Jinkx Monsoon

STORM

DAMAGE

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and vintage glamourpuss Jinkx Monsoon admits to having two distinct personalities. Lucy Ribchester hears that her female family members still debate the true inspiration behind an often monstrous public persona

It feels like a marriage that was destined to happen, thwarted until now only by circumstance. Cabaret superstar, ‘horny MILF’, and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season five, Jinkx Monsoon (‘here to make your stepson swoon’) is finally coming to the world’s most famous stage festival. Having been courted by the Fringe for many years, eventually in 2020 Monsoon agreed to pack her suitcase full of wigs and corsets and accept an invitation. ‘And we all know how that story ends,’ she cackles down the Zoom line.

Now two years on, with even more spit and polish on her show, and fresh off the back of appearing on RuPaul’sDragRaceAllStars (winner of season seven is still to be announced at time of writing), Monsoon is determined to show us She’sStill GotIt, in a cabaret collaboration with her long-term stage partner Major Scales. ‘It’s a tour of our musical taste, a mix of ragtime covers of pop music and original music Major Scales has written for me throughout the years. You’re going to get a little bit of contemporary ragtime, a little bit of 90s garage-band throwback rock.’

Monsoon (aka Jerick Hoffer, who uses they/them pronouns out of drag and she/ her in drag) has known Major Scales (award-winning musician Richard Andriessen) since their college days. Originally they bonded over ‘the silliest things: we both had eccentric hats’. Later a shared love of vintage music and British sitcoms began to blossom into a working partnership. They stayed close throughout Monsoon’s rise to DragRace fame, and she swore that as soon as she had time, they would create a show together. This came to fruition in 2013, in a one-night off-Broadway performance that turned into a four-month residency. Years later their theatrical partnership is just as strong (if tempestuous) as ever. ‘Jinkx is the domineering personality; the Major is the only one who can get through to her. And it’s not different offstage, just dialled down.’

Anyone who has seen Monsoon on stage or in DragRace will be able to recognise some of her more famous influences: the vintage charm of Lucille Ball and the mature glamour of Jennifer Coolidge. But Monsoon says she also finds inspiration closer to home. ‘At the heart of Jinkx is just a very cheap impression of my mom.’ Having been brought up by three powerful women (her aunt, grandmother and a mother who christened that triumvirate as ‘The Omen’), Monsoon now finds herself at the centre of family disputes over who is responsible for her creation.

‘My mother and my aunt actually fight all the time about who Jinkx is based on; they’re both trying to pass off responsibility.’ Given her success, shouldn’t they be fighting over who gets to own it? ‘Jinkx has a lot of lovely qualities, but she’s also a narcissistic bitch,’ says Monsoon. ‘If you’ve seen DragRace, that’s got a lot of Jinkx the human being infused in it: the artist who created the character. Jinkx onstage is just 100% unfiltered character. Jinkx the human being is loving and kind and openhearted and candid and honest and mindful. Jinkx the character is a little bit more of a monster.’

Despite her onstage swagger, Monsoon admits she has harboured self-doubts in the past. ‘When you win Drag Race, eventually someone else is going to win it. For each winner I think there’s a moment of like, “oh, wow, I’m not the current winner anymore”. And that’s an adjustment.’ Filming AllStars, whose line-up is comprised entirely of past Drag Race winners, helped her realise that every victor has, at some stage, felt the same way. ‘Once I regained that sight, regained the focus on why I chose drag as my medium and why performing is what I’ve always wanted to do with my life, it was like someone put jet fuel in my engine.’

Jinkx Monsoon: She’s Still Got It! (With Major Scales), Assembly George Square Gardens, 6–18 August, times vary.

DAMAGE

AIDAN SADLER TROPICANA

‘I try to make it a story of resilience, of overcoming your insecurities and finding humour in the darkest of times,’ says queer cabaret icon Aidan Sadler, Tropicana’s creator and single performer. ‘The overall effect is an uplifting experience that, whilst making you want to get up and dance and laugh, also puts the performer’s experience into perspective. It’s a survival story, packaged as a right good jolly.’

The synergy of gravity, humour and joy makes for a strong cocktail. Between performances of well-loved 80s hits from Spandau Ballet to Wham!, Sadler’s big act is stand-up comedy. In a creation that ‘comes from a really dark place’, they fearlessly explore discussions around mental health while challenging gender binaries.

Havana’s El Tropicana nightclub is cabaret legend, and Sadler describes their act as an appreciation of the original venue ‘but with the character of a big gay idiot thrown in the mix’. After a year touring the country headlining shows, the same fabulous costumes are back with stand-up that has been heavily workshopped and continually developed. ‘The show appeals to people gagging for a sit-down and to watch cabaret, but it’s also for the “show before a night out” crowd. After all, Club Tropicana drinks are . . . allowed!’ (Rosanna Miller) n Assembly George Square, 3–28 August, 10.20pm.

LAURIE BLACK

DYSTOPIANO

Fresh from supporting Adam Ant on tour, synth-rock cabaret pioneer Laurie Black returns to Edinburgh with her latest hour, Dystopiano, a cyber-setlist of songs reflecting ‘the feeling of impending doom that’s in the zeitgeist. We’re constantly making jokes about the end of the world so we don’t really take it seriously anymore. But I’m trying to open up conversations and remind people that we should be trying more to fix it whilst also laughing at abominations like Elon Musk.’ Historically influenced by Muse, Nine Inch Nails and Tim Minchin, and more recently Peaches and Nova Twins, Black thought the call to open for the Dandy Highwayman was an ‘elaborate joke’. Still, after the Fringe is over, she resumes touring with him in September. ‘After watching Adam Ant every night for the last month, I’m inspired by his writing and energy,’ she adds.

Also hosting late-night variety showcase Bad Luck Cabaret at the Festival once again, Black can trace her preoccupation with space and the future to her childhood. ‘I’d “zoom out” of my body, look at my piano-playing hands in awe and think, “woah, I’m in control of this!” It’s a feeling I miss having and, for me, zooming out is an important way of living with life. My song “Cosmic Indifference” explores how nothing really matters because we’re on this speck of sand floating in space. It makes most things feel very trivial and mundane, and the freedom of that really inspires me.’ (Jay Richardson)

n Dystopiano, Voodoo Rooms, 6–28 August, 7.20pm;

Bad Luck Cabaret, Banshee Labyrinth, 7, 14, 21 August, 1.10am; both shows are part of PBH’s Free Fringe.

Life sure is a cabaret and here are some acts paying homage to that glorious form in week one

WILL PICKVANCE

Admitting to feeling drawn towards the absurd and ridiculous, the Fringe favourite returns with Half Man Half Piano, a show that will display his wild talents to stunning effect.  Assembly George Square, 3–28 August, 7.25pm.

AMBER TOPAZ

Greying Still Slaying showcases the cabaret sensation that is Amber Topaz, as she pays tribute to lusty libidos everywhere in this wholly adult show.  Voodoo Rooms, 5–28 August, 9.10pm.

