The List Festival Week 2

EVERY WEEKEND DESERVES A FRESH MIX

FESTIVAL DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Welcome

So the early notices are in, as they used to say in the 1950s, and who has been rocking our critics’ Festival world? Won’t give everything away but close friends and family and PR representatives of Jessie Thompson, Salty Brine, 1927, Lewis Major and Tweedy the clown can get prepared to uncork their chosen beverage after reading this issue.

Of course, we haven’t stopped speaking to people ahead of their Edinburgh Festival arrivals, so some considerable breeze was shot with our cover star Jack Lowden to discover that this man of many accents is quite relieved to just be doing his own brogue for The Fifth Step. Nina Conti is doing both a mask-heavy comedy hour and launching her directorial debut at the Film Festival while making sure she goes to see her partner and her mum do their own Fringe shows. Plus, Rose Matafeo tells us that despite all she has achieved in the six years since scooping the Edinburgh Comedy Award, she will still be on edge ahead of her own return to the Fringe.

More reviews you say? There certainly are, as we take our opinions out of a venue and get them down on parchment (as they used to say in the 1750s). Over the coming pages we have our say on everything from Shitty Mozart to Sushi Tap Show, and Goose to Sheeps. But above all, we hope that this mag gets you inspired to seek out an act or show that might well be totally new to you. That surely is what the the Edinburgh Festival is all about.

Brian Donaldson EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

CEO Sheri Friers

Editor

Writers Aashna Sharma, Alekia Gill, Brian Donaldson, Claire Sawers, Danny Munro, Dominic Corr, Gareth K Vile, Isy Santini, James Mottram, Jay Richardson, Jo Laidlaw, Katerina Partolina Schwartz, Kelly Apter, Kevin Fullerton, Lauren McKay, Lucy Ribchester, Marissa Burgess, Mark Carnochan, Megan Merino, Murray Robertson, Neil Cooper, Paul McLean, Rachel Ashenden, Rachel Cronin, Rachel Morrell, Robyn Bell, Sean Greenhorn, Stevie Martin

Mouthpiece front

Will the seemingly unstoppable rise of AI herald the beginning of the end for live comedy? Stand-up Stevie Martin still has faith in the human race

In the age of AI, where machines can write novels, compose music and even attempt to understand human emotions, one question looms large: will AI ruin comedy?

Well, considering the average AI’s sense of humour is about as sophisticated as a dad joke, we might be safe for now.

AI’s comedic timing is impeccable . . . in the way a metronome is impeccable: precise, but devoid of spontaneity. Comedy thrives on the delightful errors that make us human. An AI, with its data-driven precision, might just be too perfect to be funny. AI can analyse thousands of jokes and find patterns, sure. But comedy is more than a series of well-placed punchlines. It’s about the delivery, the personality, the shared human experience. Can an AI understand the nuance of a joke about the struggles of parallel parking or the chaos of family gatherings? Unlikely, unless your family gatherings include CPUs and motherboards. Moreover, comedy evolves. What’s funny today might not be funny tomorrow. AI’s reliance on historical data might make it the perfect comedian for 2019 but hilariously out of touch for 2024. While it might nail a joke about Y2K, it could miss the

mark on memes that became obsolete faster than you can say ‘dat boi’.

In conclusion, AI is unlikely to ruin comedy. In fact, the biggest joke might be on AI itself, endlessly parsing data to understand why humans laugh at fart jokes. Until an AI can bomb on stage, cry in the green room and come back funnier the next night, our comedians can rest easy. The punchline remains firmly in human hands, for now.

In actual conclusion, this took me 2.5 seconds to write because I typed ‘write a funny article about whether AI will ruin comedy’ into ChatGPT while on a bus. Very bold of me to presume people would read this far, considering the reference to ‘dat boi’, but I guess it shows my faith in humanity. So, will comedy be destroyed by strings of code? The only way to answer this question is for you to count every joke in this article that you laughed at (as in, out loud) then come to my show and watch me beat that tally. If I succeed, consider it a win for the human race.

n Stevie Martin: Clout, Monkey Barrel, until 25 August, 3.35pm.

In this weekly series, we ask veterans of numerous Edinburgh Festivals to name the shows and performers that have touched their hearts or pushed their buttons. This week, filmmaker and author Mark Cousins tells us which things . . .

Made me cry: A wildly passionate song cycle performed in St Giles’ Kirk, presented by Poland’s Song Of The Goat Theatre and Summerhall. Return To The Voice was composed of heartbreaking laments, odes to exile, collected folk elegies. I was in the front row so I could see that the singers were crying.

Made me angry: Antonia Bird’s low-budget, raw film about homelessness, Safe, at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. I saw it on a rough VHS, programmed it, then we screened it in Filmhouse 1: instant standing ovation. One critic said ‘this film will bring you to your knees’. Thirty years later, I still get goosebumps.

Made me laugh: Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson’s Victor And Barry were, to use one of their words, a hoot. Did they create the genre Kelvinside Camp? I don’t know, but every year audiences flocked and started laughing even before they did their first joke about fish vans. Comedy accumulates: they snowballed.

Made me think: All of Bert And Nasi’s shows have excited me. A dancing, stumbling, provoking, dazzling Frenchman and a British Greek, they use minimal props, conversation and what seems like accidents to electrify not just the stage but the room. When I watch them, I think of Michael Haneke and Jacques Tati. I’m scared but marvel at their innovation.

Made me think twice: A show in 1987, presented by Richard Demarco, changed how I saw imagery. All I remember about Tattoo by Sarajevo theatre company Obala are rabbits on stage and a couple ageing by pouring talc in their hair. But it was a lucid dream, like David Lynch’s Inland Empire. It made me realise that my films should be more dreamlike. A few years later, I brought the Edinburgh International Film Festival to Sarajevo during its siege and ended up sleeping on the floor of a building. It belonged to . . . Obala.

n Mark Cousins, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 14 August, 4pm, as part of Edinburgh International Book Festival; A Sudden Glimpse To Deeper Things, Cameo Picturehouse, 21 August, 1pm, as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival.

the festival insider

WEIRD PIC OF THE WEEK

We’re not completely filth-obsessed at List Towers, but after last week’s pornlite puppetry in this slot, perhaps our minds have been turned to seeing sauce where it doesn’t exist. For some, writer and performer Anna Morris is here portraying an exhausted and tear-stained mother of a toddler. Others . . . well, they’re seeing something different, aren’t they?

 Son Of A Bitch, Summerhall, until 26 August, 6.10pm.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Festival people choose the one Edinburgh show they’re most excited about. Next up: Jenny Colgan

Ben Harrison and Louise Welsh are teaming up to do a site-specific Perambulations Of A Justified Sinner through the old streets of Edinburgh, based on the James Hogg novel. I think it’s going to be absolutely terrific. Louise has updated the text and it should be atmospheric and wonderful.

 Jenny Colgan, Lodge Grounds, North Berwick, 11 August, 11am, as part of Fringe By The Sea; Edinburgh Futures Institute, 16 August, 3.30pm, as part of Edinburgh International Book Festival; Perambulations Of A Justified Simmer, starts at Edinburgh Futures Institute, 10–25 August, from 9.30am, as part of Edinburgh International Book Festival.

from the festival archive

We look into The List’s 39-year back catalogue to see what was making headlines this week in decades gone by

As we entered the second week of Festival activity back in 1998, illusionist to the stars Rudy Coby made for a striking cover as he brought his show Coolest Magician On Earth to Edinburgh. Inside, he told us more about his anti-magic act and where his love of gory tricks came from. Elsewhere in the issue we spoke to those behind Scottish theatre company Communicado about their past and present triumphs, and musician Jason Pierce was taking space rock into a classical dimension. Meanwhile, Eliza Carthy and Peter Kay were among our top recommended Fringe performers.

 Head to archive.list.co.uk to read our past issues.

Do you hear that? It’s only the harmonious sounds of our second weekly Festival issue of 2024. Inspired by the mag’s contents (tangential or otherwise), we put together a selection which includes songs by The Undertones, Michael Kiwanuka, Miles Davis, Annie Lennox, Tracey Yarad, Lucy Dacus and many more.

Scan and listen as you read:

FESTIVAL PARTY 2024

The List Festival Party is the metaphorical ribbon cutting to open Edinburgh Festival season, and this year we cut a ribbon, cut a rug and left our shindig with a spring in our step looking forward to the month ahead. On Wednesday 31 July, party-goers made their way to Summerhall to revel in bacchanalian madness while enjoying entertainment from a carefully curated selection of the month’s hottest acts.

While we recover from another epic event, a heartfelt thank you is in order to everyone involved for making the night a success.

Thank you to our generous sponsors Hendrick’s Gin, Monkey Shoulder, Innis & Gunn, Atopia, Royal Highland Centre, Adelaide Fringe, LNER, and Indeed Flex. Special thanks to the team at YOURGB for helping programme a spectacular evening, and to Summerhall for once again allowing us to take over their iconic venue.

A well done to our events team Leah Bauer, Lily Pattinson and Hannah Campbell who have been working hard behind the scenes, as well as their crew of Edinburgh Napier University students present on the night.

Now to the many acts that kept us entertained all night long (well, until 3am); our hosts Aunty Ginger, Aaron Simmonds, Magic Gareth, and Aidan Sadler; and performers Blues And Burlesque, Solve It Squad, Laser Kiwi, Lewis Major, Mary, Queen Of Rock!, Burnout Paradise, Gracie And The Start Of The End Of The World (Again), KAREN, I Wish You Well, Boy In Da Korma, Our Little Secret, The Late Nite PowerPoint Comedy Showcase, HALF MAN || HALF BULL, Transhumanist, Flat & The Curves, Messy Friends, Kate Butch, The Black Blues Brothers, House Of Life, Steen Raskopoulos, Mel McGlensey, Down Under: The Songs That Shaped Australia, Luke Chilton, YUCK Circus, Non-Player Character, Dolly Diamond, Showtime!, Diva! Live From Hell, Garry Starr, Polly & Esther, Dizney In Drag, 44 Sex Acts In One Week, OWEaDEBT, TitSwingers, Belle De Bouvier, Roxy Stardust, Chris Cross, Savannah Duvall, Elliot Bibby and DJ Trendy Wendy. And let’s not forget Amelia Bayler, who hosted a rip-roaring night of karaoke classics.

Also, give a round of applause to our DJs in the Library Gallery, as specially curated by Paradise Palms’ Trystan O’Brien. Spinning the decks were DJ Zak From Bolton, The Nightlark and Marti-Time, with Mystika Glamoor on hosting duties, and Alicia Trydem, Mizra Kara and Fruit Salad providing phenomenally entertaining cabaret.

Finally, a massive shout out to Silent Adventures’ silent disco experience and Face Painting By Laura for making things all the more vibrant and Mint for providing food on the night. And thanks to everyone who came along; your vibrant presence makes the night extra special.

The #ListFestivalParty has once again kicked off your Edinburgh Festival in style. Catch you at the next blowout in 2025, when we’ll be celebrating 30 years of The List Festival Party.

JACK

What AA does for many people is develop wonderful storytellers ” “

There’s a definite mutual appreciation between Jack Lowden and Sean Gilder. Starring together in a world premiere of David Ireland’s new play about addiction and recovery, they talk to Kelly Apter about the little-known complexities of downhill running, clicking with each other and the joy of performing in your own accent

The Fifth Step may be Jack Lowden’s debut at the Edinburgh International Festival, but he’s no stranger to actual steps. If you’ve enjoyed his performance as River Cartwright in the excellent spy thriller Slow Horses, you’ll know he spends an inordinate amount of time running. More often than not, down steps. ‘A lot of that running is done during night shoots,’ says Lowden, with a look that suggests it’s not without effort. ‘So it’s three in the morning and you’re sprinting again and again, or you’re in some deserted tube station that the production has taken over. And River always runs downstairs, never up; there’s really no cool way to do that. We were just shooting the last series and I turned to the director and said “you get up here and try and run downstairs”. Because your brain has to make a decision: do I do one step quickly after the other, or do I try and skip two or three? It’s a very unnatural thing to do. So hopefully, if we get to do any more series, I’ll be running upstairs.’

His turn as MI5 agent Cartwright is just one of a series of TV and film roles Lowden has secured in recent years, building a formidable reputation as one of the UK’s finest actors. Whether he’s playing a Russian count in War & Peace, a young Morrissey in England Is Mine, Lord Darnley in Mary Queen Of Scots, war poet Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction or infamous bank robber Kenneth Noye in The Gold, you can be certain Lowden will draw you in with his charismatic believability. And, chances are, he’ll have mastered a new dialect for it. ‘It’s a constant bugbear of mine,’ says Lowden, when I point out how nice it is to hear him speak in his Scottish accent. ‘I miss acting in my own accent because it’s just one less thing to think about. And I feel like I can get into it, delve a little bit deeper.’

For The Fifth Step, he’s got his wish. Playing alongside Sean Gilder in David Ireland’s new play, Lowden portrays a young Scot meeting up with his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor. Both actors have been part of the Slow Horses cast, but never at the same time. They did, however, share a scene in The Gold, which turned their mutual admiration for each other up a notch further. ‘I’ve always known Sean’s work,’ says Lowden. ‘He’s just one of those effortless actors. If I go to the cinema or theatre, it’s the actor that makes me want to go. I just love watching brilliant ones be brilliant and Sean has always been one of those. When I found out

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he was going to be in scenes with me in The Gold, it was quite daunting because he’s so technically brilliant. And then I saw his scenes in Slow Horses, particularly the ones with Gary Oldman, and the pair of them just crackle on screen. I’ve never done a two-hander before, so I just wanted somebody that I knew would, for want of a better word, carry me through.’

It’s unlikely Lowden will need anyone to carry him anywhere, but Gilder’s enthusiasm for working with him on stage is equally matched. Although he too has noticed Lowden’s propensity for swift movement. ‘Jack spends a lot of his time running around on his own in Slow Horses,’ says Gilder with a laugh. ‘He’s a very good runner. But what was lovely about working with him on The Gold was they were kind of two-handed scenes. So even though they were short, we immediately spent some time together without lots of other people around and got on very well. So I was truly excited about The Fifth Step, because the two days that we worked together on The Gold we didn’t stop laughing. There was an immediate click. And I remember going home to my wife and saying “I’ve met this actor today who I just loved and felt so relaxed with, he was just so funny and such fun”. So, when I was approached about doing this play, I thought let’s take those two days of fun that we had and do two months of real fun.’

Gilder’s prolific career on stage and screen has seen him play Paddy Maguire in Shameless, as well as roles in Poldark and Sherwood, and most recently Mary & George and Passenger on TV, and Dear England at the National Theatre in London. When we speak, he and Lowden are in the midst of rehearsals at the National Theatre Of Scotland, and very much enjoying the quick-fire nature of Ireland’s dialogue. ‘I think Jack and I have a similar energy,’ says Gilder. ‘We like to keep the ball in the air, metaphorically. We’re not back-foot actors; we look each other very much in the eye, we’re very direct people. And with David’s script, it’s a bit like two very good tennis players hitting a ball around very quickly into different parts of the court and hoping the other one can get there quick enough to hit it back.’

In a bid to keep some of the mystery surrounding The Fifth Step intact, neither actor is keen to reveal too much of its contents. Those who have tackled the Twelve Steps advocated by Alcoholics Anonymous will know that the fifth one involves admitting to themselves and others the exact nature of their wrong-doings. But according to Gilder, we can expect much more from this exchange between a sponsor and his young sponsee. ‘It’s a very big play, even though it’s a two-hander,’ he says. ‘Its themes are much more than just Alcoholics Anonymous. And I think, without giving too much away, audiences will be taken on a journey of various emotions between these two people. The dialogue is very specific and brilliant but the actual subtext makes it a much bigger play than it may seem when you first start watching it.’

With a topic this sensitive, research can prove problematic. AA meetings are notoriously private affairs but fortuitously, for Lowden, his role as producer on new film The Outrun opened some doors. Starring his real-life wife Saoirse Ronan, the story follows author Amy Liptrot’s journey of recovery. ‘That was an enormous help, because on The Outrun we went to approach real AA groups,’ says Lowden. ‘And they ended up being in the film. Not one entire AA group, but people who have been to AA meetings and felt comfortable sharing their stories. And it was one of my favourite things from that shoot, watching these people and seeing how involved in their stories they could become at the drop of a hat. Because I think what AA also does for many people is develop wonderful orators and storytellers. And every single story they tell is just laden with humour.’

Despite his film and television accolades, Lowden cites theatre as his first love, having spent much of his early career on stage (including a memorable performance in the National Theatre Of Scotland’s production of Black Watch). But The Fifth Step in particular is cause for excitement. Growing up in the Scottish Borders, and living in Edinburgh for a number of years, he has been a regular visitor to the city’s festivals. But this will be his first time there as a performer. ‘I’ve never done anything at either the Fringe or the International Festival,’ says Lowden. ‘But I’ve gone to them since I was very young, so August has always been associated with standing about in beer gardens and running between things. So to be in a play is kind of bizarre, and I’m really excited that I’m doing it in a year when Nicola Benedetti is running the whole shebang. I love that it’s somebody of her age doing it; it just feels a lot more urgent and fun. She’s a phenomenal ambassador for the arts in this country, so it’s a big honour to be there.’

The Fifth Step, Lyceum Theatre, 21–25 August, times vary.

JACK LOWDEN

BEHIND THE MASK

Nina Conti is having a proper family affair at this year’s Fringe. As well as performing a new live hour and launching her directorial debut at the Film Festival, her partner and mother both have shows in Edinburgh. The acclaimed ventriloquist talks to James Mottram about monkey business, on-set chemistry and turning it up to 11 with Spinal Tap

I‘can die now!’ laughs Nina Conti, reflecting on how she’s come full circle in Edinburgh terms. Over 20 years ago, the virtuoso ventriloquist appeared in a Fringe play, Finding Bin Laden. Now the BAFTA nominee is back with her latest stage show, Whose Face Is It Anyway?. Moreover, she’s premiering her directorial debut Sunlight, in which she co-stars with her co-writer (and partner) Shenoah Allen, at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. If that wasn’t enough, Allen is bringing his stand-up act to the Fringe while her mother, Kara Wilson, is performing a one-woman show, Beryl Cook: A Private View. ‘Her first Fringe, aged 80!’ Conti exclaims. ‘We’re like the von Trapps!’ In Sunlight, Conti plays Jane, a woman who flees a toxic relationship and meets the suicidal Roy (Allen). While they go on the road together, Jane hides away in a monkey costume: a nod, of course, to Conti’s own ventriloquist act and her straight-talking ‘Monkey’ character. ‘It’s quite personal actually, to me,’ she explains over Zoom. ‘The desire to hide is me. In tougher times for sure . . . the entrance into an alternative persona is a great unburdening and that’s what I’ve done, to an extent, all my life. I’ve kept Nina alive alongside Monkey, which is a much truer version of myself.’

With Conti remarkably directing her film from inside the monkey suit (‘it focuses the mind incredibly’), life also imitated art as she fell for her costar. ‘I was acting with Shenoah, but I was very quickly falling in love with

him from deep inside this suit, thinking this is the most unusual seduction I’ve ever done! It might just work: who knows!? There was a chemistry. I mean, there was a chemistry with the monkey and Shenoah. Never mind me and Shenoah! So I can relate. Would it be the same if it was just me? Probably not.’

Sunlight is also executive produced by the legendary comic actor Christopher Guest, who first cast Conti in his film For Your Consideration ‘I called him and asked “would you help me?”’ she reveals. ‘Because I hadn’t done it before and I was quite scared. And he’s such a steady pair of hands. He was really, really grounding. Every time I called him . . . I was in a panic. Because it was a road movie . . . you had to shoot everything in a car, and that’s so limiting. Especially on a tight budget. He was just like “drive! Film it.”’

Since Sunlight, Conti has won a small part in the long-awaited sequel to the classic ‘mockumentary’ This Is Spinal Tap, in which Guest will reprise his role as heavy-metal guitarist Nigel Tufnel alongside his fellow Tap bandmates. ‘It slayed me,’ she says. ‘I didn’t know what to do when I saw them in their wigs. I was just like “oh, that’s them. They’re there! They’re alive!” I mean, funny as hell; between takes, just milling around in those wigs, getting a coffee or something, or having a serious conversation with someone. I wanted to take pictures of them all the time.’

As for Conti’s Fringe show, Whose Face Is It Anyway?, it comes after her hugely successful The Dating Show, which paired off audience members. How will it differ? ‘I hope it’s better. I mean, I think it is.’ Originally, she planned a show around the topic of family. ‘I thought “I’ll do families because they have fascinating dynamics”. But families have all kinds of horrible pain! I did a preview about families, and then thought “I’ve got to leave everybody’s family out of this.”’

In this latest show, Conti will invite audience members onstage and put masks on their faces before launching into her hilarious ventriloquism, using them as conduits to speak through. I wonder if she’s ever had any unwilling participants. ‘God forbid . . . I’m so scared of that,’ she gulps. ‘Anyone who looks like they might not have a good time are not coming up anywhere near it . . . I really don’t want to get anybody up who is unwilling.’

On ventriloquism, why does Conti think it isn’t anywhere near as popular on TV now as it was in the days of Keith Harris and Ray Alan? ‘Well, it’s not very cool, I suppose. And often the people who are drawn to doing comedy or doing stand-up are people who are very funny in their own right, and don’t need that sort of thing. I needed it. Once I picked it up, I thought “oh, this is for me”. And it’s been the right pen in my hand all this time.’

