William Burdett-Coutts

William Burdett-Coutts is the founder and director of theatre and comedy promotion company Assembly, one of the major venue operators at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's largest arts festival.

He was born in Zimbabwe, and began his career as a theatre director in Scotland in the late 1970s, before establishing the Assembly Rooms as a fringe theatre venue in 1981, leasing it from Edinburgh Council. The venue has been referred to as the "National Theatre of the Fringe".

Burdett-Coutts established the Brighton Comedy Festival and Manchester's Festival of Arts and Television, and directed Glasgow's Mayfest and the Channel 4 Sitcom Festival,

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to theatre, comedy and the arts.