CABARETTE SHOWTOUR

With the pick-up point on the Grassmarket, you won’t be making a discreet journey in a taxi as ve intrepid souls go on a musical-comedy tour around the capital.  Grassmarket, 3–28 August, 2pm, 5pm.

CHARLIE CAPER

The winner of Sweden’s Got Talent displays his magical abilities with a show called, rightly so, Magical. Over 50 countries around the globe have been entertained by this Caper.  PBH Free Fringe @ Liquid Room Annexe, 6–28 August, 6.15pm.

GANESH & CYDNEY’S CLINIC

Glitter, lth and a hefty dose of camp should guarantee a cracking late night out if those three things are on your agenda this August. Ridding Edinburgh of lovesickness is top of this pair’s to-do list.  Underbelly Cowgate, 4–28 August, 11pm.

CABARET HIGHLIGHTS

Amber Topaz (and bottom from left), Ganesh & Cydney’s Clinic, Will Pickvance, Drag Race Quiz Party host Dana Alexander

DRAG RACE QUIZ PARTY

Only super-fans of RuPaul’s iconic TV show and live tour should attend this quiz, hosted by Canadian comic Dana Alexander. Or perhaps it’s also one for the perennially curious.  BlundaGardens, 5, 12, 19, 26, 11.55pm.

FLADAM’S MUSICAL COMEDY HOOTENANNY!

Florence Poskitt and Adam Sowter (hence Fladam) tap into the rich traditions of British comedy in a tap into the rich traditions of British comedy in a show that’s rammed with tunes and wordplay. show that’s rammed with tunes and wordplay.  Pleasance At EICC, 3–29 August, 4pm. Pleasance At EICC, 3–29 August, 4pm.

PICTURE: PETER DIBDIN

THE BEST CURATED SHOWS AT THE FESTIVAL FRINGE

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ASSEMBLY

BROTIPO

Assembly George Square Gardens, 5–29 August (not 16, 23), 11.55am, £10.50–£12.50 (£9.50–£11.50). Preview 4 August, £7.50.

Crazy Canadian circus for the young, premiering in Edinburgh after visiting 16 countries. The art of giving each other a chance and collaborating when the right time comes is what the Brotipos will have to learn. Two clowns touch the hearts of the audience and make them laugh through their quarrels, their acrobatics and their lonely moments. A show filled with handstands, diabolo and a hand-to-hand act that will make you sing and dance with them. Hilarious and comical, that’s Brotipo. For the young and old! Winner of eight public choice awards.

PEPPA PIG: MY FIRST CONCERT

Assembly Hall, 5–21 August (not 9, 16), times vary, £14–£16 (£12–£14). Preview 4 August, £9.50–£11.50.

From Mozart to Muddy Puddles! Peppa Pig – My First Concert is a fun interactive introduction to a live orchestra with everyone’s favourite Pig family! Join Peppa as she discovers an orchestra for the first time in this accessible, exciting concert designed for the youngest audience members, featuring Aurora Orchestra. Sing and dance with Peppa in her favourite songs, watch Daddy Pig learn to conduct, explore the sounds of the different instruments, enjoy familiar tunes and discover exciting orchestral pieces perfect for little ones. A wonderful first concert experience.

The Smeds And The Smoos

children

DANCE BASE

WHIRLYGIG

Dance Base, 11–21 August (not 15), 12.30pm, £14 (£12).

A madcap musical adventure for families, WhirlyGig is four brave musicians, 30 instruments and countless musical puzzles to solve. Join us for an extraordinary theatrical experience where music will happen in ways you have never seen before. Musical maverick Daniel Padden comes together with award-winning Red Bridge Arts and Catherine Wheels to celebrate the thrills and spills of making music. For age 6+.

GILDED BALLOON

THE SONG OF FERGUS AND KATE

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 6–28 August (not 10, 17, 22–24), 10.15am, £9–£9.50 (£8.50–£9). Previews 3–5 August, £7.50.

‘Fergus himself was a little stunned and stared with eyes like dinner plates then said: “My name is Fergus”. She replied: “And mine is Kate”. In that very second, each of them had found a friend whose souls would remain entangled from now until the end.’ An interactive adventure that uses storytelling, music and animation to encourage children to celebrate their differences.

JUST THE TONIC

LEE KYLE: AN ACTUAL GIANT

Just The Tonic at The Caves, 4–28 August (not 15), noon, £5.

Lee Kyle is an actual giant. He smells, eats kids and everything. I mean, he’s not all that tall but you can’t have everything. A family show for families who don’t think that kids are little angels. Lee is one of the top family comedians in the UK and there’s a real ‘anything can happen’ feel to his shows: because it can.

PLEASANCE

CAT IN THE HAT

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–22 August (not 17), 10am, £13 (£11). Previews 3 & 4 August, £7.

The Cat is back! Experience mischief this Fringe and see the return of the acclaimed stage adaptation of Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears, Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. Cat in the Hat is a lively and engaging first theatre experience for young children aged 3+.

SHLOMO’S BEATBOX ADVENTURE FOR KIDS

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–28 August (not 17), 12.05pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8.

World record-breaking beatboxer SK Shlomo makes mad music with his mouth and has performed around the world with legends like Bjork, Ed Sheeran and Rudimental. After a sell-out UK tour and multiple five-star reviews, Shlomo is back on his mission to empower the next generation of superstar beatboxers to find their true voice, no matter who they are. Anybody can become one of this sonic superhero’s sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music, whether they’re 1 or 101!

CHILDREN theatre

THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–21 August (not 6, 17), 11am, £13.50–£14.50 (£12.50–£13.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8.

Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Schef er. On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back? A joyful tale of star-crossed aliens for everyone aged 3 and up, with music, laughs and interplanetary adventures. From Tall Stories, the company that brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage.

UNDERBELLY

DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS

Underbelly Bristo Square, 5–21 August (not 10, 17), 11.20am, £15–£21 (£14–£15). Preview 4 August, £12.50–£17.50 (£11.50).

Calling all brave heroes! Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magni cent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. Discover the colossal Stone Troll, the mysterious Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy (not as sweet as you’d think), an adorable Unicorn and majestic Grif n. Take your place among legendary heroes, just don’t wake the Dragon . . .

MANUAL CINEMA PRESENTS: LEONARDO! A WONDERFUL SHOW ABOUT A TERRIBLE MONSTER

Dragons and Mythical Beasts The Song Of Fergus And Kate

Underbelly Bristo Square, 6–29 August (not 15), 1.45pm, £14–£15 (£12.50–£13.50). Previews 3–5 August, £11 (£10).

Adapted from the beloved children’s books by Mo Willems, Leonardo! tells the story of a monster who longs to be scary and the big decisions he must make along the way. This visually stunning production is realised through puppets, paper cutouts, DIY cinema and live original songs by critically acclaimed multimedia artists Manual Cinema.

BASIL BRUSH’S FAMILY FUN SHOW

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 6–21 August, 12.30pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11.50–£12.50). Previews 3–5 August, £9.

