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Director Fergus Linehan said growing numbers of performers were asking to be paid in dollars or euros as the UK currency plunges in value. In November, the organisers decided to lock £1m into a set exchange rate to protect funds for artists’ fees.

Women earn on average just 40% of what men working at Edinburgh Fringe get, despite "dominating" almost every sector of the festival, according to new research from activist theatre company Power Play. The reported pay gap, based on data relating to about 1500 workers, is seven times the national average.

The Box is being renovated ahead of the UK City of Culture 2021 to add a moveable stage, theatre lighting and seating for up to 250 people. Coventry City Councillor Jim O'Boyle said the redevelopment would encourage more visits to an area that is "alive with creative talent".

A contractor leading the project has promised the redevelopment, initially budgeted at £4m, will be delivered on time and on budget. Stockton councillors have expressed concerns about the scheme's viability, but voted last month to grant it an extra £6.5m. The theatre's reopening has been delayed until November 2020.

Online arts magazines Shortcom and The Mumble were demanding cash for reviews of shows. The Edinburgh Fringe Society said the publishers' approach discriminated against performing arts companies and producers who were unable to pay for exposure.

Dawn Fidler and Jenna Sabine celebrated the opening of Monkton Arts in Ryde on Sunday. The pair had been displaying and selling local artists' work in their cafe and wanted bigger premises in the area, Fidler said. The new centre includes a gallery and two studios.

Adrian Monahan said he has been suffering from a prolonged illness that meant he was "uanble to maintain the necessary energy" to run the Wightman Theatre. The venue opened four years ago and hosted musicals, dramas, concerts, poetry sessions and food fairs.