The List Festival: Week Three by List Publishing Ltd

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival| 16–29 August 2022 | Discover 14 natural botanicals in one award winning classic gin NATURAL Edinburgh Gin encourages responsible drinking

FRONT & MouthpieceFEATURES 8 Lynn Ferguson on the power of stories Common Wealth 11 Activism can be fun Daniel Kidane 16 Shaking up classical music IshiuchiART Miyako 24 Commemoration through clothing HannahBOOKSLavery 29 Seeking a sense of belonging SugarcoatedCABARET Sisters 36 Sweet treats from the TikTok siblings MatCOMEDYEwins 47 Fringe star who deserves wider acclaim Leo Reich 48 Tackling Gen Z woes RunnersDANCE 58 A conveyor belt of talent AfterFILMYang 64 One family and their bad robot TheKIDSSmeds And The Smoos 70 Tall Stories never come up short HotMUSICDub Time Machine 76 Ten years of party beats ColossalTHEATRE 85 When narcissism runs rampant Ode To Joy 91 Filthy fun with hope in its heart HOT SHOTS Take a dip into Jupiter Rising 94 Published in August 2022 by List Publishing Ltd 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh EH8 9SU Tel: 0131 623 3040 Extensiveeditor@list.co.uklist.co.ukefforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication; however the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain. ©2022 List Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of List Publishing Ltd. ISSN: 0959 1915 Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, W. Yorkshire CONTENTS festival CROCKETTMATTPICTURE: COVER PICTURE: LEON FARRELL THERE MIGHT BE MOTHER-IN-SHOESANDTURNIPSTHENANDTHENMYLAWSINDHUVEEONHERCURRENTSHOWALPHABETPAGE41 “ FESTIVAL 2022 | WEEK 3 | LIST.CO.UK/EDINBURGHFESTIVAL

Brian Donaldson

In this issue, we once again celebrate those whose endeavours over the past months and perhaps years have brought them to the point of showcasing work at the Festival. Our cover stars, Irish outfit United Fall, bring us an explosive, dynamic and loud choreographic/live-music experience which taps into the spiritual properties of dance that (apparently) lie within us all. We hear from Common Wealth about their own innovative and immersive theatre work, speak to young composer Daniel Kidane about diversity in classical music, and talk to poet Hannah Lavery about her sense of not belonging. Plus, Lynn Ferguson writes about the power of stories and Myra DuBois offers more ‘invaluable’ ‘advice’ for poor Robert Bathurst.Andthere are reviews aplenty as our critics dish out the stars and have their say. Over the coming pages, find out what we thought about Medea, Sophie Duker, BalletFreedom, AfterYang, Tall Stories and The Tiger Lillies. Those are among the big hitters we were always going to cover; but arguably the real pleasure of the Festival is digging out those gems that were previously lying unloved and unreviewed. They’re in here too. As the Festival enters its second half, please enjoy yourselves, take care and keep feeling the ground beneath your feet.

CONTRIBUTORS

EDINBURGH ART FESTIVAL 28 July–28 August edinburghartfestival.com EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL 13–29 August edbookfest.co.uk EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE 5–29 August edfringe.com EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL 5–28FESTIVALAugust eif.co.uk EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM 12–20FESTIVALAugust edfilmfest.org.uk

CEOEDITOR Sheri Friers Editor Brian Donaldson Art Director Seonaid Rafferty Designer Carys Tennant Sub Editors Paul McLean, Megan Merino

The arts community has been rocked in the last week after Salman Rushdie was attacked on stage while just doing what he does: connecting with audiences, debating his work, and talking about the creative process. The Rushdie story has a long history, of course, but no artist who puts themselves in front of the public should ever have to fear for their safety, never mind be the subject of an attempted murder. At the time of writing, Rushdie seems to be slowly recovering but is likely to be left with life-changing injuries. As Festival performers step onto the many stages across town and audiences enter those arenas, whether big or a bunker, no doubt many will spare a thought for him.

Writers: Bella Taliesen, Brian Donaldson, Carine Seitz, Carol Main, Claire Sawers, Eddie Harrison, Fiona Shepherd, Gareth K Vile, Jay Richardson, Jo Laidlaw, Kelly Apter, Kevin Fullerton, Lucy Ribchester, Lynn Ferguson, Marissa Burgess, Megan Merino, Murray Robertson, Neil Cooper, Paul Dale, Rachel Ashenden, Rachel Cronin, Rosanna Miller, Suzy Pope, Zara Janjua Social Media and Content Editor Megan Merino Business Development Manager Jayne Atkinson Affiliates Manager Kevin Fullerton Media Sales Executive Ewan Wood Digital Operations Executive Leah Bauer Welcome

FESTIVAL DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

|16–29 August 2022 |

MUSIC HOT DUB TIME MACHINE Celebrating its tenth birthday, Hot Dub travels back and forth through time for a decade-shuffling party extravaganza. See page 76. Royal Highland Centre, 19 & 20 August.

THEATRE ODE TO JOY A raucous, subversive and very rude new play which has, as the title suggests, an undercurrent of happiness and positivity running right through it. See page 91. Summerhall, until 28 August. BOOKS HANNAH LAVERY Edinburgh’s Makar comes to the Book Festival asking timely questions about modern Scotland and its attitude to race. See page 29. Edinburgh College Of Art, 26 August.

DANCE NIGHT DANCES United Fall bring us a sweat-filled dance and live-music feast in a work which wants the choreography to transport the viewer (and the dancer) to another place. See page 18. ZOO Southside, 17–28 August.

DANCE RUNNERS Cirk La Putyka have produced a dynamic and metaphorical piece with a large conveyor belt upon which performers sit, stand, run, jump and dance. See page 58. ZOO Southside, until 28 August.

10Top

COMEDY LEO REICH One Gen Z conundrum after another is tackled in blistering style by this debutant who mixes stand-up with songs and sketches to thrilling effect. See page 48. Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August.

FILM AFTER YANG Jodie Turner-Smith and Colin Farrell star in the Film Festival’s closing night gala in which a family’s robot malfunctions causing untold grief. See page 64. VUE Omni, 20 August.

The Festival is in full almighty swing now and the reviews are flying in. We pick out ten of the hottest shows in town including an updated Greek classic, a tenth anniversary party and a unique take on Shakespeare

KIDS THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS Tall Stories and Julia Donaldson are inextricably linked, this time taking on an intergalactic Romeo & Juliet. See page 70. Pleasance Courtyard, until 21 August.

FRONT 6 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

THEATRE MEDEA Adura Onashile is in epic form as the troubled woman at the heart of Euripides’ tale, with the 20-year-old adaptation from Liz Lochhead adding a contemporaneous power. See page 88. The Hub, until 28 August.

MURRAYSTEPICTURE:NEALRAPHAELPICTURE: CHODURAPETRPICTURE: WANGA-KENTOMMYPICTURE: JSHURTEPICTURE:

THEATRE COLOSSAL Patrick McPherson returns with another blockbusting one-man show which analyses narcissism and its toxic effects. See page 85. Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 August.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 7 @ Assembly George Square K orean S eason 24(WED)) ~~ 28(SUN)) AUG.. 2022~ 2023 ? ? AWARDS Each August since 2015, Korean Season has brought a selected Korean programme of music, dance, physical theatre and family shows to the Fringe. With the 7th Korean Season run by AtoBIZ and Assembly, the Awards will be unveiled and announced this October. And a special award ceremony will be held at Edinburgh every year from 2023. SEO L PHOTO PHOTOOULBOOTHBOOTH The photo booth runs from 1pm till 6pm at Studio bar (EH8 9JX). Take a picture with your family and friends.

I would like your advice. As a sea fish happy only at a depth of 12,000 feet, I know nothing about life that does not exist on the ocean floor. However, I do feel that I have an innate sense of justice, so my question to you is: how the fuck do they charge so much to rent a flat in Edinburgh?

PICTURE:STEVEULLATHORNE

 Lynn Ferguson’s Storyland, Gilded Balloon At The Museum, 20–28 August, 12.30pm.

considerable amount to tolerate the lava raging beneath the sea-bed’s earth crust. Fortunately, the heatwave of July was excellent practice. Perhaps when the rays of an ever-aggressive sun have evaporated the world’s waters, your fossil can show me around? I look forward to this invite. Yours in charcoal, Be well,  Myra DuBois’ A Problem Shared, Underbelly Bristo Square, until 28 August, 7.45pm; Robert Bathurst stars in Love, Loss And Chianti, Assembly Rooms, until 28 August, 12.55pm.

Myra DuBois gives a third and ﬁnal bit of advice to Robert Bathurst festival Our ﬁnal Festival issue is here and we think it's worthy of song and dance. Listen to the issue's soundtrack, including tunes from Daniel Kidane, Kae Tempest, The Tiger Lillies, Donna Summer, Adele, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, PJ Harvey and many more. Scan and listen as you read: playLIST

Dear Myra Myra Well, it sure has been a titanic struggle but we now reach the grand ﬁnale of Robert Bathurst airing a problem and Myra DuBois ofﬂoading a bucketload of empathy and/or spite. Not sure if you get awards for agony-aunt Festival columns, but here comes another bruising encounter between these two pillars of the 2022 Fringe community . . .

T elling a story doesn’t require a big boomy voice or a ‘confident stance’. You don’t need proper qualifications, or an ‘exciting job’, or to be a vivacious human being. If you’ve breathed at all, you’ll have a story worth telling. Pre-pandemic, I taught five-week storytelling courses in LA; four weeks of instruction and, on the fifth, telling a true story, without notes, to a live audience. And yes, some people were what you’d expect from LA: budding starlets, screenwriters. But others were also just generally people who had something to say and wanted to know how to say it. One guy wanted to learn how to talk so he’d maybe be able to get a girlfriend. He’d spent his life looking after his mother who was a hoarder and his sister who had severe psychological issues, and he was awkward around people. I asked him to tell me something he was proud of. He couldn’t think of anything. The next week he came back and told me he’d once taken a class on how to make pasta and he thought he might be proud of that. So that was what we worked on. On the fifth week, when he stood to tell his story, his voice was shaky, his terror palpable. Yet as he resiliently plodded through the rudiments of pasta-making, something magical happened. The audience connected to the bigger story: the one about who this guy really was. They could hear that he was struggling with something greater than the constructs of rigatoni. So when his mind went blank, and his face turned grey, and he looked like he was going to cry, someone in the front row whispered, ‘come on. Do it. We want to hear.’ From somewhere, he found the word. ‘Ratio,’ he exclaimed victoriously, like he’d discovered relativity. The audience exploded. People cheered and applauded. And when he got to the end of what was really just quite a long recipe, he left the stage to a full standing ovation and later left the theatre with a veritable swagger. I don’t know if he found a girlfriend. But I do know that everyone that night changed; they connected to something they saw in him and identified with in themselves. A good story stays with you. It makes you consider something you’d never really thought about before. And that’s why it matters so much.

PICTURE:MICHAELWHARLEY

8 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival FRONT REVELLHOLLYPICTURE:

Dear QuiteRobert,ahumblebrag to show off that you can afford Edinburgh accommodation 12,000 feet into the ocean. Some of us are paying a

MOUTHPIECE Award-winning writer and performer Lynn Ferguson marvels at the power of stories and is passionate about why they matter

GET

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | drinkaware.co.uk for the facts

Set in Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s purpose built event space, Label Studio, two must see shows will run daily every Thursday – Sunday at 4.30pm and 10.15pm. Each day, three acts have been hand-picked from The Fringe’s unrivalled talent pool, for exclusive performances overlooking the Edinburgh cityscape. Guests will be treated to a mixed bill of comedy, music and theatre, alongside some of the finest cocktails and drams available in the capital. The line-up includes performances from: Grammy and Emmy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Magical Bones, Australian drag and circus act, Briefs Factory, America’s Got Talent semi finalist Dom Chambers, and many more.

Unmissable

Official partner of The Fringe, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, is gearing up for its first summer in the heart of Edinburgh’s west end, showcasing the best of the festival’s calendar of shows in a series of unmissable events running from 11 to 28 August titled: ‘Pick of the Fringe.’ With thousands of performances to choose from throughout the world’s biggest arts festival, deciding what to see can be a conundrum for many. The eightfloor whisky experience has stepped in to help guests ease their show selection dilemmas with an incredible line-up of entertainment.

“Our Label Studio space has already played host to some amazing events and acts since we opened in September last year, and we can’t wait to welcome festival goers for Pick of the Fringe. The acts we’ve selected truly represent the best the festival has to offer, so if you’re struggling for what to pick from the dizzying amount of shows available, we’ve got you well covered.”

No trip to Scotland would be complete without sampling the national drink. The Journey of Flavour is a 90 minute tour with 3 whisky drinks tailored to your flavour preference (non alcoholic options available). Complete with a unique flavour-based quiz and personalised cocktails, the full-sensory adventure culminates in a flavour-filled celebration with three whisky drinks.

The team at Johnnie Walker Princes Street know a thing or two about making the perfect blend and their festival line-up proves to be no different. Tickets for ‘Pick of the Fringe’ are available to purchase now.

Ticketholders for any ‘Pick of the Fringe’ event receive 30% off their Journey of Flavour experience along with 20% off in the venue’s state-of-the-art retail store, subject to terms and conditions. For tickets, head www.johnniewalkerprincesstreet.comto YOUR ‘PICK OF THE FRINGE’ AT JOHNNIE WALKER PRINCES STREET events series at purpose built ‘Label Studio’ space will delight festival goers

Lauren Hyder, Events Manager at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “When it comes to arts festivals, nobody does it better than the Fringe, so we absolutely had to get in on the action for when all eyes rightfully turn to Edinburgh again this summer. It’s a big year for both of us, with the festival celebrating its 75th anniversary and Johnnie Walker Princes St enjoying its first summer in the city.

‘STILLASFUNNYASF**K’ John Robb for louderthanwar.com I WANNA BE24YOURSAUG2022, 7.30PM atgtickets.com/Edinburgh 0333 009 6690 NIGHTONEONLY Glynis Henderson Productions in association with Pleasance present with special guests LUKE WRIGHT | MIKE GARRY RONNIE GOLDEN | STEWART LEE FASCINATING AIDA

RICHstrikeit

Innovative theatre collective Common Wealth have two political works coming to Edinburgh, both of which savage modern Britain. So why, Bella Taliesen wonders, does it feel like they’re throwing one big Festival party?

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 11 >> WEALTHCOMMON POUNTNEYJONPICTURES:

WEALTHCOMMON ‘W e don’t see these stories on stage. And these are the stories of now: the most relevant stories we have.’ So says Rhiannon White, co-artistic director of Common Wealth. Stories told by (and for) those who have lived them: that’s at the heart of two shows which the Bradford and Cardiff-based theatre collective are bringing to this year’s Fringe.

Payday Party, for instance, is a spirited, extraordinary celebration of ordinary life. At the Pleasance Dome, six contemporary Welsh artists will share not only their enormous talent (from opera to spoken word to fire-dancing) but their stories. These stories involve racism, classism and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Yet there are also onstage games of pass-the-parcel and something that can only be described as ‘budget-cut limbo’. Both of which beg the question: what is there to party about? That was exactly the point, says director Darren Pritchard of the show’s origins. ‘The reason it’s a party is because I didn’t want to do poverty porn!’ he explains of the show’s rounded portrayal of lives being lived in the UK’s most economically challenged areas. Prior to Edinburgh, Common Wealth toured their parties around Britain, creating site-specific shows in deprived areas where the arts are particularly difficult to access. Pritchard’s inspiration was the grim depiction of the working-class experience in popular culture. ‘It was all Ken Loach and Benefits Street And I was like, “yeah, some of this is dire”. But there is also working-class joy and there are elements here to be celebrated. I’ve got millions of artist friends that are doing really well!’ he continues, his passion brimming through Zoom. ‘So I wanted it to be a real celebration of working-class spirit and humanity, recognising that we might start from one place, but we’ll get somewhere. And there’s always a party, there’s always a celebration.’

At this point in the journey, the team are proud to have given 24 writer/actor/performers a platform to tell their stories: some who are doing well, and others who might never have had the chance. Pritchard is constantly bowled over by people’s surprise at the calibre on show, aware of the metropolis-centric view of culture in the UK. ‘People are like, “ohmygod, the cast is so amazingly talented: where are they from?”’ He makes a face. ‘They’re there; you just have to have ways of looking for people, because the normal world of theatre is designed to keep us out.’

There’s just as much political punch to Peaceophobia, Common Wealth’s other Fringe show. The play began life Party

>> PICTURE:JONPOUNTNEY Payday

It’s these kinds of issues within the arts industry that the show looks to highlight; not just its inherent elitism, but the problematic working models it fosters. Payday Party is a reimagining of Pritchard’s 2018 show Rent Party, itself inspired by the fund-raising parties Black Americans used to throw in 1920s Harlem as a means to meet their rent. Now, similarly, Fringe-goers are also being asked to recognise, and reward, the fact that people really are singing for their supper. It’s confrontational, but it’s meant to be, says Pritchard. ‘It’s my challenging call to the arts industry.’

(above and previous page) Peaceophobia (right) 12 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

Similarly, as the men recount the last two decades of their lives, they’re also tracking the history of Islamophobia through various government policies that have negatively impacted them. ‘These guys have just been growing up,’ says Manning. ‘But their lives have been shaped by these events.’Still,just like Payday Party, Peaceophobia never takes itself too seriously. An Islamophobia timeline also tracks the development of the VW Golf, while that ‘Released Without Charge’ refrain segues into a magic trick. And there are times when Edinburgh’s Q-Park Omni (turbocharged with vibes, colour and a massive soundsystem) will simply feel like a full-on party. ‘That’s the car-meet vibe, innit?’ smiles Ahmed. ‘Full of life.’ Indeed, that’s the true strength of Common Wealth’s creative output, and what makes the bold work they’re bringing to the Edinburgh Fringe this year so exciting. Despite packing a political punch, it’s always full of life.

As Manning points out, a car meet in the centre of town is in itself quite political. They’re technically illegal and usually get broken up by police pretty quickly, despite more often than not being a peaceful community gathering of car geeks and families. But this one was extra special. The Speakers’ Corner team met Mohammad Ali Yunis, Sohail Hussain and Casper Ahmed. These three ordinary petrolheads helped them jumpstart the intensely collaborative creative project that would become Peaceophobia: part car rally, part theatre show, part protest. And all celebration. Like the title suggests, in its conscious use of ‘peace’ (‘Islam’ originates from ‘salaam’, which literally translates as ‘peace’) the show is a joyful recentring of the Muslim experience, a reminder that blind Islamophobic hatred is directed towards something that fundamentally embodies peace. And yeah, it’s about cars. These motors were the, ahem, vehicle for some frank conversations with co-writer Zia Ahmed, who helped craft the play. For Ahmed, the important thing was to refuse to speak from a defensive position. ‘Of course it’s about Islamophobia, but it’s also just about their love of the cars (this intense hobby, the nerdy joy in certain details) and the joy that comes through their faith. Instead of it always feeling like some kind of defence, they’re just coming out and saying, “we love these things”.’ In that sense, Peaceophobia is also an exploration of how you might find peace in a world that often denies you it. Not only do the car rallies foster a nourishing sense of community for these men, but the maintenance and modification of the cars themselves is a practically spiritual hobby. Take Hussain, whose Toyota Supra is quite possibly the most well-maintained in the country. ‘He will literally take every single piece apart and polish it,’ says Manning. ‘That’s what he does for his mental health. It’s like meditation.’ Ahmed is keen to emphasise that the socio-political context of the show cannot be ignored. He points out the other striking connection between cars and Islam. ‘The two things that bring the boys the most peace and joy, are also things which get them profiled by the police.’ Perhaps it’s inevitable that these real-life stories involve Muslim men’s mistreatment at the hands of British power. For instance, being ‘Released Without Charge’, after being profiled, pulled up and brought in, is a constant refrain in their lives and in the show.

as, of all things, a car rally in Bradford’s City Park in 2018. Speakers’ Corner, the West Yorkshire city’s all-female socio-political collective, were increasingly concerned about the widely reported ‘Punish A Muslim Day’ and wanted to put on an event to bring the men in their lives together: a literal ‘safe space’. ‘They were asking, “how can we get our brothers and our dads to come to an event?”’ recalls Evie Manning, who co-directs alongside six young women from Speakers’ Corner. Then came the lightbulb moment. ‘We thought, “all the men in our lives love cars; why don’t we do something around that? That’ll bring people together; that’s the hook”.’

Payday Party, Pleasance Dome, 23–27 August, 2.40pm; Peaceophobia, Summerhall @ Q Park Omni, 24–27 August, 5pm, 9pm.

WEALTHCOMMON HODGSONIANPICTURES: list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 13

ZOO NIGHT DANCES ZOO Southside – Main House, 17-21, 23-28 August, 22:30

SUMMERHALL

THE CHOSEN HARAM Main Hall, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27 August, 21:00

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UNDERBELLY CIRCA: HUMANS 2.0 Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows –The Lafayette, 16-21, 23-27 August, 18:35 A symphony of acrobatics, sound and light, this is next-level circus by Circa. 10 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? A tightly woven choreography of bodies, pulsing with music, Humans 2.0 is intimate, primal and deeply engaged with the challenge of being human.