Despite being the daughter of Wilson and iconic actor Tom Conti, she’s never been totally in sync with traditional acting. ‘I was comfortable in weird pieces, like Ken Campbell’s The Warp, which was 24-hours long,’ she explains. It was the late actor, writer and experimental-theatre guru who convinced Conti that ventriloquism was her calling and wrote her a halfhour show. ‘And then I just never looked back. It was so different to be able to write your own stuff as well and put on your own gigs and not wait for someone to give you a job. I’ve always been very bad at getting jobs.’ Unlike her family, it seems. Not only did Conti’s father recently appear in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winner Oppenheimer, playing the key role of Albert Einstein, but her son Arthur now has a role in Tim Burton’s sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which opens the Venice Film Festival this month. ‘It’s quite incredible, really,’ she marvels. ‘It’s a big movie. The lunch budget on that movie would have paid for our film.’ Seems like the Contis really are the modern-day von Trapps.

Nina Conti: Whose Face Is It Anyway?, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 7.30pm; Sunlight, 17–20 August, venues and times vary; Shenoah Allen: Bloodlust Summertime, Just The Tonic At The Caves, until 25 August, 7.45pm; Beryl Cook: A Private View, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 2.05pm.

PICTURE: CHERRITA THAO

PICTURE: MASON

MCDONALD

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I’m stuck in the hellscape of my own personality ” “

Since taking home the Fringe’s top comedy prize six years ago, Rose Matafeo certainly hasn’t rested on any laurels. The Kiwi quadruple threat (actor, director, stand-up, presenter) and creator of Starstruck talks to Claire Sawers about weighing out coffee, Buddhist podcasts and playing a teenager

Rose Matafeo once described the Edinburgh Festival as ‘a mind palace of slightly traumatic memories’, having performed to only one person at an early Fringe show. It’s not all nightmarish flashbacks though; in 2018, the New Zealand-born comedian won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for her stand-up hour Horndog

‘I was not prepared,’ she cringes from underneath a high ponytail of corkscrew curls, smiling through her swig of Berocca. She was out the previous night at London’s Moth Club watching American sketch group Simple Town and we’re Zooming before she’s even had time to get her weighing scales out to make a proper coffee. ‘I’ve practiced winning Oscars

since I was a kid but in no way did I believe that would happen. Worst acceptance speech of all time. I forgot to mention any producers. Steve Coogan handed me the award. I was very overwhelmed.’

Horndog, her ebullient hour about straight women’s struggles, sacking her therapist, and obsessing over exes was turned into an HBO TV special just at the point where Matafeo announced she’d be taking ‘a break from hour-long comedy’. She’s certainly not been idle since: in fact, it took three months for me to pin her down for a chat. She’s been busy directing (sitcom Golden Boy), acting (comedy film Baby Done, executive produced by Taika Waititi) and presenting (on game shows Pointless and upcoming Junior Taskmaster). Perhaps

most notably, she created the screwball millennial TV show Starstruck, where she starred over three series as Hackney housemate Jessie, the on/off girlfriend to a movie star. She now returns to the Fringe, where she could throw a rock and probably hit a colleague from the talented Starstruck team. Her co-writers Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson, her co-star and former flatmate Emma Sidi, plus Al Roberts (aka Ian) are all performing and she plans to arrive early to catch shows. ‘I should make a Starstruck bingo card! It used to be shameful how few shows I saw because I was so in my head about my own one. I’ve got a lot better at that. Now I see it as a strange opportunity to squander, being at the most incredible arts and comedy festival in the world.’

Matafeo describes her new show On And On And On as ‘a mishmash of joke ideas and heartfelt, embarrassing things that I chucked into the Notes app on my phone and printed out.’ Unlike previous hours, she set herself the creative challenge of using no screens, music or tech and focusing on simple stand-up. ‘I don’t keep a diary but this is the closest version I have to one. I’ve written more than ten hour-long shows now; it’s funny to look back on what you want at that point in your life. You’ve got these really interesting timestamps of yourself and your personality. To look back through them can be quite confronting but quite sweet sometimes.’

As a self-confessed overthinker, is she feeling less nervous than previous years? ‘No, no, still an absolute mess,’ she deadpans, before correcting herself, laughing and eye-rolling through a runaway, wise, witty stream of consciousness. ‘Oh god, I can’t believe I just called myself a mess. Unfortunately, I’m stuck in the hellscape of my own personality. I think nerves don’t go away so long as you’re striving to make it good. It’s always the hours between coming off stage and going to sleep; they are the only hours of peace I have to not think about doing the show. I went through a big phase of listening to Buddhist podcasts over the past few years. But my approach to inner peace is completely antithetical to the process. I’m like [claps hands together] “OK! I need a checklist, let’s get this done!’”

She explains how she compartmentalises her personality to allow for work phases where she is ‘very ordered, structured, focused and on it’, but also ‘ignoring aspects of your personal life or not cooking yourself dinner for six weeks and eating noodles’. The very productive last few years have included stand-up appearances on US TV shows including Conan, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and The Kelly Clarkson Show and starring as the voice of Loto in Disney’s Moana 2, out later this year. ‘Yeah that was random! And crazy. I’m playing a teenager. I’ve got quite a low voice but they didn’t ask me to change it, which surprised me. Loto is me, with ramped-up neuroses and enthusiasm. They didn’t ask me to ramp up my New Zealand accent either which is perhaps progress for New Zealand representation.’

As a half Samoan, quarter Croatian, quarter Scottish artist (her family emigrated from Lesmahagow to be farmers in New Zealand), Matafeo has moved a lot between Oceania, England, Scotland and America for work, which has clearly added to her international appeal. ‘I’ve lived in London for eight years now, slightly by accident but definitely by choice too. I’m not continually applying for a visa in my sleep, am I? Maybe the secret ideal back-up plan would be to have New Zealand citizenship. But I have absolutely no game plan.’

Now aged 32, On And On And On touches on those ‘freakout, massive crossroads’ moments where you can pause and figure out what you’ve been conditioned to want versus what you actually want. ‘It’s a little bit what the last series of Starstruck talked about. Annoyingly, I’m experiencing it. A lot of people are having babies and I’m spending far too much time on Instagram reading about amazing women throughout history who never had babies. I have no interest in having children. I like saying that. It’s empowering. I’m fully into keeping moving forward, growing up, weighing out my coffee, learning how to paint an undercoat in my house. It’s scary and it’s exciting.’

Rose Matafeo: On And On And On, Pleasance Courtyard, 9–25 August, 5.30pm.

SCOTLAND

This Innis & Gunn Lager’s for celebrating the great things that make Scotland, Scotland.

It’s for passion, pints and punching above our weight. For inventing inventions, Grand Slam wins and that glorious 64TH minute top corner at the Parc de Princes.

It’s for rolling out the BBQ at 14°C, our one day of summer and a lifetime of pride in where we’re from.

It’s for the pubs and people we love. But most of all, Scotland, this pint’s for you.

SCOTLAND’S PREMIUM LAGER

The inherited trauma we have to grapple with is tough ” “

A celebration of AfroFuturism and black artistry, Irenosen Okojie’s Black To The Future festival is coming to Edinburgh for a special edition. The author tells Alekia Gill that while the trauma of racism is all too real, there also needs to be a focus on inspiring figures to rally around

It is Irenosen Okojie’s ability to criss-cross past and present that leads her towards Black To The Future, a forward-thinking discussion of how black artistry, ancestry and tradition can lead the way to a better future. The event explores the AfroFuturist movement, looking at diasporic stories through the lens of science and technology. For Okojie, whose writing journey began with a successful short-story collection, Afro-Futurism manifests in the interrogation of the world around her, visible in the speculative fiction she produces. ‘You can’t really look at the future without looking at the past,’ she says, citing CJ Obasi’s 2023 film, Mami Wata, as one example of the form. The concept filters into all aspects of culture, pioneered by the likes of Sun Ra, Samuel R Delany and Octavia Butler, whose 1993 novel Parable Of The Sower is set in a post-apocalyptic 2024.

Tracing movements like this, Okojie says, is ‘almost like catching a fire. Once it starts to happen, it begins to spread. Hopefully that will carry on, and we can continue to have artists creating these incredible worlds and commenting on the worlds that we’re experiencing now, the ones that feel interesting and charged and relevant.’ Okojie’s writing sparks with this energy, spanning time and space and revealing innate connections between characters.

Her most recent novel, Curandera, bonds four individuals living in present-day London with one woman traversing 17th-century Gethsemane alone, causing supernatural disruption in the town where she settles. Looking at African and indigenous spirituality through shamanism, Curandera causes reality to shift before our eyes in kaleidoscopic ways (her other publications include 2019 short-story collection Nudibranch and 2016 novel Butterfly Fish).

Okojie’s ability to weave entire worlds into the span of a single sentence, macroscopic concepts into microscopic actions, is a

testament to her imaginative prowess. Through dense metaphorical description, she brings small moments into significance, running the past parallel to the present and looking to the future in the same way.

How can we hope for a better future when the past seems tainted with hardship? Okojie aims to shine a light on hidden histories rather than the common narratives. ‘Racism does exist and it’s a regular, painful thing that black people and people of colour have to deal with and negotiate constantly,’ she says. ‘The inherited trauma that we have to grapple with is really tough, so it’s definitely important to have the conversation, but it can’t be the only conversation. We have to look at all the parts of black histories: the kings, the goddesses, the warriors, the activists, community leaders, the people who galvanise others.’

Octavia Butler is ‘the mother’ of Afro-Futurism, according to Okojie, who describes her as ‘not just a writer but an incredible thinker . . . but it goes beyond her, reaching right back into the past when we think about black inventors. Why aren’t we taught about them in school, college or university?’ Black To The Future serves to disrupt the systems that keep these histories concealed. This should lead us, Okojie hopes, to ‘a more egalitarian future for all of us, as those voices who struggle to be seen and to be heard deserve platforms’. Through writing woven through with world-bending magic, she allows her characters to move as one; as companions with the universe. This magic equals power, honouring lost voices and, for Okojie, ‘celebrating what’s possible’.

Black To The Future, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 11 August, 9pm; Irenosen Okojie takes part in other events on 11 August, 10.15am, 5.30pm, and 12 August, 4pm.

HAMMER

Power tools and circus skills: what could go wrong?

Even for those of us old enough to remember when French circus icons Archaos juggled chainsaws at the Fringe in the 90s (ah, those pre-health and safety days), at first glance DIY and acrobatics don’t seem the likeliest of bedfellows. But for the trio of Michael Zandl, David Eisele and Kolja Huneck, the similarities began to reveal themselves while they were still training together at circus school.

‘We were working a lot on our own scenography and props,’ says Huneck over Zoom from Germany, where two thirds of the troupe are based (Zandl lives in Austria). ‘We built our own gadgets and special effects. And then it was Michael Zandl who said that it was such an interesting topic: to have a vision, then draw something, going to a DIY shop, making a prototype, being frustrated, you miss

one screw and you have to start again: this kind of process.’ The parallels with learning a new circus skill suddenly became plain. Huneck is clear they are all circus artists first, woodworkers and set-builders second. None of the three learned to juggle hammers at circus school. But gradually as they worked on both their set-making skills and exploring the mysteries of woodwork, they began to get a feel for how they could blend circus with the different techniques they were using in the workshop. The result was, as Huneck puts it, like creating their own ‘vocabulary’.

Sawdust Symphony, part of this year’s Made In Germany Fringe showcase, is a wordless performance, weaving together three different storylines, all rooted in woodwork with a healthy dose of Germanic absurdity. ‘My character gets quite obsessed with the feeling and the smell and the touch of things,’ says Huneck. ‘I think everybody knows this feeling, when you have sawdust and you like

TIME

Mixing live wood-lathing, circus skills, ASMR sounds and a sprinkling of magic, the trio creating Sawdust Symphony promise a show like no other. Lucy Ribchester catches up with performer Kolja Huneck to work through the pleasures and frustrations of DIY

the smell but still it’s itchy, and you throw it away, but actually it’s too sad not to play with it.’ He wanted to explore the relatable side of DIY, from its textures to its frustrations. ‘I think everybody has had a hammer and a nail in their hands before.’

The piece does have its practical challenges. As a show that features live wood-lathing, abundant wood glue and a snowstorm of sawdust, there have been various logistics to consider, such as sourcing the wood (they gather it from fallen branches where possible). The sawdust is recycled for each show and has to be thoroughly treated to be fire retardant.

Usually they sell the pieces they make during the show afterwards, but because of the Fringe’s tight turnarounds, having a merch table was out of the question (they are currently investigating ways to sell them via social media). Another consideration was the soundtrack, which had to integrate with the sounds of tools and lathing. The

company used two separate composers to create three different ‘sound universes’; one per character, ranging from acoustic guitar to ASMR-style sounds (‘kind of highlighting the crispiness of sawdust and the glue’s sliminess,’ says Huneck), to recordings of power drills and nails.

‘A lot of the reactions we get are that people don’t know how to put the show in a box, or how to describe it,’ Huneck says. ‘It’s a mix of circus, physical theatre and dance that they’ve never seen before; also we’re working with special effects and magic.’ He clarifies that when he says ‘magic’ he doesn’t mean tricks so much as unexplained happenings woven into the piece. In a show where objects materialise from branches live onstage, and power tools become music, it seems anything could happen.

Sawdust Symphony, Zoo Southside, 13–25 August, 10am.

MATTHEW HYNDMAN

This Edinburgh-based activist and artist has named his EAF exhibition Upended, perhaps for two reasons. Clearly, the figure in this image is literally upended in its pose but the show itself seeks to upend our sense of what a landscape should look like. In an era when some local communities are rising up against a relentless wave of tourists, it might be time to look afresh at our great outdoors. (Brian Donaldson)

n Bard, 9–25 August.

INSPIRED CARPETS

Flannery O’kafka brings us a photography and film exhibition which explores complex and often difficult family histories. This Glasgow-based American artist tells Neil Cooper how the colour blue and floor surfaces came together in a show which reclaims ‘weird stuff’

When Flannery O’kafka learned that the shopfront space which houses Sierra Metro gallery used to be a carpet shop, something clicked with her ongoing ideas for a proposed Art Festival exhibition. The result is For Willy Love And Booker T: Blue Babies Do Whatever They Want O’kafka’s show mixes photography and film installation as part of a deeply personal exploration about family albums, offering sanctuary and safety to adoptees like her in this most playful of spaces.

‘It began when a friend of mine sent me this film of her baby with a blanket on her head,’ O’kafka explains. ‘My friend sent me a message saying I’d love it, and how her baby had been doing this for 20 minutes. In the film, there’s a blue carpet; I’ve always wanted to carpet a space because there’s a different feeling when you walk into a space with a different surface. The carpet in my bedroom as a child was light blue. The baby in the film is wearing all blue. The ceiling in my studio is blue. Then discovering Sierra Metro used to be a carpet shop (and was light blue) all seemed to connect.’

O’kafka recorded herself singing what she calls ‘an improvised hymn’ which her partner had sung during moments when her autism and neurodivergency led to feelings of distress; this forms the film’s soundtrack. Other works in the exhibition (which O’kafka calls ‘a

remix’ of previous work) include a series of riso prints featuring a photograph of one Palestinian mother holding her baby, with an angry sibling standing next to them. ‘There’s a soft defiance in the show,’ says O’kafka. ‘A space for the Motherfather to be elevated; not in hierarchy, but into a place that offers and accepts collective care and collective liberation. It’s all a reclamation of doing weird stuff because we want to.’

The show’s title stems from a meeting O’kafka had several years ago with her birth mother who, as a teenager in Ohio, had given O’kafka up for adoption. Willy Love is the name of her great grandfather, and Booker T her great uncle; these names became conflated with two other babies born to other mothers in the maternity home with O’kafka’s mother.

Although those babies never survived, ‘they deserved to live and to have safe soft spaces and to party a little, too,’ says O’kafka. While a sense of intimacy prevails in O’kafka’s work, fun also exists throughout. ‘There’s a lying down space and a sitting space,’ she says. ‘And there’s a gift shop . . . ’

Flannery O’kafka: For Willy Love And Booker T – Blue Babies Do Whatever They Want, Sierra Metro, 10 August–15 September.

GEOFF

GROUP SHOW HOME llll l

This group show exhibits still lifes, portraiture and built landscapes, each a unique depiction of the destruction of both human life and buildings, serving as a stark reminder of the continued brutality of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The exhibition’s layout, and the way the photographs have been hung or pinned on walls, transmits a tranquillity and domestic feel that juxtaposes the heartbreaking imagery.

To heighten the emotional impact of these photographs, this touring exhibition features specially commissioned poems by the likes of Jackie Kay about the connection between home and identity. Rather than infringing on the space for Ukrainian voices, these responses by prominent UK poets politicise the exhibition even further by prompting readers to consider the possibility of their own displacement in the face of conflict.

Home was first commissioned to coincide with Eurovision 2023, but as it tours across UK cities, it gains added layers of meaning. Igor Chekachkov’s series ‘Daily Lives Of The Displaced’ (2024) captures refugees sharing cramped living space with their host families in Edinburgh. The birds-eye view emphasises the sombre mood, possibly taken just a stone’s throw away from Stills. (Rachel Ashenden)

n Stills, until 5 October.

MOYNA FLANNIGAN SPACE SHUFFLE llll l

Space is very much the place in this new body of work by Moyna Flannigan, housed in Collective’s City Dome. ‘Looking For Pluto’ is a multi-panelled frieze that sees a gaggle of women with Jackiemagazine eyes and Mean Girls attitudes process through history, mobile phones at the ready as they fall in behind a larger monumental figure. As time and space collide, this looks like an animation-in-waiting culled from some 1970s rad-fem SF comic book.

Space Shuffle’s title piece is an array of cut-out shapes balanced on plinths or else hanging from the cosmos held by wires in what looks like a fragile film-set for some stop-motion fantasia. Images of aeroplanes and horses adorn both works, as they do in the collages from Flannigan’s ‘Cosmic Traces’ series, in which more solitary figures gaze up at the planets beyond, every one a star. (Neil Cooper)

n Collective, until 15 September.

EL ANATSUI SCOTTISH MISSION BOOK DEPOT KETA lll ll

Ghanaian artist El Anatsui highlights a changing relationship in an exhibition moulded by a lifetime of labour. His vast array of artwork explores shared history, reflected in the environment, as pieces reside inside the sphere of a 16th-century institution. Throughout, there are three forms: the foremost are iconic hanging metal sculptures created with found objects (primarily aluminium bottle caps) handcrafted to become exquisitely draped, breathtakingly delicate and reminiscent of traditional cloth.

The metals represent the trade of alcohol which was exchanged first for gold and then for people during the slave trade. Continuing the connection further, ‘Scottish Mission Book Depot Keta’ is an awe-inspiring 13-metre sculpture which highlights Anatsui’s own experience of colonialism, representing art materials he accessed while growing up in a Scottish mission home. The second form of wooden sculptures are made via destruction, sawn and ripped like communities under Western imperial powers. Anatsui inscribes African symbolism onto these sculptures too, showing a propensity toward hopefulness that runs throughout his work.

The last form pushes us even further toward progress as metals are rubbed, 3D scanned and printed to make radiating orbs and golden landscapes. Indeed, all of his work includes elements of change. Anatsui encourages custodians to display sculptures in new ways, offering fresh vision. It is also well worth a wander into the quad to see the magnificent ‘TSIATSIA: Searching For Connection’, which modernises a building created by the empire, and asks the audience to change their view alongside it. (Rachel Morrell) n Talbot Rice Gallery, until 29 September.

ART HIGHLIGHTS

RORY DIXON

The artist also known as DJ Dynamite brings us his wild and flamboyant artwork and asks ‘what is style’?

 Sett Studios, 11–14 August.

RENÈE HELÈNA BROWNE

A new film installation entitled Sanctus! explores faith, death and the afterlife, often seen through the eyes of a mother and child.

 City Art Centre, 9–25 August.

WOMEN IN REVOLT!

‘Art And Activism In The UK 1970–1990’ is put under the spotlight with work by the likes of Gina Birch, Sutapa Biswas and Linder (pictured).

 National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two, until 26 January.

OPENING PROVOCATION

A day of discussions, readings and film include work by the likes of Matilda Bull (pictured), Haven For Artists and Diline Abushaban.

 Edinburgh College Of Art, 11 August.

JAN

PIMBLETT

Hybrid is a new commission which gathers up curiosities, totems and relics with the aim of making the viewer feel some odd sensations.

 City Art Centre, until 6 October.

WHERE WE STAND

Stopping off at various locations across Edinburgh, this exhibition tells the story of community ownership pioneers.

 Travelling Gallery, 10, 14 & 15 August.

MELE BROOMES

In Through Warm Temperatures, conversation reconnects with nature featuring live melodies and choreography

 Custom Lane, 9 August.

BOOKS

LEMN SISSAY

What are you doing when dawn breaks every morning? Snoozing and snoring most likely. For the past decade, Lemn Sissay has composed a short poem every single day as the world around him rises from its own dark slumbers, collecting them all up in Let The Light Pour In. Admirers from Fearne Cotton to Jackie Kay have lauded this book while actor Paterson Joseph insists that it sealed Sissay’s reputation as a ‘national treasure’. (Brian Donaldson) n Edinburgh Futures Institute, 11 August, 10.30am.

