The List Festival: Week One

PICTURE: CHRISTIAN NIMS

And so it begins. People will try to tell you that 2023’s Edinburgh Festival is a truncated affair compared to previous years. Have those people flicked through the various brochures and scanned the relevant sites? Let’s face it, no one can say there’s nothing on. Navigating the programmes has been a challenge and an eye-opener as we try to spot this year’s big things and sleeper hits. All will be revealed soon enough.

For this preview issue, we travelled to various European hotspots (Lisbon, Budapest, Madrid, Dunoon, Zoomland) to meet a number of people bringing new work to Edinburgh. We’ve seen a pub-set dance show, an all-female play about wrestling and relationships, an otherworldly solo aerial work, and a comedy of operas. We’ve also spoken to contemporary clowns, drag acts, mentalists, innovative playwrights, and a trio of comedians who are doing things just a little differently this year.

For a trio of Festival directors, this will be a landmark August. Nick Barley bows out as Book Festival chief after 14 years of innovative programming which has also included upping sticks and moving to a new home (though just wait and see what they’ve got planned for 2024). Meanwhile, this is a new dawn for Art boss Kim McAleese who has her feet firmly under the desk to unveil her first festival proper while Nicola Benedetti should relish the feast she’s laid on for her inaugural International Festival. We wish them all well for this year and beyond.

Brian Donaldson EDITOR

Writers

CEO Sheri Friers Editor Brian Donaldson

Art Director Seonaid Rafferty Designer Carys Tennant

Sub Editors Paul McLean, Megan Merino

Becca Inglis, Brian Donaldson, Carol Main, Claire Sawers, Danny Munro, Dom Czapski, Fiona Shepherd, Gareth K Vile, Greg Thomas, Jay Richardson, Jo Laidlaw, Kelly Apter, Kevin Fullerton, Lucy Ribchester, Marissa Burgess, Megan Merino, Neil Cooper, Rachel Ashenden, Rachel Cronin, Rob Auton, Rory Doherty, Stewart Smith, Zara Janjua

Social Media and Content Editor Megan Merino

Senior Business Development Manager

Jayne Atkinson

Online News Editor Kevin Fullerton

Media Sales Executive Ewan Wood

Digital Operations Executive Leah Bauer

Events Assistant Eve Johnston

Editorial Assistant Jessica Matthewson

Mouthpiece front

Forget the naysayers and negative Nellies: Rob Auton is back for a tenth bash at the Fringe and he just can’t wait. The comedian, writer and podcaster reflects on what Edinburgh in August means to him in this life-affirming love letter

Dear the Edinburgh Festival, I know you’re busy, but I thought I’d write you a quick letter to tell you what you have taught me over the past few years. This year I am doing my tenth solo show at the Fringe, and I know that’s not as many as others but it’s enough for me to feel like I have been taught some things through my time with you. Firstly, in 2012 you taught me that when flyering, it’s effective to be polite and say ‘scuse me, sorry to bother you, but may I give you a flyer for my show?’ instead of shouting ‘comedy show’.

You also taught me that if someone says they enjoyed your show, don’t say ‘oh it was rubbish today, you should have been here yesterday’, just say ‘thank you’. You taught me that if an audience member looks like they are not concentrating on your show, remember that you are not the centre of their entire existence and they might have another thought in their brain that isn’t your joke about being from Yorkshire. Even now when affordability of being here is more of an issue than ever, I think you still

give people a glimpse into a world where money takes a step away from the microphone. That feeling of having worked on something and people connecting with it is, I believe, one of the most life-affirming things a person can do on this planet and money cannot get near buying that feeling.

You have taught me how to be more open, given me more confidence as a person and, through that, I’ve developed a part of myself that I’m proud of. You’ve taught me the belief to express how I truly feel about my life. If you, the Edinburgh Festival, didn’t exist, I don’t know what I’d be doing with my life now. I’d probably be looking for a place where I can go to bring my life to life. Luckily it does exist and I’m looking forward to seeing you very soon.

All the best, Rob Auton

n Rob Auton: The Rob Auton Show, Assembly Roxy, 2–26 August, 2.25pm.

In this weekly series, we ask veterans of numerous Edinburgh Festivals which shows or performers have touched their hearts or pushed their buttons. For the opener, bookish stand-up Robin Ince tells us which things . . .

Made me cry: That would be my first solo show in 2004. Fine in warm-ups, but fell apart when it reached Edinburgh. At the same time, my home and most of my possessions had been destroyed by a sewage flood.

Made me angry: It makes me angry that so many people do not know the genius of Gavin Webster. His shows can seem big, stupid (good stupid) and noisy, and I don’t think critics realise how much is going on underneath the cacophony which includes an incisive look at the nature of class in the UK (haha, he’ll hate me revering him).

Made me laugh: Joanna Neary is an original mind and a splendid clown. She should be very rich and very famous. Her show about entering the youth club talent competition and hoping to impress a boy with a dance routine to chart hit ‘Star Trekkin’’ (by The Firm) left me incapable.

Made me think: Gawkagogo created the most brilliant grotesque cabaret show, with the likes of Liberarnie (half Liberace/ half Schwarzenegger) and Dali Parton. They were one of the inspirations for me to create a night called The Book Club as I realised the world was filled with brilliant comedy acts that did not fit into the restrictive expectations of most club comedy.

Made me think twice: An obvious answer, but I saw Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette on its first night in Edinburgh and that left me full of contemplations about how to be a better ally. Also Laura Davis’ Cake In The Rain helped me understand things about suicide ideation and just stayed circling my mind.

n Robin Ince: Weapons Of Empathy, Gilded Balloon At The Museum, 2–27 August, 1pm; Robin Ince: MELONS – A Love Letter To Stand-Up Comedy, The Stand’s New Town Theatre, 2–27 August, 8.35pm.

PICTURE: JULIAN WARD

playLIST

The beginning of Edinburgh's festival season summarised in song

Experience the many different sounds of our first weekly festival issue, with tracks by featured artists such as Cécile McLorin Salvant, Monét X Change, Benjamin Scheuer and Kate Nash, plus some easter eggs dropped in there for your pleasure by Daft Punk, The Beatles and UB40.

Scan and listen as you read:

Fit bits

the festival archive

We look into The List's 38-year back catalogue to see what was making headlines this week in decades gone by

With Festival issues dating back to 1986, The List team sure have seen their fair share of Edinburgh Augusts. For this trip down memory lane we arrive in 2010, the year Meow Meow (aka Melissa Madden Gray) graced the cover and we deemed the Fringe 'awash with cabaret'. List regular Alan Cumming cropped up on the cover, while further spotlights were shone on The Wire's Clarke Peters (for a revival of his musical Five Guys Named Moe) and first-time Fringe performers Jennifer Coolidge (!!) and Bo Burnham.

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

How to stay in rude health is a constant concern for many performers in Edinburgh during the often gruelling month that goes by the name of August. Thankfully, there’s an NHS anaesthetist in the house, with Ed Patrick on hand to offer some expert medical advice to anyone who wants to listen. Such as fellow comedian Ian Smith. Across our three Festival issues, Ian has an ailment, condition or possibly made-up malady that he wants Ed to soothe. For this opener, he’s apoplectic with worry about . . . comparisons

IAN

They say comparison is the thief of joy; but surely it depends on what you’re comparing yourself to. Me vs a potato? I’d like to think I’m beating the potato in most categories: personality, life expectancy, and most importantly, the reviews we’d get performing solo shows at the Fringe. It’s hard not to focus on how others are doing when you bump into colleagues all the time, see stars pasted on the posters that line every flat surface in the city, and reviewers shout out their latest reviews word for word in the street like town criers. How can we ignore all the noise and focus on ourselves (and ideally still be able to read The List)?

ED

I think the important thing to remember is perspective. It’s healthy to step back and take a breath. Remember that despite spending all the money on your Fringe venue, flyers, PR, extortionate accommodation, sustenance, and travel, not to mention the countless hours writing the show and performing, the important thing to remember is, despite all of that, no one really cares. And that goes for everyone else at the Fringe too, stars or no stars; nothing will change and we’ll all have a bit more debt. Except the potato: that gets a fries-star review . . .

 Ian Smith: Crushing, Monkey Barrel The Tron, 2–27 August, 1.35pm; Ed Patrick: Catch Your Breath, The Stand’s New Town Theatre, 10–27 August, 3.10pm (25 August, 1.30pm).

ECLIPSE AT SUMMERHALL

Trailblazing stories by extraordinary artists that will take you across the UK and around the world.

Featuring new work from Eclipse Artistic Director Lekan Lawal and a season of interdisciplinary productions supported by a third expanded iteration of the Eclipse Award.

ECLIPSE THEATRE PRESENTS: ECLIPSE AWARD WINNERS:

Lekan Lawal & Eclipse Theatre Company: PILOT

3–27 August

and more to be announced soon, stay up to date:

BLINK Dance Theatre: ELVIS DIED OF BURGERS

2–13 August

Faizal Abdullah: SIAPA YANG BAWA MELAYU AKU PERGI? (WHO TOOK MY MALAY AWAY)

2–10 August

Mwansa Phiri: waiting for a train at the bus stop

2–27 August

Subira Joy: KILL THE COP INSIDE YOUR HEAD

22–27 August

Lula Mebrahtu: OommoO

3–27 August

Jian Yi: WEATHERVANES

3–27 August

spotlight CANADA en vedette

The High Commission of Canada in the UK celebrates all the Canadian talent on show across Edinburgh this August.

For details of the amazing Canadian work to see this year – follow the QR code to check out the online listings.

heritage industry

Festival-goers are spoiled this August with two very different opportunities to witness the remarkable voice of jazz superstar Cécile McLorin Salvant. Performing a concert with her own band as well as the UK premiere of a myth-based song cycle, the three-time Grammy Award-winner tells Stewart Smith about drawing inspiration from her FrenchHaitian background while promising Edinburgh audiences a little bit of craziness along the way

I‘love being surprised by music,’ Cécile McLorin Salvant declares. At 33, the Miami-born artist is widely recognised as the most accomplished jazz vocalist of her generation, yet for all her mastery of tradition, she refuses to be bound by expectations. Although she has an immaculate way with the American Songbook, she’s also turned her hand to soul, blues and gospel. Her current album Mélusine draws on Salvant’s Haitian and French heritage while highly acclaimed 2022 collection Ghost Song features interpretations of tracks by Kate Bush and Sting alongside English folk tune ‘The Unquiet Grave’.

