Spiegel Garden. By all accounts the Udderbelly was a sore disappointment, not least having to queue to get back in after visting the toilet!

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Nick, Brighton says...
5:41pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The speigeltent has been a great feature of the festival in tha past and reflects brightons slightly off kilter culture. It is wholly appropriate that the parish churh support that culture by assisting where it can make this town the great place it is to live and visit.

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bacon, Brighton says...
6:01pm Wed 6 Feb 08

A little unsure where ‘Artist’ is getting his information so I’d like to correct him on nearly all of his comments and take this chance to advertise what an amazing opportunity the Fringe presents to this city:

'Why worry about this festival' – The Brighton festival and the Brighton festival Fringe create a high profile amount of interest in Brighton that brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to this city and with it business to hotels, entertainment venues, independent shops and retailers, galleries, café’s restaurants, artists and performers.

‘It does not promote local artists anymore’ - The Fringe festival does exactly that and since the 60’s has worked as an open access arts festival where anyone is able to take part and 60% of events in last year’s festival were by local people.

‘A small list of venues’ - There is no selection process and no programming of events or venues, however our website does provide a list of 400 venues available to artists and performers from a theatre space to the back of a taxi cab, the details of the event are up to you.

‘You have to pay’ – Of course you have to pay, it would be naive to assume it is free to run this festival for a month. That said it remains a bargain to take part with the most you’ll pay to register at £95 (for as many dates and times as you wish). For this we do not organize the individual events but provide:

1. A step-by-step guide for running and promoting an event
2. Your event listed in 150,000 Brighton Festival fringe Brochures
3. Large Fringe display board and Fringe posters for your venue
4. A dedicated box office service to sell tickets to your event (of which you keep)
5. Fringe Green Room open 7 days a week during the festival, offering press and marketing advice and free internet use
6. Two tickets to the Fringe’s launch night
7. The chance to showcase your event at the Fringe City event
8. An extra web page on the Fringe website for more info on your event
9. Press coverage, a review, the chance to win an award
10. Your event as part of the famous Brighton festival Fringe

‘Brighton festival brochure is getting thinner every year’ – I can’t comment on the BF but the Fringe brochure has continued to get bigger as does the number of events each year (2007 = 570). As for advertising I’d like to know where you can get a full page advert in 150,000 brochures, circulated for 9 weeks at less than £1850. If you’ve taken out advertising elsewhere before you’ll know this is unheard of.

‘streets of Brighton’ – An amazing event organised by the Bf not the Fringe, unfortunately a very expensive affair that is no more. However the Fringe continues to encourage street theatre performances and has a huge number of events under £5 and free. A free event never means it has been free to set up and run.

The Udderbelly and the Spiegeltent continue to build the profile for this festival which brings further business and interest to the city (not profit to the Fringe - a not for profit charity organisation) but to those artists and performers looking to sell tickets and promote their shows. If you don’t agree with their prices then I recommend you support one of the other 248 venues that take part in the festival.

Thank you ‘artist’ for allowing me to clarify these few miscinceptions.

For more information email: info@brightonfestiva

lfringe,org,uk

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ant, brighton says...
6:02pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The speigeltent must return, but I think it's a shame it's not booked for the Udderbelly site- the purple cow is a far less interesting venue. I hope the church see the light and allow the tent. Too often great churches become irrelevant and eventually redundant, and it's usually because they lack the imagination and chutzpah to grasp great opportunities like this.

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jane, Brighton says...
6:16pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Having the Udderbelly on the Old Steine last year was great – what better way to advertise that a festival was going on here.

To have the Spiegeltent as well would just be amazing. The two venues are very different and offer great spaces for entertaining very different crowds, which is why it is ever more important that we have both as a feature in May.

This would have been a great publicity opportunity for the church with most of Brighton having simply driven past it. A lot of people wouldn’t even know this venue was open to anyone other than to those that attend its services and flower market. As central to the landscape of Brighton and owned by the Council for the people of Brighton its spaces should be employed at any opportunity, especially if it can prevent the church form being turned into glass fronted apartments

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Ann, Hove says...
7:02pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Spiegeltent is a fantastic venue - it would be great if St Peters Church would give its blessing and allow the grounds to be used during the Brighton Festival.

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Jennie, Hove says...
7:04pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring it back!!!

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Agnès, says...
7:39pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Oh oui, s'il vous plait! The Spiegeltent, c'est le coeur du festival de Brighton.

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Penny, says...
8:00pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Yes!!

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Stroller, Hove says...
8:02pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Agnès wrote:
Oh oui, s'il vous plait! The Spiegeltent, c'est le coeur du festival de Brighton.
The spirit of the late Miles Kington's franglais lives on!

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Benji, Hove says...
8:14pm Wed 6 Feb 08

I work in the Pxxxy Parlure,and this venue epitomises everything good about a festival. The Beautiful Speigel is the perfect venue for the vision that both Sally and Malcolm have. Its some harmless fun that has a tongue in cheek energy that is infectious and ethical. Its a family business, and is absurd to think them "to Raunchy"..Bangkok Lady boys anyone??I appreciate that they don't set up on "church property". But this is the crux of it. A little healthy and harmless fun. To deny Brighton this fantastic venue would be crime...

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Brightonmermaid, says...
9:12pm Wed 6 Feb 08

SpiegelChapel all the way.

Come on it's deliciously harmless fun.

This is Brighton isn't it ?

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Dave Smith, Brighton says...
9:15pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Let's 'ave it back ... that cow thing last year was pretty disappointing
on the inside ...

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Marie, Hove says...
9:43pm Wed 6 Feb 08

Bring it back...it is the highlight of the festival and was missed last year.

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Alan, Brighton says...
9:45pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The church are right - the land is much better used as a roundabout housing people swilling special brew. Who needs attractive, cultural, entertainment centres in the London Road area.

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Graham, says...
11:21pm Wed 6 Feb 08

The Speigeltent is a super temporary venue and a great addition to the Festival. Come on St Peter's! £5000 for church funds and some good vibes for the community and the church can't be bad.

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matt, hove says...
8:42am Thu 7 Feb 08

What do church care - aren't they abandoning the St Peters anyway???

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jon, brigton says...
8:50a