Adam Smith: Father of the Fringe

"A lovely history ... Come for Adam Smith, stay for the portrait of the glorious beast that is the Edinburgh Fringe." Bruce Dessau, arts critic.
A one-hour feature doc, with comedians Jimmy Carr, Al Murray, Shazia Mirza, Henning Wehn and Arthur Smith, telling the extraordinary economic success story of the Edinburgh Fringe, and how it proved the unlikely realisation of everything Adam Smith argued for.
"Excellent, well researched and cogent. Bravo!" Arthur Smith, comedian
"This film is a celebration of what makes the Fringe so thrilling and mad and creative and vast," Steve Bennett, Chortle
The Edinburgh Fringe is the biggest arts festival in the world, and yet it all started by accident in 1947 when 8 groups were told they weren’t good enough to perform at the inaugural Edinburgh International Festival, but decided to come and do their shows anyway.
In 2019 the Fringe attracted 4.5 million visitors from 157 of the world’s 195 countries. It sold over 3 million tickets - only the Olympic Games sells more and they are every four years. It’s an extraordinary success story, entirely, though not deliberately, based on principles conceived by a philosopher who lived in the same city two hundred years earlier: Adam Smith.
Father of the Fringe features many of the nation’s best known comedians, original footage of the first edition of Wealth of Nations shot in the very room where Smith completed it and many more unique surprises. It is shot in scenic locations in and about Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as at Panmure House, where Smith lived for the last 12 years of his life.
Written and presented by Dominic Frisby.
Directed by Alex Webster.
Executive Producer Paul Wedgwood
For licensing or other enquiries, please try frizzers (at) gmail.com
With
Peter Buckley Hill
Jimmy Carr
Caroline Howitt
Shazia Mirza
Al Murray
Arthur Smith
Henning Wehn
Music by Goat
goatnoisephotography.com
With Thanks to
Heather McGregor
Panmure House
Shona McCarthy
Edinburgh Fringe Society
Fiona Payne
Eamonn Butler
Adam Smith Society
The Stand Comedy Club
​​Ian Van Tillo
Sacha Mirzoeff
Ian Wilson
Dr William Zachs
Madsen Pirie
Matt Kilcoyne
Merryn Somerset Webb
Etcetera Theatre
Simon McKay
Fenellafielding.com
Michael Dixon
The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild
Fentiman Arms
Colourist
Nick Franco , 1185 films
Audio mixed by Matt Ward, sparkandrumble.com
Scottish voiceover
Kenny Blyth
Archive
Getty
Pond5
Kinolibrary
A Frazdom Production ⓒ 2021 All Rights Reserved
For licensing or other enquiries, please contact frizzers(at)gmail.com

[@ricklee1997]

Illuminating. Absolutely brilliant.

[@stevenfarrall3942]

Mr Frisby. What a treat. Thank you.

[@spikeyspike79]

Masterpiece, thanking you!

[@enikfekr]

Brilliant documentary. Really enjoyed it.

[@twisttwister8254]

I always learn and enjoy your videos. Thanks for the education.

[@peterw.4833]

Mr Frisby, you sir, are an international treasure. In this age of central planning by stealth, we need to be educated and invigorated by the ideas which work and which have demonstrably nourished our civilization. The free-spirited (and free-marketing) will surely win! Such a pleasure to watch your documentary. (Big fan of your written work on finance/crypto and all the ancap humour, too!) Regards

[@AbrahamsYTC]

Nice, I didn't know you did these kind of documentary type of videos. I would often think that your narrating would be apt for such work like David Attenborough. Great job 👍

[@fredflintstone1428]

Brilliant, brilliant film Dom, which shows off your own talents stupendously. I had the misfortune to catch a bit of mainstream TV last night (Saturday night) in which a quiz show on prime real estate TV was presented by Ian Wright. The ten minutes I watched was truly dreadful, but so symptomatic of our times. I'm really glad that Al Murray recognised the lot of a comedian being the archetypal entrepreneur. So many comedians (especially those on the BBC), who carry their party card at all times, ticking the boxes on climate change, the new religion of science and diversity, are often the greatest obstacles to any REAL diversity. Your documentary really pulls together the sad fact that for any real critical thinking to take place these days, be it in any subject matter, the individual has to go and find it, because the historical institutions are corrupted beyond repair.

[@moneymarketsandmore]

Thanks so much!

[@BraveCounsel]

Excellent documentary. Really enjoyed this. How strange that it was too hot for the BBC to handle.

[@dinche1]

Wonderful film!! well done

[@pauldaviesantiques1556]

A brilliant achievement, Dominic. Fringe ideas that have shaped our past, present and will, undoubtedly, shape our future.

[@pieterfoster10]

Spot on. Thanks

[@bobtatnell]

Best hour I have spent this year.