DANCEBASE REMEDY FOR MEMORY Studio 1, 23-28 August, 16:10 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. Surprising, enchanting, comedic and honest, we’ll take you through the highs and the lows. Join us in the search for the remedy.

An award-winning queer circus show from an Edinburgh-born artist. The Chosen Haram tells 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. There is no traditional dialogue here – It does not need it. ‘Elevates a boy-meets-boy love story into something dream-like’ **** (The Guardian). ‘Beautiful story, beautifully told’ **** (Stage). ‘Brave, thrilling and poignant’ ****(The Scotsman). MadeInScotlandShowcase.com

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. Love, fury, pride sharing a moment. Punch a hole into the future. 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). May the salt from our sweat unite us. ‘Raucous, loud, sweaty... a thrilling hour of relentless dancing and music’ **** (Irish Times).

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS

Circa: Humans 2.0

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EthermindDugdale:BiancoDelRio:

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ASSEMBLY QUEENZ – THE SHOW WITH BALLS! Assembly Rooms – Music Hall, 16-21, 23-28 August, 21:40 -The trailblazing drag extravaganza taking the UK by storm. Featuring mind blowing live vocals, and not a lip-sync in sight! Join these death-dropping divas as they slay the biggest hits of all time and serve up the sequin-clad pop party we’ve all been waiting for! Singalong to reimagined classics from The Spice Girls, Gaga, Shakira, Britney, Whitney, and everything in between. Queenz is drag like you’ve never heard it before! ‘High camp comic silliness with genuine heart’ ***** (CultureFix.co.uk).

JUST THE TONIC THE VANITY PROJECT @ Just The Tonic Nucleus – Just The SubAtomic Room, 16-28 August, 16:30 From interviewing guests such as Lorraine Kelly and Karen Dunbar, drag queen Vanity von Glow swaps the studio for the stage as she interviews the stars of the Fringe in this hour-long live podcast. Join her in the audience to hear from some interesting voices as Vanity discusses politics and entertainment with a dash of frivolity. Performers are known for talking, but this queen is a great listener. In a cultural moment where it feels like everyone is shouting at one another, we offer you a classic innuendo: it is time to go deeper with Vanity.

GILDED BALLOON A SECRET SHOW BY CAMERON YOUNG Gilded Balloon Teviot – Turret, 10-29 August, 12:20 Cameron Young is one of the hottest names in modern magic, with appearances on national television shows such as Britain’s Got Talent, Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Tu Si Que Vales, Cameron’s magic has been seen across the globe. A Secret Show is a brand-new show that Cameron will be debuting at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I would love to tell you more but unfortunately it is a secret; the only thing that I can say is that the show will be filled with wonder, illusion and laughs.

DRAG MAGIC

PLEASANCE BIANCA DEL RIO: UNSANITIZED Pleasance at EICC – Lomond Theatre, 18-21, 23-26 August, 21:30 Get your vaccinations and cocktails because everyone’s favourite clown in a gown, Bianca Del Rio, is returning to the stage. She’s vaxxed, she’s waxed and she has more attitude than ever. The pandemic may be ending, but Bianca is just getting started. If you liked Covid-19, you’ll love Bianca-22. Fierce, funny and fabulous, she sandblasted her name in the annals of pop culture on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Thanks to her snarky frankness, impeccable timing and politically incorrect humour, she became the breakout star, winning the sixth season. ‘Joan Rivers of the Drag World’ (New York Times).

Taking you back to high school for the prom you wish you’d had, this isthe party that invites you to relive your school days as you join forces with your fellow Fringe-goers, compete against a rival school to win points and be crowned the champions. Oh, and did we mention, the teachers are some of the best drag talent the UK has to offer? Plus aftershow party with DJ set of classic 90s pop to dance the night away. What better way to celebrate the return of the world’s biggest festival!

UNDERBELLY TOM BRACE: EMBRACE THE IMPOSSIBLE! Underbelly, Bristo Square – Ermintrude, 17-29 August, 16:55 Cluedo, Roald Dahl and one film in particular from 1985... Tom Brace takes a trip down memory lane with a brand-new magic show inspired by his past. Join him as he showcases his unique but totally pointless magical abilities that he discovered growing up in the 90s/00s. Jam packed with nostalgia, expect the unexpected with homages to classic board games, TV shows and films with magical twists. ‘Charmed, amazed and delighted in equal measure!’ (James O’Brien (LBC)). ‘Reminiscent of a young Stephen Mulhern’ (List).

The Sickening 90s Drag Prom Chris Unsanitized

GILDED BALLOON THE SICKENING 90S DRAG PROM Gilded Balloon Teviot – Nightclub, 18-21, 25-28 August, 23:30

ASSEMBLY CHRIS DUGDALE: ETHERMIND Assembly Rooms – Drawing Room, 10-28 August, 18:35 The only act to win the Edfest Bouquet (BouquetsBrickbatsReviews.com) 4 times! A unique blend of magic and mind control unleashed to influence your mind! The results are indisputable and highly entertaining! Random thoughts coalesce to create an incredible journey! Chris Dugdale has mystified everyone from Beyonce to the Pentagon. He is a world- renowned magician and mind-control expert, having performed for The Queen of England and for numerous dignitaries and celebrities across the globe. Chris has been featured on the BBC, NBC, the CW, Sky, and ITV. As seen on Penn and Teller: Fool Us! Book now!

PLEASANCE BEN HART: WONDER Pleasance Courtyard – The Grand, 17-28 August, 19:50 West End star and multi award-winning magician Ben Hart returns to Edinburgh with Wonder. Alongside sell-out Fringe shows, Ben has performed for royalty, was a Britain’s Got Talent finalist and had dozens of TV appearances including The One Show, Now You See It (BBC One), Pure Magic (BBC One) and even his own series on BBC Three. 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.

placeAHOLBAEMILEPICTURE: 16 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

Born in London to a Russian mum and an Eritrean dad, Kidane has a wealth of cultural heritage from which to draw on but he’s also had to work hard to become a leading and inspirational figure as a composer. ‘It was a dream of my father’s that I should play violin’, he says. ‘When we were visiting my grandparents in Russia, my parents got me a cheap, factory-made violin. I was nine years old, started it as a hobby and then music became a passion.’

Young composer Daniel Kidane’s latest work receives its world premiere at the International Festival as part of the London Symphony Orchestra’s concert. Carol Main caught up with him to chat about breaking the rules, advocating for diversity and the importance of following your heart I t’s always exciting to hear the world premiere of a new piece of music. At this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, there is one brand new classical score, Daniel Kidane’s Sun Poem, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. In his mid-30s, Kidane still fits the ‘young composer’ label but, even though it has a neat ring to it, he is no new kid on the block.

He spent Saturday mornings at Waterloo’s Centre For Young Musicians before being chosen to sing in the children’s chorus of English National Opera, progressing to Royal College Of Music Juniors and Kidane’s first endeavours with composition. ‘I was initially dabbling as I was getting bored of playing scales and other people’s music on the violin. My creative spirit wanted to come out, but it wasn’t easy to do both; so I decided to go down the composition route.’ This spirit of creativity is what Kidane and his new work, Sun Poem, are all about. ‘There are rules about composition, of course,’ he says, ‘but whatever comes to your imagination is the starting point; it can literally be anything. And I wanted to break with the athletic-esque, rigid way of doing stuff.’

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At a time of personal change in Kidane’s life (his father died last year and his first son, Luca, is just weeks old), the poem by Caribbean writer Edward Kamau Braithwaite that inspired the composer’s new work is apt. ‘He talks about his ancestors and handing down the baton, so it’s life coming full circle. It’s also to do with marking moments in time.’ Kidane and the LSO are already well-known to each other through various emerging composer schemes and previous commissions. ‘This is the biggest thing I’ve done for them. It’s full orchestra, around 15 to 20 minutes long,’ he says, going on to describe Sun Poem as quirky, energetic and joyous, with his mixed-race background informing the musical language. ‘I always say the rhythmic side comes from Africa, the melodic from Russia and the more urban sound from growing up in the UK.’ Looking back, coming from a modest background and having worked extra hard at getting people to notice his work, Kidane says he feels ‘fortunate to have stumbled across people who have been kind’, namechecking singing teacher Linda Richardson and composers Simon Bainbridge and Gary Carpenter. ‘I’m always a big advocate for equality and diversity within classical music as it’s an industry which can sometimes be elitist. I think it’s more a class thing, as it can be expensive unless you have support.’

London Symphony Orchestra, Usher Hall, 18 August, 8pm.

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His Last Night Of The Proms commission Woke in 2019 was a milestone for Kidane. ‘It’s important to shine a light on things, and Black Lives Matter was an awakening for people to support and encourage, as best they can, diversity within orchestras and publishing.’ For the young composers coming after him, his advice is simple: ‘Follow your heart, whether you want to be a composer or a scuba diver. And come to say hello after the concert, we’ll have a chat.’

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18 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival DANCESNIGHT

W hen choreographer Emma Martin was 12, her 16-year-old brother snuck off to a rave in Dublin, where their older cousin was DJing. Her mum got wind of it, packed Martin into the car, and they both set off to find him. What Martin saw when they arrived at Dublin’s SFX Hall mesmerised her: a sea of bodies, young men topless, sweating and raving to the laser beams and beats of the music. The intensity of their commitment to the dance seemed to her almost spiritual. She had never seen dance like this before.

Body heat

Over the years, the same thread linking spirituality and movement kept returning to Martin; in videos by the ﬁlmmaker Maya Deren of Haitian Voodoo dances; in TikToks of commercial street dancers; in statues of the Virgin Mary. It took some time for all of those disparate threads to coalesce, but when they did, her latest piece Night Dances emerged. Divided into four distinct dance poems, the piece, says Martin, is not ‘about’ something, but just ‘is’; a moment of pure dance and emotion that we don’t need to interpret so much as let wash through us. Nevertheless, the essence of it all has its roots in this ‘liquid mercury’ of related spiritual ideas. ‘There is always a kind of strong palette of what I’m wanting to do,’ says Martin. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever gone into a room and gone,

>> With Night Dances, Irish company United Fall dig deep into the spiritual intensity of dance. Choreographer Emma Martin tells Lucy Ribchester what inspired her quartet of dance poems and how moving our bodies can transport us to another world

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Martin also cites growing up in Ireland as inﬂuencing NightDances, both in the need to break free from a culture of controlling and denying the body, as well as in the visibility of spiritual emblems. One of the images that embedded itself in her psyche (and grew into the section of NightDances entitled ‘RED’) was that of the Virgin Mary statues which appear in grottoes throughout the country. ‘There’s a mystery and a grace to them,’ she says. Near to where she lived was one in the middle of a forest, ‘almost like a secret place’, surrounded by the tokens pilgrims had left behind. ‘I mean, just to think of somebody walking through that forest to go and have this private moment with this statue; there’s something so beautiful about it.’ But it wasn’t just the statues’ beauty. Something about their trapped demureness also captivated her, and again that word ‘release’ appears: ‘It’s that desire to release the demure image.’ We should be wary, however, of trying to ﬁnd too much concrete meaning in Night Dances. It isn’t a puzzle. Martin astutely pinpoints that dance without narrative is a ‘scary place’ for audiences used to storytelling clarity, or dance as metaphor for current ideas. She believes the dance itself should be enough. ‘My work in general is never political. It’s never topical. It’s always trying to get to those invisible sides, you know. Like what’s above us, what’s below us, behind us, in front of us. It’s just being in the here and now: how we feel and how we emote.’

The show’s strapline boldly states, ‘may the salt of our sweat unite us’. Amen to that. Night Dances, ZOO Southside, 17–28 August, 10.30pm. “let me see what the movement tells me”. There’s always something that’s driving me to want to go into that room.’ Martin trained in ballet from an early age and found herself swept up in the intensity of trying to achieve excellence. Her dedication led to a ballet school in Germany which practised ‘eliminations’ every three months, where dancers who weren’t keeping up were sent packing. She worked ferociously hard (‘I don’t know how I bloody graduated from that place’) and then, after all that, didn’t get into the dance company of her dreams. It was an experience she describes as ‘shattering’.Later,Martin returned to Ireland, partied, waitressed, recalibrated and studied theatre at university. It was while doing a residency at VISUAL Centre For Contemporary Art that she came across a group of young commercial street dancers, in whom she saw a powerful and familiar dedication. ‘I became really intrigued by their dance, finding parallels to my own dance history; that really hardcore way of just wanting to be brilliant, and push, push, push.’ Using this passion as her springboard, she created the 2017 piece This Thumping Heart, which related the power of the young girls’ street dancing to that of Sufi-Zikr worshippers (‘the kids just haven’t named their god, while the men have’). This developed into the episode ‘GOD IS A GIRL’ in Night Dances, where five girls move ‘like it’s their last breath’.

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Release and urgency are two things Martin comes back to frequently when talking about NightDances. She even describes the music commissioned for the piece (a new score from Gilla Band bassist Daniel Fox) as ‘a violent joy’. But just as not all spiritual experiences with vital force take place in a church or temple, not all of the best dancing takes place in a studio. ‘In some ways, some of my best dancing times were probably not in the studio,’ Martin says. ‘But I had that feeling of like, “oh my god, I can nearly transcend my body”; that there was some connection to something beyond me. I actually think dance is one of the greatest tools to be able to connect with that. I always feel like there’s a lot put on the shoulders of dance to have to be clear, when actually as a form, there’s much more invisible stuff happening in the body.’ At night, Martin says, this force is distilled even further. ‘I think definitely inhibition is gone, whether it’s influenced by booze or whatever. The veil of darkness certainly helps, and also in a theatrical space with that sort of artificial darkness. I know I’m much freer at night-time.’

22 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival WED 24 AUGUST ROYAL EDINBURGHSHOWGROUNDHIGHLANDWITHSPECIALGUESTSGIGSINSCOTLAND.COMADFCONCERTSPRESENTATIONBYARRANGEMENTWITHITBGIGSINSCOTLAND.COM GEORGEEZRA.COM NEW ALBUM GOLD RUSH KID OUT NOW A DF CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PURE LIVE IN 2022 25 ABERDEENSEPTEMBERP&JLIVE 26 OVOGLASGOWSEPTEMBERHYDRO PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS WILLIE J HEALEY A DF Concerts presentation by arrangement with CAA SUNDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2022 GLASGOW OVO HYDRO DANCE FEVER FLORENCEANDTHEMACHINE.NETGIGSINSCOTLAND.COMTOUR 10 NEWGLASGOWNOVEMBEROVOHYDROPLUSSPECIALGUESTSBESTOFALBUM‘HITSTOTHEHEAD’OUTNOWFRANZFERDINAND.COMGIGSINSCOTLAND.COMPCLPRESENTS.COM A DF CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CAA RESCHEDULED DATE – ORIGINAL TICKETS REMAIN VALID O2 Academy, Glasgow 17th November 18th November O2 Academy, Edinburgh 28th November fontainesdc.com gigsinscotland.com ticketmaster.co.uk A DF Concerts presentation by arrangement with ATC Live Mon 5 September GLASGOW OVO TICKETMASTER.CO.UKGIGSINSCOTLAND.COMHydro|ARCADEFIRE.COM A DF CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CAA UK & IRELAND 2022 TUE 20 SEPTEMBER ABERDEEN TIVOLI THEATRE WED 21 SEPTEMBER PERTH PERTH THEATRE FRI 23 SEPTEMBER EDINBURGH THE QUEEN’S HALL SUN 25 SEPTEMBER GLASGOW GRCH NEW AUDITORIUM GIGSINSCOTLAND.COM A DF CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ASGARD WITH SPECIAL GUEST FRI 11 NOVEMBER GLASGOW OVO HYDRO A DF Concerts presentation in association with WME ALL TOGETHER UK TOUR 2022 PLUS VERY SPECIAL GUESTS KAISERCHIEFS.COM @ KAISERCHIEFS GIGSINSCOTLAND.COM TICKETMASTER.CO.UK LIVE 2022 NEW DATE ADDED DUE TO PHENOMENAL DEMAND

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KIRSTEN COELHO This Denmark-born, Australia-based ceramicist has been inspired of late by enamel wares from the 19th and early 20th centuries such as jugs, flasks and bowls. In her Art Festival exhibition, Uncertain Cadence, she aims to merge the abstract with the formal. She may have been working in her field for many years, but in an interview she gave to artguide.com in late 2020, Coelho insisted that even she has struggles with her chosen practice: ‘I feel like you could work with porcelain for 80 years and never conquer it. I’ve been working with it pretty consistently for about 20 years and it still challenges me.’ (Brian Donaldson)  Scottish Gallery, until 27 August.

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ISHIUCHI MIYAKO SOLO EXHIBITION llll l Old clothes tell a multitude of stories in Japanese photographer Ishiuchi Miyako’s debut solo exhibition in Scotland. Drawing from three bodies of work, ‘bodies’ is the operative word here. While no flesh and blood are on show in Miyako’s memorialising of her mother, victims of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, and the artist Frida Kahlo, showing everyday accoutrements that adorned them, both honours and commemorates her subjects.

Houses Fit For People is motivated by feminist readings of everyday life and how the city is not built with women in mind. This exhibition offers a strong entry point for getting to grips with Tessa Lynch’s important work, though it’s unfortunate how much time is required to digest the accompanying exhibition text before deciphering the objects on display.

24 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival REVIEWS ART

It would have been good to see Lynch’s series of linocut prints titled ‘Wise Woman’ (2021) which are described at length in the text; this series, in a Martha Rosler-esque approach, elaborates on the complex and often conflicting responsibilities women undertake. Rather, ‘Wise Woman’ is mentioned only to set the bar for Lynch’s political art. Without showcasing this series, the significance of the gigantic words ‘CRYING WOMAN’ (the first element visitors are confronted with) is somewhat dampened. Moreover, the lead image for this exhibition (a wonderfully whimsical screen print of babies) is nowhere to be seen until you exit through the gift shop. Lynch is concerned with the undervaluing of children’s curiosity and art-making. Mimicking a construction site, Lynch uses identical mesh windows in her hoarding installation to project snippets of a world which elevates early creativity. Coupled with the looping audio recording of children playing, it’s hard to not feel heartened by the value of Lynch’s community projects. However, overall, the staging of this exhibition feels like a hand-holding exercise, one in which we’re grasping on to piece together the meaning of these otherwise cryptic objects. (Rachel Ashenden) n Edinburgh Printmakers, until 18 September.

In ‘Hiroshima’ (2008), crumpled dresses are spread out like evidence, scorched beyond repair; ‘Mother’s’ (2002) shows off close-ups of shoes, false teeth and lipstick; while ‘Frida: Love And Pain’ (2012) reveals the ultimate self-creation through clothes and make-up jars. Combining very personal images with much more collective mementos illustrates how intertwined things are, joining the dots between public, private and secret selves. Miyako does so with an intimacy that moves beyond any fears of morbid intrusion to immortalise and mourn. (Neil Cooper) n Stills, until 8 October.

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A turquoise yoga mat. A discarded Deliveroo uniform. Skilfully crafted sculptures formed from glass ashtrays and dog leads. On first glance, Psycho Capital may simply appear to be a collection of modern objects associated with daily life. But hovering just under the surface is a poignant comment on overconsumption and capitalism that unveils cold truths about contemporary living. Viewed from outside as though through a shop window, this latest work by internationally exhibited Scottish artist Calum Craik encourages the viewer to dig deeper. An exercise mat in the lefthand corner of the exhibit could easily be overlooked; however, it represents our feeble attempts at escaping the unrelenting cycle of labour caused by capitalism. The food delivery-service uniform becomes a sinister symbol of convenient consumption. Psycho Capital is at its root a stark warning of the honeytrap of 21st-century consumerism. (Rachel Cronin) n Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, until 4 September.

ALAN DAVIE

TRACEY EMIN Another typically frank and bold statement from the renowned contemporary artist with work shown indoors and out, a majority of which was created over the past two years. n Jupiter Artland, until 2 October.

ART LATE 2 After the in-person show of Art Late 1, its follow-up is a purely digital affair featuring workshops, talks and performances both pre-recorded and live. n Online, 25 August, 6.30pm.

Tracey Emin (and bottom from left), Claude Monet in A Taste For Impressionism, Alan Davie, Will Maclean

The life and legacy of this painter, jeweller, polymath and jazz musician are explored in Beginning Of A Far-Off World, an exhibition featuring some rarely viewed work from across his lengthy career. n Dovecot Studios, until 24 September.

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HIGHLIGHTSART

ART The Edinburgh Art Festival moves on apace with exhibitions, events and late-night digital expressions

A TASTE FOR IMPRESSIONISM Subtitled ‘Modern French Art From Millet To Matisse’, this blockbuster exhibition tells the story of how Scotland became home to an astonishingly rich collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. n Scottish National Gallery, until 13 November.