Britain’s most loveable fox takes you on a journey of laughs, storytelling and song in a show for all the family, specially written for the live stage and packed with fun and excitement. Come join in the mayhem! ASSEMBLY

BLOODY DIFFICULT WOMEN

Assembly Rooms, 5–28 August (not 11, 22), 2.30pm, £14–£16 (£13–£15). Previews 3 & 4 August, £12 (£11).

Tim Walker’s acclaimed Bloody Dif cult Women played to packed houses at Riverside Studios in London earlier this year and its run was extended because of popular demand. It sees the tumultuous political events of recent years played out in a power struggle between two determined women. Walker’s intensely human account of the case Gina Miller brought against Theresa May makes for revealing (often hilarious) theatre, but, ultimately, it’s a tragedy where there are no winners, only losers. The story is brought up to date in a dramatic nale.

FRIENDSICAL

Assembly Rooms, 5–28 August (not 11), 7.55pm, £15.50–£17.50 (£14.50–£16.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £10.50 (£9.50).

When Ross’ wife leaves him for another woman, he fears he will never nd love again. But then Rachel runs back into his life . . . will he end up with his true love? Featuring original songs – ‘(He’s her) Lobster!’, ‘Richard’s Moustache’ and ‘You’re Over Me? When Were You Under Me?’ – the gang take on naked Thursdays, a power cut and a dinosaur convention. What could possibly go wrong? The show has been rewritten for a special Friendsical at the Fringe, a 60-minute celebration and loving parody, not to be confused with the Warner Bros Entertainment Inc series Friends.

LES DAWSON: FLYING HIGH

Assembly George Square, 5–28 August (not 16), 4.30pm, £15–£17 (£14–£16). Previews 3 & 4 August, £10.50.

Jon Culshaw (Dead Ringers, The Impressions

Show) stars in this funny, affectionate and poignant celebration of the much-missed comedy legend. Join Les as he summons forth a wealth of characters and incidents from his eventful life and career, as he travels on Concorde at twice the speed of sound, 68,000 feet above the Earth, in this new play from BAFTA and Olivier Awardwinning writer Tim Whitnall and director Bob Golding.

DANCE BASE

BURNT OUT

Dance Base, 23–28 August, 1.30pm, £14 (£12).

Burnt Out: one Australian’s experience of our changing climate. Weaving spoken word and movement, we are taken through Australia’s ery history including Penny’s own experiences. Embedded in sound is the Australian Black Summer: magpies that have learnt to mimic emergency sirens, shark warnings and helicopters circling overhead. Original music by Paul Michael Henry is interwoven with the dramatic lighting of Great Snakes. An autobiographical dance-theatre work from the daughter of an environmental geochemist, bringing together fact and personal account. Burnt Out is at once an intimate story and a universal meditation on climate change.

Burnt Out

ASSEMBLY

LOVE, LOSS AND CHIANTI

Assembly Rooms, 5–28 August (not 10, 23), 12.55pm, £18–£20 (£17–£19). Previews 3 & 4 August, £12 (£11).

Much-loved TV star Robert Bathurst(ColdFeet, DowntonAbbey, ToastofLondon) returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with Love, Loss & Chianti, an exciting double-bill intertwined with glorious animations from celebrated cartoonist Charles Peattie.

A staged adaptation in two parts by award-winning British poet Christopher Reid, Love, Loss &Chianti opened to critical acclaim at London’s Riverside Studios in 2020 and sees Bathurst star alongside Rebecca Johnson (BBC’s TheTrip). They reprise their roles in the hilarious verse comedy The SongofLunch (seen in Edinburgh in 2018), as well as the Scottish premiere production of Reid’s awardwinning verse, AScattering.

Written during the years surrounding the death of his wife, A Scattering is Reid’s autobiographical and deeply affecting verse poem; an unsentimental depiction of loss, articulating emotions most of us nd hard to express. Celebrating love and the inevitable heartbreak that follows, TheSongofLunch is a hilarious, poignant drama set in an Italian restaurant, as two former lovers recklessly attempt to rekindle lost passion.

‘I stage these books in sequence because that is the order in which Christopher Reid wrote them: A Scattering instantly followed by The Song Of Lunch,’ explains Bathurst. ‘The rst is autobiographical, taking three years to write; the second is a comic ction, an attempt by the author to lighten the mood by de ecting his grief. But can he?

‘With Reid’s sublime language and Charles Peattie’s exquisite and startling animation, we portray the turbulent mind of the poet, of relationships won and lost, in two of Reid’s most celebrated works to date.’

theatre

GILDED BALLOON

THE INTERVENTION

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 6–29 August (not 17), 3pm, £11.50–£12 (£11–£11.50). Previews 3–5 August, £8.

It’s been two years since Finn quit his job, came off social media and disappeared. His best friend Ally is beginning to fear the worst when chance suddenly reunites them. Ally has questions. The only problem is, Finn just might answer them. A new black comedy by Keir McAllister, awardwinning writer of The Bench, and starring Gus Lymburn (BBC Scotland’s Comedy Underground) and Gareth Mutch (STV’S Edinburgh Festival Show, Live at Five and The Late Show).

JACK DOCHERTY: NOTHING BUT

Gilded Balloon at the Museum, 6–19 August, 8pm, £14–£15 (£13–£14). Previews 3–5 August, £9.50.

Jack Docherty, BAFTA award-winning star of Scot Squad and Absolutely, returns to the festival with a tender, playful, darkly comic tale, where he grapples with lost youth, love, fatherhood, sex, secrets and truth.

MYTHOS: RAGNAROK

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 6–28 August, 10.15pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50). Previews 3–5 August, £8.50.

In this high-impact dark comedy, half-brothers Odin and Loki must overcome primordial giants, rival gods and goddesses and their own ambitions in their quest to seize power over the Nine Worlds. Featuring full-contact ghts, Nordic music and a three-sided stage that keeps the audience close to the action, The Mythological Theatre pack all the comedy, tragedy and action of their two-hour London show into 60 ludicrously intense minutes. Will the cast survive the only theatre show in the world to use professional wrestling or will they die gloriously in battle? Let’s make history and nd out! JUST THE TONIC

CASSIE WORKMAN: ABERDEEN

Just the Tonic Nucleus, 8–28 August (not 15, 22), 4pm, £8.50–£15.50. Previews 4–7 August, £6.50–£10.

In 1994 the world lost one of its most beloved musicians: grunge icon Kurt Cobain. Part eulogy, part fantasy, part biography, Aberdeen is an in-the-round conversation with Kurt about life and death that takes place across Washington State, including his hometown of Aberdeen. Traverse time and space as multi award-winning comedian and storyteller Cassie Workman races in a desperate bid to save the life of her hero by atempting to manipulate time itself. Dark and surreal, Aberdeen is an epic about loss, music and memory: an extraordinarily heartfelt love poem to the voice of a generation.

PLEASANCE

BLOCK’D OFF

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–29 August (not 10, 23), 3.10pm, £12–£13.50 (£11–£12.50).

One Of Two Rocky!

Previews 3 & 4 August, £7.