‘Most of the songs, if not all, had a moment when I was listening to them that surprised me, that made me perk up and go, “what’s that? What’s going on here”?’ she relates. ‘And so something like “Wuthering Heights” . . . the first time I heard it, I think I was 16. And I was shocked; I was like, “what the hell is this?” It was so much sensory overload. And then 15 years later, I decided to record it.’

This element of surprise extends to Salvant’s own compositions and concepts. At the Edinburgh International Festival, she presents two shows: a concert featuring her regular band and the UK premiere of Ogresse, a dramatic song cycle telling the story of a lovesick, ravenous monster. Inspired by Haitian vodou and the true story of Sarah Baartman (a South African woman exhibited as a so-called freak-show attraction in 19th-century France), this dark fairytale explores themes of racism, sexism and colonialism.

‘I always wanted to write a longer narrative story, something that I could tell over the course of a show. I had always been interested in monsters and female monsters. And, of course, I’m interested in the idea of hunger and the different ways in which that manifests itself: perception and fatphobia. As time went by, I thought Ogresse needs to be its own story. And so the story unfolded pretty quickly.’

After six months of writing, Salvant handed the songs over to Darcy James Argue who arranged them for a 13-piece ensemble that includes leading avant-garde musicians such as trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and guitarist/banjoist Brandon Seabrook, who will be joining her in Edinburgh. Salvant is currently working with Belgian director Lia Bertels on an animated version of Ogresse, but while the show features projections and lighting, the staging is ‘straightforward’, with the focus on Salvant. ‘It’s such a dense story, you have to stay with me, otherwise you can get lost. The projections

have to be simple enough that you don’t get distracted and lose part of the story. It’s musically dense. There are so many instruments, different voices, and we’re not really helping you by splitting the characters. So I think we have to have something that’s dramatic, but also rather simple.’

While Ogresse is tightly organised, with only so much room for improvisation, Salvant promises to follow it with a ‘crazy and spontaneous’ concert featuring close collaborators such as pianist Sullivan Fortner. In her shows, Salvant draws freely from her seven albums to date, although there is likely to be a fair representation of the French and Haitian creole songs from Mélusine

‘I never thought that I would sing in French anywhere other than France, but it seems as though people like it,’ she shares. ‘This woman came to see me after a show and she was like, “I only know you from this one French song that you did. I don’t speak French, but I love it”.’

Echoing the mytho-poetic aspects of Ogresse, Mélusine fuses the European folk tale of a woman whose lower body takes on the form of a snake with the story of Damballa and Ayida-Weddo from Haitian vodou (Salvant created a series of storybook drawings as a visual accompaniment to the record).

She sees this as an organic reflection of her heritage. ‘I was born with these things brought together automatically, just from having parents from different countries; my mom being French and my dad being Haitian.’ By singing in different languages and referencing diverse traditions, Salvant is a translator of culture, forming the ‘familiar and the strange’ into a singular vision.

Cécile McLorin Salvant: Ogresse, Festival Theatre, 5 August, 8pm; Cécile McLorin Salvant In Concert, Usher Hall, 7 August, 7.30pm.

House of the

She’s the only queen in Drag Race herstory to have won both Miss Congeniality and the All Stars crown, while last year she unleashed her beautiful opera-trained bass voice. But as Monét X Change prepares for her first Fringe foray, she warns Lucy Ribchester that the drag community need allies to help them face down increased hate >>

There were two moments on last year’s Drag Race: All Winners season where it suddenly looked as if All Stars 4 victor Monét X Change was pulling into the lead for the crown of all crowns. First up was her outrageously brilliant spoken-word lip-sync from 80s sitcom Designing Women. Clad in an acid-yellow skirt suit and latex fascinator, like a psychedelic incarnation of a British royal, she assassinated odds-on favourite Jinkx Monsoon in a head-to-head mimed monologue.

The second was in the penultimate variety show. Poised in a shimmering Grecian robe, she sang the aria ‘Vi ravviso, o luoghi ameni’ from Bellini’s 19th-century opera La Sonnambula, in a perfect operatic bass. The word ‘iconic’ is overused, but when we talk about those moments on Drag Race (the ones that make you drop the stem of your coupe glass; the ones that burn your laptop screen with repeated rewatches), no other will do. It was iconic

‘On All Stars 4, I had mentioned it to Ru in one of my walkthroughs,’ X Change says of her singing ability, over Zoom from LA where she sits with an eye-popping number of shoes behind her, filling up half her back wall. ‘I remember his eyebrows (the little bit he has left, like me) kind of stood up on his head. I should have taken that as a cue that I should do this.’

In the end, despite an overwhelming reaction to the aria, she placed as runner-up to Monsoon. But it is moments, and not just crowns, that make drag superstars, and X Change’s status as one of the most accomplished, versatile and constantly surprising queens on the world stage was sealed.

Since that appearance, X Change has seen her opera career take off, having made a debut with Minnesota Opera earlier this year. Happily, she has also integrated opera performance into her new solo show, Life Be Lifein’, which forms her first outing at the Fringe.

‘I’m going to be in beautiful hair, beautiful make-up, just taking my booming bass voice to really celebrate,’ she says. What X Change loves most about singing bass while presenting as feminine is ‘the mindfuck of it all, the gender fuck. It’s just . . . it’s so shocking. It’s jarring, but so sexy and so fierce.’

The show will, as drag does, showcase more than one skill, and comprises storytelling and stand-up alongside opera. Like all queens, X Change has had to become a polymath in fashion, emceeing, makeup, lip-syncing, dance, comedy and more. But her first inroad into drag was through performing and music. She started singing in sixth grade and went on to take a BA in opera performance and music education. One day she dreams of starring as Sarastro in a drag version of The Magic Flute (which we are here for with bells on).

in 2009,

Since RuPaul launched Drag Race X Change says she has seen the art grow more accessible and gain more recognition. ‘Drag queens are entrepreneurs, drag queens are on morning chat shows, drag queens are winning Emmys,’ she notes. But in recent years, the scene in America has entered a dark period, with pressure from the far right resulting in drag being effectively banned in several states.

‘I think the worst thing we can do is run away and hide and to ever give these people an inkling of a thought that they have won,’ X Change insists. ‘Because when they think they have won, it empowers them more and they want to keep doing it.’ Instead, she says, it’s important for drag allies to stand alongside queens, support local drag shows, and tell the world that drag is a beautiful art. ‘Fight with us and show up with us, as opposed to letting us fight for ourselves.’

Monét X Change: Life Be Lifein’, Underbelly Bristo Square, 2–15 August, 9.15pm.

Shaving grace

Having conquered Drag Race, Danny Beard is stepping out with their debut solo show. Marissa Burgess discovers a performer tearing up the gender playbook, and whose singular look has emerged from sheer inconvenience

W‘e’ve been bloody everywhere. We’ve been up and down the country like a nun’s nightie!’ exclaims Danny Beard about their tour which will swing by the Fringe for five nights.

‘This theatre show is really ten years in the making. I’ve been a cabaret artiste (aka dragqueen-in-a-pub) for ten years. I’ve always wanted to do it at this level with amazingly talented people; the resumé of the band alone is much bigger than I probably ever will be.’

Any Drag Race fans will know exactly why this national tour has come about now. Mass TV exposure came when Beard won last year’s UK competition; what it showcased was not just an instinct for showbiz and inventive transformations but also a very sharp wit, which Beard credits their dad for.

‘I am basically a much cooler, much better looking, much skinnier version of my dad,’ they laugh. ‘I’m not even that skinny. He’s so quickwitted and funny, and I think growing up around someone like that . . . I’ve basically inherited it but made it much gayer.’

Consequently the show will be a mix of music, song and a lot of humour. ‘I speak about hetties (heterosexuals) and take the piss out of them and also out of celebs and a lot of the people in the room. I’m inspired by acts like Lily Savage and queens at work now such as Myra Dubois: that quick wit; she’s got such a character. Danny Beard is me but make-up allows me to take it over the edge. Daniel might think it but Danny Beard will say it.’

Drag Race has helped display the full range of drag out there, not just the hyper-real female look that many associate it with. Beard sits somewhere in between traditional gender markers, with plenty of colourful (sometimes feminine) make-up teamed with a beard. Having found wigs uncomfortable, and the constant close shave, it’s an inconvenience that led to a look. ‘Everyone has an opinion on gender now; what I’m doing is mocking all that. I’ve got a clown face, a beard, massive tits, and hips. I don’t have a gender: Danny Beard isn’t really a gender. The forefront of the show is comedy and singing; that’s what I'm good at. Really, Danny Beard is a thing; in a way that’s more powerful now than ever.’

Danny Beard And Their Band, Underbelly George Square, 21–25 August, 9.40pm; The Gossip Gays podcast, Underbelly Bristo Square, 24 August, 5.30pm.

“

Reuben Kaye has been in the eye of a media storm this year, facing religious outrage and death threats. The self-described ‘actress, model and award-winning cry for help’ defiantly tells Becca Inglis that he’s not taking it lying down

Reuben Kaye knows better than anyone the havoc that one little joke can wreak. In just a few months, the Australian drag comedian has had shows cancelled, drafted in extra security at venues, and had his phone combed through by three police bodies. ‘That was pretty interesting,’ he says. ‘Not only have they gone through a bunch of pretty awful death threats, but they also know exactly what my asshole looks like, with both the Mayfair and Cavendish filters on.’

All this over one jab at Jesus, which Kaye cracked in February while appearing on Australian current affairs programme The Project. ‘The fact that this is the joke that stopped the nation is pretty funny,’ he says. ‘Especially considering it’s on the gentler side of the jokes I tell.’ More recently, he's gone viral defending his gag on Australian TV show Q+A, where he was pitted against a panellist who claimed Christianity was a persecuted group. As a gay man of Jewish descent, Kaye could only laugh.