WILL MACLEAN Perhaps best known for his wall constructions, Maclean’s work across half a century is explored in Points Of Departure, showing that he has quite a few different strings attached to his artistic bow. n City Art Centre, until 2 October.

IT WILL LIVE The Edinburgh International Festival gets in on the art act with an installation by Palestinian artist Leena Nammari, revolving around a particular house in Ramallah. n The Studio, until 27 August.

ENDNOTE LECTURE The Guyanese-British sculptor Hew Locke (born in Edinburgh in 1959) will examine the effects of language and symbols in a post-colonial world. n St Cecilia’s Hall, 26 August, 6pm.

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26 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival 13InternationalEdinburghBookFestival –August29 2022 Over 600 live events. Watch in-person, online and on-demand. Book edbookfest.co.uktickets: VPatrickGale alMcDermid KitdeWaal Dive S r i dhar AnthonyHorowi t z O cean Vuong Exhibition. 11.06.22–25.09.22 Daniel Silver LookingOpenDaily11am6pm45MarketStreetEdinburgh 0131 225 fruitmarket.co.uk2383FreeDanielSilver Group (detail), 2022, oil painted ceramic, 45 x 45 x 100 cm Courtesy of the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London Supported by DS_LIST_AD_189x134mm.indd 1 24/05/2022 14:59

JOELLE TAYLOR A poetry slam champ from 2000 and current holder of the TS Eliot Prize, Joelle Taylor’s work tackles the still abject attitudes in Britain towards the LGBTQ+ community. But after the reaction to her victory in that prestigious award for verse, she’s quietly hopeful that things, at least in the publishing world, might be moving in a better direction. The workshop she’ll run here is a call for writers to take control of their own narrative. (Brian Donaldson)  Joelle Taylor & Hollie McNish, 23 August, 7pm; workshop on Queering The Page, 24 August, 5pm; both events at Edinburgh College Of Art.

BOOKS

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BOOKS list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 29 HANNAH LAVERY Edinburgh’s Makar Hannah Lavery isn’t afraid to ask tough questions about what being Scottish means. Ahead of her Book Festival appearance, she talks to Neil Cooper about the hurt of not belonging I’ve always felt like I’ve been at the insideratherwindowthan ” “ >>

Blood Salt Spring is dedicated to Beldina Odenyo Onassis, aka Heir Of The Cursed, the remarkable singer and songwriter who provided the score for Lavery’s play, Lament For Sheku Bayoh, and who sadly passed away in 2021, aged 31. A poem for Beldina, ‘Leaves Fall Gold’, forms one of BloodSalt Spring’s most poignant moments. While there is much grief and anger elsewhere in the book’s three sections, there is a lot of love as well, and by the end it feels like some kind of a purging.Latelast year, Lavery received the news that she had been appointed as Edinburgh’s Makar (or poet laureate). ‘My love of Scotland is always going to have a little bit of an edge to it,’ she says, ‘but the Makarship is deﬁnitely a welcoming-in. I think I’ve always felt like I’ve been at the window rather than inside. The heart of my work is belonging, whether that is just very personally with grief, or whether that’s bigger about country, or whether that’s belonging in the room and how you talk about yourself. It’s about belonging and the pain of not belonging, and the longing to belong. My work is deeply vulnerable, I suppose, because of that. But I suppose art is, really. Or maybe mine is.’

BOOKS 30 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival HANNAH LAVERY H annah Lavery didn’t choose the title Scotland, You’re No’ Mine for her Edinburgh International Book Festival event. It comes from the name of a key poem in Blood Salt Spring, her debut full-length collection published earlier this year by Polygon, and is one of the oldest works in the book. The poem’s evocation of Lavery’s love/hate relationship with the country she lives in had already appeared in slightly different forms, both in her pamphlet, Finding Sea Glass: Poems From The Drift, and in her poetic drama, The Drift. It has become one of her most popular works and was named in the 2019 Best Scottish Poems list. ‘It’s a poem that people often request of me, so it’s obviously had a resonance,’ says Lavery. ‘But I suppose it’s quite a big poem, in that it’s talking about colonialism, Scotland’s history and its place within that. But within it, there is a kind of thread of the personal. It’s a love poem. It’s about vulnerability, and it’s about wanting to belong and the hurt of that. I think that a lot of my work is exploring the hurt of not belonging and as a woman of colour in Scotland, I always remember getting told to go back to where I come from, and I’d be like, “I don’t know where that is”, and almost kind of hoping that they would tell me, like, “oh, I’d love to know, can you tell me where it is I belong, because that would be nice?”.’

One key moment in her poem’s growing reputation came when Open Book, the organisation which runs shared reading and creative writing sessions across the country, passed out ‘Scotland, You’re No’ Mine’ to various groups, inviting written responses of their own. ‘That’s been amazing, seeing all these different responses to the poem,’ says Lavery. ‘But for me, it’s a love poem, and it’s a love poem to Scotland. I think most people who read it get that.’

24–28 AUGUST KING’S THEATRE #EDINTFEST WITHWALKINGGHOSTSWRITTENANDPERFORMEDBYGABRIELBYRNEBOOKNOWEIF.CO.UK ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘One of Ireland’s finest performers at his very best’ THE SUNDAY TIMES ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Byrne’s charisma is captivating throughout’ FINANCIAL TIMES Walking with Ghosts © Ros Kavanagh Charity No SC004694 SUPPORTED BY JAMES AND MORAG ANDERSON >>

Hannah Lavery, 26 August, 12.15pm; Lavery also appears as part of Quines Cast: Live, 17 August, 8.30pm; both events at Edinburgh College Of Art.

PROFILE DIANA GABALDON

What started as a love story between an accidentally time-travelling nurse from World War II and a Jacobite rebel of 1743 has evolved into a staple of 21st-century pop culture. The television adaptation premiered on American satellite channel Starz in 2014, spreading Outlander fever far and wide. Dedicated fans can even attend three-day-long conventions which host meet-and-greets and Q&A panels with the cast. The influence of this iconic franchise doesn’t stop at fan events either. Also contributing to the Outlander universe are two short stories, three novellas, a graphic novel and a musical. Scotland’s beautiful scenery, as captured in the TV series, has also done wonders for the country’s tourism industry; according to VisitScotland, in 2019 visitor numbers at sites related to the television show peaked at 3.2 million. Returning to the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the first time since 2014, Gabaldon’s event promises to be a deep-dive into the complex characters and relationships of Outlander’s ever-expanding universe, giving devoted fans the opportunity to hear her true thoughts on all things Claire and Jamie. (Rachel Cronin) n Central Hall, 23 August, 2.30pm.

THE LIFE AND EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF PRIVATE IVAN CHONKIN BY VLADIMIR VOINOVICH A satirical novel about a soldier during World War II, it’s the Russian equivalent of Catch-22, exposing the daily absurdities of military life. n Giles Foden & Allan Little, Edinburgh College Of Art, 26 August, 8.15pm.

GREENMANTLE BY JOHN BUCHAN

Having released nine books since the 90s (with book number ten on the way), there’s no doubt that Diana Gabaldon’s epic, slow-burn period romance Outlander has had fans in a chokehold for decades. In fact, the American author’s part-historical fiction, part-fantasy franchise is one of the best-selling book series of all time, with 25 million copies sold worldwide.

BURMA BOY BY BIYI BANDELE

Giles Foden’s favourite war novelsTop 5

The second of Buchan’s World War I novels, published in 1916, this followed the previous year’s The Thirty-Nine Steps. It’s a stranger, less conventional thriller, following contemporary events insofar as it involves German plans to use Islam to help them win the war, but also predicting, to an extent, the ‘war on terror’ that followed 9/11. The invitation to adventure with which the book begins has many parallels to my own work.

THE AFRICAN QUEEN BY CS FORESTER Known for its 1951 film adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart, on a river in east Africa, pious Rose Sayer must escape German troops on the tinpot steamer of a hard-drinking cockney captain, Allnut. After much friction, they sink a German battleship. I followed the real-life story of that battleship in my book Mimi And Toutou Go Forth. Remarkably, it’s actually still sailing up and down Lake Tanganyika! A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT BY SÉBASTIEN JAPRISOT This tells the story of Mathilde, a young woman who embarks on a desperate search for her fiancé, possibly killed during World War I. Little known in the English-speaking world, Japrisot re-combined components of the thriller genre in original and paradoxical ways.

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This would always be first but is especially first as its author (my dear friend, the brilliant playwright, novelist and Netflix director of Blood Sisters and The King’s Horseman) died suddenly last week in Lagos. The novel tells the story of Ali Banana, one of the many African soldiers who fought for the British in World War II. Idi Amin, as in my own The Last King Of Scotland, claimed he too did this: it was a lie.

16–29 August 2022 Winner Hard Seltzer Category. Survey of 9,897 people by Kantar. FIND US AT @eastside.edinburgh @candybaredinburgh

He’s not made music with Jimmy Somerville for decades, but some people still see Coles as the guy who was in The Communards. These days, he’s a successful author and broadcaster and has just launched a new detective series. n Edinburgh College Of Art, 26 August, 1pm.

GEOFF DYER

ARMANDO IANNUCCI

The Glaswegian is behind some of the most influential TV comedy of the past 30 years in Britain and he is currently turning his satirical eye towards the pandemic and Brexit. n Central Hall, 19 August, 8.30pm.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival keeps motoring and in this selection are events about literary beginnings, career endings and clerical cops

The Scotsman isn’t the first comedian to end up becoming an author, but few will have been subject to quite the same levels of curiosity and attention that he will receive for The Black Dog, a debut about a would-be scribe who sees a literary career as a way to dodge his problems. n Central Hall, 17 August, 5.30pm.

RICHARD COLES

Author of the wildly successful Queenie, Carty-Williams is back with the tale of a lifestyle ‘influencer’ whose own world is slowly falling apart at the seams. n Edinburgh College Of Art, 28 August, 10.30am.

Candice Carty-Williams (and bottom from left), Armando Iannucci, Kevin Bridges, Richard Coles

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Always a popular and regular figure around these parts in August, the author and commentator considers ‘endings’ in terms of elite performers (in the likes of sport and music) whose best days are perhaps behind them. n Edinburgh College Of Art, 19 August, 7.30pm.

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KEVIN BRIDGES

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On the back of her successful Hex from earlier this year, Fagan is in town to chat with Sally Magnusson about the old Scottish witch trials and how they reflect upon the modern world. n Edinburgh College Of Art, 18 August, 4pm.

MONICA ALI She’s been quiet on the literary front for a decade, but the author of Brick Lane is back with Love Marriage, a tale of love, family and the modern world as a pair of junior doctors get set to wed. n Central Hall, 17 August, 2.30pm.

JENNI FAGAN

CABARET list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 35 CABARET JESUS L’OREAL Long-haired and sharp-nailed, Jesus L’Oreal is returning to save us all with an hour of cabaret comedy in a short Fringe run. This high-energy act has performed at New York’s Club Cumming and dazzled audiences with previous outings such as Christ On A Bike! and Cross Fit Resurrecting his 2018 show, NailedIt!, for this year’s appearance, expect more heavenly song and dance as the ultimate lifestyle guru tells a tale or two and gives away all his best life hacks. In the words of L’Oreal himself, it’s going to be ‘sacrelicious!’. (Megan Merino)  Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 22–28 August, 9.15pm.

It’s strange going into a debut Fringe show with such a strong idea of what to expect. Given that hours of work must go into producing their polished online presence, this 60-minute set has the potential to be underwhelming. Instead, they revel in the challenge to live up to expectations. The tools of their craft are exposed as they expertly play cello, flute, guitar and, occasionally with great amusement, the triangle. Like sugar, these stars are easy to get hooked on. Especially for a Gen Z audience, their honesty is hugely compelling. Through offbeat song lyrics and down-to-earth advice, Chloe generously shares experiences of managing her bipolar disorder, while Tabby demystifies diabetes. They are skilled at tone gear-changes; beyond their raucous personas, the sisters are intermittently sincere as they tell the audience how grateful they are to be on stage. Perhaps they could make more of how up for it the crowd are (audience participation was not especially ambitious) but perhaps health and safety put a stop to that. Regardless, Sugarcoated Sisters receive a standing ovation they wholeheartedly deserve. (Rachel Ashenden) n Just The Tonic At The Caves, until 28 August, 8.50pm.

The macabre ukulele-based songs of The Idiot Circus are soaked in gin, tinged with murder and have a hint of haunted Victorian sadness. This cabaret act definitely feels like it belongs in the vaudeville-esque charm of Assembly’s Piccolo Tent. The performers arrive on stage, one of them dressed as a goat-man complete with furry legs and an elaborate headpiece, like a Latvian Eurovision act circa 2002. The first song, ‘Showbiz’, is an upbeat number that hooks the crowd. Each one that follows is a story of death in some form, told with flamboyance and 19th-century aplomb. There’s a bit of weirdness for the sake of weirdness (bananas consumed copiously by a glockenspielplaying man, ghosts wandering through the audience) and existential comedic banter between songs feels like it’s merely a formality to tick the funny box. But the songs themselves, with their spooky fairground melodies and twinges of minorchord melancholy, really make the show come alive. There’s barely a foot not tapping along in the room while more mournful numbers elicit a smattering of goosebumps at the refrain. It helps that the lead singer’s voice is exceptional, performing some particularly impressive vocal gymnastics during a graveyard-themed solo number. (Suzy Pope) n Assembly George Square Gardens, until 28 August, 8.55pm.

MAT RICARDO THE EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN llll l As Mat Ricardo notes during his show, if you know how a magic trick is done, you could do it yourself (well, with a small amount of practice at least). Though there’s no mystery to his collection of sideshow circus turns, Ricardo’s tricks take years to perfect. And you can tell: his skill, dexterity and hours of preparation are certainly on show. Ricardo’s here to regale with a new set of tricks presented in his usual stylish manner (sporting a dapper three-piece suit that recalls variety acts of a bygone age). The magic he performs is familiar; there’s juggling with a varying number and weight of balls, messing about with knives and daring feats of balance. But Ricardo presents it all not just with great ability but good humour and a mischievous sense of theatrics. He knows how to play his audience; teasing them by building up to something that doesn’t quite happen to make it all the more impressive when it eventually does. There is, of course, plenty of humour too, such as his mock warnings to those who are potentially in the ‘dropped object’ range of his stage. A thoroughly entertaining, satisfyingly slick hour. (Marissa Burgess) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August, 12.15pm.

SUGARCOATED SISTERS BITTERSWEET llll l

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THE IDIOT CIRCUS DEATH IS COMING lll ll

This trailblazing show mimics the effects of going down a TikTok-shaped rabbit hole before bedtime: expect a surge of dopamine hits followed by a difficult night’s sleep. And it’s totally worth it. TikTok sensations Tabby and Chloe, aka the Sugarcoated Sisters, took on the social-media platform with a vengeance when both were dumped by their partners. The channel swiftly became their artistic medium for sharing tales of terrible Hinge dates, toxic ex-partners and mastering weightlifting challenges.

CABARET REVIEWS 36 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

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CABARET list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 37

HIGHLIGHTSCABARET

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.

 Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 7.50pm.

The ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Running Up That Hill’ creator is certainly enjoying something of a renaissance just now, and Sarah-Louise Young has hit the right moment to deliver her homage to the enigmatic legend that is Kate Bush.

CABARETTE SHOWTOUR

BEN HART Wonder is the name of the magic man’s new show, and if you don’t get a ticket for him now, you’ll wonder why you didn’t. There are also some wondrous tricks happening up there on stage.

The world of Fringe cabaret keeps on spinning wildly and here are some acts doing shows about half pianos, dysto-pianos and musical icons

 PBH’s Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms, until 28 August, 7.20pm.

AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH

LAURIE BLACK She’s toured as support for Adam Ant and is at the Fringe now in her own right with Dystopiano, a show that might make you rethink your negative attitudes towards musical comedy.

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 Grassmarket, until 28 August, 2pm, 5pm.

KAREN FROM FINANCE IS OUT OF OFFICE This Australian drag act is encouraging you to leave your work woes behind and join her on an entertaining trip of self-discovery.

 Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 28 August, 4.30pm. WILL PICKVANCE

 Assembly George Square Gardens, until 29 August, 5.55pm.

Laurie Black (and bottom from left), Fruit Flies Like A Banana, Karen From Finance Is Out Of Office, Ben Hart

 Assembly George Square, until 28 August, 7.25pm.

The Fourth Wall deliver a high-energy show of music, dance and theatre performing famous songs in unique and varied ways.

FRUIT FLIES LIKE A BANANA

Admitting to feeling drawn towards the absurd and ridiculous, the Fringe favourite returns with HalfManHalfPiano, a show that will display his wild talents to stunning effect.

 Underbelly Bristo Square, until 29 August, 10pm.

38 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival 10.00 STEWART LEE, 3 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 16) | 18+ 11.45 SEYMOUR MACE, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 13.30 MARK THOMAS, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 15.15 SIMON MUNNERY, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 17.00 GARETH WAUGH, 4 - 29 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 18.45 KAI HUMPHRIES, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 22) | 16+ 18.45 THE FANNIES BIG NIGHT OUT (15TH ONLY) | 18+ 20.20 JO CAULFIELD, 5 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 22) | 16+ 20.20 ELEANOR MORTON (15TH ONLY) | 16+ 22.00 SEANN WALSH, 3 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 22.00 BOB DOOLALLY (15TH ONLY) | 18+ 23.55 THE STAND LATE CLUB (FRI/SATS ONLY) | 18+ 12.00 JOANNA NEARY, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 13.20 RACHEL JACKSON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 24) | 16+ 14.40 MARY BOURKE, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 16.00 MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 17.20 GAVIN WEBSTER, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 18.40 ROBIN GRAINGER, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 20.00 RYAN CULLEN, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 21.20 TOM MAYHEW, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 18+ 22.40 LEE BROPHY, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 18+ STAND TWO STAND NEW TOWN - GRAND HALL STAND NEW TOWN - LOWER HALL STAND NEW TOWN - STUDIO STAND ONE NOON IN CONVERSATION WITH…, 6 - 28 AUG (NOT 24)* | 12+ 13.50 STEWART LEE: SNOWFLAKE, 3 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 16) | 14+ 15.40 JOHN LLOYD: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?, 5 - 15 AUG | 14+ 15.40 DARREN ‘LOKI’ MCGARVEY: THE SOCIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN US, 16 - 21 AUG | 16+ 17.20 OMID DJALILI: THE GOOD TIMES, 4 - 20 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 17.20 TIME’S PLAGUE- DAVID HAYMAN, 21 - 28 AUG | 14+ 19.10 SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL, 3 - 28 AUG | 16+ 21.00 FRED MACAULAY- WHAT(EVER) NEXT?, 5 - 6 AUG | 16+ 21.00 JIM SMITH: THE HILLS HAVE AYES, 12 - 14 AUG | 16+ 21.00 PIP UTTON IS ADOLF, 15, 20, 21 AUG | 16+ 21.00 LIZ LOCHHEAD WITH STEVE KETTLEY ON SAX: BACK IN THE SADDLE, 18 & 19 AUG | 14+ 21.15 FUN LOVIN’ CRIME WRITERS, 8 - 11 AUG | 12+ 23.00 THE STAND’S PICK OF THE FRINGE, 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 AUG | 16+ 13.00 DES CLARKE: ONE O’ CLOCK FUN, 5 - 10, 12 - 14 AUG (NOT 11) | 14+ 13.00 MARK WATSON: MORE BANGING ON ABOUT TIME AND SIMILAR ISSUES (WORK IN PROGRESS), 15 - 19 AUG | 12+ 14.50 HENRY NORMAL: THE ESCAPE PLAN, 5 - 7 AUG | 14+ 14.50 DAVID KAY: GARDEN OFFICE LEGEND, 8 - 14 AUG | 14+ 14.50 THE ECHO SALON, 15 - 26 AUG (NOT 20, 21) | 14+ 14.50 WORD UP, 20-21, 27-28 AUG | 14+ 16.40 PAUL SINHA: ONE SINHA LIFETIME, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 16) | 16+ 18.30 THE BEST OF IRISH COMEDY, 5 - 28 AUG | 16+ 20.30 THE BEST OF SCOTTISH COMEDY, 5 - 28 AUG | 18+ 22.35 LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE ALL STARS, 5 - 14 AUG | 18+ 22.35 FLAT AND THE CURVES, 16 - 28 AUG | 14+ 12.05 POSSIBLY THE LAST CHANCE TO SEE SUSAN MORRISON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 16) | 16+ 13.30 THE CABARET OF DANGEROUS IDEAS, 5 - 28 AUG * | 14+ 14.55 ADA CAMPE: TOO LITTLE, TOO SOON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15TH) | 14+ 16.20 PIP UTTON AS ‘BACON’, 5 - 28 AUG (NOT 9, 16, 17, 23, 24) | 14+ 16.20 POLITICS & POETRY WITH CORBYN & MCCLUSKEY, 9 AUG | 14+ 17.45 THE CABARET OF DANGEROUS IDEAS, 5 - 28 AUG * | 14+ 19.10 2022 - THE BEGINNING OF THE END - VLADIMIR MCTAVISH, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 16) | 14+ 19.10 BOB DOOLALLY LIVE & HALF-CUT IN QATAR, 16 AUG (& AT STAND 1 ON 15 AUG) | 18+ 20.35 AFROPOLITICOOL - EUNICE OLUMIDE, 4 - 21 AUG (NOT 16) | 16+ 20.35 ABBY WAMBAUGH AND BRONWYN SWEENEY, 22 - 28 AUG | 14+ 22.00 KEVIN P. GILDAY: SPAM VALLEY, 4 - 14 AUG | 18+ 22.00 A CELEBRATION OF FATHER TED WITH JOE ROONEY, 15 - 21 AUG | 18+ 22.00 PHIL DIFFER: MY MEDICAL HELL, 22 - 28 AUG | 18+ standcomedyclub standedinburghstandcomedyclub www.thestand.co.uk0131 558 9005

FERN BRADY It doesn’t seem too long ago that she was appearing in small upstairs rooms with non-functioning fireplaces, but now this West Lothian comic is strutting her stuff in one of the most prestigious spaces for acclaimed stand-ups. Honesty and authenticity are two reasons why she has got this far and as she delivers her Autistic Bikini Queen show, audiences will be reminded that a once raw talent is now deservedly being embraced by the masses. (Brian Donaldson)  Assembly Hall, 25–27 August, 10.20pm.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 39

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40 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

actuallydoesn’tbestcomfortableperfectlyrubbingshoulderswiththeofthem.AsBrianDonaldsonhears,thisstopthecomicfeelingthatshemightbeabitshallow

‘There’s no explicit theme but yes there’s something in there about the alphabet. When I’m putting material together, typically my heart is in one place. I tend not to write for a show, I just write material. I’m someone who believes that an hour of stand-up can be different bits, in what can be broadly called the American model: there might be turnips and then shoes and then my mother-in-law, but there’s no big theme. If that does happen, it’s not on purpose.’ Alphabet may turn out not to include root vegetables, footwear and family members, but like many comics producing a show this year, it’s been near impossible not to consider the thing that stopped them from working for the best part of two years. ‘I’m someone who will only talk about what they care about at the time. Maybe all stand-ups do that, I don’t know. For a lot of people, lockdown was about being with your family but for me it was about being inward. I discovered a few things about my life that I thought “well this is shit: am I really that shallow?” And, well, yes I am. And, yes, it’s all in the show.’