PICTURE: HAMISH BROWN

Under pressure

As part of The Stress Test, Ella Frears has been whipping up poems against the clock. Eve Connor hears from the lauded writer about keeping that creative muscle flexed

lla Frears is unsure why she was drawn to poetry, though she admits that its union of ‘music and space and language’ simply ‘clicked’ for her. Even while studying visual art at Falmouth University, she found herself unable to escape the lure of language. Fast forward to 2020, Frears’ debut collection Shine, Darling was shortlisted for the TS Eliot and the Forward Prize. Many of the poems within were commissions or written as part of residencies.

Collaborations with Tate St Ives allowed Frears to infuse a passion for art within her poetry, while her role as Royal Holloway University physics department’s poet-in-residence challenged her to incorporate themes that she may never have explored otherwise. Spanning topics such as ‘moss, a spacecraft, an exhibition of modernist artwork, and a public bus route in Southampton’, Frears aims to be fully responsive. ‘I like what happened to my poetic voice when it was forced to think about something it wouldn’t have otherwise thought about,’ she notes, crediting this approach for keeping her work varied and fresh.

Frears’ involvement in Soho Radio’s Stress Test further ensures that her voice never becomes staid, by pushing the craft of poetic composition to its extreme. Conceived as a radio show three years ago, Frears joined The Stress as Joe Dunthorne’s co-host. For each episode, the presenters and a special guest are asked to whip up a poem responding to a set topic in a mere 15 minutes. You may be forgiven for believing that a knack for poetry is inherent (you either get it instantly or you don’t) and if not, then it remains forever impenetrable and befuddling.

University physics department’s poet-in-residence challenged to route responsive. about thought by craft years Test as a guest to minutes. get people and show worst is

Frears herself acknowledges that ‘we’re often taught there’s something missing in poetry; like a poem is full of hidden codes that we’re failing to crack.’ Thankfully, The Stress Test does much to demystify this notion. Primarily, it encourages people to engage with poetry aurally, to hear its rhythm and cadence and appreciate its musicality. But Frears also emphasises that the show is about ‘sharing in the failures’. Writing requires practice, experimentation and dedication. Not every idea is a winning one: ‘accepting your worst writing publicly is really liberating,’ insists Frears.

The same opportunity to experiment, embrace failure and Belle And

Frears hopes to capture ‘some of the most beautiful, surprising and

The same opportunity to experiment, embrace failure and perhaps even stumble upon a nugget of poetic brilliance is being extended to the public this August. Dunthorne and Frears plus Belle And Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch will write music and poetry under time constraints with the participation of a live audience. By engaging with poetic novices as well as professionals, Frears hopes to capture ‘some of the most beautiful, surprising and profound moments’ of the creative process.

Ella Frears & Holly Pester, 11 August, noon; Ella Frears & Joe Dunthorne, 12 August, 6pm; both events at Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Top 5

books about music

Acclaimed author of Under The Skin and The Fire Gospel, Michel Faber recently published Listen: On Music, Sound And Us, a non-fiction exploration into how and why we listen to music. Here he tells us about a quintet of music tomes which remain at the top of his reading charts

Last month I paid an eBay seller in the USA a hefty sum to send me a book I once owned and lost: Today’s Sound, a collection of Melody Maker interviews with David Bowie, Miles Davis, Yoko Ono, Slade and many more notables of 1973. Elton John has lush curly hair, Brian Wilson isn’t mad, ‘just shy’, and Bob Marley is ‘potentially a giant figure’. Other books I count as favourites are Songs They Never Play On The Radio, James Young’s unsparing yet oddly tender memoir about touring with Nico during her heroinenslaved latter years, and David Keenan’s England’s Hidden Reverse, which delves into the alchemical wonderland of Coil, Current 93 and Nurse With Wound.

David Toop’s Ocean Of Sound, for which I was privileged to write a new introduction a few years ago, remains a classic meditation on those beautiful noises that elude conventional structure. I’ve read dozens of books about The Beatles and regularly revisit tomes like

Ian MacDonald’s Revolution In The Head and Mark Lewisohn’s Complete Beatles Recording Sessions to check facts. But scholarship is one thing and affection is another. As the decades go by, I grow fonder and fonder of a tattered little hardback called Love Letters To The Beatles, published in 1964 and selected from the sackfuls of missives sent across the sea by hormonal American children.

Margaret from Pittsburgh asks John if ‘very plump’ girls with braces and freckles ‘stand a chance’. Karen from Massachusetts itemises the $24.79 she’s spent on Beatles merchandise and concludes ‘I adore you. Take my heart. It is all I have left.’

An only child in Denver muses ‘a lot of lonely kids feel like me’. Sweet, unguarded and occasionally pathetic (one girl begs for a bristle from Ringo’s toothbrush), these letters go to the heart of infatuation.

n Michel Faber, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 14 August, 10.45am.

PROFILE

RF KUANG

To say RF Kuang has a way with words is an understatement as vast as her fanbase. From entertaining linguistically-minded fantasy readers with Babel to manifesting a grim look at an unquenchable thirst for success in Yellowface, the US author skillfully weaves escapism with the uncomfortably dark side of human nature.

Penning her first book, The Poppy War, at the age of 19, Kuang has since become a New York Times bestselling author, won a myriad of awards, completed masters degrees at Oxford and Cambridge, and is now on her way to a doctorate at Yale; all while writing new novels. But how does she do it? For those attending her Edinburgh events, it might be time to find out.

Kuang will no doubt provide a glimpse into her own drive to succeed during her solo festival event in which the inspiration behind Yellowface’s cut-throat protagonist June (who will do just about anything to become a novelist), will be revealed. Those curious to discover what lies ahead for Kuang’s fiction will also have a chance to catch her with fellow author Samantha Shannon in an event titled ‘The Future Of Fantasy’ as well as appearing with Anton Hur and Emily Wilson to explore translation in literature. As Kuang discusses her love of the genre and its evolution, there will surely be captivating concepts to come. (Rachel Morrell) n RF Kuang with Anton Hur & Emily Wilson, 13 August, 7.45pm; RF Kuang & Samantha Shannon, 14 August, 8.30pm; RF Kuang, 15 August, 7.30pm; all events at Edinburgh Futures Institute.

JESS PHILLIPS

Now the new parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Home Office, the Midlands MP no doubt thought she’d be chatting here about life as an opposition politician. That all changed on 4 July. n 11 August, 12.15pm.

ELIF SHAFAK

Chaired by ex-EIBF boss Nick Barley, the Booker nominee will talk about her new novel There Are Rivers In The Sky, which is all about memory, hurt and healing. n 10 August, 7.30pm.

DOLLY ALDERTON

In conversation with Yomi Adegoke, this self-confessed ‘over-sharer’ will discuss class, comedy and heartbreak. n McEwan Hall, 14 August, 3.30pm.

CALEB FEMI

A Forward poetry prize winner, Femi is in town to discuss The Wickedest, a new collection which revolves around a legendary monthly house party. n 12 August, 7.30pm.

BOOKS HIGHLIGHTS

SARAH PERRY

Author of The Essex Serpent, the Booker longlisted writer is here to wonder whether reason and faith can co-exist. Richard Holloway, who knows plenty about such things, chairs the event. n 12 August, noon.

TOMMY ORANGE

As a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, Orange’s writing digs into the breadth of Native American lives as witnessed in his debut novel There There n 14 August, 12.30pm.

JEREMY LEE

The Dundee-born chef is now boss of the Soho establishment Quo Vadis and will regale one and all with tales of cooking and ingredients. n 12 August, 10.30am.

CABARET

THE BOUDOIR

Zoe Promiscuous drags you through her ups and downs with men, lip synching all the way while accompanied by Bobbie Derrière in this raucous affair featuring one hour of pain, grief, tears and, thank heavens, laughter. Self-dubbed as ‘Norwich’s queen of glamour’ and inspired by Liza Minnelli and Eartha Kitt, Little Miss Promiscuous is here to spread a message of love. And just for the record, her ideal brunch is a Bloody Mary followed by a mimosa. It’s thirsty work being a top drag act. (Brian Donaldson) n C aquila, until 11 August, 9.05pm.

MARNY GODDEN & TOM TURNER FANCY RAT ll lll

Spend a day at the Fringe and you'll soon realise just how difficult it is to get an audience through the door. Having a great title can be half the battle; but attend a show where the title makes up 50% of the appeal and you’ll discover that this is potentially a fight you’re on the losing side of. Such is the case with Fancy Rat, a comedy cabaret show in which a rodent must bring laughter back to London after it’s banned by a queen whose own attempts at humour are fruitless.

The message of the show is an admirable one: promoting the importance of laughter. But where it fails is in its inability to capture this very spirit. Unlike the queen, the crowd is granted a few laughs throughout. That said, their sparse nature, as well as the fact that they rarely surpass a chuckle, may leave you feeling like the very character you’re supposed to root against. Lazy jokes, lame songs and a lack of consistency make Fancy Rat a show with a great title and a good message but very little else. (Mark Carnochan) n Hoots @ Potterrow, until 11 August, 7.30pm.

ACCORDION RYAN ACCORDION RYAN’S POP BANGERS lll ll

Taking a ‘does what it says on the tin’ approach to the Fringe, Accordion Ryan’s Pop Bangers is (you guessed it) a compendium of chart-topping hits played by a buoyant Accordion Ryan. Unlike ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic (who Ryan, with his long curly hair, bears more than a passing resemblance to), these aren’t parodies, but faithful covers delivered with panache.

Lest this hour of Rihanna, Queen and others becomes a hostage situation between a busker and his crowd, Ryan deftly fosters an excitable sense of togetherness, turning his one-man show into a singalong with an endless supply of positive vibes. There’s a bundle of fun to be had here and this accordion whizz’s indefatigable enthusiasm and love of booty-shaking could coax even the pop-ambivalent to dance. Despite more subdued moments (Ryan’s surprisingly earnest self-penned tunes don’t hit the mark after a barnstorming rendition of ‘Umbrella’), this is an uncomplicated delight. (Kevin Fullerton) n Laughing Horse @ 32 Below, until 25 August, 10pm.

BEN HART HEX lll ll

It’s easy to give in to snobbery and think of magic as amateurish or otherwise to spend a whole show looking to spot mistakes. Ben Hart begins his new hour, HeX, by asking us to reconnect with our innate sense of childlike wonder. He reminds us that we can let ourselves be awed by magic. It’s a great start to an entertaining show.

While HeX largely follows the beaten path of stage magic, putting slight twists on familiar tricks, it does deliver a few gasp-worthy illusions. A levitating table, a piece of paper turning into an egg, and a magically transported credit card are just a few things audiences can expect to witness. The most impressive trick, in my rather biased opinion having by chance been invited onstage to help perform it, is Hart’s tooth-fairy trick. Despite standing right next to him, I still have absolutely no clue how an envelope that I was holding before revealing my name ended up containing a letter signed with, you guessed it, my full name.

Hart’s flashy, somewhat derivative style of showmanship involves regularly swelling dramatic music and talking very quickly. It does what it needs to do, but where he really shines is in his rapport with the audience. He creates an infectious feeling of fun with his jokes and banter while smoothly managing some of the mouthier audience members. Hart’s ability to make everybody feel like part of the action really brings out the sense of wonder. (Isy Santini)

n Assembly George Square Gardens, until 25 August, 6.20pm.

PICTURE: MATT CROCKETT

SIMONE MOUSSET PROJECTS

«well crafted ... supremely silly show.»

ELLIE MACPHERSON

BABE LINCOLN llll l

Few acts will have an entrance as impactful this Fringe as Ellie MacPherson did for her onewoman show Babe Lincoln. Dressed as the man himself, entering the stage on stilts and performing a rendition of Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’, MacPherson has the audience in the palm of her hand from the first minute to the very last.

Told through song and dance, MacPherson takes us through the life of Honest Abe in the guise of a one-man show written by the former president himself. From the off, it’s clear that MacPherson is a natural. Controlling the audience with ease, getting them to sing along and laugh at any given moment, you can’t help but be in awe of her as a performer.

With a great selection of songs and jokes, prepare yourself for plenty of laughs, a damn good time, and a surprisingly sincere message to cap it all off. Using the politics of Lincoln to reflect on the current state of the world, Babe Lincoln is a show that has simply come around at the right time. If laughter is the best medicine, then perhaps Ellie MacPherson can heal us all. (Mark Carnochan) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 4.35pm.

MR BRAKE DOWN DOOM AND GLITTER: A TRIBUTE TO TOM WAITS lll ll

Tom Waits may not be the most obvious reference for a drag show, but Mr Brake Down makes a convincing case for him as a queer icon in this tribute show. The first thing that becomes apparent is that Brake Down has more or less nailed the voice, going all in on the gravel-throated singer and sounding like he’s dragging each note out of the junkyard. While a surprising amount of the audience have no idea who Waits is, Brake Down does a great job in inviting us into his world and explaining why this weird blues singer was an idol for them as a young queer kid. Without a narrative, things feel slightly stilted, and a music tribute show without live instruments does always run the risk of veering into karaoke. Brake Down’s warmth keeps things right, though, and the ramshackle nature of this hour ends up befitting his idiosyncratic hero. (Sean Greenhorn) n Paradise In Augustines, until 15 August, 8.45pm.

SALTY BRINE

THESE ARE THE CONTENTS OF MY HEAD (THE ANNIE LENNOX SHOW) lllll

Salty Brine’s approach to his Living Record Collection series is to take a classic album and twist it almost beyond recognition. Despite the title, those expecting an Annie Lennox-style trip through the classic album Diva will be disappointed. But get over it pals, and open those minds, hearts and ears, because what we get instead is quite extraordinary.

Brine pulls together threads from Diva, Judy Garland’s classic live album Judy At Carnegie Hall, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (a classic American novel that’s less well-known here) and stories from his own life to weave a genre-busting cabaret high on drama and power. There’s complexity as parallels are drawn between The Awakening’s protagonist and his own mother, who both spend a seminal summer almost marooned on an island. Heavy with symbolism, you can almost feel the steam rise in New Orleans, the cold strength of a rip tide and slap of water against the tiles of the local swimming pool as Brine sings through the bars of several gilded cages.

But there are laughs too, particularly when interacting with the musical genius that is Ben Langhorst (beautifully supported by a live jazz quintet), and a gloriously camp shower scene (because that is where we sing). Brine mashes up and reinterprets at will; heavy on the power (those pipes!), there’s not a moment when he’s not in command of his stage. Then, the final thread snaps: ‘Hello Bluebird’ and ‘Mama’ interweave to become an entirely new creation, as Salty Brine breaks our collective hearts. (Jo Laidlaw) n Assembly Checkpoint, until 25 August, 9.05pm.

PICTURE: DANIEL ALBANESE

PICTURE:JAMES KLUG

GOOSE’S QUIZZES

The Fringe truly does have something for everyone including this quiz night with some tough questions to separate the wheat from the chaff (audience member-wise).

n Assembly Rooms, until 25 August, 7pm.

MOTHER NATURE

Seattle musician and comedian Bhama Roget gives us a rock comedy about how the creator of life (Ma Nature) needs to sit the planet down for a word.

n Greenside @ George Street, until 24 August, 12.50pm.

I AM YOUR TRIBUTE

Sarah-Louise Young will be a variety of singers in a show that is dubbed an ’interactive chooseyour-own-adventure’ cabaret.

n PBH’s Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms, until 25 August, 12.05pm.

SURREAL

From the land that brought us Paul the football-result-predicting octopus (he was German) comes ‘The Mind-Reading Show From Berlin’. Uri Geller is a fan. n C aquila, until 25 August, 5.50pm.

CABARET HIGHLIGHTS

1954: ELLA, ETTA, EARTHA

Quite a year it was for vocal icons with Fitzgerald, James and Kitt all in their prime. Melissa Western pays homage to these legends with songs and stories. n Paradise In Augustines, until 10 August, 6.35pm.

SARAH MCGUINNESS

After 20 years of various writing and design jobs, this Derry singer released her debut album, Unbroken, in 2018. She has never looked back and is in fine cabaret fettle this month.

n Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 26 August, 10.35pm.

SUHANI SHAH

Back again to enchant with Spellbound 2.0, India’s number one mentalist is on a mission to deceive us all. n Underbelly Bristo Square, 12–25 August, 7pm.

BROKEN PLANET

CAITLIN COOK

We’ve all had a chuckle or felt the bile rise in our throats over the kind of thing that human people write in toilet cubicles. Musical comedian Caitlin Cook decided to turn her observations into a ‘bathroom graffiti’ show, killing it on Broadway and now plunging headlong into Edinburgh. As well as her solo show (The Writing On The Stall), she’s doing a trio of near-midnight gigs with pal AJ Holmes (star of the US Book Of Mormon cast) in 2/3rds Of A Threesome (And Friends). (Brian Donaldson) n Pleasance Dome, 14–25 August, 9.50pm; Monkey Barrel, 22–24 August, 11.55pm.

COMEDY

POSTER GIRL

Amy Gledhill believes that stand-up is for losers, freaks and outsiders, yet even the comedy industry seems obsessed with beauty. Railing against such attitudes, the Yorkshire comic chats to Megan Merino about becoming braver, sitcom dreams and the joy of acting

Despite this only being her second year bringing a solo hour to Edinburgh, Hull-hailing Amy Gledhill is a remarkably decorated Fringe performer. Already twice nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award with Christopher Cantrill as comedy duo The Delightful Sausage, Gledhill was also shortlisted for Best Newcomer in 2022 with debut hour The Girl Before The Girl You Marry. Her latest stand-up show, Make Me Look Fit On The Poster, can’t help but be hotly anticipated when following in the footsteps of its critically acclaimed predecessors. But is she feeling the pressure? ‘To be honest, I feel more confident in front of an audience than I ever have,’ she says earnestly. It’s a refreshingly confident position to be in a week away from the start of a Fringe run, particularly one with the theme of self-esteem at its centre.

Written in the aftermath of a break-up, the show examines Gledhill’s relationship with beauty, self-image and self-worth. ‘It’s absolutely mad that a comedian, someone who’s literally just trying to be funny, has to even consider beauty,’ she says. ‘Growing up, comedy was for outsiders. It was for the losers, for the little freaks. But now, comedians can be beautiful and hilarious; like really top of their game and stunning. You kind of think “let us have something!”’

Of course, the irony of her show title, which is accompanied by an aptly gorgeous image of Gledhill in full glam, speaks to the seed of insecurity still sitting within her. ‘I knew that my ex would see the poster every day, so part of me was genuinely like “I’ve got to look fit on this.”’ In a similar vein to her first hour, a traditional and conversational stand-up style is Gledhill’s chosen format, a change of tone she sees as a healthy tonic to The Delightful Sausage’s more surreal humour. ‘I’m always really conscious that I want my stand-up to feel like stand-up. Then my Sausage can feel like . . . Sausage,’ she giggles. But compared to her first hour, Gledhill reckons this show is even more personal. ‘I’m challenging myself to be a bit braver and more honest. I touch on things that are uncomfortable which, in your first show, you’ve just got to try and be 100% funny 100% of the hour. Now having that under my belt, I feel there’s a few nooks and crannies that are more exposing and vulnerable.’

Make Me Look Fit On The Poster also leans into more theatrical storytelling techniques that pull on Gledhill’s acting skills, recently on display in Alma’s Not Normal, Starstruck and Sex Education. Is acting the ultimate end goal for her? ‘Acting is a joy. When you don’t have to write it and come up with it, you just turn up and read another very funny writer’s script and get all the glory. It’s so good!’

But it’s acting in combination with writing that really has her heart. ‘To write and star in your own sitcom feels so mad to even say out loud. It’s the ultimate miracle goal.’ Gledhill had a taste of this when earlier this year Channel 4 commissioned her to write Toads, a 13-minute short. ‘It was such a joy to do. I’ve got a real love for scriptwriting. A conversation is so much easier and more natural to write than one woman talking for an hour, even though that’s exactly what I do in stand-up and what I’ve just done here.’ Despite her preferences, she’s more than proven her ability to skillfully pen a monologue once. With this newfound confidence, she’ll surely do it again.

Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit On The Poster, Monkey Barrel, 13–25 August, 6.10pm.

GILDED BALLOON presents

CHRISTOPHER DONOVAN

LIAM FARRELLY

FLIPBOOK lll ll

From all the way across the M8, Glaswegian comic Liam Farrelly is all set for a successful second Fringe run. Nestled between his jokes and stories are profound and personal observations that make this down-to-earth comedian undeniably likeable as he recounts his journey to becoming a father at 21 (very old for someone from Glasgow, he insists). A few hilarious anecdotes are spread among slightly less funny ones that easily carry his audience through this autobiographical hour in which he recalls working at Pizza Hut, acquiring four (depressed) guinea pigs and fumbled interactions with posh TV producers.

His storytelling is sometimes so detailed you could forget you’re at a stand-up gig. But Farrelly is so enjoyable to listen to, it hardly matters. By the time we realise he’s not told a joke in five minutes, the comic pulls a callback out of his back pocket that wins over anyone who’s started to shuffle in their seat. It’s easy to imagine someone in a few years saying ‘oh, Liam Farrelly? I saw him before he was big’. (Rachel Cronin) n The Stand 2, until 25 August, 4.10pm.