‘Comedy plays a huge role in puncturing the hyperinflated monsters in society,’ he says. ‘That's why I love doing it. It’s a clenched fist that hides a whoopee cushion.’ In his show, The Butch Is Back, that fist is aimed at shame and those who enforce it. Gender visibly warps onstage, with drag-king make-up exaggerating rather than masking Kaye’s hypermasculinity, while an artillery of filthy jokes, glitzy costume changes and cabaret (Kaye crams 15 songs into an hour, backed by a six-piece band) fires out. At a time when drag queens are increasingly villainised, Kaye makes a furious, vivacious rebuttal.

‘Ten years ago, I thought my act would be irrelevant within three years,’ he says. ‘But no, it’s still as dangerous and razor sharp as it’s always been. Cabaret is the original punk.’ The transgressive bohemia of cabaret runs through Kaye’s blood: his grandfather toured with the Yiddish theatre in Poland, before meeting Kaye’s grandmother (who ‘should have been a movie star’) building railroads in Stalin’s Russia. ‘There are many examples in Jewish culture of humour being used as a coping mechanism,’ says Kaye, who touches on intergenerational trauma (and how it intersects with his queerness) in the show.

Kaye feels gratified now to see the number of queer teenagers who attend his performances with their parents. ‘It’s a dirty show, but it’s also a family show,’ he says. Above all, it’s a space that makes joy and authenticity feel possible, in a small act of flamboyant rebellion. ‘Drag is about tearing down what no longer works, shooting an arrow into the sky and aiming for utopia. And it does it all while looking incredible.’

Reuben Kaye: The Butch Is Back, Assembly George Square Gardens, 15–27 August, 7.50pm; The Kaye Hole, Assembly Checkpoint, 4 & 5, 10–12, 17–19, 24–26 August, 11.50pm.

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Life's a drag

In a cannon fire of insouciant, savage-tongued, rainbow-coloured and all-welcoming confetti, the art of drag has exploded at this year’s Fringe. From RuPaul finalists to the rulers of drag-kingdom, not to mention sparkling stories for little ones, Lucy Ribchester finds that there really is a drag act for everyone this month

ANITA WIGL’IT

Obsessive Drag Race fans will have their work cut out trying to catch all of the stars from the various franchise spin-offs. Flying the flag for Drag Race Down Under is goofy, adorable Kiwi Anita Wigl’it. Known for pastel outfits and soft charm, she’ll be telling her life story from boyhood to glamorous dame in Funny Gurl

 Gilded Balloon Teviot, 4–7 August, 7pm.

HOW TO FLIRT

Speaking of the mansplaining we all need more of in our lives, Daisy Doris May, winner of 2022’s Man Up Drag King contest, is introducing Steve Porters (lock up your daughters) to deliver a TED XXX talk (pun intended).

 Assembly Roxy, 2–26 August, 9.55pm.

BAGA CHIPZ

Everyone’s favourite potty-mouthed Thatcher impersonator and double RuPaul finalist (Drag Race UK and UK Vs The World), Chipz is bringing us her disruptive brand of seaside-humour-meets-sugar-camp.

 Gilded Balloon Teviot, 4–9 August, 8.30pm.

VICTORIA SCONE

This Drag Race pioneer and legend is the franchise’s first ever AFAB (assigned female at birth) queen and the first to bring a drag king look to RuPaul’s runway. Scone appears for four nights only in Jam Packed, hosted by drag king comic Louis Cyfer.

 Gilded Balloon Teviot, 8–11 August, 7pm.

DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR

And because you’re never too young for your first drag show, Aida H Dee aka The Storytime Drag Queen is offering gender-busting, fabulously inclusive tales and loads of sparkle for little ones.

 Assembly Roxy, 3–27 August, 11am.

DIZNEY IN DRAG

If one drag star just isn’t enough, check out this cabaret Once Upon A Parody, which promises to upend your memories of Disney princesses.

 Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 3–27 August, 6.30pm.

THE KINSEY SICKS

Also turning beloved childhood classic songs inside out and upside down, acapella group The Kinsey Sicks are a politically outspoken quartet, hellbent on satirising all your favourite nursery rhymes and pop tunes in Drag Queen Storytime Gone Wild!

 Gilded Balloon At The Museum, 2–27 August, 7.20pm.

ZOË COOMBS MARR

When it comes to drag kings, there’s a BBQ-sized buffet to choose from. This acclaimed Aussie comic has brought alter ego Dave out from a seven-year coma to blunder his way through the social advancements of the past half decade in The Opener. Body positivity? Marriage equality? Reckonings with structural racism? Dave has missed them all, but still has opinions to spout.

 Pleasance Courtyard, 14–27 August, 9.20pm.

Cabaret kings and queens (from top, clockwise): Anita Wigl'it, Baga Chipz, Zoë Coombs Marr, Steve Porters

Hungarian dance-circus company Recirquel are back, following their triumphant 2018 Fringe success My Land. Lucy Ribchester finds that they're bringing over an awe-inspiring solo piece which invites us to marvel at the big top's majesty >>

Save a prayer

It’s a warm day in Budapest, and the sun is just starting to sink. Outside Hungary’s national theatre, behind swarms of late afternoon traffic, a cool, white big top stands like a monument in the petrol-scented air. The national theatre itself, the MUPA, is cathedral-huge in scale, built from imposing columns and angled staircases that create dizzying perspectives. But even that structure was not enough to contain the vision of Hungarian dancecircus company Recirquel’s latest piece, IMA. For that, the company needed to go back to the roots of circus and build their own big top outside (albeit not your average red-and-white-striped tent, but one created with a very specific purpose).

IMA is the latest piece from the company who brought smash hit Paris De Nuit and hugely acclaimed My Land to the Fringe, and translates from Hungarian as ‘prayer’. But while the starkest difference between those pieces and IMA is the fact that this new show is a solo work for aerial straps, don’t be deceived into thinking that makes it small in scale.

Entering the big top brings the immediate awe and peace of a place of worship. There are textured walls in soft concrete colours. A huge metal grate flaps with white ribbons, buoyed by a wind machine. It’s part Stonehenge and part Zen garden. In the inner sanctum where the show is performed, audiences sit under a dome of pinprick stars that conjure up desert skies and far-off galaxies. But the space is also one that echoes with the structure of traditional circus. This combination of circus language and contemporary artistic vision has

become Recirquel’s trademark, led by their artistic director, Bence Vági, who trained originally as a contemporary choreographer. ‘I always say circus brings you the astonishment,’ says Vági, as we talk after the show on MUPA’s terrace, overlooking the grey-blue Danube. ‘And dance creates more possibility for self-expression, for narrative, for language. I think also circus in this form gives a kind of access for people who maybe wouldn’t see a contemporary dance piece; it’s an open gateway. And for me, of course, it’s more colours.’

All of the artists in Recirquel are what Vági calls ‘hybrid performers’, versed in both dance and circus, though usually they began their careers in one or the other. Vági is proud of Recirquel’s continuity of artists, which enables them to tune into each other’s working methods and creative visions, making IMA very much a collaborative piece.

Renátó Illés, whom we see performing the show (the role rotates between four performers), has been with the company for ten years, while IMA’s lighting designer Attila Lenzsér, and composer Szirtes Edina Mókus who created the breathtaking original score, are also regular collaborators; again this echoes the tradition of circus’ tight family bonds.

Even among the culture of new wave, pared-down circus, IMA is something different and very special indeed. There’s a symphony of disciplines working together: Lenzsér’s lighting creates dazzling spears of cosmic light, while Mókus’ score brings the gravitas of concert music to a genre more commonly paired with minimalist

PICTURE: ADRIENN SZOVERFFI

electro-beats or folksy tunes (the score is truly a masterpiece and it’s worth going along simply to hear that). At times, watching IMA unfold feels like watching the fragility and strength of humanity pitted against the scale of the universe. ‘It was said by Thomas Mann that sooner or later theatres will turn into churches,’ Vági says. ‘I always felt a bit disappointed when you visit a lot of sacred places as you have so many distractions like tourists with their flashing cameras. The real challenge with my team was how we create a kind of sacred space that would give a safe space for audiences.’

In order to create IMA’s sense of holiness, Vági had to turn away from ecclesiastical spaces and move towards natural wonders. ‘I spend a lot of time in deserts when I have time off,’ Vági says. ‘That’s one of the places on the planet where you have this sensation of the stars really reaching. I mean, each of us have seen starry skies, but in the desert the sky really feels like it’s surrounding you; for me that’s a source of inspiration.’

For aerialist Illés, performing the piece has become a prayer of its own kind. ‘I cannot do meditation,’ Illés says. ‘But when I do the show it feels something like that. I know where I am, but not exactly; like a trip.’ Often audiences respond to the piece with strong emotions. Illés and the other performers have become accustomed to standing at the exit, offering hugs as people leave. It’s so rare in circus to see the human who lives inside a superhuman body, let alone connect for a fleeting moment. It does have the feeling of communion, benediction, of a priest who uses their body as conduit for something larger than themselves.

‘It’s a pleasure for me if I can catch somebody’s soul,’ says Illés. ‘They always say thank you, or they are crying, or we help them return bad memories.’ As if the universe has heard IMA’s call to prayer, the sun is setting as we leave the big top, taking with us a little aura of circus-infused calm into a bustling Budapest evening.

Recirquel: IMA, Assembly Murrayfield Ice Rink, 4–27 August, times vary.

Others To See

shows with many performances per day

A play with no performers? Only in Edinburgh. Except, Temping (Assembly George Square Studios, 4–27 August, first at 10am; last at 10pm) was also a huge success in Adelaide, with its musings on mortality and capitalism, as one audience member finds out exactly what a holidaying fiftysomething actuary was up to at work.

The Fringe will always ‘have a show for that’, and Agent November (The Stand's New Town Theatre, 2–27 August, first at noon; last at 10pm) offers a fun ride for those who are deep into Escape Room culture. Can you solve the clues before a murderer strikes again? However you got yourself into this pickle, you have half an hour to get out of it.

