Three dozen Fringe shows have been cancelled or relocated after the dramatic collapse of Understairs Arts, the promoter which had organized their venues.  Understairs' ambitious plans to run three Fringe venues - despite it being their first year of operation - appear to have ended in disaster, with the company entering liquidation just two weeks before they'd been due to open their doors.

We've been following this story for a week or so - and with a disappointing lack of information available through official channels, the majority of the news has broken on Internet forums and performers' websites.  Understairs' woes stem from an agreement with the owner of one of its venues, the Edinburgh Apostolic Church, which gave the church the right to veto any shows it found inconsistent with its own morality.  According to industry newspaper The Stage, the Church questioned four of the seven plays planned for the venue - leading to a breakdown of its relationship with Understairs.

It's less clear what happened next, but the result is that Understairs went into voluntary liquidation - closing down not only its operation at the Apostolic Church, but its sister venues at the Royal Scots Club and EuroScot.  The 35 or so performing companies left without a home have been frantically seeking alternative accommodation this week.  Some are staying on at the original venue, under a new arrangement with another promoter; others have relocated to venues including the Roman Eagle Lodge, C SoCo and Rocket.

If you already have a ticket for a show at an Understairs venue, our best advice is to call the Fringe box office on 0131 226 0000 to find out whether it's been cancelled or transferred.  You can also check show listings on the Fringe's web site, which has been updated to show the new venues.