HANNAH PLATT DEFENCE MECHANISM lll ll

While comedians do tend to be introspective types, Scouse ginger woman (her words) Hannah Platt takes self-examination to a new level. This ‘quiet person’ has recently started therapy to better understand what’s going on in her head, and she’s found a lot in there to deal with. She’s refreshingly honest about her struggles with mental health which she explores with frank humour.

A number of bad experiences with men have prompted her to start dating women and non-binary people; and it’s no wonder, as she details her numerous unpleasant dalliances with ‘scallies’ on the Manchester trams. She remembers (and sometimes deliberately misremembers) these encounters with humour but there’s also an understandable air of menace. Despite all that, this is an upbeat hour; Platt is an interesting new voice and she brings Defence Mechanism to a close with a sweetly positive ending. (Murray Robertson) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 8.10pm.

DAN TIERNAN STOMP llll l

Last year’s debut Going Under impressed with great reviews and a Best Newcomer nomination, so the pressure’s on with this year’s show, as Dan Tiernan himself notes. Stomp sees a refinement of the style he cultivated leading up to that assured debut. He keeps the manic intensity but there’s an evident increase in confidence and a general smoothing of the edges of his performance.

Tiernan begins with a lovely, silly skit involving his shirt, which sets a playful tone and continues with a fine line in self-deprecating self-awareness. Of his dyspraxia diagnosis, he notes, ‘I think there are others in there but I think she (his mum) just thought “that’ll do”.’ He also references his appearance, his low brow-line enabling his friends to get into museums free as his carer. His gout material almost feels like it writes itself, it’s delivered with such ease. Gout at 28? It’s painful and unfortunate but at least it comes with a comedic silver lining.

Elsewhere, he takes familiar topics for a man in his 20s (smoking weed, living with his flatmate, doing coke) and gives them a different, more unexpected take. There’s also a delightfully subtle Donald Trump joke, a random pondering on the man who invented the escalator and a sublime gag about how weird IPA names are getting these days. There’s little doubt that Tiernan will go far, even with gout in his toe.

(Marissa Burgess)

n Monkey Barrel, until 25 August, 9pm.

PICTURE: GILLIAN DOCHERTY

MHAIRI BLACK POLITICS ISN'T FOR ME lll ll

Mhairi Black may be finished with politics for now. But on the evidence of her debut Fringe hour, she clearly has an ongoing future in public speaking and cultural commentary. There’s a significant amount of setting her story straight in Politics Isn’t For Me and a few scores settled, though perhaps not as many as might have been hoped. The former SNP MP for Paisley And Renfrewshire South disclaims from the start about the three hotbutton individuals she won’t be discussing, though she gets a couple of passing digs in at Alex Salmond and Joanna Cherry. Witty and self-effacing, she initially plays up to the media image of herself as rough-edged, brassy and fond of a drink. Yet over the course of this show, she pushes back against the caricature and offers mitigation for her media portrayal, not helped by her brother’s mischievous online manipulation of her legend. Her account of speaking at Eton College is as amusing a fish-out-ofwater tale as it is depressing for the institution’s outsized influence on the UK by virtue of privilege.

But by far the greater part of her show is given over to the workings of the House Of Commons from her insider’s perspective, the archaic conventions and rules that, at times, are comically out of touch with efficiency and functioning democracy. All very interesting, it feeds into Black’s emerging point that the corridors of power alienate the electorate. However, this focus on process rather than personalities begins to flatline a little, with the sense that Black is playing too much close to her chest and diplomatically keeping a lot of her powder dry. (Jay Richardson) n Gilded Balloon At The Museum, until 25 August, 1.15pm.

STUART LAWS

STUART LAWS HAS TO BE JOKING? lll ll

Trauma monologues were the curious trend of last year’s Fringe, and now it’s time for neurodivergence to take the spotlight. Stuart Laws may not be leading the pack with Has To Be Joking? but his light hour on an adult diagnosis of autism acts both as an accessible primer on the subject and as a way for him to integrate this newly understood element of his personality into his routine.

Cue plenty of offbeat jokes about dating, vasectomies, open relationships and globetrotting, with the added twist of autistic coping mechanisms like stimming, masking and avoiding eye contact, flinging some extra spice onto his gentle and off-kilter wit. He’s long been an intelligent and incisive comic, although it’s easy to feel that he’s still skirting across the surface of a fresh diagnosis. Whether he’ll dig deeper in later shows remains to be seen; Laws won’t be short of laughs either way. (Kevin Fullerton) n Monkey Barrel The Hive, until 25 August, 4.45pm.

AMY ANNETTE THICK SKIN llll l

Thick Skin is about as assured a Fringe debut as you could hope for. Amy Annette’s been on the comedy scene for some time as a podcaster, producer and writer, but for a first full-length show, this is cracking stuff. A teen during the early 2000s, Thick Skin is dedicated to fellow millennials, and she joyously dissects the extraordinary things that young women had to deal with just two short decades ago. She describes herself as ‘a big gal’ and rails against Kate Moss’ infamous quote that ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ (a statement the model has since said she regrets).

Annette works with the crowd to examine female interpersonal relationships and she’s adept at spotting suitable candidates for rapport. ‘The laughter of trauma’, she repeatedly winks at a woman with whom she appears to be entirely simpatico. If you remember reading More! magazine, with its Position Of The Fortnight, then this show was written for you. But, in an increasingly misogynistic world, its feminist viewpoint feels more and more relevant. A sparkling presence on stage, and with a delightfully expressive physicality through which she brings stories to life, Annette is a bright new addition to the stand-up scene.

(Murray Robertson)

n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 4.25pm.

MICHAEL WELCH

I SHOULDN’T HAVE SAID THAT lll ll

‘Tell a fucking joke, mate.’ Michael Welch has literally just stepped onstage when he’s accosted by a large drunk man on the front row in an intimate venue. He’s impressively unfazed by this confrontation and later on he gently flatters the egos of other audience members as they decide to chip in with unsolicited non sequiturs; impressively, his diplomacy just about keeps a lid on them. From the off, Welch gets stuck into some pretty testy material. While Michael Jackson and Princess Diana might seem like old hat, he’s always armed with a contemporary twist. And, like an upbeat Mark Nelson, he’s unafraid of pushing his jokes further than many of his contemporaries would dare. He spends some time examining The Sun newspaper, focusing on its most egregiously sexist content, such as Page 3, the News In Briefs panel, and its frankly unbelievable ‘countdown clock’ that kept track of the 16th birthdays of Emma Watson and Charlotte Church.

Otherwise, this is a jumble of ideas with segues popping off in all directions. Welch concludes with a sweet engagement story which he tells with such warmth that it feels anathema to much of the preceding material. Nevertheless, I Shouldn’t Have Said That is a consistently good hour with a smattering of darkness. (Murray Robertson)

n The Stand 5, until 25 August, 9.40pm.

JACK SKIPPER

SKINT lll ll

Jack Skipper: former carpet fitter, successful TikTok celeb and bloody normal bloke. Those are the tentpoles holding up his debut Skint, which acts as a primer for the comic’s humdrum life. But really this loose series of sketches is a way for the South Londoner to flex his developing observational style around hoary ideas. With little care for slick segues, we hop from ‘airports are a bit annoying’ to ‘weren’t things different in the 90s?’ with a side-helping of ‘aren’t dads resistant to change?’ and a dollop of ‘the youth of today are weird’.

Not original, then, but Skipper is gifted with a likeable persona and flashes of effective wordplay that complement his trad style. Even with almost aggressively generic gags about nightclubs and long-term relationships, the audience is never less than on his side. He’s moving slowly from rags to riches in his personal life; hopefully his material enjoys a similar ascent. (Kevin Fullerton)

n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 8.20pm.

KATIE NORRIS FARM FATALE llll l

Farm Fatale feels like it was written after the deadline for submitting a title to the Fringe programme, which is to say there are disappointingly few jokes about tractors. Hopefully that means Katie Norris will return to mine the rich seam that is agriculture-based humour, because it’s truly the only thing lacking in this cracking solo debut hour. Pacy, tight and featuring her own original songs, there’s a true writer’s brain at work here: her callbacks, in particular, are so deft, daft and delightful that there should probably be a case study written about them.

Norris’ world teems with bad dates, her Gen-Z flatmate, well-meaning friends telling her ‘you’ll get there’ (‘there’ being ‘married’), her beloved cat and equally beloved cat-sitter, each brought to life with an actor’s attention to characterisation (her dad went to RADA; it’s in the blood). Her songs add to the air of complete ridiculousness, but her world-building is such that refrains like ‘bitch, please don’t feed my cat’ and ‘I want to be your mummy’ feel like entirely normal responses to the situations she creates.

There’s an edge here too, a sense that she likes to keep her audience just slightly unbalanced. As her final bit builds to a Hitchcockian level of histrionic melodrama (that in other hands would be simply unbearable), the realisation dawns: Norris really cannot put a foot wrong. This is a deceptively complex, laugh-outloud show that claims Katie Norris’ spot both as a true agricultural icon and one to watch. (Jo Laidlaw) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 8.30pm.

AARON NEMO

SHITTY MOZART llll l

There’s nothing about Shitty Mozart that isn’t deliberately low rent and shabby, from his dodgy Amadeus wig that looks as though it was foraged from a skip to the crude cartoons this filthy composer presents on a screen behind him. Performer Aaron Nemo revels in DIY humour, wrestling ideas from his makeshift musical instruments to provoke belly-laugh gags about bodily fluids, darkly surreal flights of fancy and bristling gross-out satire.

The premise here is both endearingly dumb and glaringly ropey, as though Nemo wrote down the words ‘Shitty Mozart’ on a sheet of paper to amuse himself and worked backwards from there. Scientists have attempted to clone Austria’s genius composer but, having used a pubic hair of Wolfgang’s for the job, they ended up with Shitty Mozart, a man whose own musical efforts resemble a disturbed child’s drug-induced nightmares. Even more wild are the music videos, sidekicks and skits that Nemo interacts with during this multimedia show, which riff on the influences of mid2000s internet subversions like Newgrounds and David Firth, a wild west of comedy happy to shock and surprise.

As he hides behind a laptop introducing a series of comic characters, unleashing bees on his audience and coaxing his crowd to chant about penetrating corpses, the gloriously puerile streak to Nemo’s humour is set alight by his wholehearted commitment to originality. As far as late-night fodder goes at the Fringe, this down-at-heel creation is an audacious wander through a weird, intelligent and original comic mind. (Kevin Fullerton) n Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 26 August, 11pm.

STEPHEN MULLAN RASCAL lll ll

Stephen Mullan grew up in Cork with an Irish evangelical preacher dad and a Latina mother from Argentina. With the kind of source material at his fingertips which such a contrast provides, Mullan was clearly destined to be a stand-up. He runs through a solid set of gags in this giddy ride, decorated with trademark voices and sound effects, expertly keeping everyone entertained in a very warm room.

But every now and then Mullan dips into more serious waters, questioning and worrying about his capacity to love. He notes that he is a single dad to a young child and begins to explore the reasons why he might have intimacy issues. Though the hour is a tight one, you can’t help but feel there’s another show fighting to get out, one that further explores that desire to hold back on love. Ironically it feels like he’s holding out on us. (Marissa Burgess) n Assembly George Square, until 25 August, 7.45pm.

MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON O llll l

Given the set-piece with which Marjolein Robertson opens her latest Fringe show, this is ironically a less messy, more structured hour than her memorable breakthrough last year, but is almost as impactful. Initially indulging the caricatures of her Shetland home as a backward but mystical place, where she and her brother allegedly participated in cannibalism and harmless games of life and death, the accomplished storytelling comic has dialled down her native folktales in the mix, only occasionally returning to seasonal parables of Sea Mither and Teran as an adjunct to her deeply personal saga.

Beginning with the bloody cycle of life she witnessed at her family farm and proceeding through her rudimentary, confusing education on menstruation as a 12-year-old, O discloses the mysterious condition Robertson suffers from, which left unchecked could have fatal consequences. Having undergone virtually every form of contraception treatment to prevent it, the body trauma has been hers since adolescence. Naturally, this plays a part in shaping her dark sense of humour.

Although the show gets bleaker and more serious, with Robertson ultimately relating her travails to the ailing health of the NHS, she’s always a vivacious, puckish comic whose quirks set her apart as a unique act. (Jay Richardson)

n Monkey Barrel The Hive, until 25 August, 5.40pm.

PICTURE: STEVE ULLATHORNE

PICTURE: REED KAVNER

review of the week

In his hotly anticipated first full-length Fringe show, Aussie comedian and writer Josh Thomas welcomes us into his home and his daily dealings with ADHD and autism. Kevin Fullerton declares Let’s Tidy Up a strong piece of work that provides a compelling and unique insight into this comic’s life and relationships

To say a buzz has surrounded Josh Thomas’ first show at the Fringe would be an understatement. Long famous in Australia (his home country) and internationally for his unique and amiable TV creation Please Like Me, he’s already proven himself as a unique voice adept at translating personal experience into universal truths.

Let’s Tidy Up manages a similar feat, taking the form of a comedy monologue in which he discusses his life and relationships as a man with both ADHD and autism. Unafraid to gesture towards theatricality, the stage he tells his story on resembles a warm and comfortable living room, setting the tone for the next 70 minutes; you’re welcomed into his home and into a warts-and-all discussion of his life.

The anti-authoritarian streak in comedy has always thrived on voices that are out of step with the norm, and that proves to be the case here. Thomas’ life with autism lies in the subtext of his desire to shirk social norms and in his inability to tidy his flat (an act which he describes as equivalent to climbing Mount Everest). The same can be said of his delivery, his vocal cadence a near unbroken rhythm of long and intricate anecdotes; and of his audience interaction, which is knowingly stilted to underscore this endearingly awkward performer’s lack of social nous.

Anchoring the already strong through-line of the show is Thomas’ relationship with his on-again off-again partner, in which a sense of well-earned sentimentality is allowed to flourish without ever undermining his unknowingly caustic worldview. His partner, more traditional and allistic than Thomas, acts as a foil grounding our protagonist’s more extreme behaviour and indulging his heartwarming love of trains. What’s more, Thomas sketches his characters with a compelling specificity, simultaneously discussing them like an alien who’s just landed on planet Earth and completely empathetic to their frustrations with his behaviour. In short, he’s simply too good a writer to settle for two-dimensional caricatures.

This peek inside Thomas’ life feels unique in all the best ways, rambling on the surface but intricately plotted under the hood. His jokes are never less than consistent and effective, although the finale lacks the dramatic impact that such a monologue demands. Yet during his time on stage, you’ll receive a granular account of a path less well trodden that is consistently captivating. This boots-on-the-ground approach to the autistic experience is a dynamite work.

Josh Thomas: Let’s Tidy Up, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 6.20pm.

MILES CALDERON & LEVI MELTZER

MR CARDBOARD  

HARRIET KEMSLEY

EVERYTHING ALWAYS WORKS OUT FOR ME

There’s no gentle preamble to Harriet Kemsley’s breathlessly entertaining account of her challenging year, as she bluntly opens with the news that she’s divorced. Anyone hoping for salacious details about the breakdown of her marriage to fellow comedian Bobby Mair will be disappointed because she’s actually very fair to the troubled Canadian. And although she doesn’t underplay their difficulties and compatibility issues, there’s nothing revealed here that hasn’t already featured in the erstwhile couple’s previous shows. That said, there is a mildly spicy nugget about Kemsley’s tiny role in a high-profile comedian infidelity scandal that undermines the prevailing public narrative somewhat.

The show derives its title from the given-lemons, make-lemonade mantra of a self-help guru that Kemsley has been visiting. But the fact that she heavily implies it’s spiritual woo-woo offers an indication of the battered confidence and beleaguered mindset she’s currently operating with. Having acquired a few additional health problems to complement her existing conditions, these are nevertheless overshadowed (in the narrative at least) by her struggle to rejoin the dating pool, an intimidating prospect after all this time.

A contrast between Kemsley’s effusive, rattling delivery, the darkness of predatory men and the bleakness of co-parenting her young daughter is wonderfully pitched. While she packs a lot of wince-inducingly funny personal disclosure and broader social commentary into the hour, it nevertheless skitters around a bit in search of more structure. (Jay Richardson)

 Monkey Barrel, until 12 August, 6.10pm.

Creeping into the tent, mouth smeared with chocolate, face glowing in the light of a birthdaycake candle, body squeezed into tight-fitting Lycra, Levi Meltzer is a sight to behold. Affecting an amusing high-pitched voice, he evokes pity from the crowd with his portrayal of a fiveyear-old devoid of presents or friends. The arrival of ‘Mr Cardboard’ changes all that (Miles Calderon in an even more surreal outfit) and a tale of friendship unfolds.

Gaulier-trained, this talented duo truly embody the ways of the clown. Their physicality and mannerisms are strong and assured, their vocal antics witty. Despite this, the central narrative struggles to sustain itself. Instead, it’s their audience interactions that consistently deliver and where the true wit in this show lies. Such improvisatory sharpness is hard to achieve, and both Calderon and Meltzer have it in spades. Perhaps the first clown-based crowd-work show beckons? (Kelly Apter)

 Hoots @ Potterrow, until 25 August, 1.30pm.

PIOTR SIKORA

FURIOZO: MAN LOOKING FOR TROUBLE

If the title didn’t already tell you all you need to know, the eponymous Furiozo’s entrance should. He comes running onto the stage dressed as a boxer, screaming, with his name emblazoned across his chest. It’s the perfect introduction to this gun-toting, cocaine-fuelled clown: but does he have a heart, too?

Furiozo (real name Piotr Sikora) only speaks a handful of words during the hour yet relies heavily on roping in audience members to help him tell the story. In some cases, it takes some coaxing to get the audience to understand what he’s asking of them, but it’s testament to Sikora’s skill as a performer that he rolls with those punches even if things go in a slightly unexpected direction. The show is a wild ride, taking us on a journey of crime, police car chases and prison breakouts as this hardman discovers a softer side. But is true love enough to make him leave his hardman ways behind?

Even his interactions with the audience hint at a gentleness behind the tough exterior: he always asks for consent and tenderly hugs those who’ve gamely got up on stage to participate in this riotous tale. Furiozo has his audience in stitches throughout but the story also leaves us thinking about the impact of toxic masculinity and generational cycles of violence. It’s a fine line to walk between clown comedy and tragedy, but Sikora does it with consummate skill and swagger. (Lauren McKay)

 Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 August, 9.40pm.

SHEEPS

THE GIGGLE BUNCH (THAT’S OUR NAME FOR YOU) lll ll

Reuniting for their potential ‘final’ Edinburgh Fringe run (again), Liam Williams, Alastair Roberts and Daran Johnson (the most peculiar boyband trio of the sketch-comedy circuit) warm up those awful but delightfully humorous singing voices. And this year, the fanfavourite Sheeps have entitled their show The Giggle Bunch in the hope that this is precisely what the audience will be. Bold, though not inaccurate.

There’s tremendous freedom in what the group can achieve, perhaps too much freedom. The uniquely random and surreal in Sheeps’ sketch show can strike lucky or fall limp. It’s comedic charcuterie: there’s plenty to pick from such as the culture wars, paternal relationships, clown-murderers, the ‘gay agenda’, and hell, even the Prime Minister makes an appearance. And for every joke which you don’t like, that just leaves more for the people who do.

Musical interludes and character comedy skits work a treat, while the more sporadic and leftfield moments have the scent of something cooked up shortly beforehand. For many in the audience, that’s the charm of the Sheeps: the unshackled nature of a show away from the mundanity of rigid (and obvious) narrative set-ups. When it lands, the laughter tumbles out with ease and carries momentum. If it dips, familiar fans pick up the slack, and trundle us to the next routine. There are few sketch-comedy groups with as gutsy an attitude to bounce this many ideas around and still hold their reputation. (Dominic Corr)

n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 August, 8pm; 7 & 8 August, 6pm; Pleasance Dome, 17 August, 9.50pm.

ALFIE PACKHAM MY GIFT TO YOU lll ll

Although he’s a 30-year-old white comedian, people often assume that Alfie Packham is multiracial. Confusion over his ethnicity makes up much of the best material in My Gift To You as do the surprisingly inappropriate ways in which people reacted to the death of his mother, an event he explores with surprising candour. Shame is another strong element here, from his ‘embarrassing’ Warhammer collection to his awkward return to playing football as an adult. And he has some interesting thoughts on how much criminality it’s actually reasonable to accept in a partner.

This is a warm confessional from a rising comedian with a refreshingly morbid sense of humour. Packham is not a high-energy performer, but from a very low-key start, he gradually builds his show to a crescendo, featuring a nice line in callbacks and occasional, deliberately awkward interactions with the crowd. (Murray Robertson)

n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 August, 2.45pm.

TAKASHI WAKASUGI WELCOME TO JAPAN lll ll

Takashi Wakasugi is such a cool name (he’ll tell you that himself). Having lived in Australia for the past five years, after growing up in Japan, this comedian introduces us to some unique observations in his first ever Fringe. Did you know that how you choose to eat leftover pizza is eerily similar to the class hierarchy? Well, you will by the end of Wakasugi’s mostly wholesome comedy performance.

