Adam Smith: Father of the Fringe

A feature documentary

The biggest arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe, begins today. Something like 4 million people from around the world will make their way to the Scottish capital, with yours truly among them.

There are 195 countries around the world. Citizens of 165 of them will be at the Fringe.

The only events on the world that sell as many tickets are the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

It’s an extraordinary event with an extraordinary history. And it all started by accident.

Adam Smith: Father of the Fringe, a one hour feature doc, with comedians Jimmy Carr, Al Murray, Shazia Mirza, Henning Wehn and Arthur Smith, tells this remarkable economic success story, something that proved the unlikely realisation of everything the great Scottish philosopher Adam Smith argued for.

"A lovely history ... Come for Adam Smith, stay for the portrait of the glorious beast that is the Edinburgh Fringe." Bruce Dessau, arts critic.

I urge you to watch it, if you haven’t already, it’s a real feel good story, proper “edutainment” and a lovely way to spend an evening.

"Excellent, well researched and cogent. Bravo!" Arthur Smith, comedian

"This film is a celebration of what makes the Fringe so thrilling and mad and creative and vast," Steve Bennett, Chortle

And should you find yourself in the Scottish neck of the woods this August, then do come and see my lecture with (occasional) funny bits about the extraordinary metal that is gold. It’s at 2pm every day at Panmure House, in the room in which Adam Smith wrote Wealth of Nations. You can get tickets here.