The Russian Oligarch’s Daughter Storming The Edinburgh Fringe
Olga Koch brings her fascinating story to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and highlights how privilege dominates the arts.
"Growing up rich is a hereditary condition. It affects 1% of people.” — Olga Koch
Olga Koch is an unlikely person to become a stand-up comedian. Russian oligarch families are not exactly known for their sense of humour, but at the same time, coming from a wealthy background is also an all-too-common feature of the UK comedy scene. The Fringe is probably the best example of how unequal the playing field can be for UK-based comics.
Every August, thousands of performers travel to Edinburgh, work incredibly hard, and lose lots and lots of money.
While costs vary from performer to performer, the theatre company RoguePlay admitted that they spent £12,000 on their fringe show, which included £4,000 on accommodation and £1,000 on marketing, posters, and flyers, and regrettably said, “if you break even, that’s a bonus.”
This means that not everyone can afford to perform at The Fringe. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is one of the biggest success stories in recent years. She took her one-woman show Fleabag to the Fringe in 2013, and this show turned into a TV…