Among other observations, we learn that Wakasugi’s happiness level on a tram journey is dependent on whether or not he’s paid for a ticket. He performs with a matter-of-fact demeanour, enhancing the humour of his sillier statements (if you’re brushing more than one tooth, it really should be called a teethbrush). His imperfect English and Aussie twang add to his charm, and he teaches us some Japanese phrases that he manages to expertly weave into the material.

While the majority of his hour is observational and tame, he does throw in a few sex jokes further on. It’s a bit of an odd tone shift, but the audience is fully on board. Wakasugi remains starkly funny and his whole performance ties together nicely for a satisfying debut. (Rachel Cronin)

n Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 August, 9.20pm.

Threepenny Collective is performing three shows at C aquila this Fringe: Jukesox, an improvisational sketch show replete with kaleidoscopic absurdity and Depressed-Dead-Beat Dinos; Corpse Flower, a Kafkaesque horror comedy; and Per-Verse, Georgie Wedge’s life as a single woman painted in bursts of stand-up-spoken-word-poetry.

Juke Sox

Corpse Flower

Per–Verse

DEMI ADEJUYIGBE

DEMI ADEJUYIGBE IS GOING TO DO

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ONE (1) BACKFLIP

According to Demi Adejuyigbe, nothing is cooler or more impressive than someone doing a backflip (he clearly hasn’t been to the Meadows during August). His expertly written comedy/musical/TED Talk sees his audience in stitches/tears/fits of giggles for a full hour. American writer and producer of NBC’s The Good Place, Adejuyigbe has comedic timing down to a fine art.

In a desperate bid to win over his blue-haired crush, the performer effortlessly leads us up to his backflip finale with a series of skits, songs and crowd work. He bounces around the stage in his homemade self-promoting overalls with infectious energy. Featuring a modern-day cover of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’, a fight with a polyamorous robot, and a five-minute musical about a monkey breaking into an IKEA, Adejuyigbe’s performance is a near-perfect collection of hilariously stupid songs and silly observations, with a few commendable callbacks that have the room howling. While clearly perfectly rehearsed, the show is somehow funnier when things go off script (such as a robot malfunction). The comedian is quick to stay on top of any tech hiccups and manipulate it into yet more big laughs. And of course, at the end he backflips. (Rachel Cronin)

n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 6.20pm.

GRUBBY LITTLE MITTS

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KELLY MCCAUGHAN CATHOLIC GUILT lll l l

A welcome reprise for Kelly McCaughan’s visceral, flirty and funny 2023 show, Catholic Guilt pits the American’s faith-based upbringing against her burgeoning adolescent sexuality for a candid, shame-riddled and physically expressive confessional. Structured through the immovable, immutable object of that religion’s dogma, from the order of service to the communal singing she coaxes the crowd into, dramatic and comedic tension arises from the clash with the irresistible force of her awakening carnal thoughts.

Switching between ominous, oppressive conformity and girlish excitement in the blink of an increasingly revealing costume change, McCaughan is perky but never underplays the darker side of her formative years, emphasising their ongoing impact. Directly engaging her crowd, she treads a fine line in abusing her authority as performer, channelling the overbearing power of Catholicism but also of heady teenage lust in transporting us back to her experience.

Ultimately, the tone shifts from reverence to confusion, to epiphany and outright sacrilege as her feelings for Jesus take on a different hue. But if the audience is made to feel complicit in McCaughan’s sin, it’s a wild ride getting there and you intuit that the journey to hell will be equally entertaining. (Jay Richardson) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 August, 10pm.

Riding a wave of goodwill after the warm reception of their first two shows, this sketch duo’s next outing feels purpose-built to outdo its predecessors, perhaps to a fault. Eyes Closed, Mouths Open finds Sullivan Brown and Rosie Nicholls trapped in a bunker after a catastrophic event. All they have to while away the hours are a codependent relationship, clothes they’ve stolen from dead people, and a desire to act out comic sketches for an imaginary audience.

From this gracefully dark framing device, the pair veer between gentle absurdity, rapid-fire dialogue, striking set design and sharp left turns into drama. Whether they’re lining their sights on oversized owls or speculating about aliens who can’t digest dairy, there’s an obsessive desire here to elongate sketches beyond simple skits, revisiting characters and incorporating them into a larger story. Each routine is pitched with a meticulous eye from Brown and Nicholls, whose range and zippy chemistry could make them household names with the right vehicle (honestly, chuck these sketch comics into a serious prestige drama and they’d soar).

Satisfying though their many third-act pay-offs are, it’s a strangely backloaded show, all set up in the opening 30 minutes without much bite. When the laughs do come (along with a beautifully written elongated meet-cute sequence towards the finale), they arrive in waves of callbacks and accumulations, with an intricate and impressive closer. It takes too long to hit a sweet spot and suffers from a surfeit of ambition, but the best bits on display here illustrate why Grubby Little Mitts are hotly tipped. (Kevin Fullerton) n Assembly George Square Studios, until 26 August, 4.35pm.

PICTURE: JOSH GOLDNER

PICTURE: DYLAN WOODLEY

LUKE ROLLASON

LUKE ROLLASON, LUKE ROLLASON, LET DOWN YOUR HAIR llll l

PAULINA LENOIR

PUELLA ETERNA llll l

Following in the footsteps of fellow Gaulier-trained acts like Julia Masli and Doctor Brown, Paulina Lenoir’s clown plays between the silly and surreal. In Puella Eterna (Latin for ‘eternal girl’), Lenoir’s ‘poetic idiot’ acts out the entire life cycle of a woman, from immaculate conception to reincarnation, in the ultimate race against time (aka the allotted 60 minutes).

Pulling on her design skills acquired at London’s Central Saint Martins, costume changes are gorgeous and plentiful. Tulle gowns and multiple wigs are layered over her Jean Paul Gaultieresque monochromatic red undergarments, while extravagant headpieces look like they’re lifted straight from the runway. But aesthetics aside, it’s Lenoir’s malleability to her audience that is truly top notch. Crowd members become key plot drivers and supporting characters, leaving us no choice but to be fully present with her for the duration of this performance. Lenoir is hilarious and emotionally wide open, as all good clowns should be. (Megan Merino) n Assembly Roxy, until 25 August, 10pm.

AMELIA BAYLER

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This is Amelia Bayler’s second Fringe show but her first on anti-depressants, and she’s processing her more destabilising emotions by rekindling and expressing her love of music rather than with recourse to drink and drugs. If that and her afternoon slot take a bit of chaotic energy off the peppy Glasgow-based comic’s performance style, Easy Second Album is nevertheless a diverting, wide-ranging trawl through her life and loves, resurgence and setbacks via a range of music styles. Her ADHD also very much helps keep her present and reactive in the room.

From punk past to her recent embrace of country, baring the darkest agonies of her soul to professing her appreciation of Tupperware, the tone varies wildly from sublime to ridiculous (her dubious attraction to DJs being perhaps the only consistent thread). Some of it is shallow and highly throwaway but a few of the tunes are veritable bangers and she’s engaging company throughout. (Jay Richardson) n Scottish Comedy Festival @ Waverley Bar, until 14 August, 12.15pm.

Luke Rollason makes a regal entrance as King Midas, ‘cursed’ so that everything he touches turns to comedy gold. It’s a great ruse to warm up the crowd and sets the kooky tone nicely. The contortive comedian prowls around his medieval kingdom: a sparse stage decorated with occasional toilet paper clouds and impressively engineered loo-roll ramparts and crenellations.

In fact, toilet rolls play a significant part in Rollason’s series of loosely connected fairytales. As he vaguely adapts The Ugly Duckling, Jack And The Beanstalk, Hansel And Gretel and many more classic stories, he adroitly uses the perforated paper to great effect, most notably in a recurring gag as Rapunzel whose improbably flowing locks are swapped for the notoriously fragile loo roll to great effect. Throughout the chaos, Rollason is an engaging presence, and he uses his wildly expressive face to terrific effect.

His crowd work is also sublime: he gleefully incorporates his peasants at key junctures and, while he stops just short of humiliation, he nevertheless evokes a nice sense of trepidation to keep everyone on their toes. Together with his inventive use of props and playful imagination, he heightens the comedy with those wonderfully big eyes, and the result draws a great response from a game crowd. This is a glorious hour from an infectiously mischievous performer, mucking about on stage and loving it. (Murray Robertson) n Pleasance Dome, until 25 August, 7.10pm

PICTURE:

PICTURE:

DYLAN WOODLEY

DARA Ó BRIAIN

The Irish wag swans into Edinburgh with the sell-out signs clattering around for this run in what feels like a big Fringe comeback show.

n Assembly Rooms, 12–25 August, 6.50pm.

VIV FORD

New Kids On The Blockchain is the splendid title of this show all about Ford’s time working in San Fran tech and hanging out at the Crypto Castle.

n Just The Tonic At The Mash House, until 25 August, 8pm.

PATTI HARRISON

Third year at the Fringe in a row for the stand-out star of I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson (other than Tim Robinson) with a title that is too long and weird to repeat here.

n Pleasance Courtyard, until 11 August, 7.30pm.

RIA LINA

A brief work-in-progress sojourn marks Lina’s return to the Fringe after eight long years away. Feminism and autism are among the areas being broached.

n Gilded Balloon Patter House, 12–15 August, times vary.

CATHERINE BOHART

Adulthood hasn’t worked out quite the way this Irish star believed it would and she’s going to be talking all that through in Again, With Feelings.

n Monkey Barrel, 10–25 August, noon.

NABIL ABDULRASHID

In 12 months, Abdulrashid has gone from making a quiet impression at the Fringe with his debut to playing one date in the Pleasance Grand. Quite the trajectory.

n Pleasance Courtyard, 14 August, 11pm.

JOSH GLANC

Glanc craves a relationship and a ‘stable’ life but how can that work with his late-night, unpredictable comedian lifestyle? Let’s find out, shall we.

n Monkey Barrel, until 25 August, 3.20pm.

PICTURE:

Launched in 2014, the award-winning Taiwan Season has maintained a vivid and engaging presence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe thanks to its world-class range of dance, theatre, circus and music performance for adults and children. Presented under the umbrella title A Glimpse of Taiwan, this year’s four outstanding productions - all British and European premieres - can be seen at Taiwan Season’s valued partner venues Summerhall, Assembly Festival and Assembly @ Dance Base.

TAIWAN SEASON 2024: A GLIMPSE

D_Antidote Production

Three lithe, masked bodies morph their way through

a series of carefully crafted chain reactions. Are they individuals, a single organism or both? Inspired by the biological, theological, political and philosophical concept of regeneration, D_Antidote Production’s absorbing dance is a timeless expression of extreme intimacy, trust and transformation pinned to the life cycle. It’s also an intense, startling reminder that what the body can do might well be limitless.

Welcome to the great global disconnect. Are you addicted to any mobile devices, or do you know others who are? If so, Seed Dance Company’s restlessly swift, hot-wired quartet should produce jolts of recognition. This dynamic new work was inspired by the contemporary socio-cultural phenomenon of phubbing - that is, paying more attention to one’s device than to the people you’re with. Who are the sharp yet glassy-eyed beings slicing and sliding across the stage? They are us!

Seed Dance Company

GLIMPSE OF TAIWAN

August 1- 25 2024

What kind of crazy hijinks can three slightly lazy, competitive yet playful siblings get up to when they’re left home alone? 0471 Acro Physical Theatre’s fizzy, gently interactive family entertainment will provide some comic and daringly acrobatic answers. Loaded with adroit balances, flips, springs, flings and spins, this new production is a light-hearted, personality-driven delight. As an evocation of childhood, it’s also guaranteed fab fun for all ages.

A family show like no other from a company that specialises in creating original and innovative theatrical stories. Plucky young Hope lives in a drought-ridden world until a chance encounter with a single, precious drop of water sends her on a life-changing quest. Brimming with charm, Bon Appetit Theatre’s production is a feat of non-verbal, environmentally-conscious storytelling ingeniously led by Foley sound, music and non-traditional puppetry. Bonus feature: many of the props and set-pieces will be locally-sourced.

Bon Appetit

0471 Acro Physical

@recirquel #recirquel

DANCE & CIRCUS

THE HIDDEN GARDEN

When it comes to dance, Luxembourg is coming. As part of a strong showcase of movement from that nation at this year’s Fringe comes this piece by acclaimed danceartist Jill Crovisier, which takes its inspiration from the gothic novel as well as modern rituals. Created in 2016, the work has gone on to be performed by dancers of differing ages, styles and genders, proving how adaptable the piece is. (Brian Donaldson)  Summerhall, 13–26 August, 3.35pm.

Every time you perform, you die a little ” “

The choreographer behind 2022’s Edinburgh dance sensation Samsara is back at the International Festival.

Lucy Ribchester talks to Aakash Odedra about the pressures of following up a huge hit and discovers how he turned an ancient Sufi myth into a piece of kathak storytelling

Acouple of Augusts ago, word began to spread among dance fans about an unmissable show.

Aakash Odedra was already an established choreographer (in 2017 he won the Fringe’s Amnesty Freedom Of Expression Award for #JeSuis) but 2022 marked his International Festival debut, with Samsara becoming that year’s dance phenomenon. A duet between Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan, it demonstrated extraordinary scope and intense chemistry. It was nothing short of breathtaking.

Two years on, Odedra is back at EIF, this time with a very different piece. Does Samsara feel like a hard act to follow? ‘I hadn’t really thought about it until your question,’ he says, looking slightly pensive over Zoom. He is currently backstage at the Trecastagni Town Theater in Sicily, rehearsing his new piece, Songs Of The Bulbul. ‘Maybe naturally, there will be a comparison to Samsara, but that was a very different type of production. This is me doing a solo for 50 minutes.’

One might think that physical feat would heap even more pressure onto Odedra. But in fact, he says, he’s been relishing the creation of this new work more than he usually does. ‘I don’t normally enjoy the process at all. It’s like a car crash happens and you have to kind of pull out the wreckage and put it together and create a Rolls Royce.’

This time it’s different, however, because he’s working alongside a choreographer he has revered for some time, kathak master Rani Khanam. ‘Her knowledge is vast, like an ocean,’ says Odedra. ‘It’s like dropping a lotus seed in a pool of water (the water being her knowledge and the seed

being me), and I feel like it’s just helping me germinate again. I feel like she really understands me and the body.’

The bulbul of the title is a bird which features in ancient Sufi myths, often paired alongside the symbol of a rose. In the tale Odedra is retelling, the bulbul dwells in remote, inaccessible mountains, singing a song ‘so powerful and so beautiful that it’s priceless if you are to capture this bird’. When caged, he explains, its song is made even more beautiful through its melancholy.

This might sound cruel in the real world, but in metaphorical terms it actually speaks to the notion of meetha dard, which translates from Hindi as ‘sweet pain’. It’s an allegory, says Odedra, for the experience of being an artist.

‘There is a direct parallel to our lives and the life on stage,’ Odedra insists. ‘You sing, you dance, you give, and every time you perform, you die a little. You give a part of your soul to the audience. You refine, refine, refine until in the end you leave this body, your cage. There’s nothing left to give because you’ve given everything.’

In more personal terms, the tale also resonates with Odedra’s own journey through dance. ‘It’s a story of an isolated individual. And in many ways, I think it’s my story and Rani’s story. I think we both feel the same things about life. And I suppose that’s why we dance. And that’s why we keep dancing.’

Aakash Odedra: Songs Of The Bulbul, Lyceum Theatre, 9–11 August, 8pm, 11 August, 3pm.

NO DRAGON NO LION llll l

Expect parkour, traditional dance and beatboxing from Hong Kong’s finest performers (with some flossing to ‘Uptown Funk’ thrown in for a laugh). Focusing on self-expression, discipline and physical training, TS Crew move seamlessly together. They recreate the traditional Lion Dance as a contemporary piece that displays heavy cultural significance while remaining endlessly entertaining for both adults and children.

Our squad of male dancers follow orders from an invisible master, whose instructions intermittently sound over the stage from above and guide them through the piece. The group’s soundtrack is a mix of modern hits, traditional Asian music and some extremely impressive beatboxing, but what’s most soulful about this performance is a clear bond between each member. That sense of closeness leaks out into the audience, letting us know that what they are sharing with us is something special.

Despite losing some momentum at a couple of points (we can’t seriously expect them to quadruple backflip for an hour without a break), the spectacle sustains an audience for its full runtime. Adding in some balletic flare and extreme stunts for good measure, No Dragon No Lion is a beautiful slice of Asian culture that Hong Kong should be proud of. (Rachel Cronin) n C aurora, until 25 August, 1.50pm.

MATT PASQUET

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There’s a sweet spot in physical theatre, where the body onstage hints at just enough of a recognisable thing for your imagination to fill in the gaps. When Only Bones v1.9, performed by Matt Pasquet (with technician Simon Abel), hits this spot, the piece lights up and whole characters are revealed, created by nothing more than Pasquet’s fingers or toes and a single spotlight.

V1.9 is part of the Only Bones series conceived by Thom Monckton, who set artists the challenge of making a piece using just one projector, one body and a one-metre square stage. In Pasquet’s version, shoulder blades become brain-like landscapes, fists bicker with one another and rebellious feet take flight. Sometimes his body attacks itself, other times he masters it. The piece isn’t thoroughly cohesive but makes up for this with inventiveness and originality. Sometimes it’s better to see a risk-taking imperfect work than a slick one. (Lucy Ribchester) n Zoo Playground, until 10 August, 5.45pm.

CIRCOLOMBIA CORAZÓN lll ll

Salsa, cumbia, flips and tricks all mashed into one circus act? It’s certainly a fun and action-packed way to spend a late night at the Fringe. This five-person troupe are on a mission to bring Colombia to George Square in a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still packing in plenty of high-risk stunts. Our fierce ringmistress, who also sings original songs magnificently throughout the performance, cracks jokes left, right and centre while her team of acrobats double as goofy clowns.

Despite the artists’ best efforts to distract us with crowd work (we’re turned into a human band, brought on stage to dance salsa and taught some key Colombian phrases), a few clunky set changes do dampen tonight’s show, occasionally throwing the entire operation into question. This is probably due to the sheer number of changes required; perhaps fewer pieces of apparatus and longer sequences on each would make everything run smoother.

That being said, there is still plenty of razzle dazzle on offer. Costumes shimmer with rhinestones and sequins, and group dance sections get the audience shimmying in their seats. Partner choreography is executed superbly, with the exception of one three-person human tower which wobbles and disintegrates in an anxiety-inducing moment. All in all, this is definitely camp circus as opposed to anything resembling Cirque Du Soleil. But for a riotous, interactive night of whooping and hollering, you’ll be in very capable hands with Circolombia. (Megan Merino) n Assembly George Square Gardens, until 25 August, 9.55pm.

review of the week

I‘didn’t expect to be talking about your dog’s prefuneral party,’ says dancer Stefaan Morrow, sitting across from me, some way into the preliminary chat that takes place before each individual performance of Lien. ‘But that’s the beauty of this piece.’ The oneon-one dance performances were conceived by Australian choreographer Lewis Major in response to pandemic social distancing. The resonance, however, of sharing intimate space with a stranger within such carefully held boundaries is something that transcends covid times.

Morrow asks me first if I am nervous (I am), if it’s my first time having a one-on-one dance performance (it is) and then to consider a moment in my life I’d like to return to (which is where we come to my dog’s pre-funeral goodbye party). He then performs an elegiac, achingly beautiful dance to a thoughtful, melancholic score. It’s impossible not to connect the grace and beauty unfolding in front of you to the thoughts just stirred up by the pre-dance conversation. Lien manages to feel both universal and deeply personal; it’s an extremely rare and special piece of dance, like watching a poem write itself.

You can trace a choreographic thread from Lien into Major’s larger-scale work, Triptych. Performed by four dancers, and split into three parts, the delicacy and power of the body

Australian choreographer Lewis Major has two wildly different shows at this year’s Fringe: the intimacy of Lien with its single audience member and lone dancer, alongside the largerscale beauty of Triptych. Both are a triumph, says Lucy Ribchester, in her five-star review

in motion is a theme that runs throughout. The first piece ‘Two x Three’ was created by Major’s mentor, Russell Maliphant. Three spotlit dancers swoop and whirl, their helicopter arms becoming blurs in golden pyramids of light.

‘Unfolding’, though only around 30 minutes long, has an epic feel. The dancers are bathed in Fausto Brusamolino’s overhead lighting projections, entrapping them in dizzying digital universes. One minute they’re drenched in waves that spread out into hexagons on the floor, the next limbering in combat while the stage appears to spin. It’s an extraordinary effect, brilliantly executed, and exhilarating when one dancer looks as if she is balancing on a swirling tightrope. But the most beautiful moment comes when two dancers lie entwined; covered in pinprick lights, they look lost in the centre of a galaxy.

To close the triple bill, Major’s ‘Epilogue’ is a haunting, tender solo. Clementine Benson, covered in chalk dust, turns slow pirouettes to Dane Yates’ arrangements of Debussy and Sakamoto. As the dust gradually falls from her, her body becomes more lithe and limber; it’s like watching a ghost return to life.

Lewis Major: Lien, 11, 13, 18, 21–25 August, times vary; Lewis Major: Triptych, until 25 August, 9.40pm; both events at Assembly @ Dance Base.

SEED DANCE COMPANY LOST CONNECTION lll l l

ASHTAR MUALLEM COSMOS lll ll

This bendy and enchanting performer takes us through a partly sarcastic, partly serious guided meditation. Exploring memories of her grandmother and her upbringing between Palestine and France, Cosmos is a clever and graceful performance of physical theatre. Ashtar Muallem recounts her life as a Palestinian from Jerusalem and condemns conflict in the Middle East, all while performing some impressive acrobatic yoga.