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Sindhu Vee: Work-In-Progress, 16 August, 4.50pm, 17 August, 7.30pm; Alphabet, 18–28 August, 6.30pm; both shows at Pleasance Courtyard. Less than five years into her comedy career, Sindhu Vee is

musical Matilda and she has a sitcom, Winning, in development with Channel 4. Not bad for a former investment banker.

COMEDY list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 41 SINDHU VEE

Letter of the guffaw

‘ A lphabet is less about who I am on the outside, all the stuff you could have picked up on Wikipedia, and more about who I am on the inside.’ Sindhu Vee is considering the trajectory of her comedy career, moving on from her ‘introduction’ to stand-up crowds with her Edinburgh Best Newcomernominated show Sandhog. ‘Pretty much everything I’m going to say in Alphabet you wouldn’t know if you didn’t come to the show. I have too much respect for stand-up as an artform and for the audiences who come to see me to not write and perform what’s really coursing through me.’ That respect goes back and forth between the Indiaborn, UK-based Vee and her burgeoning fanbase since she emerged on the comedy scene in 2018. Much has happened to her since then including a spot of acting in hit comedy-dramas such as Sex Education and Feel Good, while she has done the panel-show circuit by appearing on programmes such as Mock The Week, QI and Have I Got News For You. Over on the radio, she’s made Sindhustan and cohosts the Child Labour podcast with fellow comic and parent Stuart Goldsmith. On the horizon after this Festival is over (asides from dates of her touring show, she’s laying on a couple of work-in-progress sets in anticipation of a new, post-Alphabet piece), she’ll appear in the movie version of Tim Minchin’s

SUSIE MCCABE BORN BELIEVER llll l

WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? lll ll ‘Anyone who doesn’t have an hour on the pandemic is a fucking psychopath,’ claims Nick Helm at the start of What Have We Become?. It’s a reasonable summation of his latest show, which grapples with lockdown, Partygate, Tiger King, the Oscars slap and any other popular event that’s hit headlines since 2020. Peppered throughout Helm’s topical material are more personal talking points, including the relationship he has with his parents, his soft-drink addiction and the arrival of his first niece (that’s right, he’s a real uncle now). Setting these well-trodden topics alight is Helm’s ragefuelled persona and knack for hyperbole, which can turn even the most banal observations on HelloFresh subscription boxes into a full-throated rant. Yet even finely tuned fury doesn’t prevent this material from feeling old hat. As he mentions more than once during his set, ‘we got bored of that after a few days’, seemingly aware of the sell-by date of jokes about loo-roll shortages. A fresh perspective on the past two years comes whenever Helm finds a way to include the audience in his self-laceration, or when he breaks the stand-up formula with a trademark poem or song, placing his own anxieties at the story’s centre.

Gradually but with appreciable progress, Susie McCabe has evolved over the last five years into one of the best storytelling comics in Britain. From the relatable but commonplace anxiety of turning 40, the Glaswegian stand-up spins effortlessly entertaining yarns about her eccentric parents’ love-hate relationship with her too-virtuous partner, the condescension attached to being an ‘old gay’ out on the town or, horror of horrors, out on a hen night. McCabe projects a cynical irritation with anything too pretentious or requiring too much effort. But her warmth, anecdotal flair and down-to-earth likeability makes light of religious and sexual friction with such dismissive accomplishment that you scarcely register the occasionally tricky context they arise from. Generally world-weary, yet with a simmering excitability borne from the incredulity of encountering fools, each of McCabe’s stories is a satisfying journey in itself, but strung along with a rich, regular punctuation of gags. In the manner of Billy Connolly, Kevin Bridges or Janey Godley, she can link one memorable tale to another via the flimsiest segue and it barely seems to matter, everything offered up with a nowt-as-queer-as-folk shrug. Susie McCabe is a performer in her absolute prime right now. (Jay Richardson) n Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 August, 7.45pm.

The framing device of Stuart McPherson’s show this year is a stag-do in Newcastle. Pretty standard stuff for a male comic you might think. But what he has produced using that traditionally macho activity as a jumping-off point is a sensitive portrayal of modern masculinity. The Peesh is an hour of perfectly crafted stand-up, with plenty of gags that wouldn’t sound out of place in a comedy club at the weekend. McPherson has had an unexpectedly rough year suffering loss in a variety of different ways; in fact, all the ways you can think of. He relates his tale frankly, but also philosophically, often turning to his old granny for inspiration on how to deal with bad times. This is gentle, assured stand-up from someone who, as one woman apparently said to him recently, has got the look of an Italian footballer these days. But he has the advantage of being way funnier than one. (Marissa Burgess) n Monkey Barrel Carnivore, until 28 August, 4.55pm.

STUART MCPHERSON THE PEESH llll l

42 THE LIST FESTIVAL REVIEWS COMEDY NICK HELM

In these little asides, there’s pathos and earnestness amid the anger. His love of the c-word (and we don’t mean covid) is rarely less than hilarious, but let’s hope he recovers from the past two years soon, or at least finds a more original way to discuss it. (Kevin Fullerton) n Pleasance Dome, until 28 August, 5.25pm.

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Ever since her 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination as Best Newcomer for Venus, and with her star rising exponentially courtesy of numerous TV appearances over recent years (not least her well-earned victory on this year’s Taskmaster), there’s a real buzz about Sophie Duker and her sold-out Fringe show, Hag. After a gentle warm-up, she goes off on a number of tangents as if she’s holding back on the thrust of her show: a realisation about her sexuality.

Formerly identifying as heterosexual, she recently realised that she’s pansexual. This all happened as a result of her experiences working as a comedian on a ‘lesbian cruise ship’. She repeatedly teases the precise catalyst of her sexual awakening as she cryptically and (as it turns out) rhetorically asks, ‘what happens on a lesbian cruise?’ While other confessional Fringe shows might go all-in on a frenzy of detail, Duker’s tale is more guarded and light on specifics. That’s absolutely her prerogative but it does feel like we’re skimming the surface of a story. As she relates her experiences on the ship (where she was isolated from her loved ones, including her then-boyfriend, due to an absence of phone signal), she hints at the conflicting emotions and psychological disorientation of her situation. Duker embellishes her tale with theatrical vigour but doesn’t really get to the heart of the matter. Venus was always going to be a hard act to follow but this is still an enjoyable show from one of comedy’s most promising talents. (Murray Robertson) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 7.30pm; also 27 August, 10.40pm.

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SOPHIE DUKER HAG lll ll

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Passionate, theatrical, consummate stand-up of the kind you get with a John Hastings’ show gives you a palpable sense of what we’ve been missing these last couple of years. It’s an explosive response to an emotional year (to say the least) for the Canadian comic, who found that death and loss hovered close. In the last 12 months, his best friend passed away, Hastings nearly died himself and he got divorced. He doesn’t need to stand on a chair to loom at the crowd for his passion to be felt; though he does, which is a nice touch regardless. A skilled improviser as well as a honed stand-up, Hastings is never afraid to tackle a knotty latecomer, a gift tonight as they were Americans keen to deflect attention away from themselves by claiming Canadian citizenship . . . to a Canadian. It’s an exchange that provides the show with yet further fizz. (Marissa Burgess) n Monkey Barrel Carnivore, until 28 August, 8.15pm.

FINLAY CHRISTIE OK ZOOMER llll l

Halfway through his debut Fringe show, Finlay Christie declares, ‘most comedians at the Fringe will be telling you how shit everything is and that young people are cunts’. Indeed, there’s enough observational comedy about how the world is burning right now to fill your August schedule; Christie is a little bit of joy amid the cynicism. His show looks at the much-maligned Gen Z, with a level of self-awareness that belies his 23 years. Bucking the comedy trend, Christie has a convincing argument in defence of Gen Z, touching on the struggles of sliding into people’s DMs at online uni and creating TikTok videos during our slow apocalypse. Perhaps a white, privately-educated male shouldn’t be tackling subject matter like the #MeToo movement, but Christie has enough perception and comic finesse to pull it off, leaving women in the audience nodding along. It’s his clever toying with language and labels that get the biggest and most appreciative laughs. Audio-visual accompaniments are used sparingly and just at the right moment, including some ‘aww’-inspiring footage of his first forays into stand-up as a seven year old. Above all, his optimism and good nature is infectious, which sets him apart from the crowd. (Suzy Pope) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August, 6pm.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 43 COMEDY

JOHN HASTINGS DO YOU HAVE ANY OINTMENT MY JOHN HASTINGS? lllll

44 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival general secretary By Thick ‘n’ Fast “One of the best duos at the Fringe” 0131 622 GILDEDBALLOON.CO.UK6552 15:00 (N ot 16) (60 miNs) 3 AUG - 28 AUG 2022 “Satirical gold” the Spectator the SCOTSMAN

JD SHAPIRO I’M WITH STUPID lll ll

A showbusiness lag of the old school, JD Shapiro is an inveterate name-dropper who’s had the luck, skill and hustle to meet and work with Hollywood legends. The screenwriterturned-comedian got his big break through his dentist, who passed his script for Robin Hood: Men In Tights to Mel Brooks. And intriguingly, he’s still working on a screen project featuring the late superhero supremo Stan Lee. But it’s ultra-flop Battlefield Earth that’s the most eye-catching entry on his CV, his good grace in accepting its Razzie Award for Worst Picture Of The Decade indicative of the man. A tough upbringing forged his resilient, upstart optimism; though self-conscious, as he tells it, he held his own in verbal repartee with the likes of Billy Connolly and Robin Williams. There’s a snatch of scurrilous Michael Jackson gossip and the story of how Men In Tights missed out on a remarkable Sean Connery cameo is compelling. But rather too often, Shapiro can’t quite deliver the killer punchline on his celebrity encounters. (Jay Richardson) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 9pm.

Exceptionally current and exceedingly charming, the dynamic duo known as Shelf pull apart fallacies around gender non-conformity. From tackling gender-critical feminists who are preoccupied with public toilets to homophobic aunts, best friends Ruby and Rachel have transformed pain and turned it into comedy. Their onstage personas offset each other well; while Ruby has walked a tightrope of heterosexual conformity for most of her life, Rachel (who refers to herself as ‘the gay messiah’) was born into a household where free love is order of the day. To convey this dichotomy, sometimes they clumsily employ a pseudo-scientific metaphor about control groups and variables. Their argument is more effectively illustrated through Ruby’s candid songs and biting lyrics, while Rachel showcases her questionable yet hilarious dance moves (it’s a shame the songs aren’t longer). Through the simple symbol of a haircut, Shelf aim to destabilise stereotypes around masculine and feminine presentations. Given the importance of hair as a theme, it would have been interesting to see how it could figure more boldly throughout the performance. Despite this, Shelf make for warm company which helps the crowd navigate complex and important subject matter. (Rachel Ashenden) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 7.15pm.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 45 REVIEWS LARA RICOTE GRL/LATNX/DEF llll l

Lara Ricote’s first hour is for anyone who is Latina, deaf and who is (or knows) a girl. She’s also got a sneaking suspicion she should be doing more about climate change, so her alter ego pops in every now and again to remind us the planet is burning in every one of her parallel universes. That the audience accepts this is a testament to Ricote’s skill. While she takes more than one opportunity to note that she’s a girl (not a woman), her deft, confident delivery and neat handling of some (very sweet) hecklers feels like she has decades of experience in front of a crowd.Growing up as one of three sisters (two hard of hearing, one stupid) proves fertile ground, and her parents are well-drawn: dad is a granola-eating anti-vaxxer, mum’s a Mayan (yes, it’s a niche religion). Things kick up a gear as she describes a trip to Southeast Asia, her sexual awakening and subsequent move to the Netherlands, where she begins to examine her identity in moreTheredetail.follows a few well-aimed jibes at white patriarchy, but most of her comedy centres around herself, culminating in a routine about kidney theft (not talked about enough, in her opinion) which doesn’t exactly fit with what’s gone before, but is funny enough to be forgivable. Engaging, relaxed and confident, she can add ‘one to watch’ to that Twitter bio. (Jo Laidlaw) n Monkey Barrel The Hive, until 28 August, 3.20pm.

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46 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival HISTORY of house GROOVE TERMINATOR & SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR PRESENT NIGHTSFORTWOONLY 23:5524+25 AUG HALL MOUND PLACE @AssemblyFestassemblyfestival.com01316233030ONLINEBOOK ASSEMBLY HALL HHHHH ‘A FEAST FOR THE SENSES... LEAVE YOUR WORRIES IN YOUR COAT AND GRAB A PINT!’ Broadway Baby THE OLIVIER AWARD NOMINATED SMASH HIT RETURNS TO EDINBURGH HHHHH ‘THEFEELULTIMATEGOODSHOW’ Edinburgh Evening News HHHH ‘DYNAMIC, JOVIAL AND BLOOMINREALLYFUN’ Edinburgh Festivals Magazine HHHHH Adelaide Advertiser HHHHH One4Review HHHHH The Reviews Hub HHHHH Fife Today 320:40-28AUGMatinees11:1517:20 FREEDOM HHHHH ADVERTISERADELAIDE ‘A life exuberantaffirming,tribute’ HHHH MAGAZINELIMELIGHT ‘Meticulous unstoppableand…spiritedandspectacular’ THE NEW YORK TIMES @AssemblyFestassemblyfestival.com01316233030ONLINEBOOK HALL413:40-29AUG MOUND PLACE

A regular on BBC shows, she intuitively knows how to interact with a crowd; she’s a natural and this show is filled with memorable moments. Robertson is Shetland’s greatest export since reestit mutton: salted meat to us non-islanders. (Zara Janjua)

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MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON THANK GOD FISH DON’T HAVE HANDS llll l

LARRY DEAN FUDNUT llll l Larry Dean is on fire tonight in front of a packed-out, largely local audience. It’s joyous to witness and not surprising for an act who has been nominated for both Best Newcomer and the main Edinburgh Comedy Award, and whose star has been steadily rising over the last few years. The Glaswegian is a master of stand-up and structure. He’ll take a staple, such as addressing how he looks (a bit of a ned) but offers the observation with a beautiful turn of phrase: ‘I look like I carry matches but don’t smoke’. His tale weaves through an eclectic bunch of topics and settings (Abu Dhabi airport, art gallery visits, farting in the bedroom and, finally, a funeral). But the through-lines are clear: Dean’s relationship issues and the value of strong friendship. There are knowing moments when the structure refers to itself, yet elements that are signposted early on still pleasantly surprise when they arrive. (Marissa Burgess) n Monkey Barrel, until 28 August, 8.30pm.

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With little social media presence, how Ewins monetises his uniquely quixotic humour while keeping the entertainment industry at arm’s length is surely a genuine question. But he’s sending it up in a message of hard-headed defiance to one broadcaster, after they turned down the chance to make his police procedural series, Good Cop, Bad Cop, a hilariously rendered misreading of the police cliché. Meanwhile, he’s created the gameshow Danger Money, a series of rudimentary computer games where the audience compete for nominal cash that never materialises anyway. All good throwaway fun, supplemented by sarcastic, pre-prepared slams that pop up in response to volunteers’ answers and an ongoing dialogue with a robot sidekick which elicits more laughs. Highlights include Ronaldo over-celebrating a goal in a rejected FIFA 2019 sequence, and The Matrix allegedly accelerated to normal speed (think arthritic Morris dancers). Throughout, you’re aware of the thought and feverish labour that must have gone into producing such snappy gags. So come on Sky, give Mat Ewins a show! (Jay Richardson) n Just The Tonic At The Caves, until 28 August, 10.30pm.

n The Stand 2, until 28 August, 4pm.

As the show title might suggest, this is an hour full of fantastic nonsense and glorious misdirection which, as we eventually learn, is symptomatic of ADHD. Marjolein Robertson has crafted a masterful arc around a series of events leading to her diagnosis, a fact she only reveals in the set’s latter part, cleverly calling back to jokes from the first half. For both tourists and locals, she offers a cultural introduction to her home of Shetland, its many unusual customs and traditions, and how these shaped her identity in life and love. With a childlike quality and vulnerability to her humour, she never alienates her audience, instead bringing them into her playful, self-deprecating brand. Moments of dark comedy wisp through her show like Sawney Bean with a smile. She can paint a vivid picture for her audience too: from being drunk in the bath with a handbag while shaving her legs and putting ‘raw toast’ in the ‘bread heater’, to quite literally painting a picture for them of how ADHD works.

COMEDY list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 47

Despite the low profile he maintains across the year and that phalanx of tech, sound cues and audience game-playing moments he jams into his shows (all with the eminent capacity to go wrong), Mat Ewins has come to be seen as close to a safe bet in Edinburgh. A late-night draw for the cognoscenti, he is an easy diversion of daftness in stark contrast to the earnestness elsewhere in the comedy section.

48 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival COMEDY LEO REICH

Reich’s lack of pandering to the audience gives him authority and control. He barely stops to take a breath, never mind explain terms like echo chamber, top and bottoming, and The Bechdel Test to anyone unfamiliar with these concepts. Instead, he raises the bar and asks us to meet him there, using techniques clearly inspired by comedians like Catherine Cohen and Rose Matafeo (one of his songs is about sleeping with people who hate you and he ends with an uptempo dance routine). However, this impressive debut hour sufficiently sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes him a comic to watch.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 9.35pm. With his debut solo hour Literally Who Cares?!, Leo Reich has marked himself out as a young comedian to watch. Megan Merino finds a comic in total control as he tackles all manner of GenerationconundrumsZ

t may be this 23-year-old’s debut solo Fringe show, but Leo Reich has managed to craft a jam-packed hour full of high-octane stand-up, interspersed with songs and sketches, that dig deep into the psyches of Gen Z-ers. What’s it about? This question could be answered with the title of the show itself, as Reich dances around the idea of creating something meaningful and ideologically driven that puts all of his minority statuses on the line, building himself into the perfect 21st-century victim.

From high-school bullies to first long-term relationship woes, a lot of introductory ground is covered, but the young comic’s firm grasp on satire and commitment to his on-stage persona make clichéd stories feel fresh and surprising. Reich’s signature joke equation starts with an earnest thought (‘I want any queer people in the audience to know that when you’re queer, that’s totally normal’) until the punchline (‘but when I’m queer, that’s special. Do we see the difference?’) marks an arrogance that should be insufferable; instead it has the (admittedly young-skewing) room in stitches. Although overly intellectualising Literally Who Cares?! would be to miss the point completely, Reich manages to walk the tightrope of criticising certain sensitivities and self-obsessions associated with his generation without ever stumbling into stale wokebashing arguments. His sporadic breaks to read from a (clearly prematurely written) memoir, which later develops into a fictionalised version of a memoir, and later still a screen adaptation of the fictionalised version of the memoir, shows an innate self-awareness that elevates the show from a series of Gen Z buzzwords to thought-provoking social commentary, with Reich as the protagonist in every cautionary tale.