[@edwardmclaughlin7935]

Marvellous.

[@richardaurre4840]

Adam Smith would be proud of you!

[@cryoweb7656]

Most enjoyable - thank you!

[@mikehardwicke23]

Wonderful documentary Dominic. If only the world could revert to these natural principles. (Perhaps it will but enormous upheaval will precede it).

[@morganjay]

Met you yesterday after the musical comedy showcase at the gilded balloon, watched the whole thing. Really enjoyed it. Hope to cross paths soon!

[@stephenwalton2633]

Loved it. A presentation perspective to stimulate the intellect. It’s convinced me to do three things: get to the festival one year, read Wealth of Nations and email friends a link to your documentary. Thanks Dominic.

[@eminness7587]

brilliant. few presentations can hold my attention these days but this was gripping. I gave up on the Edinburgh Festival but he's re-ignited my interest. Loved this

[@sharedvision]

Fantastic vision for a film, and utterly fringe in it's realisation! Incredibly inspiring on so many levels. Writing as a fringe architect, like my greatx4 Uncle who built the Scott Monument - an intriguing tale of buccaneering and death, very Scottish.

[@wisecrackmelmoc2301]

A brilliant documentary Dominic . Thanks for doing this

[@preed930]

Absolutely Brilliant, Dominic! So energizing. This will have me fizzing for days. Thank you, sir!

[@DoctorAB282]

Thanks what a great works 👍 very classy 🎩

[@lewisschaffer9707]

i'm waiting!

[@moneymarketsandmore]

I hope everybody will be watching this in black tie

[@ShanePetty]

@@moneymarketsandmore Will a Texas flag bow tie suffice?

[@stephenwalton2633]

Really looking forward to seeing any work by Dominic.

[@raypurchase801]

I want Dom to sing a song about Adam Smith.

[@MikeLebowski]

Really good.

[@johngammon963]

Quality better than the BBC

[@Heiko_Cochius]

I read about this in MoneyWeek magazine. I am so happy to have seen this documentary - such a good piece of work.

[@polargael6832]

Absolutely superb work and, as others have said, the type of documentary that the wokeist BBC should be doing, but is not. Mr Frisby, you sir, are a national treasure!

[@peterbennet7145]

Thank you. This is simply outstanding and a testament to what can be achieved these days with modern technology, professionalism, research and some original thinking and raw talent. Let us be thankful we have been freed from the dead hand of centrally planned and controlled television. Thirty years ago, the BBC or ITV could have made this, but they are no longer capable. Despite all their bleating about their "talent" they have hardly anyone who can up their game to Dominic's level here. We should be able to spend our licence fees supporting material like this and not pre-programmed electronic disco dross from the legacy channels.

[@winniewotsit4452]

5 Stars, First rate, Superb - More please...

[@pearshapedindystopia]

Looks GOOD to me!

[@moneymarketsandmore]

Your insights are correct

[@marylowrey8911]

Good job Dominic, from an Edinburgher.

[@juliansmart7240]

So enjoyable and thought-provoking! The madness that is the Fringe explained, elegantly.

[@lesleywillis6177]

Peter Buckley Hill. Don’t know what his comedy is like, but his theory of special relativity is bloody marvellous!

[@sinematographers3344]

Great work guys, huge achievement. Loved it !

[@MrHaimation]

Excellent work by the whole team. Will share this documentary with my closest friends.

[@christopherrussell1677]

Thanks , that must have taken an awful amount of work to put together ! Many thank , hopefully we will once again laugh 😂 ?

[@dmoore167]

This does more to fulfil the BBC remit to inform,educate & entertain than half the agenda driven stuff they pump out and which I resent having to pay for. I never ever thought that KZbin would be where I would be having to go to find quality debate and content but the present broadcast media doesn't seem to care that they are making people switch off and are pushing them away.

[@ellisromero]

Can't wait Dom - love your work :)

[@kimeccleston5586]

Bravo! So well done. More more!!!

[@stephendavies923]

Excellent. Well written, produced and presented. The input of all both in front and behind the camera was superb. Thank you and now it's my time to share and tell others.

[@moneymarketsandmore]

Thank you very much!

[@sheeplewatcher5125]

Thank you so much for this DF, thoroughly enjoyed it....brilliant!

[@richardevans2726]

Excellent. Enjoyable. Informative.

[@martinlouden9005]

Forever known as Adam's mith!

[@crimeajewel]

I met someone who knew John Maynard Keynes. At Cambridge. Quentin Bell.

[@aideenmcqueen5034]

Adam Smith - Father if the fringe Dominic Frisby Daddy of the Minge!!!