Working-class means many things now. Everyone knows the stereotypes, but it’s time to hear their voices. A father putting his hopes on his daughter’s future. A couple of dealers attempting to ee the country. A tutor manipulating his way to normality. A orist always running from brutality. Another young boy, stabbed too close to home. This is a story about people trapped in the cycle of deprivation. Based on real stories and real lives, Block’d Off is a hard-hitting one-woman play exposing what it’s like to be working-class in London today. Supported by the Pleasance’s Generate Fund.

DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE  I WANNA BE YOURS

Edinburgh Playhouse, 24 August, 7.30pm, £22–£28.

In celebration of his new autobiography I Wanna Be Yours, the people’s poet Dr John Cooper Clarke’s live show is a breathtaking rollercoaster of poetry, spoken word, off-the-wall chat, riffs and wicked stories from his incredible life. Poet Laureate of Punk, rock star, fashion icon and The Bard of Salford: Dr John Cooper Clarke is a phenomenon and one of Britain’s most beloved and in uential writers and performers.

MADE IN INDIA BRITAIN

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–29 August (not 9, 16, 23), 1.40pm, £11–£13.50 (£10–£12.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £7.

Since leaving home in Birmingham, Rinkoo Barpaga has been determined to nd somewhere to settle. Along the way he’s encountered racism, discrimination and has begun asking himself: Where do I belong? Join him as he delves deep into past experiences in order to discover his true self and a place he can nally call home. Performed by Rinkoo in British Sign Language, with live voiceover provided by an actor.

MISCHIEF MOVIE NIGHT

Pleasance at EICC, 5–28 August (not 15, 22), 6.30pm, £17–£19.50 (£15–£17.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £10.

Mischief return to the Edinburgh Fringe stepping back to their comedy roots with Mischief Movie Night, the improvised movie live on stage. Every

theatre

show is different with audiences suggesting a genre, location and title and Mischief hilariously bringing the show to life, complete with rewinds, directors cuts, thrilling live music and DVD extras that will have you howling with laughter. Over 100,000 households tuned in from over 45 countries to watch the live-streamed version in lockdown; now Mischief’s Olivier-nominated improv delight is back on stage.

RAPSODY

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–29 August (not 16), 5.20pm, £12.50–£14 (£11.50–£13). Previews 3 & 4 August, £7.

Join Elz, Jams, Toni and latest arrival Jaime, as they confront the realities of our modern-day class system through live rap, trap and drill. Living in a hostel and battling impossible odds from the beginning, their worlds are upended by the arrival of a newcomer from a privileged background, with deeply held religious beliefs. As the dynamics of the hostel shift, all four struggle to get by, rapping the things they can’t bring themselves to say. Rapsody is a raw look at inner-city life in Britain today and the 2022 recipient of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Theatre Reserve.

SUMMERHALL

GHOSTS OF THE NEAR FUTURE

Summerhall, 5–28 August (not 15, 22), noon, £13 (£10). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8–£10.

In Vegas, a magician performs a final disappearing act. The end of the world is a magic trick – are you watching closely? Ghosts of the Near Future is a cowboy-noir fever dream about extinction. Combining music, storytelling and live microcinema, it is a hallucinatory road-trip through a vanishing landscape, a haunting collage of miracles and misdirection. It takes us to the brink of disaster and asks whether we’re ready for what comes next. At high noon, emma + pj present a final encore for a world living one minute to midnight.

ONE OF TWO

Summerhall, 5–28 August (not 15, 22), 11.45am, £13 (£10). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8–£10.

Trapped in the bathroom with an evil tattie, Jack wrestles with the reality of living alone. Jack Hunter’s inspiring debut comedy is full of heart

Rapsody

and a half-empty bag of Weetos. A true tale of twins growing up with cerebral palsy, jump aboard the ‘strugglebus’ with Jack as he steers through the intersectionality of disability, while honking at societal attitudes and Eddie Redmayne’s career choices. Supported by Summerhall’s Mary Dick Award and developed through Playwrights’ Studio Scotland’s Disabled Playwright Programme. Jack recently starred in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Cost of Living at Hampstead Theatre.

TWO FINGERS UP

Summerhall, 5–28 August (not 15, 22), 6.30pm, £12 (£10). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8–£10.

Two Fingers Up. Remember when your religion teacher taught you about ridin’? And the school nurse told you to shave your pits? Or here, discovering your clit the first time? Wait, you haven’t yet? You don’t wank? Women don’t? My hole, they don’t. Stick two fingers up and come with us on a journey back to your teenage self, to being scundered, to self-discovery, to abstinence-only sex education, to Northern Ireland: a country of wankers.

ZOO

EVERY WORD WAS ONCE AN ANIMAL

ZOO Southside, 6–28 August (not 10, 15, 22), 2.15pm, £16–£17 (£14–£15). Preview 5 August, £12.

The show starts when a person comes on stage, walks to the microphone, talks. The person who is going to do all of this is good at opening scenes. If you open the show, you set the tone for the whole show. It’s a big responsibility: if the first lines are well done, it’s magic. The beginning can’t go on forever. The rest of the show has to happen. Forget what you just read. Half a truth is often a great lie.

FAR GONE

ZOO Southside, 5–20 August (not 12–14), 5.40pm, £12–£13 (£10–£11).

‘If I invited you to come with me on a journey, a story, will you come with me?’ When Okumu’s village in Northern Uganda is attacked by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), he and his brother’s lives are changed forever. Far Gone is a profoundly moving story of a young boy’s journey from childhood innocence to child soldier. Seen through the eyes of those that love him and those that betray him, Okumu’s experience strikes straight at the heart through a powerful one-man performance. A Roots Mbili Theatre and Sheffield Theatres co-production.

MATERNITY

ZOO Southside, 5–28 August (not 11, 16, 22), 3.15pm, £12–£13 (£10–£11).

‘I’m still waiting for my child . . . Every man I meet, I think maybe that’s my son’. A documentary protest performance, based on a true story, gives stage to voiceless mothers. The show examines the experience of oppressed childbirth and exposes a dark affair from the 1950s about the kidnapping of immigrant children, whose fate is still unknown. Maternity searches for an emotional connection between those mothers and women from all over the world. Founded by Hana Vazana Gruwald, Frechot Ensemble is a collective of women creators dealing with issues of ethnicity, feminism and activism.

ROCKY!

ZOO Southside, 5–20 August (not 10, 16), 5.55pm, £16–£18 (£14–£15).

Award-winning political theatre based on the movie about the harmless, loser boxer Rocky, who against all odds defeats his own inferiority and unreasonable loser life. He has all the wrong opinions, though fortunately no airtime. But what happens when he breaks character and gains power? Rocky! is fiercely entertaining and will swipe you off your feet.

Friendsical

comedy

Nina Conti

PLEASANCE

NINA CONTI: THE DATING SHOW

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–28 August (not 16), 6pm, £16.50–£19.50 (£15–£17.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £10.

Following a critically acclaimed tour and West End run, Nina Conti returns to the Fringe in 2022 with The Dating Show. The quick-thinking queen of ventriloquism brings you her pioneering, dating-infused live show: there’s no promise that true love will be found, but a firm guarantee that big laughs will be had.