Tapping into her time spent as an outsourced call handler on the Coronavirus Response Helpline, Katrine Turner has produced An Alternative Helpline For The End Of The World (Summerhall, 2–27 August, first at 12.30pm; last at 6pm) for which she has created her own means of coping with future catastrophes.

Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar (pictured) (House Of Oz, 4–27 August, first at noon; last at 7pm). That’s quite literally what happens in this immersive audio experience which brings a pair of people together (you’re strongly encouraged not to book with someone you know) to see what connections can be made.

Step into a modern confessional as Without Sin (Summerhall, 1–27 August, first at noon; last at 9.40pm) also brings a duo together as they are guided through a conversation using one pack of cards. The very nature of relationships is at stake here. Every 20 minutes . . .

PICTURE: BÁLINT HIRLING

PICTURE: BÁLINT HIRLING

PICTURE: TILDA COBHAM-HERVEY

Two Strangers Walk Into A Bar

Playbill, the monthly theatre magazine distributed across America known internationally as a symbol of the arts, is thrilled to bring you the Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition–a sustainable and modern cruise ship–as the inaugural Playbill FringeShip for the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The beautiful and recently renovated ship will be the official ‘Floatel’ by the Fringe, docked in the buzzing port district of Leith. Playbill FringeShip will have direct transportation to and from the festival, as well as bringing the life and vibrancy of Edinburgh Festival Fringe on board.

Along with ultra-comfortable lodging in an array of accommodations on board, all guests of the Playbill FringeShip will enjoy a number of amenities on and off the ship, including:

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day in our many restaurants and lounges, paired with a drink package of your choice

• Exciting Fringe entertainment within the FringeShip’s state-of-the-art theatre and cabaret lounge, for onboard guests only

• Access to roundtrip coach service from Leith to the centre of Edinburgh

• Wellness centre, gym, two swimming pools, and a top deck open-air lounge with a pizza parlour

Make your stay at Fringe easy and comfortable–join us on the Playbill FringeShip!

Prices starting at £179 per day, per person!

Challengeaccepted

In another unsettled year for the Fringe, many established comics are performing workin-progress hours, shorter runs or simply sitting it out altogether. Jay Richardson finds a trio who are embracing the mood of flux and uncertainty to stretch themselves, and creatively step outside their comfort zones

Flushed with the dubious success of his recent Taskmaster appearance, Ivo Graham is bringing no less than four shows to Edinburgh, including a nostalgic, work-in-progress theatre piece Graham

In The Green, club night Comedians’ DJ Battles, and an episode recording of Gig Pigs, the music podcast he cohosts with Alex Kealy.

However, even his main draw, the comedy show Organised Fun, finds the stand-up once known only in his private life as ‘chaotic’ (a fact now recognised by everyone that watched Taskmaster as well) professionally hitching his wagon to mania and spontaneity. That’s why he’s interspersing pre-prepared routines with the sort of frenetic, crowd interaction quests that recently saw the accomplished marathon runner deliver an audience member six of his favourite breakfast cereals, having dashed to and from a supermarket during the interval.

PICTURES: MATT STRONGE

PICTURE: TONY PLETTS

PICTURES: JONATHAN BIRCH

Taskmaster and podcasting have ‘helped the long overdue process of loosening me up a bit,’ Graham acknowledges. ‘I’m leaning into this as my life now.’ He has mixed feelings about the fashion for comedians ‘carpet bombing social media with poor crowd work’, noting that comedy fans’ ‘collective attention spans are shredded’. However, when ad-libbing works well, ‘I’ve always loved it’.

He is also ‘loath to self-importantly describe myself as a “risk-taker” because there are acts taking braver, more interesting risks. That said, I would love to get to September, look back and know that none of these risks have exploded embarrassingly in my face.’

Another performer playing with explosivity and fire in his belly is Mark Thomas, acting in a play he hasn’t penned himself for the first time since his student theatre days. He jokes that he’s been rehearsing incognito, on the sly: ‘who was that man in the commedia mask?!’

For the veteran political comic and activist, most theatre is ‘dreadful, bourgeois old shite’. Recalling a wretched production he witnessed of As You Like It, ‘I didn't know if I was going to fall asleep or stay awake to spite them.’

However, he was blown away by The Political History Of Smack And Crack at the 2018 Fringe, to the extent that his vociferous appreciation as he left the theatre caught the ear of that play’s writer, Ed Edwards. Engendering a mutual respect and collaboration, the pair now host short-film and comedy workshops for addicts in recovery. And the playwright wrote England & Son specifically to star Thomas.

Channelling characters from the comedian’s childhood and his issues with alcohol, as well as Edwards’ experiences in jail for drug offences, the play reflects upon the crimes of the British Empire, the violence unleashed when that’s brought home to a working-class household, and the addiction that can flourish when a boy craves his brutalised father’s attention.

Learning lines that don’t stem directly from his own experience for the first time in decades, the production is about memorising for Thomas, in every sense. ‘It’s a show about remembering what we choose to remember, what we choose to forget, and what we struggle to accept,’ he reflects. ‘It’s very apposite to England and the English perception of itself. I’m genuinely excited because I’m just starting to realise the power this fucking engine has got in it. There’s a lot in it about class, about the left in Britain. It’s so tight and thrilling, with a lot of surprises in it.’

PICTURE: STEVE ULLATHORNE

Also surprising, perhaps, is that the always mercurial, endlessly enigmatic Paul Foot is presenting his most candid, personal show yet. Dissolve shares an epiphany he had on 20 March this year which immediately dispelled his long-term depression. Although he’s willing to disclose that his condition was linked to childhood trauma, prior to audiences seeing the show, the absurdist comic is otherwise remaining tight-lipped about exactly what occurred. But he will say that it’s ‘the most momentous thing that’s happened in my life, with the possible exception of being born.’ And notwithstanding ‘a silly, jokey bit about Jesus’, it’s not a religious revelation.

There’s still ‘nonsense about Tutankhamun and surreal flights of fancy’, but something indelible has changed in Foot. He reckons he’s not experienced nerves since performing in the 2008 US talent show Last Comic Standing for millions of viewers. Yet all of a sudden, that trepidation and excitement has returned.

‘I’m rediscovering myself, and it’s quite a challenge discussing my own emotions and experiences so openly,’ he admits. ‘I never used comedy as therapy, I’ve always considered it my job, but it’s always been the real me on stage. It’s just that now I’ve found a way of making the depression and all these terrible mental-health crises and traumas funny, my personality is shining out more.’

Ivo Graham: Organised Fun, Pleasance Courtyard, 2–27 August, 6.30pm; also 6, 26 August, 3.30pm, 12, 19 August, 11pm.

Graham In The Green, Pleasance Courtyard, 17–27 August, 2.30pm.

Comedians’ DJ Battles, Assembly George Square Studios, 4, 11, 20, 27 August, 11.30pm.

Gig Pigs Live In Edinburgh podcast, Pleasance Courtyard, 16 August, 11.20pm.

England & Son, Summerhall, 2–27 August, 1.10pm, also 26 August, 2.40pm.

Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes, The Stand, 13–24 August, 10.15pm.

Paul Foot: Dissolve, Underbelly Cowgate, 3–27 August, 7.20pm.

SHE FALLS IN LOVE. SHE EATS THE GUY. SHE DIES.

A JAZZ FAIRY TALE FROM GRAMMY AWARD-WINNER CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT 5 AUGUST | FESTIVAL

No holds barred

Five women bound together by a love of wrestling grapple with identity and belonging in a new Scottish play for the International Festival. Thrown writer Nat McCleary talks to Greg Thomas about the constant pressure to label ourselves, arguing that less speaking and a little more listening would be no bad thing

I‘’m not a wrestler but I love a team sport,’ Nat McCleary tells me over a scratchy Zoom connection from a café in Portobello. Suitably enough for a writer whose debut theatre production (about a female wrestling team) unfolds against the ruddy backdrop of the Highland Games circuit, she’s been camping all weekend. Now, she’s low on bandwidth and sleep, but still full of energy. ‘I’m an avid footballer,’ she goes on. ‘I mean, don’t get me started, I hate the amount of money that’s in the game now . . . but at its core, I love football, the team aspect of it. Wrestling is a bit different because it’s an individual sport but you still have to compete as part of a group.’

Raised in Coatbridge by a Jamaican father and Scottish mother, McCleary played to a high level for Airdrie FC but had to quit when her theatre career took off. Still, Thrown is inspired partly by real-life locker-room discussions on gender and sexuality, and more so by the obligations of co-operation and respect that team sports place on their participants. The National Theatre Of Scotland production, directed by Johnny McKnight, tells the story of a crew of mismatched women (and one non-binary trainer) thrown together (geddit?) when they join a fledgling wrestling outfit.

As the narrative builds to a crunch match at the Highland Games, hidden fissures of character and background are revealed. In a touching climax, two lifelong companions (Adiza Shardow’s everywoman Jo and Chloe-Ann Tylor’s scrappy Chantelle) realise in bitter tears that their friendship might have reached the end of the line.

It’s clear from the play’s press night in Dunoon (another humid, rainy affair this CO2-fuelled El Niño summer) that Jo is partly a biographical construct. A half-Jamaican Scot raised in a white neighbourhood, her equilibrium is shattered by the arrival of wealthy, confident African-Scot Imogen (a bantery Efè Agwele). Back home from living in London, she introduces Jo to ideas like white privilege and gives her castor oil for her hair; white, working-class Chantelle is jealous of the new connection and it doesn’t take long for accusations of racism to start flying around.

McCleary, like Jo, didn’t see another mixed-race person until her mid-twenties when she moved to London. As a child, she recalls, ‘I used to colour myself in pink. I only reached for the brown crayons when I was drawing my dad.’ There’s a comparable moment midway through the play when Jo recalls her pre-teen horror at having dark nipples.

