The Gilded Balloon
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The Gilded Balloon is one of the Edinburgh Fringe's best-known venues, established by Karen Koren in 1986 in Edinburgh's Cowgate.[1] It is currently located at Teviot Row House in Bristo Square (owned by the Edinburgh University Students' Association).
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[edit] History
In 1988 it devised the competition "'So You Think You're Funny",[2] which has been won by many notable comics including Rhona Cameron, Lee Mack, Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan and Peter Kay; other have finalists included Ed Byrne, Dominic Holland, Ardal O’Hanlon and Johnny Vegas. The competition was sponsored by Channel 4 from 1993 until 2004,[3] with five and the Paramount Comedy Channel taking over in 2005.
In 2001 the Gilded Balloon expanded to include Teviot Row House and, on 7 December 2002, a fire devastated its original Cowgate base.[4] The Gilded Balloon continues at Teviot Row House which, in 2005, contained seven performance spaces.
[edit] Controversy
During his early career, Russell Brand was forcefully ejected from the Gilded Balloon.[5]