‘Everything happens for a reason’, ‘there are no coincidences’, ‘no ache, no cake’. The gymnast’s mantras are delivered with ironic flair as she juxtaposes wellness culture with the state of world affairs. Aerial yoga hypnotises her audience as a volunteer from the crowd chops an entire bowl of onions to cleanse his body of excess testosterone (of course). Muallem’s quick counts of comic relief carry a performance that could have easily felt stagnant had she lacked the self-awareness necessary to pull-off this kind of show.

Her storytelling and narration is captivating as she guides us through her own spiritual journey while contorting her body into unimaginable poses. Her voice never wavers from the story, whether she’s upside down or folded in half. The performance starts off at a slow pace, and it takes a little while for the audience to adjust to her sarcastic character. While her critical observations of wellness influencers and YouTube tarot readers are funny, it’s sometimes unclear just when the acrobat is actually being ironic. That said, Muallem’s performance is original and entertaining, and it’s encouraging to see some positive Palestinian representation at the Fringe. (Rachel Cronin) n Summerhall, until 11 August, 9.15pm.

Dystopian and violent in its aesthetic and movement, Seed Dance Company’s Lost Connection, is a physically intensive show. A meditation on the detachment, impassivity and prevalence of social media’s impersonal nature, it combines elements of classical and modern dance as well as acrobatics to loosely convey an overall feeling about the state of human connection.

A dissonance is created throughout between the dancers’ impassivity and the violence of their movements. The choreography is intensely physical and impressively so, to the point where the dancers appear to be fighting against each other. Even when they are partnered or move as a group, the feeling created is that while they may be synchronized, they’re not dancing together, but more as individual pieces moulding a much larger message.

Throughout, there’s a glimmer of the narrative, but it would be a disservice to focus on interpreting each segment instead of just letting the physicality and stunning visuals wash over you. And without such a clear narrative, we’re able to find individual meaning in the movement. Lost Connection is a truly engrossing dance piece, with impressive stamina required for its execution. (Katerina Partolina Schwartz)

n Summerhall, until 25 August, 1.35pm.

D_ANTIDOTE PRODUCTION PALINGENESIS lll l l

Life in its barest, most oozing, alien form goes on a full circle journey in this beguiling piece from acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer Chuang Po-Hsiang. Three dancers, nude except for flesh-coloured underwear and masks that anonymise their faces, start out as a knotted, pulsing single being. They tumble over and under the clot of their own bodies, fire out limbs into deity-like formations, balance in strange postures that make bulbous eyes out of upturned buttocks, and create antennae out of legs waving in the air.

As the lighting softens and brightens, the beast they have created becomes more tender. Glued together at the waist, the three dancers find harmony in their multitude of fingers and arms, toes and legs. Later still, after splitting apart into the loping gaits of apes, the swishing turns of humans, they still perform as an immaculate entity. Chuang’s cyclical odyssey has a bewitching, primal power. (Lucy Ribchester) n Assembly @ Dance Base, until 25 August, 6.40pm.

PICTURE: LUCAS

CHIH-PENG

JESSIE THOMPSON CRAWLER lllll

TOKYO TAP DO! SUSHI TAP SHOW lll ll

Kawaii! The five performers who make up Tokyo Tap Do! are super likeable and talented tap dancers (with their own theme song and matching choreography). The Japanese tappers turn their stage into a playground of silly but standard circus stunts (see baton twirling and hoopla) and commendable tap comedy. Cute and catchy, you’ll be doing their little Sushi Tap dance and humming their theme tune for the next few days.

Some of Sushi Tap’s skits are most certainly funnier than others. Time is wasted on their intro (an audience participation-based rendition of ‘We Will Rock You’) and the scenes with no tap (it’s the Sushi Tap Show!) lag far behind their more amusing dancebased material. One stand-out segment is a silent movie-style rendition of Mozart’s ‘Turkish March’ where they’re all desperate for the toilet. The group are at their finest when mixing comedy with tap, rather than separating the two elements and relying on props for laughs.

That said, their audience thoroughly enjoys participating in some call-out Japanese language learning and singalongs. The mixedage group’s cartoonish expressions and colourful costumes add to the show’s unseriousness, and lend it a wholesome family feel. While not landing every single stunt (it’s OK, we were rooting for you!), the Sushi Tap team are impossible to dislike. While they could lose some of their gimmicky elements and add in more straight-up dance, the talent of these Tokyo tappers is undeniable.

(Rachel Cronin) n Greenside @ George Street, until 24 August, 5.20pm.

Crawler starts out much like its name, with dancer Jessie Thompson moving almost imperceptibly in a corner of the stage, lit only by lamps on the underside of three small tables. As she migrates into the centre, she begins to form stiff shards with her fingers, or holds suspended beats, responding to industrial creaks and staccato hits created by musician Jason McNamara, who plays live drums and electronics throughout. Sometimes she surprises us with a fluid twist or quick backbend; as McNamara’s drumming segues into freeform jazz, Thompson’s movement transforms. She scratches, twitches and trembles; the cymbal shimmers rattle down her arms and across her sternum.

Thompson is trained in both street and contemporary styles and recently won Ireland’s leg of the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition; she’ll be the first Irish street dancer to compete in the global finals this November. The vocabulary which hip hop has given her is visible in her precision isolations; but she uses her body in such creative, unexpected ways that she really seems to invent her own distinctive dance language.

We see her channelling hardcore raving, sinking into feral ecstasy, pushing her body until she has squeezed every ounce of herself out in front of us. In the final section, she keeps encouraging McNamara to give her more and more drums, until it begins to feel almost shamanic; the body sacrificed in search of something higher. This is an extraordinary exploration of a body’s response to sound, both poetic and percussive, and Thompson is dazzlingly compelling. (Lucy Ribchester) n Assembly @ Dance Base, until 11 August, 2.40pm.

CIRQUE KALABANTÉ

AFRIQUE EN CIRQUE lll l l

Over the past decade, the Fringe has become a glorious fairground for circuses from all over the world, bringing together different styles of acrobatics and showmanship. Afrique En Cirque from Cirque Kalabanté was supposed to be one of two circus shows highlighting Guinean talent this Festival, but as Circus Baobab inexplicably had their visas denied by the UK Government at the last minute, sadly Kalabanté are flying the country’s flag alone. This is a jaw-dropping, uplifting, gorgeous show, rich in music, performed by a tight, multitalented troupe. At the helm is director Yamoussa Bangoura, a modern-day ringmaster who leads the ensemble with an endless array of his own talents, from cyr wheel to acro-balance base to playing kora (a West African 21-stringed gourd) to singing. Even more impressive is the knowledge that he built the circus school which the performers trained in from scratch (literally), as shown in the documentary Circus Without Borders (which is well worth a watch on YouTube).

Framed with scenes of Conakry life, from market bartering to night fishing, Afrique En Cirque does a brilliant job of weaving together circus tricks and tributes to Guinean culture. It more than holds its own on the Fringe’s global circus stage. (Lucy Ribchester) n Assembly Hall, until 26 August, 5.10pm.

PICTURE: KYAHM ROSS

PICTURE: CHRISTINE HEWITT

NEGARE

More business from Luxembourg with a piece by Z Art which focuses on identity and how it can be moulded to fit with our dreams and fears.

n C aquila 12–25 August, 2.40pm.

GOLEM

An intriguing artistic collaboration between a dancer and a sculptor; together they talk to us about the passage of time.

n Assembly @ Dance Base, 13–25 August, 7.45pm.

A BRIEF CASE OF CRAZY

The wonderfully named Skedaddle Theatre introduce us to Thomas, a regular shy guy who has a bothersome briefcase which drags him into extraordinary happenings n TheSpace @ Symposium Hall, 12–24 August, 9.15pm.

GRUPO CORPO

The Brazilian dance icons complete their Edinburgh run with one more night exploring their home country’s history, culture and spirituality.

n Edinburgh Playhouse, until 7 August, 7.30pm.

SOPHIE’S SURPRISE 29TH

Sophie is turning 29 (what, again?) and finds herself surrounded by circus and comedy as well as chaos and candles. n Underbelly’s Circus Hub, until 24 August, 9.45pm.

ÉOWYN EMERALD & DANCERS

The much-admired Canadian company return with a stirring jazz dance for two which is both intimate and entertaining.

n Assembly @ Dance Base, until 11 August, 7.45pm.

APRICITY

Australia’s Casus Creations have been inspired to create this piece by the image of a winter sun breaking through the cold. Metaphors are heavy in this one.

n Assembly George Square Gardens, until 25 August, 3pm.

KIDS

FUNZ AND GAMEZ: RETURNZ

A full ten years ago, the Fringe was rocked to its very core when a little-known show called Funz And Gamez started to cause a stir. Placed in the children’s section but adored by adults who recognised the anarchy behind the kid-friendly japes, it scooped that year’s Panel Prize at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. And now Phil Ellis, Mick Ferry and Will Duggan are back with songz, prizez and lolz aplenty. (Brian Donaldson)

n Just The Tonic Nucleus, 13, 15 August, 2.30pm.

MULTILINGUART BABY ROCK lll ll

Baby yoga, baby street dance, baby opera. These are all real things, and now, there’s Baby Rock, California-based MultilinguArt’s sell-out show from the States, which encourages the youngest of audiences to make friends, regardless of the language barriers and differences between them. All this to a backing track of rock music; some songs familiar, others entirely original for the show.

Director/performer Taylor Austin Bazos and coperformer Aba Karina Cano ensure attention is maintained, using multiple levels to communicate and cannily knowing which audience members not to push for interaction. They introduce themselves in English and Spanish as a pair of new budding friends, gradually understanding one another. The show’s sensory and interactive elements are threaded into the narrative effectively. Aromas and shadow puppetry are met with the keenest of gurgles and squeaks and Baby Rock is at its best in these moments with a more creative flourish and focus.

Charming, dedicated and using the entire space to their advantage, the duo's enthusiasm hits the right note. But while anything that introduces AC/DC to babies has merit, Baby Rock has an imbalance as it attempts to cater to all: there’s an enormous difference in entertaining newborns compared to a four-year-old. The energy can become loud and bombastic, and while the show’s intentions of fostering early-age conversations around learned behaviours are noble, lyrically it’s a stretch for the narrative cause to include rock numbers. (Dominic Corr) n C aquila, until 24 August, 10.20am.

DOKTOR KABOOM MAN OF SCIENCE! lll l l

With his booming German accent, steampunk goggles and flame-orange science coat, Doktor Kaboom is half mad scientist, half post-apocalyptic engineer. You could imagine him burrowing away in an underground bunker at the end of the world, building crazed machines out of junk.

For those who have seen his previous Fringe shows (based around a ‘wheel of science’), it doesn’t feel like there is a whole lot of new material here. But that’s no matter to those new to Kaboom. Performer David Epley is a natural entertainer as well as educator, clown and inspirer to young and curious minds. He balances quickfire rapport with the audience (constantly engaging us with questions to keep little brains on their toes), alongside silliness and short, sharp explanations of the science behind each of his stage experiments.

There is no dumbing down of subject matter here. One of his first demonstrations centres around rocket science, a concept Kaboom explains is ‘as easy as letting go of a balloon’. Both kids and grown-ups will come away having learned something, but what is particularly heartening is the way he builds confidence in each of the kids he brings onstage. Never mind rocket science; that’s its own kind of magic. (Lucy Ribchester) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 August, 1.30pm.

TALEGATE THEATRE GOOSE llll l

You needn’t be familiar with Laura Wall’s illustrated kids’ books to enjoy this sweet and simple story of Sophie, a lonely girl who loves playing pretend. After meeting Goose in the park, they become inseparable. TaleGate have plenty of experience in panto and school shows, so know how to draw in their audience of under-fives: babies coo when Goose says hello to the front row and bigger kids get to splash in imaginary muddy puddles. Bill Oddie adds a soothing voiceover, puppets of farmyard animals bounce over the small stage and projections of a playpark get the kids involved in hide and seek and counting games. Gentle storytelling and songs keep them entertained and at 45 minutes long, no one has time to get too fidgety. One baby burst into tears when Goose honked goodbye, then immediately quietened down when he returned, clear proof that the show’s two performers are bringing the crowd into their world of make believe. (Claire Sawers) n TheSpace @ Niddry Street, until 10 August, 9.55am.

PICTURE: DAMIAN ROBERTSON

Tweedy's Massive Circus rolls into town, but it seems things aren’t quite as spectacular as he’s led his pals to believe. Robyn Bell enters a not-so-big top to discover what may be the country’s funniest circus

Standing in line with my tenyear-old daughter, we overhear people talking excitedly about Tweedy, and how we’re so lucky that he’s taking a break from the Cotswolds. Having not been to a circus for a few years, our interest is piqued to hear people so enthused about this near-sell-out show. Tweedy is a Scottish clown who has been a staple for 16 years in the acclaimed Giffords Circus (which travels the English countryside during the summer months).

people

Along with Sam, Madame La Reine, Reuben and Lulu, Tweedy has decided to create his own circus. The story goes (very loosely) that Tweedy has promised a spectacular show to Madame La Reine, with incredible acts like a tightrope walker, a band and even a vampire. Think something akin to a spectacular 1900s circus cabaret show; in a Spiegeltent no less. But as you’ll see when you first walk in, Tweedy’s Massive Circus is not so massive: it’s minuscule in fact. But don’t let the small space fool you. And be warned: sitting in the front row is a rash move.

Lulu, Tweedy has decided to create his own circus. this funniest circus show in

Tweedy and sidekick Sam are a comical and loveable duo who, from the very start, are reminiscent of Laurel And Hardy (actually, the first act, which involves a piano and stairs, has shades of the Chuckle Brothers: ‘to me, to you!’). With their mastery of slapstick, whether pretending to fly, walk over a tightrope made of tape or throwing plates and biscuits around, this show keeps the crowd entertained right to the end.

This isn’t one of those circus shows that are only funny to little kids: it’s recommended for ages 3–93, and they’re not wrong. The clown and his troupe have us (and most of the other adults too) crying tears of laughter for most of this laugh-out-loud hour (when we’re not holding our breath). Tweedy and co incorporate classic circus skills such as tiny cars, juggling and tightrope walking, alongside more unusual, modern elements (a toilet TARDIS, time travelling and a dino aerialist). Although tiny, this may be the best and funniest circus show in the UK.

review of the week

Tweedy’s Massive Circus, Underbelly Circus Hub, until 21 August, 1.05pm.

SUITCASE STORYTELLING COMPANY GROW

The concept of Grow is simple: the gardener has agreed to look after their friend’s allotment and is excited to grow a plant . . . but there’s one problem. Gardening isn’t as easy as it seems!

This charming tale from the Suitcase Storytelling Company builds on the success of last year’s show of the same name, and it’s easy to see why it was so well-received. The set is simple, painted in primary colours, but the two performers keep the kids engaged (along with the help of a few animal friends) as we learn the key components of horticulture along with the gardener.

It’s a multi-sensory experience, with packets of sweet-smelling lavender passed around, water sprayed on the audience, and lots of singalongs; and it’s peppered with plenty of jokes just for the adults in the crowd. Striking the perfect balance between silliness and thoughtfulness, the wholesome message behind Grow is to slow down and listen to nature’s call. Kids will come away feeling inspired to give gardening a go themselves (which they can do with the packet of seeds they’ll take away) and there’s lots for big kids to enjoy about this sweet show, too. (Lauren McKay)

 Scottish Storytelling Centre, until 25 August, 10.30am.

1 CENT COMEDY

1001 SPACE ADVENTURES: BREADLOVE AND POOPHEAD

In a festival beset by soaring accommodation costs, escalating ticket prices and exclusivity, there’s a heartening nostalgia in going to a pay-what-you-can kids’ show in the back room of a pub, where the sound desk is in view and the conference chairs are crammed in. But that’s where the nostalgia ends for this show. It has admirable intentions and lively delivery, but boils down to an AI PowerPoint presentation for kids.

Performer Mihai Tartara is engaging, and encourages the kids’ heckles and questions as he leads us through AI-generated slides that tell a (loose) story about a dog and his robot in space. Sometimes he gets it spot on; in other places the tone is misjudged, such as a game of charades where the prompts are ‘gravity’ and ‘black holes’. Ultimately though, surely children’s theatre should be about getting wee ones away from screens, not relying on them. (Lucy Ribchester)

 Laughing Horse @ Bar 50, until 25 August, 10.30am.

A.L.EX AND THE IMPROBOTS

AN AI SHOW FOR KIDS!

When an AI voice announces towards the end of this show that the problem of mixing comedy and science is that you end up with neither, it’s as if the machine has morphed into a harsh critic. Indeed, the production does stumble between humour and education, resorting to fart jokes that overwhelm the information.

The show’s format is simple, with a complicated technological edge. Three humans (The ImpRobots) interact with AI and the audience, inviting children to set up scenarios featuring a scientific question and a punchline. The AI then generates a script, and the performers run through familiar improvisational strategies: the repeated routine at faster speeds, audience banter and self-deprecating wit. The nuggets of knowledge appear and the cast take on scientifically themed characters while attempting to recalibrate their computer to suit the earthlings’ sense of humour, complaining that certain jokes were popular on other planets.

Lively engagement with its young audience and the willingness of our performers to fight past glitches in the AI process lend this production an amiable charm, succeeding in imagining scientific education as more playful than serious. However, the tone veers from silly to uncomfortable, never making the case that the science itself is amenable to comedy. When it seeks to entertain, An AI Show For Kids! commits to the ramshackle chaos of improvisation but routines rarely open up the nature of scientific method. This feels like a show still trying to find the compromise between high-minded intentions and laughter. (Gareth K Vile)

 Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 18 August, 11.40am.

PICTURE: HARRY

ELLETSON

KIDS HIGHLIGHTS

BUBBLE J

A Korean magic hour dubbed ‘the fantastic unbelievable show’ has been to many countries and now chances its arm in Scotland with soap bubbles, balloons and shadow play.

n C aurora, until 25 August, 11.20am.

SING, SIGN AND SENSORY

Effectus Theatre offer sensory-based performance workshops here which are tailored for children under two, providing engaging narratives and a creative experience.

n Gilded Balloon Patter House, 12–17 August, times vary.

WOOD OWL AND THE BOX OF WONDERS

Can an owl made of wood find friendship with his furrier brethren? Another lonely soul is on hand to help show him the way.

n Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 12 August, 10.40am.

CIRCUS: THE SHOW

Illusions, acrobatics, juggling, aerial and, of course, endearing clowning is all on offer with this show which has previously stormed Australia.

n Underbelly George Square, until 26 August, 10.50am.

CHILDREN ARE STINKY

Circus Trick Tease (they do like kids really) are back on the patch that has been very kind to them as they bring us a new mix of fun and daredevilry.

n Assembly George Square Gardens, until 26 August, 11.35am.

THE LISTIES

A riot of silly fun as the daft duo tackle the trickiest time of day for a parent: bedtime. Will the wee ones ever drop off to sleep?.

n Assembly George Square Studios, until 18 August, 11.50am.

NOVA

Canadian slapstick masters Les Foutoukours offer an hour of acrobatics and juggling in a show for five-year-olds and over.

n Assembly Roxy, until 25 August, 3.45pm.

ANDY JORDAN PRODUCTIONS

MUST-SEE NEW SOLO MUSICAL

YOUSSOU N’DOUR

The innovative Senegalese songwriter Youssou N’Dour will pop into Edinburgh as part of the International Festival’s packed programme. Combining Wolof, French and English lyrics, his music offers a unique fusion of West African influences and European pop, awash with whip-speed rhythms and fist-pumping choruses. Even with his dramatic, empathetic vocals, sunshine streaks from every note in N’Dour’s back catalogue.

(Kevin Fullerton)

n Usher Hall, 13 August, 8pm.

PICTURE:

EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES & UNMISSABLE PERFORMANCES

In its third year sponsoring Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Johnnie Walker Princes Street is offering visitors some extra special events throughout the month of August.

As well as the exclusive Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience, which will give guests the chance to co-design their very own unique bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label by harnessing cutting-edge, purpose-built AI-technology, the five-star venue will be hosting some Fringe performers in its Label Studio.

Amongst those taking to the stage at The World’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience*, is Nicola Alexander and Lori Flannigan.

Nicola and Lori, who are currently Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s Experience Ambassadors, along with their fellow ‘She Burns’ performers, are talented musicians and singers. The group, who perform recitals of Robert Burns interspersed with our own stories in a music and comedy show, formed the quartet after meeting working at the venue and since have been creating and performing together.

Nicola said: “Performing She Burns with my peers from Johnnie Walker Princes Street in the place we met is an exciting full-circle moment.

“It will be brilliant to perform in this iconic building in the centre of Edinburgh during The Fringe. The team at Johnnie Walker Princes Street have always been behind us, encouraging us to follow our talents and continually celebrate and champion the thriving arts and culture scene here in Edinburgh.”