‘The other day I read a really terrifying two-thirds of a headline,’ he says, before admitting he wants to be an activist, he’s just ‘not sure what for’.

comedy issuetheof •ydemoccomedy•4 STARS NEALRAPHAELPICTURES:

RICHARD BROWN HORROR SHOW llll l Dark comedy is an ideal accompaniment to righteousness, allowing comedians to inflict maximum damage on their targets without collapsing into preachy rhetoric. Richard Brown is more than aware of this in Horror Show, ploughing through maudlin material like he’s picking off a list of enemies. Few topics are left off the table in a set as virtuous as it is funny, tackling cancel culture, Facebook’s privacy settings, veganism and more, with prerecorded skits sprinkled between stand-up segments. They’re talking points that Ricky Gervais would feast on, but Brown is a breed that’s increasingly rare in mainstream circles of comedy: a genuinely left-wing perspective that imbues grim gags with humanism and empathy, much like the similarly under-appreciated Michael Legge. His sinister approach to humour isn’t for everyone but, as an outsider who clearly views populism with disdain, that’s the point. For the lucky few who share his misanthropic mindset, this is a comedy goldmine. (Kevin Fullerton) n Monkey Barrel Niddry Street, until 28 August, 9.35pm.

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COMEDY REVIEWS

KAI SAMRA NATIVE llll l Kai Samra had sworn off the Edinburgh Fringe, after his 2019 debut earned him a clutch of four and five-star notices but failed to lead to much broadcast work or career progression. The allegations that this young Asian stand-up makes against the comedy industry suppressing his talent are pretty shocking. But his readiness to air them is indicative of someone who’s not bothered about pointing the finger at blinkered liberals, having already gone toe-to-toe in an interview with the thuggish Tommy Robinson, former English Defence League leader. Although Native is steeped in Fringe writing craft and structure, from the arguably too neat way it draws its disparate threads together, it’s nevertheless compellingly gritty too. Samra has been in and out of homeless accommodation (even at the height of his success as a comic and in a guitar band of some pedigree) and relates his tale with a class agitator’s brisk urgency, storytelling nous and clear-eyed cultural analysis. His sense of injustice is stoked by Malcolm X but also by the legacy of his Indian grandfather, a man who died before Samra was born, but whose life story and the challenges he encountered make even the comedian’s strife pale by comparison. Score settling abounds in Native. But the comic rises above it too, sharing his experience with a cool wit, self-awareness and knack for distilling racism down to its baldest, most unpalatable parts. Still seemingly more likely to land edgy documentaries than a television sitcom or stand-up showcase, Kai Samra is at least keeping himself in contention for some of the cash and profile of the ‘ubiquitous’ Romesh Ranganathan. (Jay Richardson) n Pleasance Dome, until 28 August, 8.30pm.

Two Hearts are certainly an acquired taste, to put it lightly; they can be a shock to the system if you aren’t expecting such a tongue-in-cheek show. Co-written and performed by partners Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore, their personas can be a little grating at first, but they win over the crowd by sheer force of personality. By the end, this comedy pop duo’s crude entertainment has the whole audience roaring with laughter. Their back-up dancers, as well as their outfits, are incredible; a particular highlight is the costume for the Great Pacific garbage patch, as well as the ‘fat pants’ which are hugely relatable for anyone who experiences PMS. However, the dialogue between their song and dance numbers (inspired by the likes of Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift) can sometimes feel redundant due to a lack of narrative arc. Littered with references to NFTs, OnlyFans and Johnny Depp, Two Hearts try hard to respond to what’s current. Their ironic lyrics swing between hilarity and downright obscenity (a brilliant song about the gender pay gap is shortly followed by one which shockingly refers to a new-born baby as a ‘fugly slut’). While their satirical edge isn’t especially sharp, they make up for it with genuine comedic chemistry. (Rachel Ashenden) n Assembly George Square, until 28 August, 8.50pm.

TWO HEARTS WE’RE PREGNANT AND THE BABY IS MUSIC lll ll

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50 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival KAI NATIVESAMRA SAMI SOHOTHEATRE.COM/EDINBURGHWARDEHABUBEDU 3.30PM (4.30PM) 04-28 AUGUST 2022 BY DICKINSMAX DIRECTED EIDINOWHANNAHBY

welcomed by the audience like familiar friends, including frequent references to her therapist’s £1-per-minute rate which puts the ticket price into perspective. Keyworth’s strength is pulling in an audience and making them like her; this show is a masterclass in just that. Even her ’worst joke of all time’ (about a mango) goes down well, despite not actually being a good joke; but that’s the point and there’s the charm. There’s also a bit of spectacle at the end, which ties the whole narrative together and ends the show on a gloriously triumphant note. (Suzy Pope) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 5.40pm.

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When comedians get telly work, their stand-up often changes, with routines suddenly populated by stories of celebrity encounters. For Seann Walsh, things were somewhat different. Instead, after being invited onto BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, he was photographed kissing his married dance partner and all hell broke loose. Walsh has already addressed the fallout from that incident (both in terms of loss of work and the effect on his mental health) but this Fringe outing, four years on, finally sees him in a much better place. He’s more settled, back gigging again, with just a hint of TV work too. As it weaves about between his journey and the back story of his addict father, the hour is energetic, confessional and doesn’t miss the opportunity for a gag. Plus there are nice diversions into the crowd to berate people for being too organised (or even too sleepy). One thing is for sure: he’s certainly ‘back’. (Marissa Burgess) n The Stand, until 28 August, 10pm.

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A story tinged with grief probably shouldn’t elicit this many laughs, but there’s something warm and welcoming about Sarah Keyworth’s comedy. There’s a sadness to the set, underpinned by the recent death of her friend and joke-writing partner Paul Byrne, whose presence is felt in many of the stories and anecdotes. But a witty retort or unexpected punchline always waits just around the bend to elevate the mood again, courtesy of a new girlfriend that often gets idioms endearingly wrong and unwanted attention from a priest’s daughter as well as Bulgarian removal

ALEX KEALY WINNER TAKES ALL llll l Describing himself as ‘middle-left’ on the political spectrum, Alex Kealy is a contemplative comedian with an old head on young shoulders. In Winner Takes All, he breathlessly remonstrates with the state of the socio-political landscape as currently occupied (and ravaged) by Big Tech. Google, Uber and Facebook (Meta, if you must) all enter his sights, and he has a simple solution for us all to help turn the tide: abstain. Of course, Kealy knows it’s not as simple as us all switching off our phones and walking everywhere, and he has real prowess when it comes to examining apparent contradictions such as the disparity between privacy and convenience. He also has some shrewd observations about relationships, many of them borne from his own perceived inadequacies (he recently split from his girlfriend and the break-up clearly still rankles). He’s open about his struggles with mental health, culminating in a wonderfully graphic routine about the side effects of a manic episode he experienced during his last Fringe. And it takes some skill to segue from a story about anal sex into the Tories’ infamous ‘levelling up’ agenda. Among all the philosophical musings, he has a number of stand-out gags, including the dissection of a complex text message exchange which takes a surprising turn. There’s no letup in Kealy’s delivery; from his energetic opening, he maintains a breakneck pace all the way through to a finale in which he proposes an ingenious solution to global warming in a manner that’s guaranteed to keep all but the most ardent right-winger on his side. (Murray Robertson) n Monkey Barrel The Hive, until 28 August, 4.15pm.

COMEDY 52 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival REVIEWS

The moment Liam Farrelly steps on stage, it’s obvious he’s from Glasgow. His repertoire is thoroughly Glasgow-centric with all the observations and jibes about the city we’ve come to expect: nobody eats fruit and everyone’s got rickets. The material might be fairly straightforward (think the Catholic church is full of paedos and a bit of good-natured sectarianism) but the speed and slickness with which Farrelly delivers it makes it seem as though he’s been honing the craft for decades. Except that’s impossible: he’s only 21. No sentence is wasted and each arc comes with a solid right hook of a punchline. Callbacks to his mad mate Sharkey are particularly welcome. There’s no time for a lull or a moment without someone laughing somewhere in the room and he chucks out swear words like they’re sweets. The ending, featuring complaints from a religious American man about the show itself, feels a little tacked on, but that’s probably because he only added it during the Fringe’s first week. (Suzy Pope) n Just The Tonic Nucleus, until 28 August, 7.10pm.

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With humility and relatability, Laura Davis holds a mirror up to the comedy industry before turning it on herself. She reflects on her 15-year career and puts the world to rights, teetering on the line between self-indulgence and introspection. You’re either firmly in the ‘preach sister!’ camp or off to the right, and for this sell-out performance, she had the audience firmly in her palm, refusing to hold back.

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There’s a delightful skittishness to Josh Jones as he delivers his Fringe debut. The Mancunian comedian energetically paces a stage that’s frankly much too small to contain him. He claims that his agent suggested he clean up his act, but if that’s the case, then lord knows what he was like before. Waste Of Space is full of astonishing revelations from an unpredictable comedian who seems to have a pathological need to share. Jones attempts to ease the audience into his more shocking routines by laying the groundwork with some material about his perpetual clumsiness and difficulties at school. Every so often he’ll unexpectedly enter an almost psychopathic state for a fraction of a second to express the unvarnished thoughts of his subconscious, and the effect is simultaneously sinister and hilarious. He employs this device with remarkable discipline and it’s a quirk that certainly singles him out from his peers. Jones never stops to consider the implications of his misadventures, admitting himself that his show is uncomplicated, but this is a solid introduction to an interesting new voice. The thought of one day seeing him ‘unsuppressed’ is particularly intriguing. (Murray Robertson) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 8.30pm.

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The show takes a few beats to warm up, reflecting on some dark times from the last two years, then building momentum with an inspired re-enactment of online reviews for sunset lamps, a sauna story about climate deniers and a memorable parody of LinkedIn posts and CEO bees. Her performance peaks with a big reveal, complete with duct tape. It’s a show with a handful of surprises; anymore would be a waste. Davis covers a lot of ground, touching on climate change, cancel culture, consumerism, capitalism and feminism. Her surface-scratching pub rants are well crafted; an intricate tapestry, weaving back delightfully to early observations and naturally back-referencing punchlines to take jokes a bit further. Her likeability is unquestionable (it’s clear to see why she has scooped some major comedy awards) with her pent-up energy released in what seems to be a cathartic delivery of truth-telling. However, instead of a crescendo, the show unfortunately fizzles out without a clear end or obvious direction of travel. (Zara Janjua) n Monkey Barrel Carnivore, until 28 August, 4pm.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 53 316:45-28AUG ROOMS GEORGE STREET The Scotsman IntoHeartsour 2020 Entertainment blackbluesbrothers 316:45-28AUG ROOMS GEORGE STREET 317:20-28AUG (not 11) ROOMS GEORGE STREET A PARODY MUSICAL ABOUT FRIENDS Broadway World ★★★★ Fairy Powered Productions ★★★★ Creative Reviews UK ★★★★ STUPENDOUSLYIMPRESSIVE-THESTAGE DEFYING BOTHGENDER NORMSAND GRAVITY 417:20-28AUG (not 8, 15 + 22) HALL MOUND PLACE621:40-28AUG (not 15 + 22) ROOMS GEORGE STREET 419:00-28AUG (not 10, 15 + 22) HALL MOUND PLACE 40TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL 3 – 29 AUG

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CATHERINE BOHART

Observations about spending time with family, her mother’s obsession with her partners and receiving unhelpful advice from friends get an approving giggle, but never roaring applause. After a tough couple of years, this may not be Bohart’s finest hour, but with her skill and consistency, there is still enjoyment to be had. (Megan Merino) n Monkey Barrel, until 28 August, 3.20pm.

Accompanying slides make an effective visual dimension. This certainly helps when discussing a fuckboy who likens himself to a mongoose and it helps add to the party vibes.

Audience engagement, while fun, feels a bit forced and rehearsed. The interactive game based on the Life In The UK test has a lot of comic potential, but confident spontaneity was lacking here.

Having recently come out of a long-term relationship, Catherine Bohart’s latest hour is an emotional vent about being dumped during the toughest year in modern history (in the midst of the deepest, darkest days of lockdown). In her equivalent of a heartbreak album, Bohart expresses fear of being single in her 30s and attempts to practice introspection, putting her ongoing trauma on the line.

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SIKISA LIFE OF THE PARTY lll ll Sikisa Bostwick-Barnes welcomes you to her house party, where stand-up is punctuated by dance breaks: this fabulous hostess has got moves. Sikisa is great at introducing her friends and acting out their conversations, integrating laughs with impactful discussions around racism and immigration. She treats the accusation by one friend that she is ‘a bit of an Oreo’ very cleverly throughout the routine. Funny stories about her mother are an example of Sikisa’s skill at building and defusing tensions.

I’LL MAKE LAUGH TO YOU (LIKE YOU WANT ME TO) ll lll Schalk Bezuidenhout recounts his time growing up in 1990s South Africa as the ungainly son of a disappointed ‘rugby dad’. He describes his adversity on the athletics field in a little too much detail using florid Afrikaans terms, many of which connect with a large South African contingent in tonight. Also in the audience, inexplicably, is a six-year-old child, and it’s to Bezuidenhout’s credit that he addresses this matter early on and makes some comic hay of it. The story of his early years isn’t exactly awash with incident. Much of it is broadly inconsequential and his exuberant style belies a dearth of action or insight. Some material on 90s internet porn, while fitting with the story, is obviously well out of date; and without sufficient context, his cultural references can be rather esoteric. Bezuidenhout himself is pleasant company but he needs more substantial material in order to break through. (Murray Robertson) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 7.40pm.

Following several successful Fringe runs and regular TV appearances, Bohart already has celebrity status. However, she doesn’t rely on this when stepping out on stage, instead opting to settle the room with her likeable nature, making the audience believe they’re catching up with an old friend. The strength of This Isn’t For You lies in good storytelling, with funny post-break-up tales involving a particularly loyal dentist, an awkward moment at Sara Pascoe’s birthday party, and her loose friendship with Jameela Jamil. The high-profile nature of the latter two jokes struck gold with the crowd, leaving other gags bereft of starriness.

A class hostess, committed friend, immigration lawyer and a top dancer, Sikisa is without doubt an impressive and attractive individual: ‘I’m basically the man my mum wants me to marry,’ she observes. The performance is concluded with a ‘this is me’ speech which, while certainly not there for a laugh, is powerful and consistent with much of the show. (Rosanna Miller) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 8.25pm.

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We all know him as the guy who did those viral videos in which he poked relentless fun at, mainly, Tory politicians who were messing up royally during the pandemic. But now Spicer comes out of his room to give us a live performance. n Assembly George Square Studios, 19–28 August, 3.40pm.

The comedy fun is cranked up for this second half of the Fringe with a viral sensation and a rising Scottish star while an Edinburgh institution receives a makeover

Olga Koch (and bottom from left), Catherine Cohen, Jamali Maddix, Michael Spicer

OLGA KOCH

The notorious multi-act late-nighter has been rebooted with an all-female hosting roster while it isn’t quite as late as it once was. Less chaos doesn’t mean that this legendary night won’t be dripping in intrigue. n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 11.30pm.

The surrealist joke-teller par excellence is back with Stoat, a show featuring levitating fruit, mindreading mic stands and ducks chucking out insults like there’s no tomorrow. n Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree, until 28 August, 3pm.

COMEDY list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 55

LATE’N’LIVE

CATHERINE COHEN After scooping the Best Newcomer prize in 2019, the acclaimed cabaret-comic has returned with a work-in-progress that is in far better shape than some people’s fully formed hours. n Pleasance Courtyard, until 21 August, 9.40pm.

HIGHLIGHTSCOMEDY

With her new show all about sex and sexuality, the former Best Newcomer nominee is no mere stand-up stripling now and this year might just be a turning point for her. n Monkey Barrel, until 28 August, 7.35pm.

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MICHAEL SPICER

JAMALI MADDIX Not that long ago, the Hate Thy Neighbour host was threatening to quit stand-up for good, but we’re glad he’s keeping it going as he brings us a short run of his King Crud n Pleasance Courtyard, 25–27 August, 11.20pm.

The rising star of Scottish stand-up covers his eyes, takes a deep breath and utters Oh No as he considers the end of the world. In a funny way, though, obviously. n Monkey Barrel Carnivore, until 28 August, 6.20pm.

CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD

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56 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL BY MICHAEL ROSEN 201 DANCE COMPANY’S HHHH THE TIMES ON SKIN HHHHH FRINGE REVIEW ON SKIN HHHH EVENING STANDARD ON SMOTHER HHHHH VOICE MAGAZINE UK ON SKIN HHHH THE HERALD ON SMOTHER HHHHH BROADWAY BABY ON SMOTHER ‘STAND-OUT DANCE OF THE SUMMER’ THE GUARDIAN ON SKIN 6:30PM 22-28 AUGUST zoofestival.co.uk 0131 662 6892 12.45PM(EXC.17TH-29THBELOWPLEASANCEAUGUST22nd)PLEASANCE.co.uk01315566550 ★★★★★ “ Spectacular.” - The Violet Curtain ★★★★★ “ Genius.” - Broadway Baby PRESS Written and Directed by NATHANIEL BRIMMER-BELLER Black BatpresentsProductions ★★★★½ “Fantastic.” - Theatre Scotland ★★★★ “Incredibly funny.” - The Wee Review

DANCE

GRANHØJ DANS There’s something about Ravel’s Boléro that entices choreographers. Perhaps it’s the slow build, or that crashing crescendo? Either way, numerous dance works have been set to this iconic orchestral masterpiece, so you’ve got to change it up if you want to stand out. With nine dancers and eight cellists live on stage in BOLERO: EXTENDED, it’s safe to say Palle Granhøj, artistic director of Danish company Granhøj Dans, is doing things a little differently. (Kelly Apter)  Dance Base, 23–28 August, 7pm.

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FREEDOM BALLET OF UKRAINE BALLET

Roll up, roll up, for a circus show that’s guaranteed to forever alter the way you see circuses. No clown-cars, bored lions or trapeze action here: Czech company Cirk La Putyka may be highly skilled performers but this is a much more artistically dynamic dance-piece than might be expected. Thoughtful, often beautiful and speaking the international language of kinetic ‘wow’, this largely non-verbal performance should appeal to anyone with imagination.Thetalking point here is the runner itself: a long, large conveyor belt, big enough to hold the entire cast at once. They can sit, stand, run, jump and dance on it; they can even ride a bicycle on it or turn cartwheels inside a hoop. Balls of all sizes and shapes are introduced, resembling planets as they spin magically above the belt.

There’s something hypnotic as an optical illusion about the treadmill, and the gleeful abandon with which the performers fling themselves around. Runners is the definition of a break-out Fringe hit: it’s dynamic to look at, has easy to grasp metaphorical strength and is as engaging as a live-action cartoon to watch. (Eddie Harrison) n ZOO Southside, until 28 August, 8.30pm.

FREEDOM lll ll Ballet Freedom burst through the boundaries of traditional ballet, with a sensual and surprising contemporary piece that’s guaranteed to keep audiences on their toes. In the midst of ongoing war in their homeland, the famous dance company have travelled from Kyiv to perform in Edinburgh, with male cast members having to secure special permission from Ukraine’s minister of culture to be here. An adaptation of their previous show, Boudoir, the performance portrays a group of suave and suited individuals (perhaps cabaret dancers). We view the show as a series of disconnected interactions between the characters; from lustful duets with passed-out damsels to an erotic sequence featuring balloons, the audience never quite know where they stand. The same could be said about the show’s choreography; at times, we are entranced by the dancers’ contagious passion, then there are moments when we’re almost underwhelmed. But free from the rigidity of classical ballet, the company create a mostly entertaining evening of sexual slapstick comedy. (Rachel Cronin) n Pleasance At EICC, until 28 August, 9pm.

‘I’d always dreamed of being a human cannonball’ remarks one performer who displays astonishing agility here. But Runners is more than just a show-off physical theatre piece; it’s a wonderful theatrical metaphor for life, the universe and everything, and which deservedly brought a standing ovation from a rapt audience.

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Enter then Brave Space, with its dream-like atmosphere and inventive ideas, one of which involves the audience helping to build the big top itself: a gossamer-thin silk structure under which we all crowd to watch most of the show. We’re also invited to hold hula hoops for one performer and hoist another to the top of the tent. There are heart-stopping moments too, including Sarah Tapper’s balancing act, walking across giant metal poles held by the company. But what really stands out is the angle with which we are invited to view duo trapeze. We lie down and look up, as feet away, Hayley Larson and Rachel Webbermen contort into exquisite shapes. It’s dizzying and unforgettable. These innovative staging ideas, however, can only be experienced by the able-bodied, and those with no fear of intimacy with strangers or mobility problems. To see the show from a regular vantage point would miss its finest effects. It sets a divide between audience experiences and asks of us more than just bravery. (Lucy Ribchester) n Underbelly Circus Hub, until 27 August, 11am.