Then again, this isn’t just a work about race, and traces of writerly identity can be found in all the other characters too, particularly in trainer Pamela (a powerful turn from Lesley Hart). Having set the team up, Pamela attempts to hold it together with lots of new-age mantras on ‘internal validation’. But they’re in too much of a bind themself (literally: they’re flattening their chest and grappling with gender identity) to offer emotional consistency. McCleary says that she, like Pamela, leans into the ‘androgynous part of myself. I feel comfortable there. I think part of my wrestle is the constant sense that I ought to define and label myself. I just don’t see the benefit.’ Later on,

we talk about how the well-intentioned profusion of new gender labels, intended to solve these pressures, might inadvertently increase them for some.

In the end, the task of peacekeeping falls to the loveable Helen (tiny, exponentially assertive Maureen Carr). She finds her mojo listening to Ludacris’ ‘Move Bitch’ and keeps the team in line with the practical slogans of an older generation, learned during a long and ultimately unsatisfying marriage.

On first appearance, this character might seem like light relief, perhaps even patronisingly portrayed. But by the end, Helen is the heroine, shouting down the warring clans of youngsters and helping Pamela with their lastchance-saloon fertility treatment. ‘She’s partly rooted in an experience I had with someone of an older generation who surprised me with their openness around my grappling with gender and sexuality,’ McCleary recalls. ‘But she also embodies a certain childlike curiosity that I worry we’re losing in our culture.’

As you might have inferred, there’s a lot going on in Thrown, including some ingeniously teed-up debates around the intersecting scales of class, wealth, racial identity, age, and gender that many Scottish women have to balance themselves across and between. Crammed into a tight hour-and-a-half, scenes move with a clattering speed worthy of TikTok. The cast bubbles with an energy to match the lines, and there’s a neat mirroring of the online culture Chantelle wants to conquer as an influencer in the production’s pace and jumpiness.

However, if this play is against anything, it is the absolutism of social-media politics. ‘There’s a reason I’m not on there,’ McCleary confides. ‘Rather than it being a platform for curiosity and connection it’s become a platform for opinion. We have a culture now where no one is listening because everyone is speaking.’ Indeed, what saves McCleary’s debut from a dogmatic tone is her evident disinterest in quick-fix answers. ‘I get it; people are sick of hearing about intersectionality. But I think the exhaustion comes when the aim is to convince the other. And this play is not about that. It’s about asking, how can we find a way through all this stuff with respect and empathy, if not with agreement?’

Thrown, Traverse Theatre, 3–27 August, times vary.

NAT MCCLEARY PICTURE: KIRSTY ANDERSON

JESSE JONES

Ancient show trials and subsequent murders of women have made the headlines in recent times. Campaigns, such as Witches Of Scotland, to have those brutal crimes acknowledged and apologised for have stepped up apace. Jesse Jones’ The Tower, part two of a trilogy, explores those who were burned as heretics in medieval times via film, performance and sculptural installation. (Brian Donaldson) n Talbot Rice Gallery, until 30 September.

Raising the bar

The link between alcohol and art is given a fresh spin by Lindsey Mendick for her debut Scottish exhibition. She tells Rachel Ashenden that removing colour from her work has been a liberating journey

From TKE Studios in Margate, artist Lindsey Mendick speaks with candour and humility about SH*TFACED, her landmark solo exhibition at Jupiter Artland. From a heartfelt personal angle, Mendick battles her own trials and tribulations with binge drinking, all the while not imposing a moral verdict on gallery visitors or trying to push them towards sobriety.

Against the bright, white walls of her studio, the artist’s magnificent turquoise bob complements a sprightly energy. Her wardrobe is a spectrum of daring colour, including a feather-trimmed chartreuse yellow dress which she wore to the exhibition’s opening party. Yet,

SH*TFACED marks the first time she has found the courage to paint her sculptures white. ‘I’ve been hiding my sculptures under glaze and colour,’ she reflects, divulging how she has felt afraid to ‘present them as they are to the world.’

Friends and studio visitors (including Bob Geldof and Tracey Emin) have brought Mendick out of her colourful sanctuary. ‘If you paint them white, people will be able to see how hard you worked on them,’ Emin advised her. Welling up ever so slightly, Mendick says how healing it was to paint the first sculpture white: ‘there were no jokes to it; that was the first time I felt confident enough to not apologise for my art.’ She went on to paint the remaining ten white, each stroke a step towards accepting the exhibition space she deserves to take up.

SH*TFACED uniquely weaves in moral conundrums inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. I push Mendick on the gothic novella’s influence, asking whether she has re-contextualised the idea of ‘masking’ in terms of how neurodivergent people are socialised to conceal certain traits. While she hadn’t thought about it that way, the interpretation resonated because ‘the exhibition is about keeping up appearances’ and how booze interferes with the guise of professionalism. It transpires that clinging onto masks is even more essential in the microcosmic art world.

‘Booze is still a sticky subject in art,’ she says, elaborating that every private view is fuelled by alcohol, leading to the potential of drunken mistakes and waking up with a heavy sense of regret. I request the lowdown on SH*TFACED’s private view, but the Jupiter Artland team have approached the topic of alcohol carefully in terms of attendees’ comfort and safety. This extends to Jupiter Rising, Edinburgh Art Festival’s collaborative public event on 19 August, in which Mendick will curate ‘the ultimate night out’ with Glasgow-based queer workers’ co-op Bonjour. Our conversation circles back to shared feelings of imposter syndrome and struggles with self-confidence. Once the interview reaches its natural end, I’m left ruminating on how I rely on alcohol as a social lubricant because of shyness; how I have taken shots before job interviews and first (and second) dates for courage. As Mendick exposes a private dialogue in a public setting, there is solace to be found in her art and her reflections, turning inward to detangle shame from drinking habits.

Lindsey Mendick: SH*TFACED, Jupiter Artland, until 1 October.

LINDSEY MENDICK PICTURES: NEIL HANNA

BUZZING FLORAL with FORBIDDEN

NLS/WAVERLEY CARE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS llll l

This small yet exceptionally thoughtful display centres around community responses to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Guest curated by Scottish charity Waverley Care, archival material from the 1980s is the predominant focus; however the epidemic’s longevity is conveyed through a five decade-spanning timeline which maps Scotland against international developments. Between 2003 and 2017, there is a comparatively large gap in the record of Scotland’s HIV Story: clarification on why this is the case may have enhanced the timeline.

This display contextualises the archival material among a climate of homophobia and demonisation of drug users, but care, love and collective effort is the order of the day here. In this refreshing approach, which foregrounds the multiplicity of experiences, there is an interjection of humour, too. For instance, a gay men’s health magazine sought to call out HIV-related myths on their ‘bollox’, adopting a no-nonsense tone of voice which does not induce anxiety.

As often is the case within grassroots activism, campaigners turned to arts and crafts as an advocacy tool, but also as a medium for inner healing. From gorgeous glass mandalas created at the Solas drop-in centre in Abbeyhill to a cherished cross-stich pattern, Blood, Sweat And Tears successfully conveys the array of cultural artefacts emerging from the epidemic and enriching our archives. (Rachel Ashenden)

n National Library Of Scotland, until 2 December.

RABINDRANATH X BHOSE

DANCE IN THE SACRED DOMAIN lll ll

Young hearts run free in Rabindranath X Bhose’s new installation, the latest contribution to Collective’s Satellites programme of work by emerging practitioners. Drawing from the ‘Hanged Man’ tarot card and the spiritual preserves of bogland, Bhose has created an environment of vinyl bogs fringed with dams of peat to protect them. Coloured scarves and other totems of illicit afterhours liaisons are tied onto branches, as if marking their territory.

On the windows are etched four images of the ‘Hanged Man’ himself, dangling in a limbo land between heaven and earth as the noose tightens before a final death-rattle dance begins. With a recording of poetry by Bhose, plus writers-artists Sammy Paloma and Oren Shoesmith soundtracking the scene like some Derek Jarman fantasia, Bhose’s construction is a temple of sorts that falls somewhere between sacred and profane, finding liberation as it goes. (Neil Cooper) n Collective, until 24 September.

LEONOR ANTUNES

THE APPARENT LENGTH OF A FLOOR AREA llll l

Leonor Antunes’ Fruitmarket offering is a visually engrossing, tactile affair, a set of sculptures mimicking the tropes and motifs of various craftswomen and female modernist architects. Try to imagine a range of sleek, functional objects and structures from the halcyon days of mid-20th century design, broken up into their basic creative components, and rearranged in altogether more organic and uncanny ways.

Three large, climbing bar-type constructions in bamboo and cherry fill the downstairs galleries. The ‘homemaker and her domain’ series includes pseudo-functional appendages such as strips of tubular cushions, curved shelves, mesh work and brackets, crafted from materials of varying tones and textures that seem to demand to be touched: brass, leather, synthetic raffia. Spread across the floor are sheets of cork covered in thick, angular black lines. This work, from which the exhibition takes its title, is based on rug designs by Marian Pepler. But the muddle of stripes underfoot also enhances the vague feeling of a municipal gym or leisure centre, and the sense of nostalgia for post-war civic modernism.

Upstairs are some marvellously impractical looking ‘tables’ (called ‘Charlottes’ after an unrealised Charlotte Perriand design) topped with clay tablets imprinted with matting. Meanwhile, beneath the warehouse gallery’s vaulted ceiling, long hangings in knotted leather and cotton rope articulate the drama of this space, as if we were in a big, brutalist cathedral. It’s not exactly a new idea to subvert modernist precision through (feminine-coded) organic forms and craft processes, but Antunes pulls it off with aplomb here, offering formal intrigue and sensory delight throughout. (Greg Thomas)

n Fruitmarket, until 8 October.

ELIZABETH BLACKADDER

We lost Elizabeth Blackadder just two years ago but her work lives on as part of this Wonder Women series which also features Bodil Manz and Wendy Ramshaw.

n The Scottish Gallery, until 26 August.

CHRISTIAN NOELLE CHARLES

Working with print, video and performance, this American artist shines a Black woman’s lens upon identity and inequality with WHAT A FEELING!/ACT I. And yes, that title should make you think of Flashdance

n Edinburgh Printmakers, until 17 September.

KEG DE SOUZA

Drawing on RBGE’s collections, this Australian artist has been showing us Shipping Roots since late March, a hardy perennial which puts a spotlight on the colonial legacy of plants.

n Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, until 27 August.

