prize5-3, Exercise 2: Comedy and the venue companies

Model answer (check the details):

From the 1980s stand-up and sketch comedy became the largest category on the Fringe by ticket sales, because comedians could perform in small rooms with few props and Edinburgh was a showcase for agents and television. Private venue companies, such as the Gilded Balloon, the Pleasance, Assembly and Underbelly, turned pubs, university buildings and temporary structures into venues with their own brands and box offices. This made it easier to stage a show, but put a layer of business between performers and audiences: venues take part of ticket income, sometimes charge fees, and compete for the best acts. Free shows, with the audience paying what they choose at the end, grew up as an alternative. The result is a larger and more professional festival, and also a more expensive one for performers.