These days there is a long list of theatre prizes that can be won at the Edinburgh Fringe, with more being added each year. But not one of these is anywhere near as established, prestigious, or internationally renowned as the Scotsman’s Fringe Firsts, which have been running continuously at the festival since 1973.<br /><br />The Fringe Firsts were set up at a time when there was very little new theatre work being premiered in Edinburgh in August. Allen Wright, the Scotsman’s arts editor at the time, wanted to encourage more companies to bring new work to the festival, and so he founded an award that would recognise and encourage outstanding new writing. Since then, the Fringe Firsts have helped to launch countless numbers of careers. Notable past winners range from Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, and Billy Connolly to Phoebe Waller-Bridge (with the original stage version of Fleabag) and Richard Gadd (for Baby Reindeer).
