I've been frequenting Edinburgh Fringe for the past four years and it's never failed to deliver, but more and more its prowess has been lessening, and this year it almost hit rock bottom.

This year, it seems, prices for theatre, on the whole, had gone up at least 15% from previous years. Previous years unknowns seemed more eager to claw audiences through the door charging a neat and healthy price of £5 or less, lessening the audience’s part in the risk we're all asked to take at some point during Fringe.

I saw some amazing "five-quid-theatre" and this is not to say that it was only worth £5, far from it, some of the work was spectacular! But it's the principles and ethos on which were initially engaged, that's not to say some of it wasn't crap. Some of it was crap. That's the nature of the Fringe, and of course theatre, it's all subjective.

This year however little known, never reviewed companies felt the need to charge £8 - £12 for their work, and thus it's time to talk about the paradox.

The Fringe Paradox is this; anyone can go to Fringe and perform (provided they have oodles of cash) and this is a monumental opportunity for emerging artists to share and showcase their work with some of the widest theatre audiences one city could possibly muster. It gives unknown, off the radar performers and companies the chance to do battle with the big dogs, it can enhance a piece of works notoriety, it can help establish an act in the culture-conscience of the wider World, it can be an exciting, vibrant, electric place to be... But if anyone can go and put on work, that means hundreds of people flock to Edinburgh in there droves to put on whatever they like. This results often in someone singing about the Marquis De Sade with a Ukulele, or a group of mates who think they're the Neo-Not-The-9-O Clock-News putting on un-rehearsed pieces of (objectivity). The beautiful idea of having an un-biased, un-filtered, un-vetted festival of performance is the same idea that sometimes makes it ugly. The biggest insult is when were expected to pay out the nose for it.

However, there is a savoir; The Free Fringe. This is a beautiful idea, and since 2008 there are now 3 top free fringe providers and people have been speculating whether or not this will become the new status quo for Fringe.

Basically the audience is asked to make the smallest commitment possible in terms of viewing performance... Showing up. Once they've showed up they can watch whatever it may be for free. When it ends they can donate, or they can tell you to "F**K OFF!" followed by a barrage of critique. This means that anything you don't like, you don't pay for, and anything you do like, you can reward.

Now this might mean that we start to view the worth of Theatre slightly differently and in asking our audience to make no promise with money before witnessing the show we are undervaluing our work artistically. But this is Edinburgh Fringe. People first need to value our shows importance in their schedule with its first appearance "Does this look like something I'd like?" then they're asked to make a choice based on cost "Can I afford this thing I think I'd like?" Free Fringe has already won that war.

I did a free show in Edinburgh in 2011 and I received on average £30 a night. Now compare this to when Tin Shed Theatre Co. went to Ed Fringe in a professional venue in the heart of the city (Bedlam for anyone who knows it) we struggled to get audiences in for £6 tickets and if we were to look at total profits and losses we'd see that my fiddly little solo venture in a small cafe a mile away from any kind of civilisation was wholly a lot more successful. I still got reviewed, I still had industry professionals come and see it, and I still got an awful lot out of the experience... But the paradox can yet again lay claim to many a slain Free Fringe act. You go and see one of two bad free things, you sure as heck aren't going to any more, but what's your choice?! Pay for a ticket and run the risk of seeing something equally as bad. Or don't take the risk; buy something expensive with a person’s face from the T.V on it. That'll be good.

Edinburgh’s failure to adjust to Britain’s current economic climate has meant it's pushed its audiences away from the risk, and at Edinburgh, the risk is the greatest thing we've got.