It’s been many years since companies like Casus, Circa and Gravity & Other Myths began bringing pared-down, intimate performances of strength and beauty to the Festival, replacing the big-top circus tradition. You’d think by now that the Fringe would have seen it all, and that coming up with small-scale circus that is genuinely original would be an impossible task.

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NASHCHRISPICTURE: DANCE

SADIQ ALI THE CHOSEN HARAM llll l

LOST IN TRANSLATION HOTEL PARADISO llll l Hotel Paradiso is circus theatre for children that manages to be impressive and entertaining for accompanying adults, a delightful fusion of mesmerising acrobatics and slapstick comedy. Astute grown-ups can observe a plot to go with the circus tricks; two mean bankers in pinstriped suits challenge Carmelo the concierge and his team to prove within a day that their hotel is a viable business, or else face eviction. Short farcical sketches and enchanting dances trigger squeals of laughter and delight. According to the youngest judges, not much can be funnier than a chambermaid left dangling from a chandelier she was dusting, which is the cue for an aerial hoop act. Children get a sense of a story taking place without needing to follow it. Each character is unique and has their own spectacular circus act. Thankfully, there are no sinister clowns; the baddies here are convincing, yet funny rather than scary. (Rosanna Miller) n Underbelly Circus Hub, until 27 August, 3.20pm.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 59 REVIEWS DREAM (LE) PAIN llll l It’s pleasing that a show so quintessentially French should also feel so perfectly Edinburgh. (Le) PAIN features fresh baguettes (as in ‘cooked right in front of your eyes’ fresh), idyllic French village life and tales of the trials and tribulations of a fourth-generation baker. There’s also circus, nudity, bagpipes (the French ones), audience participation and an entire section about poo: it seems the Auld Alliance is alive and well. There’s a sense of memoir and simple story-sharing that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Book Festival stage; this is narration rather than acting, which makes some of the early switches into a more theatrical style feel a little jarring. That it works (and it does work) is down to the skills of baker-cum-circus performer JeanDaniel ‘JD’ Broussé, who narrates his life story with good-natured charm and honesty, interwoven with a masterclass on the magical properties of flour, yeast and time. As the show develops alongside his dough, the sights, sounds and smells all come together to create a compelling piece that defies categorisation. JD is intensely likeable; the audience roots for him from the start, and when he breaks down the walls between JD the boulanger and JD the performer, it becomes clear there was only one way this story could ever have gone. Baking’s loss is our gain, as is a timely reminder that running away to join the circus is not only a proper life plan, but it’s one worth breaking a few baguettes for. (Jo Laidlaw) n Assembly Roxy, until 28 August, 4pm.

Sadiq Ali seamlessly fuses circus, dance and storytelling in this duet performed with Alexandre Duran Davins. The Chosen Haram is never punctuated by audience applause, not because the skills don’t warrant it (they very much do); but when Ali hoists himself upside down on the Chinese pole, or plunges from the top to the bottom, he does so with such intense immersion in his character it seems like the most natural way in the world to express himself. This boy-meets-boy tale tells of the knotty relationship between a Muslim and a party animal as they navigate romance, chemsex and faith. Both Ali and Davins are wonderful physical performers, but Ali has a particular feel for using the pole to create an unusual image: he grasps it with his knees and prays, and suddenly our world is turned on its side. Or he makes his body into a minaret between two poles. His stagecraft is strikingly creative too; you will never look at rice the same way again. It’s a wild, powerful journey, and it would have been nice if it had found a little more resolution at the end. But in both its subject matter and the way it’s performed, this is a groundbreaking production. (Lucy Ribchester) n Summerhall, until 27 August, 9pm.

60 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival WWW.KAHANIRESTAURANT.CO.UK 0131 558 1947 10 Antigua Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3NH A PERFECT DAY LAURENCE LEMIEUX AT EDINBURGH FRINGE FOR SCANTICKETSQRCODE MimnaghJeremybyLemieuxLaurenceofPHOTO Grooviest renaissance man BroadwayBaby Exceptional, sheer brilliance! Brown is a one-man concert! -The Scotsman Magical! Passionate. Captivating... Living history - NYtheatre The Last Free Black Man edfringe.com pm pm

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SAMSARA East and West clash against each other as Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan dip into various dance traditions to create something powerful, unique and magical. n Lyceum Theatre, 18–20 August, times vary.

Samsara (and bottom from left), Humans 2.0, Red, Rebel

MUSE FLIP Fabrique is another troupe of modern circus performers who feel like Fringe veterans by now and with Muse, they consider the question of what it means to be a woman. n Assembly Hall, until 28 August, 5.20pm. HUMANS 2.0 The circus legends that are Circa are back with an all-conquering explosion of light, sound and jawfalling acrobatics featuring towers of humans and bodies leaping through the air. n Underbelly Circus Hub, until 27 August, 6.35pm

SINGHNIRVAIRPICTURE: SIMLORNAPICTURE: TURNERMATTPICTURE:

HIGHLIGHTSDANCE

Another set of delights in the worlds of dance, circus and physical theatre as we welcome aboard some circus veterans, an ancient street tradition and an R&B RED Liz Lea performs a rich and rouge dance-theatre work which is as fierce as it is fearless, as she retells the story of a journey from illness to recovery. n Dance Base, 16–28 August, 2.50pm.

REBEL Gone but far from forgotten, the life and music of David Bowie is hailed in this circus tribute to the star man who died six years ago. n Underbelly Circus Hub, until 27 August, 5.30pm.

AN UNTITLED LOVE Acclaimed choreographer Kyle Abraham’s new work is all about culture, family and community, accompanied by an R&B score as an unforgettable party evolves in front of our eyes. n King’s Theatre, 20 & 21 August, times vary.

LE FLANEUR Across town, an old tap dance ritual is performed in accompaniment with a musician. Among the spots being visited are Portobello Promenade, Scotsman Steps and Water Of Leith. Check press, as they used to say, for details. n Various venues 23–28 August, times vary.

62 THE LIST FESTIVAL 16–29 August 2022 ★★★★★ ★ Scenekanten ★★★★★ Kulturnyt WALK-MAN ★★★★★ ★ XQ28 ★★★★★ Aarhus Stiftstidende ZOOFESTIVAL.CO.UK BOX OFFICE: 0131 662 6892 14-28 AUG 12.15pm (everyday except Aug 21)

FILM

FILM list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 63

HALLELUJAH In the tower of songs constituting Leonard Cohen’s discography, ‘Hallelujah’ sits at the top for its sheer ubiquity. Children have cried to it while a CGI ogre traipsed through a wood; Jeff Buckley found fame with his tender cover of the song; and the original version is emblematic of Cohen’s darkly languorous style, unwinding with delicate precision. From directors Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song uses the melancholic mega-hit as a springboard to explore the miserabilist poet’s life, delving into extensive excerpts from his archive to create a comprehensive overview of a prolific career. (Kevin Fullerton)  VUE Omni, 17 August, 3.50pm; Filmhouse, 20 August, 4.50pm.

Sentient robots as avatars of humanity are nothing new in the arts.

AFTER YANG (DIRECTED BY KOGONADA) llll l

BLACK MAMBAS (DIRECTED BY LENA KARBE) lll ll

Benjamin Loeb’s cinematography is exquisite and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s theme makes things pretty special. When he’s not trundling around in a kimono looking bemused, Colin Farrell also gets to show off his newly chiselled abs. What more d’you want? (Paul Dale) n VUE Omni, 20 August, 7pm.

64 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival REVIEWS FILM

From Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara And The Sun to the hosts in Westworld, the point in our imaginings where we could, in the words of Isaac Asimov, ‘differentiate between a robot and the very best of humans’ has long passed. The question now is how do we humans deal with the ethics of this situation? The same way we dealt with colonialism and slavery? After Yang questions whether any of us is capable of making the right decision.

This complicated film from Lena Karbe follows The Black Mambas, South Africa’s first ever all-female anti-poaching organisation. What first appears as a glistening glance into the lives of kickass anti-hunting heroines is actually an inside look at the ever-growing and intertwining layers of oppression that divide South Africa. The group patrol Kruger National Park’s expansive perimeter, on the lookout for hunters trying to infiltrate the conservation grounds. Told through three individual Mambas, this challenging documentary slowly reveals the unjust reality of the women’s working conditions, institutionalised racism and the economic pressures they are under to provide for their families. Black Mambas is by no means a story of female empowerment in a male-dominated field. Instead, it is a deflating discovery that oppressive structures can be repackaged and reinforced in a manner that is more than misleading. An uncovering of uncomfortable power dynamics in an industry like conservation leaves its audience unsure of where they stand. (Rachel Cronin) n VUE Omni, 16 August, 8.20pm; 17 August, 11.35am.

Based on Alexander Weinstein’s 2016 short story, After Yang has the look and feel of a Black Mirror episode. Best known here for TV series Pachinko, South Korean-American filmmaker Kogonada brings considerable weight and meditative force to this slight tale of self-satisfied middle-class judgement. Kogonada is a film studies academic turned filmmaker who has made documentaries on everyone from Terrence Malick to Ingmar Bergman. But his great love, and the film bears this out, is the achingly spare cinema of auteur minimalists Yasujiro Ozu and Robert Bresson.

In the near future, Yang (Justin H Min) is the android companion of adopted Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja), daughter of tea salesman Jake (Colin Farrell) and businesswoman Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith). When Yang malfunctions, Jake embarks on the slow, frustrating journey into the world of android repair. Soon, Jake is immersed in some profound and troubling truths about Yang.

ZUHAL (DIRECTED BY NAZLI ELIF DURLU) llll l Screening as part of the Film Festival’s Postcards From The Edge strand, Nazli Elif Durlu’s slight but resonant Turkish language feature deals with loneliness, but with a spry wit and genuine compassion. Outwardly prosperous lawyer Zuhal (Nihal Yalçın) hears the sound of a distressed cat in her Istanbul apartment building, but her neighbours rubbish her suggestions. Zuhal, however, won’t rest until the crying cat is found. Her instinct eventually pays off, but she has to navigate some rather obtuse and unhelpful neighbours first. This Turkish-German co-production skilfully indicates the spiritual development inherent in Zuhal’s search; she’s every bit as trapped as the cat she imagines. Zuhal is told that cats can see invisible things ‘in the realm of the djinn’, and she similarly recognises a cry for help that the selfish residents around her cannot discern. With a happy centre in Yalçın, this is a smart, observant film about overcoming loneliness, with a welcome dash of wicked social satire. (Eddie Harrison) n Filmhouse, 16 August, 8.20pm.

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THE LAST WALTZ

LIGHT: STOCKHAUSEN’S LEGACY

FULL TIME Starring Laure Calamy of Call My Agent fame, this is a stress-inducing adventure of a woman trying to get to a job interview that might change her life forever but is thwarted at each step.

THE FORGIVEN Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain and Matt Smith star in this satire featuring an unhappily married couple heading to an elaborate party in Morocco when an accident makes them reevaluate their lives. n VUE Omni, 17 August, 8.35pm. PLEASE BABY PLEASE A very stylish examination of queer desire and masculinity as Andrea Riseborough and Harry Melling star in this tale of a couple caught up with a violent street gang. n Everyman, 18 August, 8pm; Filmhouse, 19 August, 4.45pm. My Small Land (and bottom from left), It Is In Us All, Full Time, Please Baby Please

FILM 66 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

This Irish thriller features the disturbing and existential aftermath of a car accident. Written and directed by Antonia Campbell-Hughes (who also stars), the cast includes Claes Bang and Cosmo Jarvis. n Filmhouse, 16 August, noon. MY SMALL LAND

IT IS IN US ALL

n VUE Omni, 17 August, 6.15pm; Filmhouse, 18 August, 4pm.

The Film Festival moves into its second week with tales of queer desire, life-altering calamities and bold artistic endeavours

This is the poignant story of a family who relocated from Kurdistan to Japan. Settling into a new life, their peace is disrupted by a bureaucratic nightmare. n Filmhouse, 16 August, 2.10pm; 20 August, 10.30am.

HIGHLIGHTSFILM

A real treat here as we get a restored version of Martin Scorsese’s landmark concert movie from 1978 as The Band put on their farewell show in San Francisco. In a positive who’s-who of the era, special guests bring a mix of chaos and class to proceedings. n Filmhouse, 17 August, 1.30pm.

HIGHLIGHTS

The late composer’s magnum opus was a 29-hour opera cycle, and in this documentary, we follow the mixed fortunes of Dutch National Opera’s bold and complex attempts to put this onto a stage in 2019. n Filmhouse, 17 August, noon.

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 67 A MUSICAL ADVENTURE WITH DRESSES, DIVAS + A WHOLE LOT OF HEART. 3 – 28 AUGUST · 12.30PM WWW.SUMMERHALL.CO.UK VENUE 26 · 1 SUMMERHALL, EDINBURGH, EH9 1PL FRINGE BOX OFFICE: 0131 226 0000 "About the queerest show you will ever watch" LGBTQYMRU Culture Fix “A joyous big hug of a show” Broadway World PETIES

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Just the title alone is a blast: Hamlet –Prince Of Skidmark. All and sundry are in Edinburgh doing a Shakespeare thing, but no one is likely to come close to adapting the Bard’s work in the style of Australian duo The Listies, comprising Richard Higgins and Matt Kelly. So what exactly is it that they do with the traumatised regal chap that (skid)marks them out to be so different? Well, how about a cast of ninjas, zombies, dinosaurs and pirate aliens, plus the continual fourth-wall destroying. Yep, that’ll do it. (Brian Donaldson)

 House Of Oz, until 28 August, 1pm.

KIDS list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 69

THE LISTIES

KIDS

llll l The Smeds And The Smoos is Julia Donaldson’s take on Romeo & Juliet, an intergalactic retelling that pits the red Smeds (who swim, and sleep in beds) against the blue Smoos (who jump, and sleep in holes). Janet (Smed) and Bill (Smoo) meet in the woods, to the horror of their grandparents whose constant warnings that they must not play together have clearly gone unheeded. They decide to wed and hot-foot it to another planet, forcing Grandpa Smed and Grandma Smoo to put aside their differences and work together to bring them home. Tall Stories’ production brims with gusto, performed by four actors who pour their hearts into the storytelling, by narrating, puppeteering and singing their way through this tale. There are interactive dance-along bits to keep kids’ attention and a lovely depiction of blossoming romance between Janet and Bill, who teach and encourage each other while celebrating their differences.

TALL STORIES

TOBY MITCHELL & CO THE SUITCASE llll l Not quite a squirrel, maybe a dinosaur or lizard. All we know about the blue, suitcasecarrying creature is that he has travelled very far and is very tired. Chris Naylor-Ballesteros wrote and illustrated his 2019 children’s book, The Suitcase, as a response to fearmongering about immigration. The way other animals treat this new creature is a soft and gentle lesson about showing kindness to strangers. Toby Mitchell, co-founder of Tall Stories, adapted the book and performs all the characters, including a kind, knitted rabbit with a camp Alan Bennett lilt and a sneering fox who views everything with suspicion. Kids in the audience are invited to hold up props and chip in with their own ideas, making for a relaxed, lo-fi storytelling session about rolling mountains, faraway cabins and the importance of imagining what others might be feeling. (Claire Sawers) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 21 August, 3.20pm.

The show is a little long (you can set your watch by small children starting to chunter after exactly 35 minutes in a theatre), but with energetic songs and an adorable puppet baby, the cast win the crowd over. (Lucy Ribchester) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 21 August, 11am.

DAN COLLEY A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS llll l Dan Colley demonstrates that this short story by Gabriel García Márquez is made for theatre. Appreciation of the tale tends to focus on its ambiguity: connections between events defy comprehension and it’s hard to distinguish sincerity from irony in the narrator’s voice. The production is wonderfully playful with the act of storytelling itself, while shifts in stage mechanics and modes of acting sensitively demarcate scenes and characters.

KIDS 70 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival REVIEWS

Karen McCartney’s many voices are imperiously entertaining; Manus Halligan’s less verbal performance makes an intriguing contrast that befits the tale. Amusing little clashes between the two actors over how to use their figurine characters and collaborate vocally are a fine way to illustrate humility; they command attention and provoke laughter just as much in children as in adults. Márquez’s story exhibits the delicate balance between wonderment and derision. It is less concerned with extraordinary phenomena than with the people who react to them, people who are often prejudiced and callous. As lighting and musical motifs are subtly manipulated to slide from eerie to gaudy, audiences are transported between miracles and circuses. (Rosanna Miller) n Summerhall, until 28 August, 10am.

THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS

Barney George and Yvonne Stone’s designs, meanwhile, bring to life Axel Scheffler’s iconic Donaldson illustrations, in soft smudgy colours and friendly puppet monsters. Stone’s puppets, in particular, are brilliant for appearing sentient while also not attempting to hide the actors within them, lest they appear too frightening.

There’s been some harrumphing taking place this Festival over Ian McKellen’s unorthodox take on Hamlet. For goodness sake, don’t let anyone who was upset by that show near Captivate Theatre’s Juliet & Her Romeo. Ringing with echoes of Fringe stalwart Shakespeare For Breakfast, with added Drag Race maxi-challenge vibes, this send-up of Will’s star-crossed lovers is gloriously silly and enjoyable from start to finish.

Something seems amiss in telling young children that there’s a scary hole in the ozone layer which is their responsibility to fix, just after an explanation of greenhouse gases had wafted over their heads. Nor is it perhaps entirely helpful to say that deforestation is the fault of ‘unkind people’ who aren’t like us superheroes. Nonetheless, mostly the children at this show have enormous fun, expertly engaged by Green Girl and Captain Planet. Without any pressure to participate, the opportunity to throw snowballs at adults gets most kids on their feet. Three very amusing rubbish bins (which inspired a Mary Poppins-esque litter-sorting exercise) are positively educational, as is an exploration of undersea plastic led by a droll fish. The spontaneous wit of the puppetry is top-notch and gets the grown-ups chuckling too. Apocalyptic fears and awkward moral judgements aside, the adventure here is highly active and turns tedious chores into exciting games. (Rosanna Miller) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 August, 12.40pm.

COPPICE THEATRE TALES FROM A HAUNTED BOOKSHOP lll ll

The art of storytelling underpins this show in which mysterious haunted bookshop owner Miss Cordelia Hemlock and her hapless assistant Ransome Squelch regale the audience with spooky tales collected from their travels. Billed as frightening, in reality it’s more of a tame but captivating hour of engaging performances which blend improvised moments, physical theatre, comedy, music and puppetry.

PLAY PEOPLE PRODUCTIONS SUPERHERO ACADEMY: ENVIRONMENTAL ADVENTURE! lll ll

Stories are gruesome but playful; a boy whose greed for donuts results in his being trapped in Squeeze Guts Alley, while there’s a ghastly tale of a mysterious cabinet which threatens to gobble up children. The appearance of an apparently living ventriloquist dummy named Bertie adds a particular air of creepiness but is also the source of some big laughs. The show wraps with ‘The Grim Tale Of A Bookshop

On A Hill’, giving context to how Hemlock and Squelch came to know the stories they’ve just shared, accompanied by charming animation projections. Suitable for ages 8–12, Tales From A Haunted Bookshop could probably afford to be a little more gruesome to appeal to tweens, but nevertheless is generally well–pitched. A few very minor line fluffs and a couple of prop mishaps were wellcovered but future performances might benefit from Miss Hemlock investing in a better-fitting witch’s hat. Overall, a really enjoyable piece of family theatre especially suited to children who enjoy a good story. (Carine Seitz) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 21 August, 11am.

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CAPTIVATE THEATRE SMASHING SHAKESPEARE: JULIET & HER ROMEO lll ll

REVIEWS

In song, rap, ad-libs and the odd bit of original text, a cast of young performers tell the tale of Romeo & Juliet in a zippy hour-long version that gently skewers some of the more archaic aspects of Shakespeare’s text. There’s an extended routine on thumb-biting, a recurring vaudevillian chorus that’s sung whenever the Nurse appears, and Romeo finally reveals what’s behind the famous ‘you kiss by the book’ line, when spotted carrying a copy of Kissing For Dummies OK, the cod-Shakespearean costumes are a bit on the scruffy side and the staging has a distinct old-school Fringe feel to it. But the comic timing is spot on, the songs perfectly ridiculous and its energy never lets up. Surely this would put smiles on the faces of even the most hardened Shakespeare purists. (Lucy Ribchester) n Rose Theatre, 16, 18, 20, 26 August, 11.30am (Brave Macbeth, 17, 19, 25, 27 August).