She Burns runs on 13-14, 16-17, 24-25 August

Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith Experience Book now at: JohnnieWalkerPrincesStreet.com

SOUL MINING

Kora virtuoso Seckou Keita is bringing a taste of Senegal to Edinburgh and hoping for an emotional reaction from Fringe-goers. Speaking to Danny Munro, he explains the workings of his complex, spiritual instrument and its key role in West Africa’s rich cultural history

Nestled among the glut of audacious talent crammed into the music pages of this year’s Fringe programme is Seckou Keita and his eight-piece Homeland Band. Hailing from Senegal, Keita calls the stage his second home and is more than used to playing for crowds who are experiencing his euphoric brand of West African music for the very first time. For the uninitiated, Keita has spent 30 years carving out a space for himself as a champion of the kora, a divinely impressive string instrument, famed for its intricate and versatile sound.

‘Playing the kora is very complex,’ explains Keita, who has picked up awards from the likes of BBC Radio 2 for his musicianship. ‘You produce the bass line on your left thumb, the melody on your right thumb, and your two index fingers can improvise at the same time on top of that.’ Though it varies by model, Keita plays a 22-string kora, which sounded particularly luscious in his popular NPR Tiny Desk performance last year, and has helped him to win over new listeners across the globe. ‘It’s always an amazing moment of meeting between the kora and those new audiences, however they take it; whether they are positive or calm, or if they have high energy . . . sometimes people even cry tears of joy.’

Not only is the kora technically impressive, but its roots lie in a vibrant cultural history too. ‘The kora played an important role in West African society, as a peacemaking instrument,’ notes Keita. ‘It used to create peace between kings, queens and the people in villages, towns and empires. It dates back to the “griot” tradition, which loosely means mediator or troubadour in the UK. The kings would take advice from the griot.’ It’s easy to wax poetic about the kora, given its unique music and cultural standing, and Keita gladly does. ‘It’s a very special instrument, very spiritual, they call it an instrument of the soul. The wood, which is from a tree: a soul. The skin from an animal: a soul. And the human being playing it. So, three souls.’

Joining Keita on stage is an octet of celebrated and emerging Senegalese talent, including Moustapha Gaye, lead guitarist for fellow countryman Youssou N’Dour. ‘If you’ve never heard us before, be ready to be lifted up,’ says Keita, whose album count now stands in the double figures. ‘The room will be joyful, dance-y and festive . . . so be ready to smile, dance and sing along!’

Seckou Keita & The Homeland Band, Queen’s Hall, 9 August, 8.30pm.

TRACEY YARAD ALL THESE PRETTY THINGS ll lll

What do you do when your husband leaves you for your teenage goddaughter? If you’re anything like Tracey Yarad, you dye your wedding dress black and star in your own Fringe show. Speaking to the audience like old friends, with a narrative punctuated by rich vocals and keyboard, Yarad takes us through her turbulent marriage.

All These Pretty Things is a story of pain, heartache, recovery and self-love, but these emotions are sadly not altogether apparent on the surface of Yarad’s performance. It’s clear that she has healed from that relationship, but perhaps her performance would be more evocative if she harkened back to those feelings and let us see behind the mask more.

There are moments when her pain is tangible, and her poignant stage presence and stark confessional style both captivate. One particularly striking portion retells the moment Yarad’s husband admits he crossed a line with their goddaughter, sending her into the ‘ruins of her life’; she stands and uses her powerful voice to express the heartbreak. The songs, while beautifully performed, are at some points lyrically standard, not doing enough with this complex story. Perhaps the show would benefit from a change in format, given that the vocal talent and plot are solid in their own right. (Alekia Gill)

n C aquila, until 25 August, 5.10pm.

GIGGLEMUG THEATRE A JAFFA CAKE MUSICAL ll lll

Gigglemug Theatre’s latest family-friendly musical aims to answer the age-old Jaffa Cake conundrum: is it a cake or a biscuit? Based on a real tribunal that took place in 1991, this courtroom parody is certainly bonkers enough to warrant humorous dissection.

Songs are performed on piano (played wonderfully by Alex Prescot) and feel mostly original, even if the opening and closing statements sound an awful lot like sections of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and a song titled ‘Think’ is a clear nod to Aretha Franklin. Katie Pritchard’s hilarious Tax Man character and a surreal nightmare sequence are the show’s strongest moments, but this surreal tone is totally at odds with an unnecessarily sincere narrative arc thrown in for lawyers Kevin and Katherine.

Ultimately, these theatremakers have opted for earnestness over absurdity, creating a show that is occasionally sharp but misses key comedic ingredients and lyrical finesse. (Megan Merino) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 August, 3.10pm.

ALCHEMATION & NATHANIEL HILL HOUSE OF CLEOPATRA llll l

House Of Cleopatra bursts onto the Fringe combining song, dance and drag with one of the most famous love stories of all time to keep audiences, quite literally, on their feet. A musical retelling of the Anthony and Cleopatra tale (in the period leading up to her death), this fresh take on the past features incredible live vocal performances which take us on a pop-fuelled ride that is worth every penny.

Backed by sumptuous lighting and an original score by Laura Kleinbaum and Jeff Daye, as well as being produced by Alchemation, the brains behind the musical Six, the cast give off a vibrant energy and use immersive choreography to make the story burst from the stage. Even the shyest of Fringe-goers can embark on an adventure into history which leaves no toe untapped.

Despite the late timeslot, House Of Cleopatra feels like the perfect start to a night out or a lively send-off from a long day of shows. Resplendent in their glitzy outfits, with a dash of sass and a sense of humor, the ensemble ensure the show is injected with a camp, sparkling spirit that is absolutely irresistible. Alongside the hilarious antics of Harry Singh, the sincere and impressive performances (including the captivating voice of Emilie Israel and charisma of River Medway), make this a show that should not be missed. (Rachel Morrell) n Assembly Checkpoint, until 25 August, 11.15pm.

PICTURE: RACHEL BRADY

THE BEATBOX COLLECTIVE WHAT’S YOUR SOUND? lll ll

The versatility of the human voice is truly an amazing thing, and The Beatbox Collective go a long way in showing just how far voices can be pushed. As the show progresses, it is truly astonishing to see how this quartet build and layer their voices into a veritable symphonic wall of sound.

The accuracy and ease with which they produce and replicate noises from the outside world that would otherwise pass our notice, appears like a magic trick; the performance is so slick that it’s impossible to tell where the line lies between improvised and rehearsed. The hour becomes a mixture of a cappella, sketch and pure musical performance.

Audiences will find themselves in a range of venues this month, and it really depends on the artists as to how much that matters. Unfortunately for The Beatbox Collective, the venue actively works against them. As high-energy a performance as they give, it’s not enough to bridge the formality of their room. Also, despite being able to accurately replicate sounds, the musical genres they lean into are very limited, and it all becomes a tad repetitive. This is a truly curious performance that takes an almost academic approach to the musicality of sound but unfortunately is blunted by a bad juxtaposition of vibes. (Katerina Partolina Schwartz) n Assembly George Square Studios, until 11 August, 6.15pm.

BLAIR RUSSELL PRODUCTIONS

DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL! llll l

DIVA: Live From Hell! can be best described as Glee but with more murder. Desmond Channing, former president of the Ronald Reagan High School drama club and insufferable theatre kid, now resides in hell. His punishment? Performing a one-man musical about his All About Eve-style feud with castmate Evan Harris.

A one-man show is always difficult to pull off, but Luke Bayer does it with ease. His voice switches fluidly from a cartoonish lisp to a rich, Broadway belt, making it easy to follow the story. He has the audience in stitches with his catty asides and bitchy facial expressions, and even uses a few technical hitches in the show as further comedy fuel. His portrayal of Evan is especially hilarious, punctuating every other word with ‘woah’ and accompanying each line with ridiculous skater-boy mannerisms.

Bayer is reason enough to see the show, but DIVA: Live From Hell! is a veritable feast of witty musical theatre references sure to satisfy any Broadway fan: they don’t interrupt the flow, but they’re endless fun to spot. This is a show that displays a true love of musicals, even as it pokes fun at the notorious overzealousness of theatre kids. (Isy Santini) n Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 August, 8.30pm.

LE GASP! PRODUCTIONS TIT SWINGERS ll lll

Sold as a ‘new queer punk-gig musical’, Tit Swingers revives the stories of Anne Bonney and Mary Read, two female pirates from the 16th century, whose lives became intertwined on Calico Jack’s ship. While little factual information about these pirates is actually known, Le Gasp! Productions has identified a treasure trove of semi-fictional possibilities with these revolutionary individuals. Tit Swingers portrays Anne and Mary as polyamorous pirates who sing sea shanties about their rebellious ways with the help of Calico Jack (on drums).

Despite the bold and promising premise, the show is let down by haphazard execution. While there are strong vocals and a shared passion on stage, as the musical progresses, its storyline becomes difficult to keep up with. There is a captivating song about pregnancy which chronicles how Bonney and Read, upon capture, ‘pleaded with their bellies’ to defer the execution until after giving birth. Otherwise, the songs blur into one, rather than progressing the narrative (even if ‘Hot Girl Pirate Shit’ is rather catchy).

Yet, while the pirate-themed jokes and sexual innuendos are only worthy of eye rolls and a smattering of awkward laughter, the trio are better at improvising in the face of unplanned events. There is a certain undeniable charm about the creators behind Tit Swingers, but the show itself needs refining to do justice to the wayward lives of Bonney and Read. (Rachel Ashenden) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 August, 1.40pm.

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COME DINE WITH ME

Based on the TV show that lots of people pretend never to have watched, this musical zeroes in on the kind of behind-the-scenes skulduggery that you just know must go on.

 Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 August, 2.20pm.

THE OTHER

From Scotland, Iran, Chile, Brazil, Yemen and Syria comes a multimedia performance exploring culture and displacement.

 Scottish Storytelling Centre, 14 & 15 August, 3.15pm; 16 August, 6.45pm.

SHEKU KANNEH MASON

Joined by pianist Harry Baker, the cello superstar produces a concert featuring music by the eclectic likes of Lianne La Havas, Janáček and Bill Evans.

 Queen’s Hall, 14 August, 11am.

MÀNRAN

The seven-piece band are at the very heart of Scotland’s trad music scene and here they perform some of their own songs.

 The Hub, 10 August, 10.30pm.

MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

WILLY’S CANDY SPECTACULAR

It had to happen. The story of that disastrous Willy Wonka ‘immersive’ ‘experience’ in Glasgow gets its very own musical.

 Pleasance Dome, 9–26 August, 3pm.

MARY, QUEEN OF ROCK!

The year is 1561 and the Scottish Reformation has enforced an outright ban on rock’n’roll. Cue someone who is just not having that.

 Assembly Rooms, until 25 August, 9.20pm.

CATRIONA PRICE

Inspired by poetry from her Orkney homeland, Price’s debut album Hert (Orcadian Scots for ‘heart’) explores the rich tapestry of life there.

 Various venues, 12, 14, 16 August, times vary.

PICTURE: JANNICA HONEY

THINGS BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

BY JUN NOH

DIRECTED BY JOANNA ROSENFELD

THEATRE

HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM

Not everyone learns to swim at the requisite young age, but what if your inability to achieve such a landmark moment is down to more than not getting a hang of breathing properly or being unable to do those strokes? What if there is actually a racial aspect to human relationships with water? Somebody Jones’ debut work is a coming-of-adulthood story about grief and hope. (Brian Donaldson) n Roundabout @ Summerhall, until 26 August, 4.10pm.

Letter from America

‘The sinister Slender Man murder case from 2014 has inspired a new work which questions why a close-knit group would attempt to kill a friend.

Aashna Sharma met the play’s director to discuss contemporary games and ancient fables

How do you get so lonely that you begin to see what someone else is seeing?’ US-based playwright Morgan Wilder asked herself this question after learning about the Slender Man case, a bizarre incident in which two Wisconsin girls lured their friend into the woods and stabbed her multiple times after being ‘told to do so’ by a fictional character known as Slender Man. ‘It’s a very American piece of lore, entirely developed online as a “creepypasta”, which eventually inspired a video game,’ explains the play’s director Maiya Pascouche.

This led to the creation of 4 Girls The First Letter E, about a quartet of girls whose names all begin with E and who meet up daily to play a video game. Wilder clarifies that her play diverges significantly from the actual Slender Man case, with the inspiration stemming from an underlying question: how did these girls reach a point where they genuinely believed a fictional character was instructing them to kill their friend? Both the play and the game within it ask this central poser. Further, the game involves a quest to live with ‘The King’ forever in his mansion, free from pain, and physically transformed, which also serves as a metaphor for transness, queerness, and the quest for a person’s true self.

Wilder met Pascouche at NYU in 2019, and they quickly struck up a friendship. Both were undergraduates at the university’s Playwrights Horizons studio and began collaborating that same year, founding their theatre company, The Missing Rib Collective. That name was inspired by the Aesop fable in which a wolf claims to have a rib bone stuck in his throat and asks the crane to reach in and remove it. The story resonated with the duo because it seemed to be a perfect analogy for their approach to theatre: taking risks without knowing the outcome and embracing the thrill of uncertainty.

‘We see the potential for theatre to be life-affirming and community-driven, and the risk involved is what excites us most,’ Pascouche says. Every piece produced by Missing Rib seeks to include a transmedia component. In 4 Girls The First Letter E too, the video game is central to the story so Wilder came up with a fictional video game for the play. ‘It would be incredible to actually have the video game developed and get viewers to play it,’ says Pascouche. ‘If we could get the audience immersed in the game before the play starts, then they can watch the characters become obsessed with it during the piece and continue playing it at home. It would mirror how the characters in the play begin to believe the game is part of their own reality.’

4 Girls The First Letter E, Greenside @ George Street, 12–24 August, 9.55pm.

16:50 | 19 - 25 AUG ASSEMBLY ROOMS:

Written and performed by Gary McNair | Directed by Joe Douglas

MUSIC HALL

DUNDEE REP & TRAVERSE A HISTORY OF PAPER llll l

No matter how reliant we are on technology, nothing will ever replace the weight of memories imbued into something tangible. A handwritten letter or an origami rose will always trump that quick text message. This new musical, brought initially to radio by playwright Oliver Emanuel and re-adapted into its musical format by Gareth Williams following Emanuel’s death, is the simplest of tales: a love story, one told through the paper which clutters our lives. A History Of Paper folds itself tightly, passed around on a shared journey, becoming increasingly intimate before bursting into a confetti stream of affectionate nostalgia and an appreciation of our time together.

Carrying these words and melody, Emma Mullen and Christopher Jordan-Marshall lead the show, their back and forth echoing our most beloved romantic comedies, though staving off melodrama. While on stage, musical director Gavin Whitworth plays the piano with poise. Occasionally meandering, Emanuel and Williams’ fluttering dialogue is wholly natural, jousting and carrying a blossoming relationship along. Emma Jones adds to the mix with colourful cascades of lighting, purposeful washouts of winter blues or scatterings of Hogmanay fireworks.

The juxtaposition of the closing act’s narrative shifts will shake audiences, either pushing their emotional states into freefall or raising eyebrows in oblique musings which (purposefully) derail the show’s tender successes thus far. The audience is taken down a different path than where we started and A History Of Paper is a stark reminder to value the journey. The memories we collect shape us. (Dominic Corr)

n Traverse Theatre, until 25 August, times vary.

EVOLUTION PRODUCTIONS THE LAST LAUGH lll ll

To some extent a commercially canny, comedy-legends-assemble exercise in nostalgia, Paul Hendy’s new play The Last Laugh brings together three previously acclaimed portrayals of icons for a piece that also has ambitions to dissect comedy itself. With Bob Golding reprising his celebrated turn as Eric Morecambe, Damian Williams playing Tommy Cooper and Simon Cartwright particularly excellent doing Bob Monkhouse, the performances are uniformly delightful and there’s a straightforward, unalloyed joy in witnessing classic routines and silly bits of business recreated with love and panache.

Gathered in a dressing room before a performance, the afterlife implications are impossible to avoid because of the audience’s awareness of this trio’s passing (yet still rather heavyhandedly hinted at with occasional clutches to chests and crackles of electrical faults). This play nevertheless earns its pathos with a tenderness for the men behind the genius. The most compelling dynamic is that between the naturally gifted Cooper and the grafter Monkhouse, painfully aware he’s in elevated company despite being the most perceptive of the three, even if this often reduces Golding’s Morecambe to mediator, surely never Eric’s natural role.

Musing on the essence of double acts, originality, influence, the drive and the pain of having to make people laugh, too often these giants are reduced to mouthpieces for a treatise about comedy mechanics. The contrivance of these exchanges is only truly satisfying when the clunkiness is humorously made a virtue of. (Jay Richardson)

n Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 August, 1.20pm.

HALF A STRING BREATHE llll l

Despite its title, the intricacy and wonder in this beautiful show almost takes your breath away. Inspired by the mighty oak tree, but actually paying homage to forest dwellers large and small, Breathe is a feat of technical, musical and educational ingenuity. Kent-based theatre company Half A String have their work cut out delivering this highly complex show but they make it seem effortless. Swooping around the stage with rod puppets, tiny woodland sets and cameras that replay the action in real time, the talented threesome build a woodland world and turn a tiny seedling into a hero.

Still clinging to the branches of its mother oak tree, a tiny acorn has no idea it’s running late. Autumn is drawing to a close and winter is nipping at its heels. Falling to the forest floor, it slowly learns the ways of the world, meeting mighty roots that plunge deep into the earth, sharp-beaked birds that must be avoided, and friendly leaves that keep it safe. Tiny lights illuminate lengths of mycelium (the network of fungal threads beneath the ground), skilful hands manipulate our miniature acorn friend, and live original songs drive the narrative via the gorgeous vocals of singer Darcey O’Rourke. (Kelly Apter)

n Pleasance Dome, until 18 August, noon.

21COMMON

COMMON IS AS COMMON DOES: A MEMOIR ll lll

While this Western-inspired, dance-led look into a dysfunctional family unit begins with an entertaining in-your-face musical number, it quickly develops into a dance piece that tends to operate outside of a central theme. As Common Is As Common Does deals with domestic violence, class inequality and alcohol abuse, there seems to be too much on its plate for this performance to cover in one hour.

The narration talks of the pain the family are feeling living in poverty and dealing with an abusive male at the head of the hierarchy; yet it also abandons the realities that underpin its central storylines. The main character loses his job but rejects opportunities, which doesn’t feel true to the choices working-class people face. When the theme of domestic violence is raised, the audience extrapolate meaning from background shots of the cast while they perform karaoke rather than dance.

Although there are a number of well-choreographed fight scenes, unfortunately they don’t give us information about the narrative (the same goes for the dance elements, many of which take the form of a line dance). Despite a promising beginning, sadly this show leaves a bit to be desired. (Rachel Morrell)

n Zoo Southside, until 17 August, 12.30pm.

MOTOVOHO PRODUCTIONS

ADDICT ll lll

With a solid central performance and a script that displays its careful structure through scenes that examine the progress of a man’s descent into social-media sickness, Addict chronicles online radicalisation without reaching a conclusion. Following the protagonist’s shift from responsible liberal to troll, and the real-life consequences, it is caught in talking points and sensational moments. The flickering between persona leaves an emotional vacuum at the heart of the plot.

After encountering online abuse, John builds his own social-media monster, sliding into an alt-right radicalism that he doesn’t really accept. While the disparity between John’s belief in who he is and his avatar’s aggressive, macho freedom builds a dramatic tension, his own confusion prevents him from ever being sympathetic. The vague message, that the internet is dangerous, fails to clarify the nature of the threat or lend the plot any sense of urgency. (Gareth K Vile)

n TheSpace On The Mile, until 17 August, 1.05pm.

MEGAN PRESCOTT REALLY GOOD EXPOSURE lll ll

Dubbed ‘a story about control’, Megan Prescott, the actress and bodybuilder who formerly starred in Skins, presents a raw account of the acting industry and the harsh pressures it places on young people. Drawing partly from her own experiences, amalgamated with incidents that have happened to others, Really Good Exposure unpacks attitudes towards women in the media, through the sole character of Molly, played by Prescott. Donning a sparkly bikini throughout, she takes the audience on a journey through Molly’s career, starting at age 11.

It is clear that Prescott, who has starred in a multitude of television and short film roles since her debut in 2008, has impressive acting abilities. The show is captivating, drawing you into Molly’s story and pushing you to root for her, making the difficult scenarios she finds herself in all the more troubling.

The show addresses issues such as the sexualisation of actors during casting and production, as well as the backlash women face after shows air. Continually, Molly is forced to go against her instincts due to the competitive nature of the industry; her desperation for work is seen as a vulnerability and preyed upon by decision-makers. Prescott traces this timeline vividly, though it feels slightly rushed towards the end. Fitting such heavy and complex topics into a one-hour slot is not an easy task, but Prescott mostly succeeds.

(Alekia Gill)

n Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 August, 5.20pm.

Award-winning theatre company 1927 combine song, dance and striking animation to explore the hardship experienced by children when families are torn apart. Isy Santini hails Please Right Back as a masterclass in its poignant but joyful celebration of childhood

What begins as a send-up of mid-century crime noirs and spy thrillers in Please Right Back becomes a moving and thoughtful story about two workingclass children, Kim (Chardaè Phillips) and Davey, coping with their father’s imprisonment. Writing from prison, Mr E (Stefan Davis) keeps his children’s spirits up with whimsical stories about the top-secret mission he’s been assigned to, but as school bullies and government agencies disrupt the children’s lives more and more, reality catches up with them.