[@blackbaron0]

Thank you Dominic One thing I think some get wrong about self interest is that it always applies to money. People who do charitable acts for instance do it because it makes them feel good to have helped someone or a group of people. In other words they have acted in their own self interest by helping, the reward for this self interested behaviour is to feel good about what they have done, and all concerned benefit. Just like your example about French wine and Scottish money.

[@SavingCommunitiesDS]

Great example of a free market. (Incidentally, Smith was a strong advocate of taxing land values, and considered land monopoly at least as noxious as government.)

[@superducker7899]

enjoyed this well made doc. also doesn't jimmy look like adam buxton now

[@vatsmith8759]

I misread the title and clicked on the link hoping to learn about the history of domestic refrigeration.

[@AnthonyChopra]

0:17 Person: When u dont know what a Book is. haha. Wonderful done Documentary, just wait till GBNews makes a GB One Channel it would be brilliant seeing this on the network.

[@RobFisherUK]

Looking forward to another look at this! (With the sound lining up properly this time :p)

[@tomhilditch2328]

🙏

[@AndreaSteffanoni]

Bravo!! As I'm Italian, I've "amato" your story, It's entertainment, it's education, but above all it's passionate and touching

[@garypoulton7311]

Bloody brilliant, thanksfor this, ans a special thanks to the secret millionaire who funded the finishing of it.

[@the-selfish-meme7585]

loved the piece - and Dominic as always... Laughed out loud when you mentioned he got 10 grand from a mate and 20 grand in subsidy... If only we could run an experiment to see if A.S. was right. Or does that invisible hand turn out to be an iron fist?

[@coastaltrader2460]

Dominic - being out here on the Left Coast of Canada with multiple time zones and datelines between us - by my calculation I'll watch the Premier before it actually runs... or possibly several days later? Whatever... I do know it will be worth the wait and I look forward to your latest comedic triumph.

[@aanttz4803]

If the 'Fringe' was paid in Bitcoin... Adam Smith would surely reappear.

[@jamiearnott9669]

Great documentary making. Also you start with saying only the Olympic games can rival , indeed democracy is another real contender for "ideas" that can live forever! ;-) Personally I reckon capitalism in any traditional form is over. Welcome to the fringe! I have something that you may interpret as "fringe" which is nanomaterial and biomedical technological, but because we live in a fake capitalist economic system of money printing, you'd never hear of it!? However all is not lost because I can scrape together the materials to do this myself in complete self interest. Nobody is forcing me to do anything! This speaks of the philosophy and ethos of Adan Smith as per this excellent documentary.

[@raypurchase801]

ADAM SMITH > karl marx. (Last time I left this comment, Dom gave it a heart-like.)

[@raypurchase801]

AND AGAIN !!!

[@owlnyc666]

Fringe Festival like KZbin😎😉🤔

[@markpeters8138]

Good morning, Dominic. I've recently come across your 'Money, Markets and More'. I currently teach Cambridge IGCSE Economics in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos ... yes, seriously. I was a Brexiteer, am a free marketeer and play the ukulele badly. I would like to ask your permission to use snippets of your programmes in my G11 and G12 classes, as I want to ensure their understanding isn't limited to belief in controlled markets. Would this be acceptable to you?

[@moneymarketsandmore]

Of course. Thanks MArk

[@markpeters8138]

Thank you so much, Dominic. I'm bemused that BBC2 is not producing programmes, like the one you made on Smith and the Fringe, but your kindness helps me to introduce non-textbook 'contrarian economist' views, to the students, via multi-media. Can't wait to 'hit them' with money supply later in the course. :-)

[@Tsnafu]

Thanks for this Dominic, very interesting. Your suit jacket is a fucking disgrace BTW ;-)

[@marknash4442]

Who needs the woke shite coming out of the bolshevic broadcasting company when you have quality productions like this. Well done Dominic, informative, honest and genuinely enjoyable.

[@ajrwilde14]

Free markets are terrible...

[@antreb15]

Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies having a 'bit' of a crash, Dominic.

[@radicalcartoons2766]

Painful when you personally know individuals who have put on one-woman or one-woman shows and got hardly any audience, and pay for it all themselves...

[@gailclough1665]

Went to Just for Laughs in Montreal didn't see one bad act. Went to Edinburgh for 5 years didn't laugh once. Maybe it's just me.

[@moneymarketsandmore]

Thanks for watching. If you like the film, please give us a nice review at IMDB - www.imdb.com/title/tt18693146/reference/ The story of how this film came about is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zpi3np5tmpaUiK8 For licensing or other enquiries, please email frizzers (at) gmail.com And, usual story, if you get a message from someone on here who appears to be me, please ignore them and their solicitations. It is an impersonator.

[@fredflintstone1428]

Hi Dom, I went IMDb but can't see a link to add a review?