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HIGHLIGHTS More Fringe fun for the little folks with live-action video games, concerts, puppetry and massive bubbles CAT IN THE HAT Never-ending rhymes, a gigantic talking animal and making a mess while your parents are away are major ingredients in this version of Dr Seuss’ timeless tale. n Pleasance Courtyard, until 22 August, 10am. WILL TELL AND THE BIG BAD BARON Storytelling, slapstick, satire and song are all present and correct in Theatre Fideri Fidera’s retelling of Wilhelm Tell’s tale. Plus, there’s a Punch And Judy show, and some life-size puppets. n Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 21 August, noon. YELLOW BIRD CHASE Masks, puppetry and indecipherable language reign supreme as a maintenance crew discover a unique bird but get rather a lot more than they bargained for.

n Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, until 28 August, 2pm.

HIGHLIGHTSKIDS

PEPPA PIG: MY FIRST CONCERT A music show like no other as Peppa, Daddy and co hang out with a live orchestra to launch into unique performances of everything from Mozart to ‘Muddy Puddles’. n Assembly Hall, until 21 August, 10am (plus Saturday & Sunday, 11.50am). GAME ON 3 Chaos, fun and live-action video games abound here as some dastardly doings have occurred on a spaceship: who did the deed and will Matty Grey help you uncover the perpetrator?

TANCAMBERPICTURE:

n Assembly George Square, until 29 August, noon. THE DARK ROOM (FOR KIDS!) John Robertson adapts his hugely popular latenight adults show so that the wee ones can enjoy the fun of being stuck in a live-action video game.

n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August, 5.30pm.

AMAZING BUBBLE MAN Louis Pearl once again brings us the magic, science and art of bubbles, with every conceivable way you can create a big bubble being explored. n Underbelly George Square, until 29 August, 12.55pm. Amazing Bubble Man (and bottom from left), The Dark Room (For Kids!), Peppa Pig: My First Concert, Will Tell And The Big Bad Baron

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 73 BASED ON THE BOOK BY KATE PANKHURST AND PUBLISHED BY UNTILBLOOMSBURY29 AUGUST at 1.30PM (80 mins) pleasance.co.uk ‘LIKE SIX ’s SISTER’LITTLE Bouquets and Brickbats HHHHH All Edinburgh Theatre HHHHH Musical Theatre Review HHHH The Times HHHH Evening Standard HHHH Daily Mail

74 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival A DF CONCERTS PRESENTATION CONNECTMUSICFESTIVAL.COM 26 – 28 AUGUST 2022 | ROYAL HIGHLAND CENTRE SHOWGROUNDS | EDINBURGH FRIDAY 26 AUG SATURDAY 27 AUG SUNDAY 28 AUG THE GRAND PARADE IDLES | Jon Hopkins John Grant Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler The CharlotteMysterinesAdigéry & Bolis Pupul Future Utopia | Maeve GUITARS & OTHER MACHINES MosesJoesefBoyd | CMAT | LYRA | Cloth Jealous of The Birds | LVRA UNKNOWN PLEASURES Optimo (Espacio) I. JORDAN | Hammer | TAAHLIAH KILIMANJARO | Pocket SPEAKEASY in association with A selection of comedy, spoken word, story telling, conversations, and live podcasts Black Scot Pod LVRA In Conversation | Tiny Changes Keynote Fern Brady | Sean McLoughlin | Mark Nelson Katie Pritchard | Connor Burns THE GRAND PARADE The Chemical Brothers Bonobo | The Twilight Sad ChloeHollyCaribouHumberstoneMoriondo|Lucia&The Best Boys GUITARS & OTHER MACHINES Ride playing Nowhere LOW | Matt Maltese | Willie J Healey | NewDad Swim School | The Joy Hotel | Opus Kink UNKNOWN PLEASURES Erol Alkan | Krystal Klear Dance System | Nightwave | Push It Nadia Summer B2B DIJA SPEAKEASY in association with A selection of comedy, spoken word, story telling, conversations, and live podcasts Leyla StuartMarjoleinJosephineRobertsonBraithwaite& James Graham In Conversation Tom Cashman | Finlay Christie | Jenny Bede Brennan Reece THE GRAND PARADE The BombayLittleBombayMogwaiNationalBicycleClubSimzBicycleClubSelfEsteemBlackCountry,NewRoad|RaeMorrisRachelChinouriri GUITARS & OTHER MACHINES Idlewild playing The Remote Part Admiral Fallow | Sudan Archives DEHD | Hamish Hawk Lizzie Reid | Kathleen Frances UNKNOWN PLEASURES Horse Meat Disco Sam Gellaitry | Jamz Supernova Barry Can’t Swim | Rebecca Vasmant Karma Kid SPEAKEASY in association with A selection of comedy, spoken word, story telling, conversations, and live podcasts Darren RebeccaMcGarveyVasmant In Conversation Alycia Pirmohamed | Justin Moorhouse Becky Lucas | Joe Wells | Troy Hawke Jo Caufield

It must seem a very long time ago since Kae Tempest stepped onto a poetry open-mic stage for the first time at the age of 16. A lot has happened in the intervening years but quality work and deserved acclaim have never been too far away. Tempest’s new album, The Line Is A Curve, was an overwhelming critical success on its release this spring with reviewers hailing it for a vivid portrayal of contemporary Britain crafted in intricate verse and leaving an indelible mark. (Brian Donaldson)  Leith Theatre, 13 August, 8pm.

KAE TEMPEST

TILLMANSWOLFGANGPICTURE:

MUSIC

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76 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

W hile the Fringe always is (or should be) a place of discovery, one of the joys of its postlockdown return is an opportunity to connect with old favourites for the first time in three years. As the Fringe celebrates its 75th birthday, so Hot Dub Time Machine marks its tenth birthday with a huge dancing-throughthe-decades party at the Royal Highland Centre, from ‘Rock Around The Clock’ (well, two-and-ahalf hours anyway) up to whichever tune DJ Tom Lowndes chooses to represent the present day.

HotDubTimeMachine is a global smash created by one-time loser-DJ Tom Lowndes with a ﬁrm eye on Edinburgh, a city after his own heart since he ﬁrst visited with fellow Aussie bartender pals for Hogmanay in 2000. ‘We partied for four days

Time-travelling party night Hot Dub Time Machine has become an Edinburgh August institution. As it hits the danceﬂoor for a tenth birthday mega-celebration, founder Tom Lowndes tells Fiona Shepherd how a mere hobby became a Fringe sensation

TENFECTPER MUSIC

comedians and others who didn’t have school in the morning. But once Hot Dub Time Machine caught fire, Lowndes was able to take it on tour globally to ever-larger crowds. ‘I look at Hot Dub as a formula,’ he says. ‘I always say my musical knowledge is a mile wide but a centimetre deep. Anyone who comes to Hot Dub are not hearing stuff they haven’t heard before. I like to start with “Rock Around The Clock” from 1954. I pretty much always play The Beatles’ “Twist And Shout” and I think every party should have Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”. It’s less so now but, in DJ culture, cheesy songs were looked down upon as girly music, not to be taken seriously; but I think those songs are great. The most difficult piece of art to make is a pop song that transcends time: creating something that resonates forever is the real challenge.’ Reflecting on a decade of Hot Dub fun, Lowndes says: ‘The tenth anniversary is a big deal to me. Obviously we missed a couple of years because of covid but I love coming to the Fringe and I want to do it for the rest of my life. There is a very special relationship with the locals in Edinburgh. It’s going to be emotional and I can’t wait.’

10 Years Of Hot Dub Time Machine, Royal Highland Centre, 19 & 20 August, 7.30pm.

MUSIC

straight,’ he recalls. ‘I’ll never forget it. It snowed on Princes Street and we were hiding underneath the art gallery canopy and snogging local girls. From that point on I thought, “this city’s OK”.’ Lowndes had been DJing as a hobby but not getting anywhere until he picked up some gigs back home on the Sydney comedy circuit, and later at Melbourne Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe. He returned to Edinburgh to check out the Fringe in 2008 and mull over some ideas for a DJ-related show of his own, utilising new video technology. His friend Jordan Raskopoulos of comedy trio Axis Of Awesome suggested a timetravel concept, and Lowndes developed a show mixing hit party tunes chronologically through the decades. ‘It seemed to me that the good DJs didn’t know how to put on a show, and the guys who knew how to put on a show weren’t necessarily good DJs,’ he says. ‘So I found the intersection between that: taking the DJing very seriously but creating something very silly. From the first moment, you could tell that it was better than anything else I’d ever done. It’s just a really unique take on a party. It’s like at a wedding when you have the first dance; Hot Dub has that moment too.’ Although he has since played to crowds of 80,000 at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Lowndes had to pay his Fringe dues when he first staged the show in 2012, slowly building a late-night audience of Festival workers,

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 77 HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

22–28 AUGUST MoesbyAidan© I Was Naked, Smelling of Rain 186 Aidan Moesby 22 / 23 / 24 / 26 / 27 / 28 August 2pm → ZOO Playground HodgsonIan© Peaceophobia Common Wealth, Speakers Corner and Bradford Modiﬁed Club 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 August 5pm & 9pm → Summerhall @ Q-Park, OMNi Centre BrennerAlex© Civilisation 82 Jaz Woodcock-Stewart with Morgann Runacre-Temple 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 26 / 27 / 28 August 10.10am → ZOO Southside TetzlaﬀAnne© Dykegeist Eve Stainton with Mica Levi 22 / 23 August 8pm → Summerhall @The Biscuit Factory GlendinningHugo© The Dan Daw Show 22 Dan Daw Creative Projects 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 August 8.30pm → Dance Base PRESENTED BY FUEL

Ten vital, genre-defying performances → horizonshowcase.uk → 0131 226 0000 @hrzn_showcase@hrznshowcaseThankstoourmediasupportersTheFest&Skinny HindsSebastian©RoseElise©©RichardPelham©JohanPijpops HughesSolomon© He’s Dead 26 Marikiscrycrycry 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 August 5.45pm → Summerhall Look At Me Don’t Look At Me 23 RashDash 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 August 3pm → Pleasance Dome EXPOSURE the vacuum cleaner 26 / 27 / 28 August 6.30pm → Summerhall @Artspace Lyra NUTCRUSHER 22 Sung Im Her 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 August 7.10pm → Dance Base I Am From Reykjavik Sonia Hughes 22 August / 12pm–7pm → Portobello Promenade 24 August / 10am–5pm → Linksview House, Leith 26 August / 10am–5pm → Holyrood Park

MUSIC 80 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival REVIEWS

SARAH BORGES ADELE SOMEONE LIKE ME lll ll

It might go without saying, but you probably need to be an Adele fan to fully enjoy this show. In a love letter to the mega-selling artist, Sarah Borges (accompanying herself on guitar and piano) sings some of the global superstar’s most popular ballads as a hotel-bar crowd sit back and enjoy a Borgesdrink.has an outstanding voice that can really do justice to these songs. It has a less sharp edge than Adele herself, but no lack of power or variety. On the whole, her guitar accompaniment works slightly better than piano, which comes across heavy in parts, while her renditions of ‘Easy On Me’ and ‘Rolling In The Deep’ are particularly powerful, rich and varied. But Adele’s music works best accompanied by those personal stories laden with passionate sentimentality. Between numbers, Borges recounts little details about the singer’s life and inspirations, an essential touch in such a tribute, and talks sparingly about why the music resonates with her. Ultimately, though, the emotive element is lacking, particularly in numbers such as the originally heart-wrenching ‘When We Were Young’. However technically brilliant their renditions, Adele’s songs become bland when their simplicity isn’t balanced with pathos. (Rosanna Miller) n Le Monde, until 29 August, 3pm.

SMART ENTERTAINMENT MAKING A MURDERER: THE MUSICAL llll l Of all the Netflix content released in recent years, it’s hard to imagine a less obvious choice for musical adaptation. The perplexing and at times deeply troubling documentary series about wrongful conviction, Making A Murderer was as serious as they come. So how do you turn that into a fun hour of theatre? The answer is Phil Mealey, one of the writers behind The Royle Family and Early Doors, who has poured more than a little love into this passion project. Steven Avery’s fight for justice is handled sensitively, and the show’s link to The Innocence Project shows which side its bread is buttered. It affords them the right to pepper humour into this otherwise tragic tale, and sing lively songs about DNA, Avery’s hometown in Wisconsin and prosecutor Ken Kratz. A strong cast of musical-theatre stalwarts give the show its necessary heft, while the reallife audio tracks and onscreen photos from both of Avery’s trials give this story the gravitas it deserves. (Kelly Apter) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 29 August, 5.40pm.

THE TIGER LILLIES ONE PENNY OPERA lll ll

Gleefully morbid funereal polka has been The Tiger Lillies’ bread and butter since the late 1980s, distinguishing them as one of the most unique musical acts to emerge from the cabaret scene. Despite lyrics revelling in bodily functions and wilful provocation, the cult trio have always had a high-brow side. For this adaptation of The Beggar’s Opera, they embark on an ambitious song cycle following the trials and tribulations of crooks, thieves, prostitutes and down-and-outs amid the pestilence of 18th-century London. It's a concept that plays to the band’s strengths, allowing songwriter Martyn Jacques to wallow in the underbelly of human life with a relish for misery few could muster. He packs in the entire gamut of human suffering, painting a picture of hopelessness that’s never far from a cheeky wink to the audience. While the lyrical concerns are a bit one-note, the songs themselves are far from it. Electrifyingly fast polkas bristle next to melancholic piano numbers, maintaining a sense of diverse texture. It’s an effect bolstered by band member Adrian Stout whose polymathic playing skills cover double bass, theremin and saw, to name only a few; this is a group that is expert at making the gutter sound gorgeous. The narrative of One Penny Opera is a tad flimsy, as are the between-song exposition segments, but this is intricately arranged music, executed well. The Tiger Lillies continue to plough their own furrow. (Kevin Fullerton) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 28 August, 9.20pm.

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MUSIC 82 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

HIGHLIGHTS Acclaimed orchestras, Grammy winners and Falkirk’s finest line up to get the Festival in full swing for its second half SING SISTAH SING! Mezzo soprano Andrea Baker brings us Tales Of Transatlantic Freedom which weaves song, spoken word and piano across centuries and continents. n Pianodrome At The Old Royal High, 19 & 20 August, 7pm; 23–26 August, 3pm.

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AROOJ AFTAB

The acclaimed a cappella team from Bath return to Edinburgh with another diverse and eclectic range of tunes to do their musically unaccompanied thing on. n Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 17–27 August, 11.30am.

ARAB STRAP Back even better than ever, the Falkirk-raised duo bring their laconic, witty and tuneful musings to the International Festival. n Leith Theatre, 19 August, 8pm.

PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

HIGHLIGHTSMUSIC

TUNE-YARDS Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner show off the wares of their fifth studio album, sketchy, hoping to get the world back at their feet after a period of live-work inactivity thanks to you-know-what. n Summerhall, 24 August, 7pm.

JEREMY SASSOON’S MOJO

The great Jewish songbook is celebrated here with the likes of George Gershwin, Carole King, Paul Simon and Randy Newman having their works adapted. n Assembly Checkpoint, until 28 August, 6.15pm.

The Philadelphia Orchestra are joined by their musical director Yannick Nézet-Séguin for an evocative performance of Rachmaninov’s ‘Isle Of The Dead’ and Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 n Usher Hall, 25 August, 8pm.

Sing Sista Sing! (and bottom from left), Philadelphia Orchestra, Tune-Yards, Arooj Aftab

The Brooklyn-based Pakistani composer, songwriter and singer has a Grammy to her name and a famous fan in Barack Obama. Come and see what the fuss is about. n Leith Theatre, 21 August, 8pm.

AQUAPELLA

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | 20–22 FESTIVALAUGUSTTHEATRE LifeLittleA VersweyveldJan© SC004694NoCharity THE INTERNATIONAAL THEATER AMSTERDAM RESIDENCY IS SUPPORTED BY JAMES AND MORAG ANDERSON SUPPORTED BY BASED ON THE NOVEL BY HANYA YANAGIHARA INTERNATIONAAL THEATER AMSTERDAM IVO VAN HOVE DIRECTOR ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Van Hove at his best’ THE FINANCIAL TIMES A LITTLE LIFE BOOK EIF.CO.UKNOW#EDINTFEST

84 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

GABRIEL BYRNE Best known for playing other people, from the right-hand man of a mobster in the Coen Brothers’ Miller’s Crossing to a psychotherapist across three seasons of InTreatment, Gabriel Byrne is about to turn the spotlight on himself. Based on his beautifully written 2020 book, Walking With Ghosts: A Memoir, this stage adaptation will find Byrne imparting tales of growing up in Dublin, making it big in Hollywood and the people and places that shaped who he is today. (Kelly Apter)  King’s Theatre, 24–27 August, 7.30pm; 25, 27 & 28 August, 2.30pm.

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This raw coming-of-age story from Sarah Richardson centres on the character of Lucy and her formative sexual experiences. Her interior thoughts are told through three fantastic actors who share the poetic script in great harmony. They often finish one another’s sentences, and occasionally unite to skilfully convey a moment’s intensity (for example, when Lucy discovers the capability of her clitoris). For a protagonist with such a powerful and loveable presence, it is ill-fitting that she mostly defines herself in relation to her boyfriend, especially as she criticises him for selfishly prioritising his own pleasure during sex. But as Lucy matures, the performance deftly tracks the peaks and troughs of her sexuality with greater nuance, including periods of unintentional abstinence and sexual rekindling within her long-term heterosexual relationship.Thelattersegments of Lucy’s story are the strongest part of this theatre performance. Her worries about infertility are fervently communicated and demonstrate the writer’s impressive ability to depict a wide palette of emotions. (Rachel Ashenden) n TheSpace On North Bridge, until 27 August, 5.30pm

The show resonates with a generation familiar with modern dating, the invasiveness of digital media and the manifold uses of the term ‘gaslighting’. Crucially, the humour here hits the right spot. An intimate nightclub space sustains the magic of Colossal, where inventive lighting and a wonderfully varied soundtrack form essential elements of storytelling and character portrayal; the comedic reverberations of well-timed sound effects are sensational too. Compelling acting and bewitching rhythms string you along in a story at once gratifying and toxic. (Rosanna Miller) n Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 August, 12.45pm.

SARAH RICHARDSON & SJ WOODS GIRLPLAY llll l

If you search online for ‘narcissistic personality disorder’, you’ll encounter articles which assume that you (the searcher) are not a narcissist, as you’re introspective and daring enough to conduct such an enquiry in the first place. You’ll read advice to avoid such people, if you can spot them: it contradicts empathetic instincts. For those who have never had to confront this disturbing phenomenon, Colossal might seem surreal, yet it is no less entertaining and immersive because of that. A relationship with a narcissist can be an extremely disorientating experience; Colossal reflects this through the remarkable performance of a lone actor. Patrick McPherson, playing Dan, is utterly seductive as he leads his audience through a narrative labyrinth, enchanting them with his personality, plain speaking, joking, singing, acting and spoken word. We all tell ourselves stories, few more obsessively than those about love. Dan, we discover, is haunted by a past relationship with a girl called Sam, while fixated on moving forward.

PATRICK MCPHERSON COLOSSAL lllll

HUMAN FOUNTAINS HUMAN FOUNTAINS ll lll Human Fountains is an hour of three men, dressed smartly, spitting at each other. They have bottles of water and sometimes an egg. They spit into each other’s mouths. They do physical comedy routines (the longest one based around a couple on a date). They make fountains with the water. They are accompanied by classical musical. There is an Adele song. There is no plot, only sketches. There is also no development through the show; like a series of short sentences, nothing builds. The first routine is as impressive as the finale. They rely on audience involvement. People are brought on stage to spit. They do a limbo under an arc of water. They have honed their water control. Their physical theatre routines are broad mime. They revel in caricature. An attempt to elongate a scene becomes repetitive. One sketch, involving cooking an egg, is incomprehensible. Luckily, they use the egg for more spectacular spitting displays. When a live goldfish comes out of a mouth, it is an impressive trick. The routines hold their own and emphasise the skill of the three performers. As a cabaret sketch, Human Fountains would be an impressive five minutes, but an hour pushes the novelty. (Gareth K Vile) n C aquila, until 28 August, 7.20pm.

THEATRE list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |1–10 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 85list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29

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JOANNA LIPARI ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING llll l Activities Of Daily Living, or ADLs for short, refers to the everyday tasks that prove an older person has what it takes to survive. That doesn’t sound like a lot of laughs, but Joanna Lipari’s intimate show explores the topic in a loose, metaphorical way. This is a cheerful, freewheeling performance about life, love, Italian food and discovering who you are long before you face the final curtain. It’s usually not a good sign when the performer is arguing with the venue staff, but Lipari strikes the right note when the audience are told to sit at the front. ’Sit where you want’ remonstrates Lipari, and that rebellious attitude is key. Taking control of one-night stands, getting cursed by a Mayan medicine man and getting lost in a multi-storey car park; all these anecdotes are amusingly told, her delivery timed with animated inserts.