Nina started doing stand-up ventriloquism in 2002 and shot to fame by winning the BBC New Comedy Award that same year. Famed for her foul-mouthed ‘sidekick’ Monkey (Monk), Nina has won numerous comedy awards for her writing, acting and ventriloquism. She has taken numerous shows to the Edinburgh Fringe and has appeared at Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Montreal Comedy Festival. In 2016, her smash-hit solo show In Your Face (‘a plate-spinning feat, a hoot’ * * * * * The Guardian) enjoyed sell-out seasons in London’s West End and New York’s Off-Broadway.

Nina also brings to the Fringe this year the highly anticipated show Comedy Sassafras, a sassy-ass show hosted by Richard and Greta (risqué alter egos of Conti and fellow Fringe favourite Shenoah Allen). These gorgeous characters welcome you into their delightfully filthy world and introduce special guests nightly at Pleasance Courtyard (5–20 August, 8.45pm).

‘I’m so thrilled to be going back to Edinburgh after all this time, it’ll feel like a magic bullet tonic after these last couple of years,’ says Conti. ‘It’s easily the most fun, vibrant, and ridiculous arts festival I know and my favourite place to play. I think Edinburgh 2022 is gonna boss it.’

Nina has stormed Live at the Apollo, QI, Russell Howard’s Good News and Sunday Night at the Palladium, all without moving her lips. In 2012, she fronted two documentaries for BBC4: Make Me Happy: A Monkey’s Search for Happiness saw Nina take Monk on a journey into the world of new age and alternative therapies and the BAFTA-nominated A Ventriloquists Story: Her Masters Voice (currently available on Amazon Prime) in which Nina took the bereaved puppets of her mentor and erstwhile lover Ken Campbell on a pilgrimage to Vent Haven, the world’s only ventriloquial museum.

More recently, she was a runner-up in a major US TV network’s talent show programme (The World’s Best, NBC) and her improvised web series, In Therapy (YouTube), has amassed over 1.5 million views since 2018. ASSEMBLY

ABORIGINAL COMEDY ALLSTARS

Assembly George Square Studios, 5–28 August (not 16), 5.20pm, £11–£12.50 (£10–£11.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8.50.

With sell-out seasons and five-star reviews in the UK and throughout Australia, the Allstars bring huge belly laughs from the heart of the wide brown land. Starring Sean Choolburra, Elaine Crombie, Kevin Kropinyeri and Jay Wymarra. ‘Thoughtprovoking and wildly funny’ (TheWeeReview.com). ‘Properly entertaining. Exactly the kind of show the Fringe needs. Fresh voices, new perspectives. As Kevin might say – this show is deadly’ (The Scotsman).

BEST OF THE FEST

Assembly Hall, 11–28 August (not 15–17, 22–24), 11.55pm, £14.50–£16.50 (£13.50–£15.50). Previews 5–7 August, £12 (£11).

The best mixed-bill comedy night in Edinburgh, featuring your favourite comedians from around the Fringe. A perfect way to experience the festival! Previous guests include: David O’Doherty, Jason Byrne, Lou Sanders, Josh Widdicombe, Adam Hills, Milton Jones, Desiree Burch, Tom Allen, Phoebe Robinson, Phil Wang, Joe Lycett and many more. Full line-ups at assemblyfestival.com

BEST OF THE FEST: THE NEW CLASS

Assembly George Square Gardens, 5–28 August (not 8–10, 15–17, 22–24), 10.25pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50). Preview 4

August, £8.50 (£7.50).

The best place in town to catch rising comedy stars and your Fringe favourites. A different show every night, featuring new faces and Fringe stalwarts. The perfect start (or end) to your festival evening. Full line-ups at assemblyfestival.com

DANIELLE WALKER: NOSTALGIA

Assembly George Square Studios, 5–28 August (not 15), 3.35pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £6.50 (£5.50).

This show is a scrapbook of memories about my family. Two of them have smelt a Bigfoot. One has seen it. They all agree on a military coverup. I couldn’t get home for two years and had this anxiety that someone in my family would die and I wouldn’t have enough to remember them by. It’s relatable comedy to country people and absurd comedy to city people. 2022 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Most Outstanding Show nominee and Pinder Prize winner.

SUSIE MCCABE: BORN BELIEVER

Assembly George Square Studios, 5–28 August (not 15), 7.45pm, £11–£13.50 (£10–£12.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £7.50.

The fastest-selling act at Glasgow International Comedy Festival three years running is back with a brand-new show! In her 40th year, Susie has decided to leave cynicism behind to be an all-new positive Susie (optimistic at best, positive is pushing it). Join the former Scottish Headliner of the Year and Glasgow favourite for what will no doubt be another barnstormer of a show. As seen and heard on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and BBC Radio 4’s News Quiz.

GILDED BALLOON

AYESHA HAZARIKA: STATE OF THE NATION – POWER,

Susie McCabe

comedy

POLITICS AND TRACTORS

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 8–14 August, 2pm, £13.50–£14.50 (£12.50–£13.50).

Following the success of her award-winning sellout show State of the Nation, Ayesha returns to Edinburgh to revisit the state of politics but this time she has called in reinforcements! Join Ayesha and her daily panel of top guests from the world of comedy and politics as they crunch through the day’s news with wit and wisdom. Is it a party? Is it a work event? Don’t tell Sue Gray. Bring your own tractor.

BEST OF SO YOU THINK YOU’RE FUNNY?

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 10–29 August (not 14–16, 25), 10.15pm, £10.50–£11 (£9.50–£10). Previews 3–5 August, £8.

A new show for 2022 bringing you the best of the winners and finalists from 2021’s So You Think You’re Funny? comedy newcomer competition. Enjoy a guaranteed great night seeing the best up-and-coming comedians before they make it big. This year’s show features 2021 winner Omar Badawy alongside runners-up Rae Brogan and Andy Watts. Previous winners and finalists from the competition include Aisling Bea, Tommy Tiernan, Maisie Adam, Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Fern Brady, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe, Daniel Sloss and many more.

COMEDY NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

Gilded Balloon at the Museum, 18–28 August, 9.30pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50).

Join the greatest comedians from across the globe as they blur the line between arte-fact and artefiction in a wholly improvised set, prompted by genuine artefacts housed in the National Museum of Scotland. This unrehearsed and unrestrained show-and-tell might not be historically, or even culturally, accurate but it’s guaranteed to be utterly entertaining. With different comics taking to the stage each night to deliver their unscripted, uneduca-TED talks on Scotland’s most cherished relics, what could possibly go wrong?

Maisie Adam

LATE’N’LIVE

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 6–29 August, 11.30pm, £13–£14 (£12.50–£13.50). Previews 4 & 5 August, £12.50.