DREAMER’S EYE

This New Town space brings us work from emerging artists Plum Cloutman, Georg Wilson (pictured) and Zayn Qahtani who are showcased under the banner of Dreamer’s Eye n Arusha Gallery, until 27 August.

SCOTTISH WOMEN ARTISTS

Featuring works by Sekai Machache (pictured), Rachel Maclean, Alison Watt and Joan Eardley, this exhibition offers viewers a long-overdue perspective on Scottish art history.

n Dovecot Studios, until 6 January.

GRAYSON PERRY

Love him or be The Guardian’s chief art critic, the people’s potter gets the fullscale retrospective treatment with Smash Hits, a show that also platforms his talent in tapestry, print and sculpture.

n National Galleries Of Scotland: National, until 12 November.

YOUR ART WORLD

Something of a different pace here, as this exhibition displays the work of artists aged three through to 18 as we get a more youthful and innocent take on the world around us.

n National Galleries Of Scotland: National, until 14 April.

ith over 500 events to choose from, there’s something for everyone at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

This year’s Festival is a particularly exciting one, as it marks 40 years of bringing the world’s finest writers and thinkers to Edinburgh. Join us at our Festival Village in Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place, as we celebrate the joy of words.

Pick up a copy of our programme where we’re sure you’ll find your Book Bliss. Or book now at edbookfest.co.uk

Support Street Assist Edinburgh

Donate Fundraise

Assist Edinburgh 2023 (SCIO) Scottish Charity Number: SC047327

PUB TRAIL 2023

EXPLORE the historic pubs of Edinburgh with Belhaven this Fringe!

With 12 HISTORIC PUBS dotted around Edinburgh City Centre, there's a wealth of stories to explore during the Fringe Festival. Belhaven have partnered with authentic Scottish brewers and distillers to provide a walking tour of the City.

Pick up your flyer at any of the participating pubs and buy a drink in each one to earn your stamp. Visit and order a drink in 8 of the unique pubs* listed and you'll receive a free gift of your choosing from a range of Belhaven and other products, and if you complete all 13 pubs* you'll receive a FREE t-shirt commemorating your impressive achievement. GOOD LUCK!

JEZO’S CAR-CRASH MAGIC SHOW

‘A really stupid magic show for all’: how could anyone resist that? JezO was awarded Family Entertainer Of The Year in 2022, has done a bunch of panto around Kent and Essex, and comes from a line of illusory stock given that his dad is Doctor Bondini (the pair did some joint daredevilry on Britain’s Got Talent in 2020, where the sparks were quite literally flying). His Car-Crash Magic Show promises chaos, wonder and hilarity. No fancy motors were destroyed in the making of this show. Maybe . . . (Brian Donaldson)

n Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 2–27 August, 2pm.

WINE OF DUTY

Crime,

wine

and

accordion playing collide

in Anna Lou Larkin’s twisted new cabaret show. The Glaswegian performer caught up with Marissa Burgess to talk entertaining, educating and toning down the filth

Part of the inspiration for Anna Lou Larkin’s show Le Wine Club lies with her dad, who introduced her to wine at a very early age. Not in an irresponsible manner, of course; he was a wine buff sharing his enthusiasm for the blessed grape.

‘Ever since we were little he would give us a little sniff: “what do you think that smells like? That’s sauvignon blanc, so that smells like gooseberry.” I’ve still never had a gooseberry; I only know what gooseberry smells like!’ Unsurprisingly, Larkin went on to study wine herself, gaining the specialist WSET Level 4 qualification.

Though her eclectic cabaret show is meant to include a wine tasting element, at the time of going to press it was unknown whether Larkin would be allowed to give the audience a tipple at her venue (ironic given the name of the room she’s performing in is Nip). Nevertheless, those attending can always supply their own from the bar, and in any case, there is far more to the show than just that.

Le Wine Club has had a few runs since its first incarnation in late 2021 and has finally reached the Fringe; the result is in part a murder mystery. ‘I love a whimsical crime drama, Midsomer Murders and all that. That was our lockdown basically; drinking wine and watching whimsical crimes, which is kind of what the show is. There’s always that little thread, a sort of murder mystery. Someone gets killed in a big vat of merlot . . . it’s quite dark in some ways, but also very silly.’

In many aspects, Le Wine Club is the culmination of Larkin’s life journey so far. As well as wine and lockdown crime drama, a little French is dropped in, soundtracked by an iconic instrument very much associated with our Gallic neighbours. Having studied performance in Paris, Larkin toured in a French-speaking theatre company and subsequently decided to perform cabaret with the accordion.

‘When I first started doing cabaret shows, the shows that I was enjoying were things like The Tiger Lillies. I think that was one of the things that inspired me in playing the accordion; it has a really evocative sound without doing too much. You get a sort of film sound that really takes you somewhere.’

Larkin has performed a lot of late-night cabaret in clubs over the years, but she’s made an effort to tone down the level of filth for afternoon Fringe-goers. Don’t worry though: only a touch. ‘The audience expected really dark, really filthy material. The levels got so high that I expected everything that I wrote to be filthy because they expect it to be filthy. But for this show, I’ve really tried to bring that down. So I think this is my easy-going commercial piece. But it’s still very adults-only and quite blue in terms of the songs. I love lyrics and rhyming and making things a little bit naughty, but also smart and a bit informative at the same time. That’s what I’m trying to do with this show.’

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a bit of magic too. ‘It’s quite a simple magic trick. I have done bits and pieces of magic in various shows but I’m not naturally gifted at it. You’re trying to conceal something from the audience with magic whereas I think I’m always like, “I want to show you everything!” When I watch magic, I’m like the best audience and just like [*looks astonished*] “tell me how you do it?!”’ Free wine or not, it’s clear to see fun will be had with Anna Lou Larkin behind the bar.

Le Wine Club, Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 2–27 August, 3pm.

SUHANI SHAH SPELLBOUND

This magician and mind reader from Rajasthan in India has 3.6m followers on YouTube, all keen to find out just how exactly she can guess someone’s bank balance and PIN, their first crush’s name, or their favourite song.

The 33-year-old explains that it all began when she was six, after she’d been captivated by a TV magic show. She followed her mum into the kitchen where she was making chapatis and used the dough to cover her eyes. Under a blindfold, she guessed what her dad was writing on a slate. ‘To their amazement, I was able to correctly identify and rewrite the exact same content; even something in a regional language, Gujarati, despite being not yet proficient in reading and writing.’

After building up from birthday parties and school shows to performing on Indian Idol and giving several TED Talks, Shah now performs her magic tricks and illusions around the world. Although she says audiences tend to be most impressed by her illusion of mind reading, she insists it’s all about how she stages the tricks.

‘I strongly believe the most unbelievable aspect of my magic performances lies not in a specific trick but in the artistry of its performance. It’s not about the mechanics of making a coin disappear or unveiling secrets; it’s the storytelling, narration and presentation that elevates the experience from a mere trick to an enchanting moment.’

Onstage she’s been known to make water spontaneously pour from her hands or cards disappear from sight; offstage she is a corporate trainer and clinical hypnotherapist with her own clinic in Goa. Sleight of hand, telepathy, basic psychology, body language, a supernatural gift . . . soon Edinburgh audiences can make their own minds up about where this mentalist’s powers really come from. (Claire Sawers) n Underbelly Bristo Square, 2–27 August, 5.25pm.

PICTURE: PRIYANK NANDWANA

TIM BENZIE SOLVE ALONG A MURDER SHE WROTE

There’s no denying the status of Angela Lansbury’s novelistturned-detective, Jessica Fletcher (RIP, but living on through a thousand retro-style t-shirts sold on Etsy). Protagonist of the cult show Murder, She Wrote, Fletcher is one of only a handful of older female characters whose image is instantly recognisable, and whose sharp brains are the focus of their appeal. So beloved was Murder, She Wrote to superfan Tim Benzie, that he went ahead and created his own live spinoff, which invites audiences to celebrate both the camp and the criminal by collectively solving one of his favourite episodes as it plays out in real time.

Solve Along A Murder She Wrote brings a twist to the popular singalong movie format that’s now regular fare for Sunday afternoon cinema screenings, and has been touring the UK and Australia (Benzie is an Aussie) for several years. Lauded for its party atmosphere, the show promises singsongs, quizzes and a chance to name the murderer before Jessica does.

Although light mockery is involved (Murder, She Wrote’s plot twists are famed for stretching credulity), it’s all done in good spirit, driven by Benzie’s steadfast stan-dom. And if that’s not enough to get your nostalgia flowing, there’s also an 80s ‘ad break’ halfway through. (Lucy Ribchester) n TheSpace @ Symposium Hall, 4–26 August, 8.10pm.

DUGMORE IS

LORD PRODUCTIONS MR & MRS LOVE

After debuting at the Fringe in 2022, Mr & Mrs Love are returning to Edinburgh with a brand new musical romcom. Created and performed by James Doughty and Stephanie Marion, the concept for the show emerged rather rapidly, only a few months ahead of its first appearance at last year’s Fringe.

Doughty and Marion insist they have sought to incorporate ‘something for everyone’ into this high-energy performance.

Spanning musical genres across the decades, and even inventing their own unique medleys, the show turns to song to ‘unpack the complexities of relationships’. Under the guise of Mr & Mrs Love, the duo perform an array of West End hits from Wicked and Frozen to Gypsy and Jekyll & Hyde, using an undisclosed number of instruments throughout.

Oozing saccharine sweetness, Mr & Mrs Love initially invites the audience to unlock their ‘inner sanctum of love’. Framed as a workshop on relationships, the couple offer the crowd their intimate secrets to a successful long-term marriage. Yet, after six tiring years of touring, their patience begins to wane under the spotlight. Through a series of ‘romantic detours’, in which their mutual brutal honesty derails the workshop’s trajectory, the Loves’ marital contentment is brought into question. Instead of assisting audiences with heartbreak or lovelessness, the show’s focal point turns inward, as the pair fight to save their own marriage and ultimately reignite a romantic spark.