Please Right Back is an absolute masterclass in blending animation with live theatre. As Mr E traverses the world from the Bermuda Triangle to London and to the inside of a whale’s stomach in search of a mysterious briefcase, he interacts with animations on screen behind him. And what incredible animations they are. The style is charmingly scratchy and higgledy-piggledy, with more than a hint of German expressionism. Every backdrop is stunning to look at and each animated character so full of life and personality; in fact, it’s easy to forget that Kim’s little brother Davey is just a drawing. What’s even more remarkable is the precision with which the cast acts alongside these animations, so at various points they appear to be shot with arrows or stirring a pot.

Mr E’s adventures manage to be both gripping and laughout-loud funny, made all the better by intermittent musical numbers. Some of the catchiest involve psychopathic pirates with a softer side and a circus lion missing his cubs (with all these wacky characters populating the show, it’s amazing that they’re all played by just four actors).

The stand-out song, however, is his duet with Kim, where he says how he would comfort her if they lived in a Disney film. It’s affecting, lovely and not unlikely to bring a tear to your eye.

Among all this, Please Right Back expertly weaves its social commentary into the story’s fabric. Mr E’s fantasy world naturally falls away as Kim and Davey become more affected by their family’s financial situation, the loss of their father, and the increasingly common visits from Sally (Lara Cowin), a mysterious government figure determined that children should be productive and obedient. Please Right Back uses all of these elements to create a poignant but joyful celebration of family and childhood with all the messiness that entails.

Please Right Back, The Studio, until 11 August, 7pm; also 7, 10 & 11 August, 2pm.

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ALISON LARKIN GRIEF . . . A COMEDY lll ll

It took Alison Larkin over 50 years to find her soulmate and fall in love for the first time: and then he died. Grief . . . A Comedy is her response; a show that, remarkably, Archbishop Desmond Tutu told her to write. Larkin is an engaging performer and her multi-slash career as a stand-up, recorder of audio books and writer help her drop seamlessly into each character she portrays. Confident and relaxed, she’s not afraid to address the audience directly, generating a great deal of warmth as she does so.

But the problem with a life well-lived is choosing what bits to put into your biography. Larkin’s selections hinder the structure of the show which isn’t really about grief: rather it’s about finding love rather than losing it. A tighter frame with less exposition would perhaps uncover a greater emotional depth, bringing the audience on an emotional journey that they’d be more than willing to undertake. (Jo Laidlaw) n Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 August, 2.10pm.

CHALK LINE THEATRE

THE CHAOS THAT HAS BEEN AND WILL NO DOUBT RETURN lll ll

A beautifully written, perfectly cast love letter to Luton, The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return tells the story of an unforgettable house party through the eyes of two 16-year-olds dealing with an environment in which the pressures they face will ensure adulthood arrives swiftly. While navigating the world of underage alcohol procurement and avoiding the retribution of parents and neighbourhood bullies (with a style that somehow combines The Inbetweeners and Top Boy), questions beyond adolescent worries also emerge for our witty protagonists.

Most plays dealing with an array of characters and difficult topics need many members, but this first-class cast of three (Olatunji Ayofe, Elan Butler and Amala Naima Aguinaga, who plays at least five characters and manages movement of the set while retaining brilliant comic timing) are dedicated to the audience’s experience and defy expectations.

As the narrative celebrates the melting pot of Luton and the vibrant millennial nostalgia of noughties artists like Sean Paul and Black Eyed Peas, it also recognises the psychological weight of austerity and weaves in humour while effortlessly diving into the nuance of violent knife crime. Despite a couple of missteps in pacing, this show grows in depth while remaining thoroughly entertaining throughout. Definitely one to watch. (Rachel Morrell) n Summerhall, until 26 August, 7.40pm.

FLOATING SHED REBELS AND PATRIOTS ll lll

This well-intentioned piece by young Israeli-Palestinian-British theatre company Floating Shed attempts to grapple with the realities of young people in Tel Aviv today. It’s written by company founder Nadav Burstein, who brings a confidently authentic voice to the piece, having based it around his own experiences in trying to leave the Israeli Defence Force during mandatory conscription.

The heart of the show centres around four young friends hanging out on a rooftop, discussing what they are going to do during their weekend leave. These moments are strong, allowing the audience a perspective that is not often seen. They are all politically active and aware of both what they are doing and the outside perceptions. If the piece had the confidence to keep the audience sitting in this unease, it might be more successful. However, it quickly veers into heightened drama with each of the four men speaking the show’s themes out loud, immediately losing any nuance. Things are not helped by a lengthy intro that employs an array of theatrical devices in an attempt to set the scene but ends up distancing the audience and leaving us with no time to get to know the humanity behind these characters. It is undoubtedly a difficult topic and kudos should be given to this young company for even attempting to tackle it. On paper, their approach makes sense: presenting the truth and offering space for conversation. It is a shame then that the lack of subtlety lets this piece down. (Sean Greenhorn) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 August, 3pm.

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PICTURE: AMIE BARTON-YOUNG

WAKE THE BEAST IN THE SICK OF IT lll ll

You’d be wrong if you figured that funding, reform or the push for a stable and well-staffed environment would repair our broken NHS. What’s really going to save it is a pair of actors, Adam and Kemi, armed with interview tapes from various frontline NHS and care home staff since April 2020.

An evolution of an earlier concept (titled In Our Own Words) which created a verbatim response to those conversations in a bid to maintain morale in the sector (and performed to Parliament last year), In the Sick of It becomes a sincere prescription of satire and reconstructed accounts from those still traumatised by saving lives during covid, and the subsequent toll it has taken.

There’s a solid piece beneath the cluttered prop-comedy and sporadic audience interactions. Plenty of candid truths exist within the stories of the people interviewed, performed admirably by Adam and Kemi, ready to find a more lasting, lacerating political satire. (Dominic Corr)

n Assembly George Studios, until 26 August, 12.15pm (21 August, 11.55am).

LUKE WRIGHT JOY! lll l l

Don’t be fooled by that exclamation mark. While spoken-word veteran Luke Wright’s latest show riffs on, subverts and interrogates the concept of ‘joy’, this is not a piece for anyone seeking a quick-fix dopamine hit, or an hour of boundless ebullience in word form. In fact, it’s those 21st-century dopamine shots Wright has in his crosshairs from the start. Taking in social-media scrolling, alcohol abuse and the small ‘treats’ we reward ourselves with (which only make us crave more), he examines the shallow highs that distract us from life’s traumas, regrets, guilts and losses.

This is a candid and reflective show, at times brutally honest. But penetrating its bittersweet moments there is a light that shines through, in the form of Wright’s (second) wife and children. Can true joy, he considers, ultimately only exist as part of a constellation of other equally potent emotions?

Wright is a brilliantly charismatic performer, and when at his best, his poems shoot arrows through the heart, or leave you dazzled by their virtuosity. Not all of them hit this level, but Joy! is a show built of soul, that lets you glimpse through its windows at an unvarnished picture of a human life. (Lucy Ribchester)

n Pleasance Dome, until 13 August, 2.55pm.

END OF THE PIER PRODUCTIONS ABRASION lll ll

It’s Meg’s first anniversary of her endometriosis surgery and we’re all invited to her party, complete with sparkly hats, balloons and jaunty ‘Happy Endoversary’ bunting. This one-woman show tells the tale of Meg’s endometriosis diagnosis. She gets put on the pill at 16, the coil at 20, and eventually gets a diagnosis and surgery at 25. But there are many medical hoops to jump through and painful sexual encounters to endure along the way. It’s these stories that make up the bulk of the show, being told by Meg in sometimes excruciating detail.

The piece is peppered with audio testaments from other women who’ve also had to endure bungled treatment and misdiagnosis, helping us to understand that Meg’s quest to be taken seriously by her doctor isn’t an isolated incident. One in ten women have endometriosis and it takes an average of 7.5 years to get a diagnosis. These are the types of facts we’re told throughout the show, and while the balance between humour and earnest education feels slightly disjointed at times, the message is clear: women shouldn’t take no for an answer when it comes to healthcare.

A sparky performer, Meg-Rose Dixon’s character work is particularly good as she introduces us to a series of medical professionals who are varying levels of patronising, highlighting the need for better patient care. There’s some light audience participation though few genuinely laugh-out-loud moments; but maybe that’s not really the point of the show. (Lauren McKay)

n Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 26 August, 9.20pm.

PICTURE: OLGA KUZMENKO

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FISHAMBLE

IN TWO MINDS lll ll

Returning Irish new-writing company Fishamble bring us Joanne Ryan’s intimate play about a mother-daughter relationship, driven to intensity by the former’s bipolar disorder and extended stay in the latter’s cramped one-bedroom flat. In Two Minds possesses all the components for brilliance but comes off as dramatically sluggish. Alyson Cummins’ practical, appropriate set works towards a subdued framing for the lighting and performances to be showcased, but the expectant oomph of these two living on top of one another never manifests.

There’s clear potential in Ryan’s perceptive writing; the gradual trickles and cracks in the pair’s relationship are built naturally through two investing performances by Pom Boyd (Mother) and Karen McCartney (Daughter). Boyd’s vicious turnabouts as Mother feel painfully accurate, demonstrating how those who love us the most often cut the deepest. McCartney’s outbursts and frustrations are familiar with that guilt of snapping at an ageing parent.

There are sharp understanding bouts of vociferous humour, not all melodramatic pre-amble, notably from Boyd’s Mother with their restored faith and sneaky cigarettes. Where Sarah Jane Scaife’s direction finds nuance of character, the pacing of the play struggles, failing to build to a rewarding pay-off, bowing out on a striking star-filled sky filled with unexplored possibility. (Dominic Corr) n Traverse Theatre, until 25 August, times vary.

GANYMEDE THEATRE COMPANY ELEANOR lll ll

Detailing Eleanor Marx’s 14-year relationship with the married Edward Aveling (Columbus Mason), Eleanor paints a compelling portrait of an impassioned but deeply insecure woman. This is in no small part thanks to Arlene McKay’s performance. Eleanor is a character whose verve and constant stream of Shakespeare quotes could, in lesser hands, be rather annoying, but McKay plays her with depth and understanding.

The script is at times repetitive, especially during the frequent argument scenes between Eleanor and Edward; by the third time a fight ends with him calling her pathetic, it begins to feel redundant. At 50-minutes long, though, the imperfect script hardly slows the show down.

The real strength of Eleanor is the authenticity of her friendship with poet Dollie Radford (Eleanor Greig). Watching their relationship develop from playful childhood teasing to the more emotionally complicated friendship of adulthood, as Dollie fights to save Eleanor from Edward, is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. (Isy Santini) n TheSpace @ Niddry Street, until 17 August, 1.20pm.

When the fun stops, stop. At times, it’s hard to find the fun in Hannah Walker’s musical criticism of the online gambling industry. While she does hit us with a couple of good one-liners, the anti-gambler doesn’t always play her cards right. That’s not to say this show isn’t worthwhile. Walker shares the tale of her partner’s online gambling addiction through a series of songs (some catchier than others), videos and storytelling. She criticises the industry with admirable gusto while presenting an imperfect but respectable attempt at raising awareness about the dangers of problem gambling.

As the show moves through this story, it becomes choppy, with its comedic and serious undertones clashing. It includes lengthy (perhaps overly so) audio clips from experts in the field and interviews with problem gamblers. Walker is also offering discussion sessions throughout the Fringe for people to learn more about the industry, which furthers its goal of raising awareness.

She relies on a lot of tech, some of which doesn’t seem entirely core to the plot. Videos have a homemade and dated quality, which takes away from their creativity and humour. That said, Walker does possess the stage presence and storytelling skills to command an audience, and her likeability diffuses some of the performance’s weaker aspects. While unpolished, Gamble is a show that could hit the jackpot with some more time and attention. (Rachel Cronin) n Summerhall, until 26 August, 4.30pm.

HANNAH WALKER GAMBLE ll lll

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BEN VOLCHOK

THE CEREMONY

Inviting chaos into a space can ignite theatrical gold. Or it can all crash in a heap with hollers of the dreaded ‘refund’. Luckily, Ben Volchok’s experimental The Ceremony intentionally welcomes the unexpected as it muses on the fascinations of ritual and repetition in a contemporary world where we scoff at our ‘old age’ traditions. And with luck, the night you decide to embark on this journey will be remembered: but that’s entirely up to you and your fellow audience.

The show is generated by (and thus reliant on) audience discussion. Part sermon, part self-help meet-up, there’s no topic off the table (for better or worse). Natural disasters, our love lives, gender theory, the French: chances are these topics may not come up again, certainly not in the same manner. It makes the immersive nature of this piece straddle the line of theatre and comedy, ready to tip over into either at but a glance or ill-comment.

Mercifully, this is far from a cry of justification to avoid actually creating a show before persuading audiences to part with their coin, as the one consistency in The Ceremony’s structure is Volchok himself. He holds court in Summerhall as whimsically as he can, as much fiendish Puck as a huckster of snake oil. It’s pretty delightful to watch events unfold as Volchok coaxes people into the most crucial element here: audience interaction, the most challenging aspect of the Fringe outside of finding a crêpe under a tenner. (Dominic Corr)

 Summerhall, until 26 August, 9.45pm.

HARRI PITCHES SOUND OF THE SPACE BETWEEN

Bereavement affects us in myriad ways, but one common facet is we can’t quite believe our loved one has gone. We expect to find them in the places they’ve always been, and when they’re not, the loss is felt more keenly. In his ambitious solo show, Harri Pitches conjures the bewilderment of grief perfectly. We never learn who he has lost, lending the piece an important universality, but a loss has definitely occurred, because a show like this can only be forged in the heart.

The physicality of Pitches’ storytelling, using torches, shadows and his own expressive body, builds a vivid picture in our mind. We can almost see the vibrant colours of his childhood garden, and feel his longing to return there. A series of loop pedals, mics and an electric guitar build the ‘sound’ of the title, and if the storytelling and live mixing sometimes battle for attention, this is still an impressive debut from a talented performer. (Kelly Apter)

 Zoo Playground, until 25 August, 3.35pm.

COIN TOSS COLLECTIVE FREAK OUT!

The very timely Freak Out! focuses on the fictional coastal town of Portsford as the residents discover that their homes are likely to be destroyed by coastal erosion within the next decade. During a fundraiser party, the residents debate whether to take the measly compensation offered by the government or stay and fight to build a temporary sea wall.

Freak Out! is a multimedia production told through a mixture of physical theatre, documentary footage and audience participation. The combination of these elements provides something of a mixed bag while their physical theatre can sometimes be a bit too reminiscent of GCSE drama. But it hits hard in the moments where it really matters, such as a beautiful scene where the residents come together and link arms to mimic the waves that both define and threaten their town.

The decision to focus on an entire town allows for a refreshing diversity of opinion, and it brings up interesting points about land ownership, as well as our own relationships to our communities and the land on which we live. It’s a thought-provoking show, and among all the different ideas, one thing becomes clear: the government needs to do more to help people already suffering from climate change, here and now. (Isy Santini)

 Pleasance Dome, until 26 August, 2.30pm.

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TANGRAM THEATRE COMPANY DIVINE INVENTION

Part lecture, part auto-fictional memoir, Franco-Uruguayan playwright Sergio Blanco’s Divine Invention is a quiet ode to joy. Thirty chapters gently weave together Blanco’s reflections on love, with references to the epic tales of myth as well as the crazy life of Francis Bacon. Daniel Goldman’s reading is gently compelling, his hypnotic delivery contrasting strikingly with the sometimes-shocking nature of the text. His performance creates a lovely warm space for an audience to share, simply staged behind a desk with just a few props.

However, reading is the operative word. While the lack of device or theatricality is obviously intentional, one can’t help yearning for a little more drama. In a Fringe of 3000 shows all competing for attention, maybe a simple reading isn’t quite enough to draw in the crowds. Still, it’s a lovely lyrical hour: perhaps the point is that love is dramatic enough, all by itself. (Jo Laidlaw)

 Summerhall, until 11 August, 2.30pm.

XHLOE AND NATASHA

A LETTER TO LYNDON B JOHNSON OR GOD: WHOEVER READS THIS FIRST

The Beatles are on the wireless, Lyndon B Johnson is in the White House, and boy scouts Grasshopper and Ace are covered in smears of mud and badges of honour. They frolic and tear through the imagined landscape, conjured up by performers Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland, finishing each other’s sentences, jostling and playfighting.

This is the third year Rice and Roland have brought work to the Fringe, and both previous productions have been noted for their sharp absurdity. A Letter To Lyndon B Johnson Or God: Whoever Reads This First feels more earnest than absurd however, playing with nostalgia and boyhood tropes (subverting them sometimes with tragic intrusions of adult brutality) in its quest to capture the spirit of young masculinity. Both Rice and Roland are commanding, energetic performers, frantically whipping through overlapping stories of the boys, as they hurtle from playfighting into cold, hard war.

They are at their best when melding physical and verbal storytelling, syncing the punctuation of their movements to the narrative’s rhythm. But by channelling such archetypal figures and tropes (like the all-American boy-soldiers-to-men of Grasshopper and Ace), the pitfall is that it feels like a story we have heard before. (Lucy Ribchester)  TheSpace @ Niddry Street, until 24 August, times vary.

EIF/LYCEUM THEATRE THE OUTRUN

Was growing up with her father’s bipolar disorder a reason why Amy Liptrot craved rollercoaster extremes as an adult? It’s something the Orcadian author ponders in The Outrun, her 2016 memoir of addiction and recovery. Stef Smith’s visceral adaptation begins with Dad being hospitalised following his daughter’s premature birth. Liptrot’s central character, renamed Woman, is carried confidently by Isis Hainsworth with a gritty, glittery blur of ebullience, anger and vulnerability. We ride like ‘a gull on the gusts’ through her clubbing days in London, where alcohol becomes more important than relationships and an enamoured boyfriend has to retreat while a self-destructive whirlpool sucks her under.

Lizzie Powell and Lewis den Hertog’s lighting and video design shapeshift between drunken blackout seizures, tranquil island rock pools and the dancing Northern Lights, finding new ways to plumb the sensory, near-psychedelic depths of Liptrot’s writing, which made the original book so rich. Liptrot’s passion for coldwater swimming, which became a clean buzz to replace the adrenaline rush of binge drinking, and a vital part of her creativewriting process, only gets a couple of lines, weighting the storytelling towards the struggle rather than that new addictive source of gratification.

Alison Fitzjohn plays Person, a fellow addict in group therapy that reminds Woman just how easy it is to relapse, and how resolute Woman really is. When the temptations of birthday fizz or Christmas mulled wine threaten to take her back to a dark time, and sobriety seems boring to the point of being poisonous, Orkney’s wildness and the grounding, cyclical comforts of lambing and corncrake nesting steady her again. (Claire Sawers)  Church Hill Theatre, until 24 August, times vary.

PICTURE: ADAM LENSON PICTURE:

I SELL WINDOWS

When former actor Kacie hears of an unexpected death of a loved one, it drags her back to a time when she, as the title suggests, sold windows for a living.

n Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 August, 4pm.

LOVE BEYOND

Directed by Matthew Lenton and created by Ramesh Meyyappan, this is about a man with dementia who moves into a new home, carrying the ghosts of his memories with him.

n Assembly George Square, 12–25 August, times vary.

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

Based on writer-performer Sam Ipema's life, this is the story of a young woman and her brain aneurysm who she happens to call Annie.

n Zoo Playground, until 25 August, 4.50pm.

I, AM OTHER

Adipat Virdi has created an immersive family drama about an older relative’s act of aggression towards a biracial child, wrapping in issues of privilege, identity and bias.

n C arbor, 12–25 August, 12.30pm, 2pm, 6pm.

YOU’RE NEEDY (SOUNDS FRUSTRATING)

Performed four times a day for 30 minutes, this site-specific piece gives one audience member a chance to experience the story of a woman who is retreating from life.

n Buccleuch Terrace, until 26 August, time vary.

MARGOLYES & DICKENS

The beloved actress and writer is back in Edinburgh after a long time away and talking all things Charles.

n Pleasance At EICC, 7–15 August, 4pm.

LIFE WHERE IT FALLS

In this solo play, Downton Abbey’s Ruairi Conaghan tells the story of the murder of a loved one and the lasting trauma that flowed from it.

n C alto, until 25 August, 2.30pm.

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festival hot shots

Eagle-eyed readers who also have excellent memories will note that we mentioned the EIF’s opening event in our last issue on this very page. But having seen Where To Begin close-up we reckoned it was a fine idea to show an image taken by Jess Shurte from what was a spectacular tribute to the city of Edinburgh.

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If you’re an early bird (or like staying up all night), then Jest Fest could turn out to be a major Art Festival treat. At The Scotsman Steps (10 August, 5.35am) and then Calton Hill (24 August, 6.02am), Jimmy Mack The Shapeshifting Jester delivers some spoken word, absurdist performance art and a spot of self-absorption. You could certainly say that it’s a unique way to experience the Festival, as the Playbill FringeShip prepares to sail into view from 8–15 August. Among the delights on board are a welcome party featuring Silent Disco, twins sketch duo Pear, circus act Sophie’s Surprise 29th, and musical-theatre icon Frances Ruffelle.

PICTURE: JESSS HURTE

Chokeslam

Geraldine Hickey: Don’t Tease Me About My Gloves

Isabelle Farah: Nebuchadnezzar

Camille O’Sullivan: Loveletter Rouge