Edinburgh Festival Day 12: Festival Eye

A CABARET TEAM has been forced to shelve its act because of its late performance hours. The venue, the Richard Demarco Gallery, has had to cancel performances of Sex and Violence at the Fantasy Cafe after the Edinburgh Sheriff Court placed an interim interdict which compels the gallery to close by 1.30am and not to admit performers before 8.30am. The order had been sought by Grant Robertson, who lives near the Gallery, and who had claimed he had lost several days' work through lack of sleep because of noise from set-building and audiences. The New Theatre Company, which is performing Sex and Violence, was due to run until the end of this week and will lose an estimated pounds 2,000 in box-office takings. An early-evening slot has been granted for next week, but extra accommodation will now have to be paid for.

IT NEEDED someone to prick the egos of the performers and hacks who crowd the Assembly Rooms bar, and who better than titanic comedienne Thea Vidale? 'Turn your faces round while I take a picture,' yelled an excited Vidale yesterday, reducing the bar to near silence. ' 'Cos nobody would believe this bullshit back home.'