Mr & Mrs Love promises a cacophonous and chaotic ‘emotional rollercoaster’, alongside laughs and outlandish dance moves. Audience members may even feel inclined (or indeed discouraged) to tie the knot themselves after witnessing Mr & Mrs Love’s marital mishaps and flirtations. (Rachel Ashenden) n Pleasance Dome, 2–27 August, 9.30pm.

"MUST-SEE, TABOO-BUSTING"

"RAUCOUS, COMEDIC" fringebiscuit

to

LUKE OSEY IMMATURE MAGIC

The only magic trick we managed while inebriated was staggering home without falling into a bush, but then again, we’re not Luke Osey. The wunderkind magician’s previous show, Drunk Magic, found him performing jaw-dropping sleights of hand while downing shots, slammers and enough Coronas to kill a small elephant (think Drunk History but with the added thrill of a magic trick potentially failing).

For the good of his liver, Edinburgh-based Osey has shelved that act in favour of Immature Magic, a collection of stunts, card tricks and what his press release describes as ‘tasteful nudity’. At only 21 years old, Osey’s blend of puerile humour, confident crowd work and dextrous illusions have made him one to watch, and earned him writing credits for magic’s cool crowd such as Dynamo, Julius Dein and Joel M.

Osey’s finest trick has been his mastery of social media, where he’s garnered more than 44k followers on TikTok for shortform conjuring. The lairy energy is strong with this one (as you might expect from an 18-rated show at the Fringe), but this foul-mouthed conjurer’s ability to repurpose traditional tricks for a new generation is breathing new life into the ‘pick a card, any card’ format. (Kevin Fullerton)

 PBH’s Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms, 5–27 August, 2pm; Luke Osey is also part of 1 Hour Of Insane Magic, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 2–28 August, 7pm.

IVY PAIGE

This Burlesque Bombshell and Fringe favourite once chose Kate Bush, Margaret Atwood and her school drama teacher when asked about inspirations. We reckon there are some rising cabaret wannabes who would pick Paige as theirs.

n Voodoo Rooms, 4–13 August, 7.50pm.

CABARET HIGHLIGHTS

ADA CAMPE

Indulging in a spot of Naval Gazing , the cabaret icon whisks us all away onto the high seas for an hour of sassy merriment and tales taller than Burj Khalifa.

n The Stand’s New Town Theatre, 3–27 August, 2.55pm.

ROSIE SINGS

My Vagina’s Priceless certainly isn’t a title that will just float over your head. But Rosie backs it up with songs and stories from someone who has ‘the voice of an angel and the mouth of a sailor’.

n PBH’s Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms, 5–27 August, 8.45pm.

BEN HART

Inspired by traditional Indian street magic as well as a willingness to uncover his own cultural history, the man who worked with Tom Cruise on Mission Impossible offers a different kind of magic show.

n Assembly George Square Gardens, 2–27 August, 6pm.

MARTHA AND EVE

Martha D Lewis and Eve Polycarpou initially came to the attention of entertainmentwatchers in 1987 and are making a long-awaited return to the Fringe for a proper celebration of their 35 years in showbiz.

n Gilded Balloon Teviot, 4–14 August, 8.45pm.

THE THINKING DRINKERS

Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham know about alcohol, comedy and that point where the two often (OK, occasionally) meet: the pub quiz. Fancy Another Round? will be erudite without the pomposity.

n Underbelly Bristo Square, 3–27 August, 6.40pm.

KOKOON

Recent winners of an award in Adelaide, this K-Pop and K-Comedy quintet are big in Japan (and, of course, Korea). There will be singing, there will be dancing, there’s bound to be rapping, and there will almost certainly be laughing.

n Assembly Checkpoint, 2–13 August, 4.30pm.

PICTURE: STEVE ULLATHORNE

PICTURE: ALEXIS DUBUS

PICTURE: MATT CROCKETT

COMEDY

COURTNEY PAUROSO

Even if you didn’t know that Courtney Pauroso’s startling 2019 Edinburgh debut had the alt-clown hands of Dr Brown guiding proceedings, seasoned Fringe-watchers would have detected his fingerprints all over Gutterplum. Now, this intense and funny performer is back with a new creation, Vanessa 5000, a sex robot which is undergoing a product demonstration right in front of us. As existential and technological boundaries are confronted, prepare to feel a variety of actual human emotions. (Brian Donaldson) n Pleasance Courtyard, 2–27 August, 9pm.

Clowning royalty Viggo Venn and Julia Masli may be partners in life, but their performing styles are worlds apart. With two shows each at this year’s Fringe, Megan Merino caught up with them to hear about the trauma of clown school and their ambitions to get King Charles into workwear

CLASS CLOWNS

Words are often the tools used to move us, whether it’s to laughter, tears, disbelief or something in between. In the discipline of clowning, however, words are used far more sparingly, instead calling upon other forms of physical communication to rouse audiences in an almost primal way. Just look at Britain’s Got Talent winner Viggo Venn’s seemingly silly act. With little more than hi-vis vests, a Daft Punk song and impeccable timing, Venn managed to nab the show’s £250,000 cash prize and a Royal Variety Performance slot. Of course, Venn’s success didn’t happen overnight. Performing around the world as both a solo act and as part of Zach & Viggo, he’s been honing his craft over several years, first sharpening his teeth at École Philippe Gaulier under the watchful eye of professor and master clown Gaulier himself. Venn believes that this fully prepared him for the harsh judgement of a BGT panel. ‘[Gaulier] tells you when you’re failing fast; and quite insultingly. Sometimes you would be on stage for six seconds and he’d be like “ba! Thank you Viggo, you are shit. Ah, you remind me of a shit on the street of Paris, a little dog shit”.’

Others To See clowns

The nature of power and greed is at the heart of Gemma Soldati’s new show, The Poor Rich (Assembly Roxy, 2–27 August, 10pm). You may recall Soldati from previous works such as The Simple Simples and The Living Room, while this one has been dubbed as ‘Wolf Of Wall Street done up by clowns’.

Pink may be many people’s colour of choice right now, but Michael Galligan is delivering a strong shout-out to yellow for Banana (ZOO Southside, 4–27 August, 2.15pm). Is he a man or a bendy fruit? Work it out for yourself in this slippery multidisciplinary affair. From yellow peel to the Red Nose Company with Don Quixote (Assembly George Square Studios, 2–15 August, 4.05pm) as Finland’s Mike and Zin morph into Don and Sancho for a theatrical ride into physical mayhem.

Creepy Boys (Summerhall, 2–27 August, 10pm) features orphans celebrating their joint 13th birthday party. There’ll be cake, gifts and a touch of Beelzebub in this show which hankers to be an occult favourite. A somewhat lighter approach is taken by Jeromaia Detto (BlundaGardens, 3–12 August, 8pm; Underbelly Cowgate, 21–27 August, 5.10pm) with MUSH, in which the Gaulier-trained clown brings us whimsy and silliness by the overflowing bucketload.

PICTURE: NICK ROBERTSON

Creepy Boys

As a former student of the late, great Jacques Lecoq, Gaulier’s eponymous acting school builds on those formative teachings of physical theatre, movement and mime, and has been attended by the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter over the years. So how does Gaulier’s frankness compare to the notoriously grumpy Simon Cowell? ‘Simon is so much nicer,’ Venn admits.‘They have a similar quality actually. Simon has a buzzer and Philippe has a drum, and if they hit it, you’re out. So actually they’re kind of the same.’ Nodding in agreement next to him is fellow award-winning performer (and Venn’s partner) Julia Masli, who attended Gaulier’s school at the same time. ‘When you come out of the school, you feel like you’ve been through a war zone. We just see each other fail, fail, fail, but then something happens once in a blue moon where you have a breakthrough!’

Gaulier calls this breakthrough ‘finding your inner clown’, a challenge that remains for even very experienced performers. ‘I do not know my clown, but I know when the clown is around,’ explains Venn. ‘When the audience is laughing and I’m playing, then I know “ah, my clown is here”, but then, zeep! He’s gone again.’ Masli explains it in different terms. ‘It’s the part of yourself your best friends laugh about behind your back,’ but she also believes there’s something profound in the continual search. ‘[Gaulier] made this beautiful speech at the end of our clown module where he said you have to believe that Godot will come one day. “I’m 73 and I’m still waiting for Godot every day”, he said. The journey never ends.’

Masli and Venn may have first bonded over being students of Gaulier, but their performance styles couldn’t be more different. In Masli’s critically acclaimed shows Legs and Logs, as well as last year’s CHOOSH!, it’s her captivating calmness and ingenious use of props that distinguish her. ‘She has such an absolutely ridiculous imagination that is so free and charming,’ Venn attests. In her new hour, facetiously named ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, Masli leans into audience participation, building the show’s narrative around stories offered up by attendees.

‘It’s really moved me actually,’ says Masli. ‘People stay after and meet each other because it feels like “oh, I know you” now you’ve shared this thing and we’ve laughed about it and made it into something.’ As for Venn, ‘I love the wild energy and chaos he brings,’ says Masli. His show British Comedian, named after a deep desire to be exactly that, has ‘a theme of increased visibility’ (said with a wink).

‘My biggest dream was to become a British comedian,’ says the Norwegian Venn. ‘And now I’m touring a show called British Comedian. So my next dream is to get King Charles in hi-vis.’A dream not outside the realm of possibility considering he’ll be performing for him in November. But first Venn needs to get through August, something he has characteristically chosen to make more ‘risky’ for himself.

‘My producer called me and was like, “you can have any time slot and room you want now”. I was silent and then he kind of giggled “hehehe”. And then I giggled “hehehe”. And then I said “midnight, huh?” And he was like “oh yeah”.’ Masli shares his excitement for a midnight slot. ‘There’s a special wild atmosphere; people are ready for anything, ready to do anything.’ Most importantly, adds Venn, ‘there are no accountants. Only the festival crowd who are really interested. It’s just perfect.’

Julia Masli: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, Monkey Barrel, 4–15 August, 12.05am; Julia Masli: CHOOSH!, Assembly George Square Gardens, 22–27 August, 8.55pm.

Viggo Venn: Clown (Clown In Progress), BlundaGardens, 3–7 August, 6.40pm; Viggo Venn: British Comedian, Lodge Grounds, North Berwick, as part of Fringe By The Sea, 13 August, 9.30pm; Monkey Barrel, 16–27 August, 12.05am.