‘The best late-night show on the Fringe’ (Scotsman) returns in all its glory, featuring a stellar line-up of the very best acts from across the festival every night. The original and still the best late-night comedy show at the Fringe hosted by the best MCs in the country including Thanyia Moore, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Jay Lafferty and Lou Conran. Previous acts include Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Shaparak Khorsandi, Rich Hall, Lou Sanders, Jason Byrne, Adam Hills, Maisie Adam, Dara O’Briain, Russell Brand, Fred MacAulay, Jayde Adams and loads more.

MAISIE ADAM: BUZZED

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 6–29 August, 5.30pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11.50–£12.50). Previews 3–5 August, £8.

Fresh from Live at The Apollo, Mock The Week and The Last Leg, Best Newcomer nominee Maisie Adam is back at the Edinburgh Fringe with a brand-new show for 2022, Buzzed. Rammed with witty observations, high-octane energy and some right good jokes, this show promises to be better than whatever else you had planned (unless you had plans to go dancing with Cher).

comedy

JUST THE TONIC

ALIYA KANANI: WHERE YOU FROM, FROM?

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 5–28 August (not 15), 7.40pm, £7–£10 (£5–£7). Preview 4 August, £5.

30 countries, 10 schools, 6 languages . . . so, where’s she from? After selling out her show internationally, including at the Just for Laughs Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and FringeWorld in Perth, Canadian Academy Award-nominated actress and comedian, Aliya Kanani, is excited to bring her sought-after show to Edinburgh where she makes her Fringe debut. Aliya takes us on a turbulent journey around the world with tales of fitting in, sticking out and standing up. Her pleasant nature, combined with her fiery spirit will leave you energised and uplifted.

COMEDY IN THE DARK

Just the Tonic at the Grassmarket Centre, 5–28 August (not 10, 17, 24), 6.10pm, £12. Preview 4 August, £6.

The sell-out, unique comedy experience returns. Past acts include Sarah Millican, Nish Kumar, Jon Richardson, Shappi Khorsandi and Greg Davies.

JIMEON: THE CRAIC

Just the Tonic Nucleus, 8–28 August (not 15, 22), 8.40pm, £15.50–£18.50. Previews 4–7 August, £10–£15.50.

‘Classic nonsense . . . Stand-up comedy at its best’ (Scotsman). ‘Always, always funny!’ (Herald Sun). ‘Hilarious . . . It gets no better than this . . . Brilliant!’ (Time Out). World-class stand-up

Jimeon: The Craic Aliya Kanani

from live comedy’s internationally acclaimed Irish master. Apollo, Royal Variety, Palladium, 27th Fringe! ‘True comedy legend . . . still at the top of his game’ (Advertiser, Adelaide). ‘Inspired ramblings . . . Comedy of the highest order’ (Independent). ‘Recalls the familiar at fantastically silly levels, boiling his audience down to a tearfilled, gibbering mess’ (Scotland on Sunday). ‘Hilarious . . . if laughter is the best medicine, Jimeoin is a course of steroids . . . Don’t you miss it!’ (Edinburgh Evening News).

NINA GILLIGAN: LATE DEVELOPER

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 6–28 August (not 15, 22), 2.20pm, £5–£7 (£4–£5). Previews 4 & 5 August, free.

Nina Gilligan is a so-called ‘late developer’. She’s never hit a single milestone and at 50 is still trying to grasp the complex rules of womanhood. She knows she’s not alone. As her eggs deplete and her body becomes hotter than earth’s core she is certain only of one thing: she refuses to go on a cruise. Both outrageous and loveable, Gilligan is a circuit favourite. Leicester Mercury Comedy award winner 2021.

TOM STADE: THE HIGH ROAD

Just the Tonic at La Belle Angele, 4–28 August (not 15), 8pm, £15–£16.50 (£13–£14.50).

Tom’s been trying to remember what was important before responsibility and fear got in the way. He’s simplified his life; sold his house and embarked on another round of misadventures. Armed with his usual sense of mischief, he’ll be tackling all manner of gritty issues: What does Love Honey have to do with covid? How far would your dog go to protect you and what does Grandpa really want for Christmas? Going to places that others dare not tread, join Tom on this no-holds-barred trip as he travels the high road.

PLEASANCE

BEN HART: WONDER

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–28 August (not 16), 7.50pm, £13.50–£16.50 (£12.50–£14.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £10.

West End star and multi award-winning magician Ben Hart returns to Edinburgh with Wonder. Alongside his sold-out Fringe shows, Ben has performed for royalty, had dozens of UK and international TV appearances, including his own series on BBC Three, The One Show, BBC One’s Now You See It, Pure Magic, and was a Britain’s Got Talent finalist. Using only the simplest of props and the minds of the audience, Hart conjures a show that is always amazing, sometimes shocking and shines a light into the darkest corners of your imaginations. An unforgettable experience, leaving you in wonder.

LUCY PORTER: WAKE-UP CALL

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–20 August (not 15), 5.20pm, £16–£18 (£14.50–£16.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £10.

A brand new stand-up show from the Fringe favourite, as heard on Radio 4’s The News Quiz and The Now Show. TV appearances include Would I Lie to You, QI and Live at the Apollo. Wake-Up Call is a show about revelations, realisations and epiphanies, both large and small. Subjects covered include: bin collection schedules, the novels of Jean Rhys, cats, schoolfair booze tombolas, the Scottish Enlightenment, pressure washers and Huel. It’s an exuberant, silly show with some wisdom sprinkled on top.

SOPHIE DUKER: HAG

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–28 August (not 17), 7.30pm, £12–£14 (£11–£13). Previews 3 & 4 August, £7.

The sexy baby from Taskmaster is all grown up. Back in 2019 she was a Babybel – round, sweet, pure. Now she’s vintage cheddar – extra mature and hiding in your fridge. As seen on Live At The Apollo and literally everywhere else, Hag is her new stand-up show: deal with it. Best Newcomer Nominee, 2019.

TIM VINE: BREEEEP!

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–28 August (not 7, 15, 22), 6pm, £14.50–£16 (£13–£14.50). Previews 3 & 4 August, £9.

Tim Vine returns with his new stand-up show. A mountain of nonsense, one-liners, stupid things, unlikely songs, wobbly props. (Plus utter drivel.) Tim’s like the manager of a sweet shop where all

the sweets are replaced by jokes, and he serves them in the order he chooses. So, it’s like a sweet shop where the manager just throws sweets at you. Winner of Dave’s Best Joke of the Fringe 2010 and 2014. Star of The Tim Vine Chat Show (BBC Radio 4) and numerous TV appearances.

SUMMERHALL

EDINBURGH DEAF FESTIVAL PRESENTS PERSPECTIVES WITH GAVIN LILLEY

Summerhall, 14 August, 9pm, £13 (£10).

Gavin Lilley is a deaf comedian who has performed his signed shows to audiences across Europe. In his entertaining style, Gavin shares his experiences as a deaf person navigating a hearing world with hilarious consequences. Deaf people will appreciate the hilarity of these everyday situations, while hearing people will see them from a whole new perspective. His signed BSL performances are interpreted into English, ensuring this show is inclusive for everyone. He has a talent, not only for comedy, but for bringing audiences together. A special night guaranteed to make you laugh.