The female gaze on the big screen takes a dark turn in Matt Wilkinson’s solo play, which muses over what might happen if Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic shower scene in Psycho were turned on its head and a different kind of gore-fest resulted. This is done by putting a tellingly uncredited fortysomething actress in the spotlight as she recounts the long build-up to a maverick director’s death, from her youthful heyday to auditioning for the Janet Leigh role in a stage version of Hitchcock’s Freudian thriller. Intimate exploitation, compromising situations and other clichéd phrases that sound like titles of 1990s softcore flicks all come under scrutiny in this knowing yarn that takes a stab at the sort of god-like auteur who has been indulged for decades. As the actress, Emily Bruni combines gallows humour and thespian insecurities aplenty to go beyond what once upon a time might have been demonised as a bunny boiler, but who now comes out fighting to enjoy the sweet taste of revenge. (Neil Cooper) n Traverse Theatre, until 28 August, times vary.

Lipari has credits on Star Trek, Laserblast and Jaws: The Revenge, but she’s no bit-part player here, making valid, pertinent points about age awareness. Before we all shuffle into the ‘invisibility cloak’ of the elderly, there’s a lifetime of experience to consider, and it’s easy to agree with Lipari that everyone deserves their moment in the spotlight. (Eddie Harrison) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 1.45pm.

REVIEWS THEATRE ISLA COWAN SHE WOLF lll ll Written and performed by Isla Cowan, She Wolf is a monologue that aims to draw comparisons between the agonies of human experience and the culture of the wolf. A woman sits outside the wolves’ enclosure at a zoo and shares her story. Having lost her lover, her job and her plan for a successful life, she finds herself transforming into a wolf, her vision of the world as hostile manifesting in lupine behaviour and a desire for carnage. And although she begins to realise that perhaps it is the social behaviour of the nurturing pack that really matters rather than the violence of tooth and claw, her analogy has led only to defeat and disappointment.Thescriptrelates a series of tragic incidents, from the breakdown of a relationship, through a night out that turns ugly and a family conflict that exposes her respected aunt as a fraud and failure. Yet it is hard to feel sympathy for a character who revels in aggression and seems to be plunged into misery by the disruption of her capitalist dreams. The comparison of the human and wolf becomes increasingly unstable, but slowly undermines her self-confidence. With minimal staging, the predictable trawl through a life lived in pursuit of material success is redeemed by the overarching metaphor that is articulated most ferociously and emotively in the climactic breakdown. She Wolf is a solid if generic exercise in theatre that wants to explore human nature, but ultimately flounders through its unsympathetic protagonist and familiar dramaturgy. (Gareth K Vile) n Assembly Roxy, until 28 August, 1.50pm. PSYCHO PRODUCTIONS PSYCHODRAMA llll l

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list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 87 FromLesMurraytoShakespeare,fromKeatsto comedy,thisisanengaging,revealingand sometimeshilariousexperience. TICKETSFROM£12 JOSEPHTAWADROS& JOSEPHTAWADROS& JOSEPHTAWADROS& THEGRIGORYANBROTHERS THEGRIGORYANBROTHERS THEGRIGORYANBROTHERS TICKETSFROM£12

MEDEAinternational theatre of the issue

yearsthat’sdiscoversRibchesterastorystillterrifyingaudiences2500afteritscreation JSHURTEPICTURES: eht •ertatheatre•4 STARS

Lucy

international M edea taps into one of the most horrifying of all taboos, that of a mother murdering her children. Looking at one family’s story, it draws out the discomfiting, bloodied threads that lead to such an act and lays them out bare for us to judge as we will: gender, power, ostracisation, vengeance and the universal rage of wronged women.

THEATRE 88 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival

Adura Onashile is electrifying in this revival of Medea, Liz Lochhead’s version of the Euripides tragedy.

Classical meets current in National Theatre Of Scotland’s production, taking its cue from the text. Liz Lochhead gives us an elevated poetry that matches the social status of the characters we look on: they are quite literally up high on a catwalk stage around which we stand, like plebs in the forum, watching a tragedy unfold. But just as Lochhead’s language is run through with a salty Scots, catching you with its colloquialisms, the staging blends a feeling of otherworldliness with a smart-casual modernity that brings home to us how potentially close this ancient story could come to our own lives. Jason (Robert Jack), with his swagger and his well-cut suit, could be between golf course and divorce court, as he condescends to Medea with a smarmy kind of hectoring about how she has brought all this on herself. The chorus as well, a troupe of women in contemporary clothing who echo and speak to Medea (although ultimately reject her final act) feels distinctly post-MeToo, despite Lochhead’s piece being written more than 20 years ago. They rage at Medea’s humiliation as if it was their own and encourage her to retaliate. Sisterly solidarity has been around since the dawn of humanity; it’s only having a moment of visibility right now. But it is Onashile as Medea who commands the stage, even in her silent moments when she is not speaking but listening, such as in an encounter with King Creon when she stares him down while he attempts to degrade her. Dressed in a classical black gown and gold earrings, she projects a queenliness that transcends her anger, a fierce dignity in the face of the racist and misogynistic othering the powerful men of this community project onto her. In the play’s first half, you find yourself rooting for her like no Medea before. It’s this humanity that makes what she does all the more petrifying and, by the end, you can see in the tears streaking her cheeks the toll it has taken on her.

It’s a terrifying story, one whose visceral and psychological immediacy slices through 2500 years. The Hub, until 28 August, times vary.

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THEATRE list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 89 REVIEWS NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND EXODUS  

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A torn-from-the-headlines farce from National Theatre Of Scotland, Uma Nada-Rajah’s ill-informed, cartoonish satire of Westminster PR mores already seems painfully out of date. In her dark-blue conservative suit and bedecked in Union flags, Asiya Rao (Aryana Ramkhalawon) seems to be intended as a specific parody of Priti Patel. Hoping to snag the top job of Prime Minister, Rao is on a train journey giving an interview to intrepid reporter Tobi (Anna Russell-Martin). The drama running through this is that Rao’s PR Phoebe (Sophie Steer) has just emerged from a tryst with Haben (Habiba Saleh) who has recently arrived in the country; Haben agrees to pose as Rao’s mother for the purposes of an airbrushed family-values interview. Plus, Rao has a baby that she’s concealing from the press, but this deception proves to be her unravelling.Withvague biblical allusions and some video of the 2021 Kenmure Street protests in Glasgow artlessly dropped in with zero context, Exodus clearly wants to say something, but it’s mainly just smug sixth-form crudity. Cheap laughs are solicited by having nipples bitten off, a baby falling from the train’s baggage shelf, or a vile scene in which the women pacify the child by inserting diazepam into its rectum. By the end of this coarse production, the audience will at least have gained understanding of how that baby might feel. There’s tonnes to say in 2022 about immigration policy and political unaccountability, but Exodus aims so pitifully low, it’s something of a cringe to sit through. (Eddie Harrison)  Traverse Theatre, until 28 August, times vary. AN TOBAR & MULL THEATRE IN THE WEEDS   In The Weeds is a very sexual gothic play, tackling multiple themes: folklore, mystery, rationality, beauty, cosmology, culture clashes and the relationship between humans and their natural environments. These are discussed when Kazumi (Jamie Zubairi), a scientist from Japan searching for the water monster that killed his family, forms a relationship with Coblaith (Carla Langley), a social outsider who spends her life swimming in a loch she appears to inhabit; this urbane, reason-obsessed man wants to control, understand and dominate the wild and mysterious woman. The eroticisation of so many noble-minded themes renders them gimmicky. The dialogue, made up of painfully clichéd commentaries on beauty and human nature as the pair exchange cultural information, evinces the naivety and ostentation of teenage flirting. Coblaith is an energetic girl who it seems is meant to embody an ancient yet infantile spirit by virtue of her affinity with nature; Kazumi is controlling and afraid, with a rather sinister awkwardness. While the play nicely evokes its loch setting and the drama has some thematic appeal, the attempt to cover so many intellectual ideas comes at the price of a convincing chemistry between the two leads, and the oscillation between attraction and aggressive conflict feels artificial. (Rosanna Miller)  Summerhall, until 28 August, 1.10pm.

LAWRENCE BATLEY THEATRE JESUS, JANE, MOTHER & ME   Daniel Valentine is feeling cheery. Upbeat, even. He’s keen to share the stories of the weird and wonderful characters and events that have shaped his 18 years; a few vivid words conjure up the short hair and cagoules of the church ladies or book group’s Margaret (who smells aggressively of lamb). But all is not quite as it seems: Daniel’s relentlessly cheery delivery drip-feeds the details of a life filled with loneliness, neglect and desperately poor parenting. Help is at hand though, from the good people of his local church who sweep him into a glamorous whirl of youth-club discos, church trips and 99 cones, as well as from a slightly less conventional source. Philip Stokes’ tight script effectively balances light and darkness, secrets and lies (especially the lies we tell ourselves) in an engaging, thought-provoking and often very funny piece that never lets its audience off the hook. Craig Lomas’ cluttered set cages and contains the enormous energy emanating from Jack Stokes’ Daniel, in a fantastic performance from a young actor making both his professional and Fringe debut. Unlike poor Daniel, this young man is set to soar. (Jo Laidlaw)  Pleasance Dome, until 29 August, 1.10pm.

RHUM + CLAY PROJECT DICTATOR   Your choice is to die onstage or off it: what do you choose?

TWONKEY’S DRIVE IN PRESENTS WHAT BROKE DAVID LYNCH?   David Lynch was very much an unknown quantity when producer Mel Brooks chose him to direct TheElephantMan. Lynch had only one feature to his name, his surreal cult classic Eraserhead, which had taken him five torturous years to make. In director Paul Vickers’ WhatBrokeDavidLynch?, we get a small taste of the complexities involved in creating his much-loved follow-up film. Vickers (aka Mr Twonkey) plays the director himself and, while it’s not a perfect impression, he does capture something of Lynch’s oddball persona and his rather eccentric cadence. He’s very much helped by Miranda Shrapnell as Dorothy, a typical Lynchian dreamgirl, perhaps inspired by the director’s fondness for The Wizard Of Oz Hers is a standout performance, channelling Twin Peaks’ Nadine Hurley as if Lynch is her Big Ed. We also meet John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins and John Gielgud, all portrayed to mixed effect, and it sometimes feels like the cast of four are each in a different show.

The first half of Rhum + Clay’s show (informed and inspired by international artists currently living under authoritarian regimes) breaks us in gently with a funny, almost child-like piece of physical theatre. There are jokes, balloons, audience participation and some lovely bits of business showing Tobias (a cross between Macron and Jesus Christ) on a quest to Solve All The Problems. Between their infectious energy and general silliness, some well-placed comments on power, politics and the media land as Tobias’ lust for authority and influence grows. This is followed by a dramatic change of pace and energy, particularly highlighting Khaled Kurbeh’s insistent live musical accompaniment. It’s clear the stakes couldn’t be higher, as the duo return to a simpler form of clowning: stripped back, wordless, showing the audience that power still corrupts, and absolute power still corrupts absolutely.

CASSIE WORKMAN ABERDEEN   When Kurt Cobain killed himself in 1994, the reverberations of the troubled Nirvana singer’s death made him a grunge martyr for a generation. One of that generation was Cassie Workman, whose epic poem in homage to her fallen idol sees her take an imagined trip with him back to his hometown. Born of the Australian writer and performer’s real-life pilgrimage to Aberdeen (the one in Washington State not Scotland), Workman elevates Cobain to heroic status in a piece that borders on Greek tragedy in its ambitious intent. Casting herself as both hopelessly devoted fangirl and a kind of doomed Jiminy Cricket, her pleas with Cobain to save himself are possessed with an empathy that shows just how much one person’s art can touch its audience. As Workman prowls the small stage, looking the audience in the eye as she relays couplet after couplet, this understandably intense hour builds to become an emotional and heartfelt tribute. (Neil Cooper)  Just The Tonic Nucleus, until 28 August, 4pm.

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A bold move, for sure, and the switch from humour to something altogether darker could be risky in less-skilled hands, but Matt Wells and Julian Spooner are on solid ground here, carrying their audience with them. That there’s no neat wrapped-up ending is one of this show’s strengths as the audience emerged into the soft light of a summer evening with more questions than answers. There seems little doubt that this is a conclusion of which these thoughtful, empathetic players would be proud. (Jo Laidlaw)  Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 August, 6.10pm.

THEATRE 90 THE LIST FESTIVAL | 16–29 August 2022 | list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival REVIEWS

The production is peppered with Lynchian motifs, including a discordant soundtrack, and fans will enjoy spotting references from across the director’s career. The primitive staging and small space compel the performers to explain much of the action, so it can seem rather stagy, but it’s enthusiastically performed and appropriately surreal, particularly when the cast break into song. (Murray Robertson)  Greenside @ Nicolson Square, until 27 August, 9pm.

This powerful piece seeks to answer that question in two ways.

T here aren’t too many shows that start by handing out a ‘glossary of gay’, and it’s fair to say there’s a definite undertone of rustling paper as homonormative Gordon begins his journey from ‘spooning with Prince Charming energy’ to Berlin’s infamous sex parties where, quite literally, anything goes. Along the way, he finds himself crashing out of sex parties at the Malmaison hotel (who knew?), making new pals, trying a few new drugs and repeatedly reassuring us that he’s ‘not posh’.

In Ode To Joy (How Gordon Got To Go To The Nasty Pig Party), Stories Untold aim to highlight voices that are not heard in mainstream spaces: this play (written and directed by James Ley) is subversive, dirty (like, really, very ﬁlthy) and funny as hell, with some sharp observations on the appropriation of queer culture along the way (any straight audience member still on the workplace Drag Race Teams chat will be taking a long, hard look at themselves). Ley isn’t afraid to play with form either: the fourth wall comes and goes as struggles over who controls the narrative foreshadow Gordon’s own awakening. That Ley does this so successfully is the key to it all; at heart, this is simply a beautifully written, well-made play. At Fringe time, anything other than a oneperson piece feels like a cast of thousands, and Brian Evans, Marc MacKinnon and Sean Connor (supported by live beats from Simon Eilbeck) are obviously having the time of their lives. Sure, there’s conﬁdent swagger by the bucketload, but the audience is in safe hands. It’s outrageous, but never exposing; storytelling that aims to include rather than exclude. Looking down at the party from the hard, high

Jo Laidlaw discovers that pleasure is everywhere in James Ley’s subversive, ﬁlthy and funny-ashell new play, the snappily titled Ode To Joy (How Gordon Got To Go To The Nasty Pig Party)

Summerhall, until 28 August, 11.30am.

THEATRE theatrefringe issueethof eht •ertatheatre•5 STARS ODE TO JOY

list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 91

seats of Summerhall’s horseshoe-shaped Demonstration Room reminds us of the point and power of theatre. As MacKinnon’s narrator Manpussy notes, there are only seven stories in the world (and gays get two); while every beat of Gordon’s tale is NSFW, every single second is suffused with a particular kind of tender joy. A touching epilogue shows that every journey to ﬁnd ourselves is valid and that, eventually, we all get to choose our narrative. All you need is a few pals, the right costume and a little bit of scat (not the jazz kind). Gordon, Manpussy and Cumpig not only teach us a few new words, but show us that joy is everywhere, if we only care to look for it.

The result is a playfully hypnotic virtuoso display, which by the end has become a quietly ritualistic construction that remains plugged in to history throughout. With mesmeric visuals provided by Limbic Cinema, Megalith is the sort of theatre The K Foundation might have once made if they could have been bothered. Get your rocks off and dig it. (Neil Cooper)  ZOO Southside, 21–28 August, 4pm.

THEATRE REVIEWS LEA BLAIR WHITCHER MAMA LOVE  

MECHANIMAL MEGALITH  

Alan Bissett’s comic creation Moira feels like a mainstay at the Edinburgh Fringe. As the third (and apparently final) instalment in The Moira Monologues series, Moira In Lockdown chronicles the loveable Falkirk tough nut killing time in her home when pandemic restrictions were at their peak. At that point she was rubbing one out to Joe Wicks, venting her spleen at Dominic Cummings and flirting with her hunky Amazon delivery driver. Moira’s nae-nonsense wit proves a perfect vehicle to reflect on the surrealness of Britain’s lockdown and the even stranger thrill of mixing with people once restrictions had eased. Bissett’s skill as a writer and performer with Moira has always been to take a potentially one-note character and add new dimensions to her without ever intruding on his vicious one-liners. For his 2022 show, he excels at making Moira’s lived experience universal while keeping her edge. (Kevin Fullerton)  Scottish Storytelling Centre, until 23 August, 6.30pm.

The earth doesn’t quite move at the start of Mechanimal’s multimedia meditation on ancient rock formations, copper mining and standing stones, but its conceptual double bluff shows how pretty much everything is affected by a technical meltdown. The fusion of techno beats, Flintstones samples and animated graphics that follow are heightened in physical form by good old-fashioned graft, as performer Charles Sandford and sound artist Xavier Velastin duet to create what director Tom Bailey calls a ‘theatrical poem’.

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ALAN BISSETT MOIRA IN LOCKDOWN  

Mama Love deals with harsh truths, in a style that’s unapologetic and abrasive. It’s explicitly feminist in its attack on the expectations forced on mothers by the patriarchy; performer and writer Lea Whitcher relates the story of her child’s birth through an episodic combination of stand-up storytelling, performance art choreography and audience interaction. She exposes Hollywood tropes of female jealousy, dismisses comforting myths of motherhood and displays her exhaustion, rejecting idealisation and sentimentality for a rough representation of her lived experience. Whitcher’s structure and performance is uneven: much of the comedy is the comedy of discomfort, with audience interaction becoming mildly confrontational (although she is quick to pull back on any apparent aggression). A series of scenarios from the birthing hospital are replaced by a wider reflection on how motherhood has challenged her ideals and even prevented her from taking a rest. There is a lack of focus in the episodes; a fascinating reflection on how the patriarchy has possessed her, equating motherhood with zombiedom, provokes a sudden shift in tone and the passionate outrage is undermined by the meandering dramaturgy. Although the message is clear, and righteous in its anger, these tonal changes are abrupt: Mama Love is at its most powerful when Whitcher is reflecting on ideas, honestly acknowledging compromises and voicing her confusion at her change in status. Unsettling and raw in places, it forges a genre between polemic and performance, while its lack of polish is both expressive of her frustrations and frustrates the script’s power. (Gareth K Vile)  Summerhall, until 28 August, 3pm.

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Taking the roots of copper mining 10,000 years ago and its key role in electrification as its source, Mechanimal have carved out a living mash-up of sight and sound rather than make a polemical piece on fossil fuels and seemingly endless extraction. This builds as wildly as a Julian Cope excavation of sacred sites en route to something near seismic in intent.

 Army @ The Fringe, 16–28 August, 6pm.

 Traverse Theatre, until 28 August, times vary.

 Underbelly Cowgate, 16–28 August, 10.10pm.

 Paradise In The Vault, until 28 August, 4.50pm. CAKE AND VIOLENCE Nat Griffen is a Californian screenwriter and former football player who has devised and performs a debut Fringe show about body matters in which she smashes up a bunch of cakes.

TRAINSPOTTING LIVE An immersive stage version of Irvine Welsh’s seminal 90s novel which the author himself has claimed is the best way to properly experience his tale of Edinburgh’s dark side.

 Greenside @Nicolson Square, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27 August, times vary.

THE LAST RETURN A group queue to get their ticket to the hottest show in town. Sounds simple. But an engrossing battle over territory ensues with peace and con ict rubbing against each other.

 TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, until 27 August, 9.40pm

HIGHLIGHTSTHEATRE

 Pleasance At EICC, until 28 August, 6pm, 9pm.

COARSE How do you live a meaningful and ful lling life when convention dictates things should go down a very predictable path? The tale of the Brontë sisters shows that a whole heap of courage is a must.

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QUEEN OF FISHTOWN Gentri cation, middle-age and class struggles are at the heart of this one-woman show set in Philadelphia, performed by Katierose Donohue Enriquez.

Another strong theatre line-up on the way with one-woman shows about war, gentriﬁcation and cake, and a vibrant slice of gig theatre

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MURDER BALLADS Adapted from the album by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, this is gig-theatre at its most incendiary as The B Collective invite you into an 1880s bar in the Wild West.

TEMPUS FUGIT: TROY AND US Inspired by Homer’s Iliad, this piece brings together the con icts of ancient Troy and modern Afghanistan as the wife of a soldier experiences visions of military con ict.

THEATRE list.co.uk/edinburgh-festival |16–29 August 2022 | THE LIST FESTIVAL 93

This year’s Book Festival has been strong with acclaimed musicians doing literary things and PJ Harvey (20 August) is clearly in that bracket. She teams up with Don Paterson to discuss her long-form poem ‘Orlam’ which was six years in the making.

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FESTIVAL HOT SHOTS

123 Far from the madding crowd of central Edinburgh, but looking forward to being just as vibrant, is Jupiter Rising (26–28 August). Over at Jupiter Artland, this mini-fest brings together the musical likes of Jayda, Mychelle, Emma Pollock and Djana Gabrielle.

Getting young people into dance is never a bad idea and at the International Festival, We Are Monchichi (19–21 August) is a show targeted at families which aims to illustrate how connections can be made across cultures and languages.

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The List Festival: Week Three

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