UNDERBELLY

ABANDOMAN AKA ROB BRODERICK: DISCOGRAPHY

Underbelly George Square, 6–28 August (not 15, 22), 9.25pm, £15.50–£17 (£14.50–£16). Previews 3–5 August, £11 (£10).

Ireland’s nest hip hop musical comedian is back in the Cow with his biggest show yet. Using his trademark blend of audience interaction and razorsharp improvisation, Abandoman will take you on a magical journey, transforming the audience’s likes, loathes and daydreams into hit songs and captivating tales. Combining hip hop, pop, EDM and more, Abandoman will leave you high on life without leaving George Square.

AUSTENTATIOUS

Underbelly Bristo Square, 9–13 August, 1.30pm, £15–£17 (£14–£16).

After sell-out national tours, a West End run and Radio 4 special, Austentatious returns to the Fringe for its ninth glorious year! Every single

comedy

day, an all-star cast improvise a brand new Jane Austen novel based entirely on a single suggestion from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this is Austen as you’ve never seen her before: award-winning, riotous and unmissable.

DREAMGUN: FILM READS

Underbelly Bristo Square, 6–29 August (not 15), 6.50pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11.50–£12.50). Previews 3–5 August, £8 (£7).

Your favourite movies except an hour long and full of jokes! Dreamgun read a different lm script every night, rewritten with jokes and performed by unprepared comedians. Films featured include Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Silence of the Lambs. Check web listing for full schedule.

EDINBURGH COMEDY ALLSTARS

Underbelly George Square, 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20, 26 & 27 August, 11.15pm, £16 (£15). Preview 5 August, £13.

The biggest, brightest comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe all in one huge show, staged in the famous Udderbelly. A one-stop shop for your comedy x right in the beating heart of the festival. Every show sold out since 2017! Previous performers have included Joanne McNally, John Bishop, Olga Koch, Ahir Shah, Suzi Ruffell, Jason Byrne, Joel Dommett, Nina Conti, Phil Wang, Kiri Pritchard McLean, Fern Brady and David O’Doherty. Every weekend, Friday and Saturday nights. Nightly line-ups available at underbellyedinburgh.co.uk

EME ESSIEN: FLAT SHOES IN THE CLUB

Underbelly Bristo Square, 6–28 August (not 16), 3.45pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Previews 3–5 August, £7 (£6).

Ever wondered what takes a girl so long to get ready on a night out? It’s Saturday night, the big girls’ night out and this girl is just trying to get ready on time. Unfortunately, everyone else won’t stop interrupting her. Delve into her world as she gures out what to wear, how to do her hair and what to do when she gets there. Uncensored, dishevelled and sincere, this is the internal con ict of a woman trying to achieve modern ideals and aspirations, in an hour of character comedy from award winner Eme Essien.

RHYS NICHOLSON: RHYS! RHYS! RHYS!

Underbelly Bristo Square, 6–28 August, 8.25pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11.50–£12.50). Previews 3–5 August, £8 (£7).

How about a nice little hour where we pretend the last couple of years haven’t happened, yeah? That sounds nice doesn’t it? Yeah. A nice little comedy show with your ol’ pal Rhys. Lovely. Winner Most Outstanding Show, Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2022.

SPANK!

Underbelly Cowgate, 5–27 August, 11.55pm, £15.50–£17.50 (£14.50–£16.50).

Spank! returns for an incredible 20th and nal year with hilarious hosts, awesome comedians and gratuitous nudity, showcasing the most exciting comedy and cabaret on the Fringe.

music

ASSEMBLY

THE CHOIR OF MAN

Assembly Hall, 5–29 August (not 10, 16, 23), times vary, £20−£22 (£18−£20). Preview 4 August, £12–£14.

A lock-in like no other featuring reinventions of chart-topping hits in this Olivier-nominated hour of joy for all ages. Multi-talented singers, stunning harmonies, foot-stomping singalongs and a working bar. Come drink in the action!

PLEASANCE

FANTASTICALLY GREAT WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD

Pleasance Courtyard, 5–29 August (not 10, 17, 24), 1.30pm, £22 (£20). Preview 4 August, £16.50.

The Fringe premiere of new kickass-pirational pop musical from one of the producers of hit SIX, that celebrates the lives of Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Emmeline Pankhurst and many more.

SUMMERHALL

EFTERKLANG

Summerhall, 25 August, 7pm, £18.50.

For over 20 years, Efterklang have been pushing the barriers of experimental, electronic, emotional chamber-pop. Their sixth studio album Windflowers distills this into some of their most concise, direct and confidently Efterklang-style pop songs to date.

SACRED PAWS

Summerhall, 6 August, 7pm, £15.

Sacred Paws don’t take things too seriously. You can hear it all the way through a conversation with its two members, guitarist Rachel Aggs and drummer Eilidh Rodgers. The Glasgow-based band bring that fun and light touch to Summerhall, performing songs from SAY Award-winning album Strike a Match and acclaimed follow-up Run Around The Sun, which showcase their unique blend of shimmering guitar riffs, snappy beats and swooning melodies.

Efterklang

TUNE-YARDS

Summerhall, 24 August, 7pm, £22.

From 2009 to 2018, Tune-Yards (Merrill Garbus and her partner and collaborator Nate Brenner) released four critically acclaimed albums and travelled the world relentlessly playing live. After a period of feeling creatively lost, it was reconnecting with the blissful enjoyment of music that pulled Merrill back into the studio. From this re-ignited spark came the songs that make up their fifth studio album, sketchy.

UNDERBELLY

SYMPHONIC IBIZA

Underbelly Bristo Square, 18–20, 25–27 August, 11.20pm, £16.50–£18.50 (£15.50–£17.50).

Featuring some of the most famous Ibiza club anthems from the last 30 years, celebrate the European island of clubbing this summer. Symphonic Ibiza fuses a thrilling live orchestra with high tempo beats from renowned club DJ Andy Joyce and musical genius Steve Etherington, whose credentials include residencies at Ibiza superclubs Pacha, Amnesia, Eden and Café Mambo.

UNFORTUNATE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF URSULA THE SEA WITCH

Underbelly George Square, 6–29 August (not 16), 5.55pm, £17.50–£19.50 (£16.50–£18.50). Previews 4 & 5 August, £12.50 (£11.50).

Disney villain. Octo-woman. Plus-size icon. But who is the woman behind the tentacles? From the multi award-winning Fat Rascal Theatre and fresh from complete sell-out runs around the UK, comes the untold story of Ursula the Sea Witch. It’s time to take the plunge as we reveal what really happened under the sea in this musical parody.

dance, physical theatre & circus

ASSEMBLY

BEATS ON POINTE

Assembly Hall, 5–28 August (not 10, 15, 22), 7pm, £18–£20 (£16–£18). Preview 4 August, £10.50–£12.50.

Direct from Australia, this is an exciting commercial blend of electric entertainment fusing modern and old-school street-dance and ballet. Featuring a highly talented cast of dance athletes, it tells a dynamic modern story of two opposing dance worlds peppered with breaking, contemporary, acrobatics and captivating dance theatre as well as freestyle acts, singing, moments of well-timed comedy and a thumping soundtrack.

ROUGE

Assembly Hall, 5–21 August (not 10, 17), 10.20pm, £16.50–£17.50 (£15.50–£16.50). Preview 4 August, £8.50–£10.50.

Circus for grown ups: a decadent blend of sensational acrobatics, operatic cabaret and twisted burlesque. A non-stop celebration of the astonishing, surprising, subversive and supremely sexy. Rouge is back with acts you’ve loved plus brand-new offerings to shock, delight and tease. Australian circus cabaret at it’s finest.

DANCE BASE

RED

Dance Base, 16–28 August (not 22), 2.50pm, £14 (£12).

This one-woman dance theatre work with a hint of fun and fabulousness is a poignant, riotous, glamorous and ultimately triumphant exploration of one woman’s story: an exquisite exploration of female endurance. Red is a soul-baring retelling of one woman’s journey through illness and recovery with an eye to the future.

ARE YOU GUILTY?

Dance Base, 16–28 August (not 22), 4.50pm, £16 (£14).

Korea’s TOB Group presents a double bill of contemporary dance, fusing hip hop, theatre and dance to illustrate our social landscape. Are You Guilty? showcases a radical and contemporary view of the bystander effect and explores the fine line between a perpetrator and a victim. Barcode, a bold new work about mass consumerism, questions our need to acquire goods and the value we attach to products and even people. Part of the Korean Showcase 2022.

THE DAN DAW SHOW

Dance Base, 23–28 August, 8.30pm, £16 (£14).

The Dan Daw Show is a peep into the shiny and sweaty push-pull of living with shame while bursting with pride. This is a show about care, intimacy and resilience, about letting go and reclaiming yourself. In an intimate evening with performer and collaborator Christopher Owen, this show sees Dan take back the power by being dominated on his own terms.

THIS IS NOT SWAN LAKE

Dance Base, 16–21 August, 8.30pm, £16 (£14).

There is a long way from the love story between

dance, physical theatre & circus

La Clique

Prince Siegfried and the swan princess Odette in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake to the real-life marriage between Tchaikovsky and his beleaguered wife, Antonina. She was his devoted student and madly in love with him but Tchaikovsky was unable to confess that he was gay. In This Is Not Swan Lake, we meet four dancers in a beautiful, touching and comic show. Dark, strange, unforgettable and with samples of the great score played live.

REMEDY FOR MEMORY

Dance Base, 23–28 August, 4.10pm, £14 (£12).

Beautiful people . . . Have you been seeking, dreaming? Of something more, something less, something beyond? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Remedy for Memory is a divine feminine fantasy, a dance theatre experience that transcends the boundaries of our reality. Broadcast live from the abstracted realms of a TV talk show, tune in as four women explore healing, cosmic wanderings, corporate wellbeing, discovery and desire.

SUMMERHALL

DANCE BODY

Summerhall, 5–27 August (not 8, 15, 22), 4.15pm, £13 (£10). Previews 3 & 4 August, £8–£10.

Dance is meant to be about self-expression. A place to explore who you are. But what if you don’t have a typical contemporary dance body? Acclaimed writer and performer Yolanda Mercy challenges what being a plus-sized body means in the contemporary dance world; reconnecting with her dance roots and drawing on the challenges faced by plus-sized people in formal training and on the dance floor. In a joyous fusion of theatre and contemporary dance, Dance Body is reclaiming space for plus-sized bodies in dance.

THE CHOSEN HARAM

Summerhall, 6–27 August (not 4, 7 & 8, 14 & 15, 21 & 22), 9pm, £13 (£10). Previews 3, 5 August, £8–£10.

Award-winning queer circus show from an Edinburgh-born artist, telling the story of two gay men and the barriers they must overcome. Expect a heady mix of love, drugs and Islam in this unique and complex take on circus. Performed on two Chinese poles, this show is emotionally candid with moments of humour and joy.

UNDERBELLY

LA CLIQUE

Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 6–27 August (not 15, 22), 7.35pm, £19–£21 (£18–£20). Preview 5 August, £14.

The multi award-winning cabaret spectacular, La Clique, features the best of circus, comedy and cabaret. Born at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2004 and subsequently gaining international acclaim, this trailblazing cabaret show brings you a collection of extraordinary new artists and unmissable favourites. La Clique promises to be a night of laughs, gasps, naughtiness and the best in international cabaret.

CIRCA: HUMANS 2.0

Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 6–27 August (not 10, 15, 22), 6.35pm, £18–£21 (£17–£20). Preview 5 August, £12.

A symphony of acrobatics, sound and light, this is next-level circus by Circa. Ten bodies appear in a flash of light. They move in harmony for a fleeting moment and then descend into a sinuous trance. Towers grow and decay, bodies leap and are caught, as physical limits are pushed to their extreme. Can we ever find a perfect balance or is adapting to constant change the only way forward? Humans 2.0 is intimate, primal and deeply engaged with the challenge of being human. ZOO

NIGHT DANCES

ZOO Southside, 18–28 August (not 22), 10.30pm, £16–£17 (£14–£15). Preview 17 August, £12.50.

A series of dance poems expressing the invisible, energetic, connective tissue that joins us. An assault on the senses and an ode to the body, all breathing the same air, blood, sweat and tears. A deep groove for our eyes, ears and hearts. This one’s for all of us. The time for dancing has come. Live music by Daniel Fox (Gilla Band).

RUNNERS

ZOO Southside, 8–28 August (not 10, 16, 22), 8.30pm, £16–£18 (£14–£15). Previews 5–7 August, £12.

Award-winning contemporary circus company returns with an extraordinary show looking at the hectic pace of today’s world. In a unique set design, featuring a giant treadmill, four performers and two musicians mix dance, running, cyr wheel acrobatics and original live music, while running almost a whole marathon. This UK debut for Runners marks the company’s fourth Edinburgh appearance following sell-out seasons in 2011, 2015 and 2017.

WALK-MAN

ZOO Southside, 14–28 August (not 21), 12.15pm, £16–£17 (£14–£15).

You will never cross the street in the same way again. Don Gnu digs into the tediousness of everyday routines in search of poetry and humour with muscular physicality and edgy stunt tricks. One ordinary day, four ordinary men take an ordinary walk through the city, until one of them suddenly decides to rebel. With trademark Gnu stunts and raw physicality, WalkMan is a performance about the extraordinary experiences of ordinary life.

Red

COMEDY

NORRIS AND PARKER

OK, so the image here might not scream ‘comedy’ at you, but Katie Norris and Sinead Parker have always conducted their funny business with a dark edge on the side. This double act emerged at the 2015 Fringe with a show entitled All Our Friends Are Dead (dark enough for you?) featuring routines about burning wicker men, potato famines and soiled trousers. Their follow-up was called See You At The Gallows. You get the picture. This year, Sirens has them amazing and amusing us with tales of nautical chaos. (Brian Donaldson)  Monkey Barrel, 3–28 August, 9.15pm.