YOU'LL NOT EXPERIENCE GROWTH OR LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THE WORLD OR YOURSELF THAT'S THE LOOSE CANNONS GUARANTEE

a gag rate faster than a Tommy gun (and marginally less painful)

SUB-ATOMIC VENUE 393

Over the past few years, Glenn Moore has forged a strong critical reputation, delivering acclaimed shows and picking up an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination along the way. With his quickfire gag rate, Moore is just as popular with audiences too. After its success last year, he returns to reprise Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, Glenn I’m Sixty Moore. Here, he tells Marissa Burgess about having his life dreams crushed at the age of five

Is the show the same as last year or have you been tweaking?

The material is pretty much the same. I toyed with moving things around but then I thought it’s unfair on the people who saw it last year if there’s a slightly newer version of the show going round. All that’s really changed (and this always happens every year after Edinburgh, once the last reviewer has been in) is suddenly I work out a different way to tell one of the old jokes; it will fully transform the show and I’ll be furious every year. Often it’s just a change in hand gesture or moving the microphone from one hand to the other, but it means a joke that wasn’t getting much suddenly gets much better.

You’ve also got a work-in-progress show at Monkey Barrel?

That’s a fully different format for me; it’s for a Radio Four series I’m doing in the autumn, four half-hour episodes of stand-up. The idea is that each day of the run to try out two different episodes. It’s very much a stand-up show but it will be twoand-a-half hours of very different stand-up sets. It’s kind of a compilation of lots of material I’ve been doing over the years and trying to fit it into a new, more Radio Four-y framework. It’s fun to have something I can move around and change loads during the day. I’ve always been really frightened at the Fringe of changing a show around too much as there could be an industry person in; you worry you could screw it up. In the same way that if you’re doing your driving test, you wouldn’t pull out a new manoeuvre you’ve never done before. It’ll be really nice to go to the Fringe and every morning just go, ‘I’m going to try a brand new half hour.’ That’ll be exhilarating.

They were leaving this trail of destruction in their wake of crying, screaming children ”

You see some odd sights at the Fringe but what’s the weirdest thing you’ve witnessed?

On the Royal Mile, some theatre group were doing a children’s show and they were each dressed as gods. But all the cast were over six foot and were wearing these huge gowns over their heads, and then they had a stick-head on top of the gown that was all made of wire mesh and tin foil. They looked absolutely fucking horrifying. Each time they came across a child, the tin-head would have to swoop down and hand them a flyer and they were leaving this trail of destruction in their wake of crying, screaming children. Oh man, so up my street. It was incredible, so wildly misjudged; I so wish I’d seen that play.

What led you to take up comedy?

I wanted to go into acting when I was a kid. I think when you’re a kid you choose from four or five really frivolous jobs like astronaut, Hollywood star, horse, singer, anything like that. For me, it was, ‘oh my god, Hollywood actor! That’d be the absolute dream.’ I remember at the age of five telling my mum, ‘I want to be like Macaulay Culkin when I’m grown up,’ because I’d just seen Home Alone. Mum said, ‘you kind of needed to have been in adverts and TV shows when you were a baby.’ So I got told at the age of five that I’d left my life ambition too late. Then at uni I really enjoyed being in comedy plays, and it’s really nice getting a laugh, but you’re always getting a laugh from a famous playwright’s words, not your own. That felt a tiny bit empty. I think that’s where it came from.

When we last spoke, you told me an ambition was to eat through a Wetherspoons menu in a day. Have you managed it?

No, it’s still a dream of mine to one day go to the Tuesday Steak Club and do every single type of steak. It’s brilliant, it’s like McDonald’s: no one has ever complained about McDonald’s because you’re getting meat for 99p; you have no right to. As for eating everything on the menu, as each year goes by, I think that is becoming more and more of a grave health risk. If Tim Martin is willing to offer a Wetherspoons tasting menu at some point, like a silver service sort of thing, then obviously I’d be the first customer through the door.

Glenn Moore: Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, Glenn I’m Sixty Moore, Pleasance Courtyard, 3–15 August, 6pm; Glenn Moore: Work In Progress, Monkey Barrel, 3–15 August, 11.20am.

SWEET TALK

Improv masters Baby Wants Candy are back for another ad-libbing attack on the Fringe. Meanwhile, two of the crew are stepping out with their own bonkers shows this August. After catching up with Katy Berry and Chris Grace, Jay Richardson learns we can expect stilettos, sequins, sexed-up deities, and more Scarlett Johansson than you can shake a wig at

Originally hailing from Chicago, music-backed improvisers Baby Wants Candy have become an Edinburgh Fringe institution with a loyal following. Two of the ensemble are also bringing scripted solo shows this year, with Chris Grace and Katy Berry presenting their debut hours. Both retain improv elements but are personal, multi-faceted mish-mashes, showcasing a spread of performance skills, quirky creativity and that redoubtable American energy. Both acts are appearing in the Baby main show and improvised hip-hop musical Shamilton!, with Grace also part of standup affair Laughing Stock

‘Improv is all about feeding off the audience,’ shrugs Berry. ‘There’s always this tension of them not knowing if you’re going to fuck it up that keeps them on the edge of their seats, which feeds you in turn. Especially in Edinburgh. They’re always so hyped up and excited!’

In the cabaret-drenched Diamond Goddess Crystal Pussy, Berry recasts her conservative Long Island upbringing and three stories of abject humiliation into a glittery yet goofy, Broadway-infused celebration of empowerment. There are also ad-libbed songs, nods to Billy Joel and a sprinkling of mythology depicting her as the lovechild of Poseidon.

‘We should trust our instincts as divine, and mine are that I’m a goddess!’ she gushes. ‘I’ve been raised mortal but the gods are horny, they’re sexy and I’m reclaiming that. I could have done straight storytelling stand-up but I’m a fan of John Waters, of Hedwig And The Angry Inch. I like colour, sparkle, huge stilettos and sequinned dresses.’

Meanwhile, Grace is donning a wig and demonstrating his stage combat repertoire in homage to one of the world’s most famous actors. The chubby, gay, Asian stand-up, best known for starring in sitcom Superstore, isn’t the obvious choice to portray Black Widow. But in Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson, he’s exploring the blonde bombshell taking

an ostensibly Japanese role in the live-action adaptation of anime masterpiece Ghost In The Shell, and recording an album of songs by gravel-larynxed singer-songwriter Tom Waits. Grace sees the show as on ‘the bleeding edge’ of debates about whitewashing, representation and the power structures underpinning popular entertainment. Although as a versatile improviser who formed part of a ‘venomous [heterosexual] love triangle’ in Superstore, he’s not damning Johansson for her privilege or for taking opportunities that others might be better suited to. Rather, he’s ‘staggering, slack-jawed’ that it happened, ‘standing back and admiring her’.

Part stand-up, part improv, Grace says the show is chaotic: ‘I don’t have clear-cut answers about diversity and racism; it’s too big a problem for one person to solve. The structure reflects my brain spinning off into multiple directions.’

He won’t be leaving a complimentary ticket for Johansson, reasoning she can afford to pay for the whole audience as reparations. She reportedly has a sense of humour about herself, ‘but if she got pissed off, that would be funny,’ admits Grace. ‘My original producer dropped out because he was worried about getting sued. However, I can’t help thinking that it would send my sales through the roof!’

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson, Assembly George Square Studios, 2–28 August, 1.40pm.

Katy Berry: Diamond Goddess Crystal Pussy, Just The Tonic At The Mash House, 3–27 August, 2.10pm.

Baby Wants Candy: Shamilton! The Improvised Hip Hop Musical, Assembly George Square Studios, 2–27 August, 5.20pm.

Baby Wants Candy, Assembly George Square Studios, 2–27 August, 9.05pm.

PICTURES: KATY BERRY BY MINDY TUCKER; CHRIS

GRACE BY CX XIE; BABY WANTS CANDY BY EMPIRICAL

“

Acclaimed musician and actor Kate Nash adds another string to her bow with The Retreat, this time donning her producer’s hat. Poking fun at corporate life, Nash gives Fiona Shepherd a taste of what audiences should expect when they enter the unhinged world of Men-ses Period Panties

Kate Nash (back) gets to grips with Rebekka Johnson (middle) and Anne Gregory

As Fringe comedy endorsements go, ‘she’s the funniest person I’ve ever met’ is a good start. Especially when the recommendation comes from Kate Nash, Brit Awardwinning singer-songwriter, comic actress and now producer of Fringe show The Retreat Nash is referring to comedian Rebekka Johnson, her co-star in much-loved Netflix comedy-drama series GLOW, set in the Californian women’s wrestling circuit of the 1980s. ‘It was so much fun to be part of that world,’ says Nash. ‘We really liked the physicality of what we were able to do. Our trainer, Chavo Guerrero, told us to do the opposite of what you’ve been told as women your whole life: be larger, be louder, be more insane. I can’t overstate the impact it had on us as humans. We wanted to carry on down that weird and wonderful route.’

During the pandemic, GLOW was cancelled after three seasons, with Nash and Johnson going on to make two twisted horror-comedy shorts, Wild Bitch and Bad Rabbit. Johnson, meanwhile, developed a stage show, The Retreat, with Parks And Recreation actress Anne Gregory in which they play the She-E-Os of failing company Men-ses Period Panties. The audience are invited to join them on a corporate retreat: chaos ensues.

Nash saw the show in Los Angeles, where she now lives, and immediately recognised an out-there energy that would go down well at the Fringe. ‘Rebekka is from the New York comedy improv scene. She’s so cutthroat, so quick, not afraid to play any card with her humour, such a professional improviser, and Anne has got the same vein of unhinged that Rebekka and I really enjoy. They’re so free with their bodies, and their characters are so crazy.’

Nash is now on board as the show’s producer and will also appear on stage when she’s not elsewhere playing music festivals. She’s had her own damaging brushes with corporate culture over the years but is now a fully independent artist with a new album slated for release next year, a horror novel sitting on her hard drive and, thanks to GLOW, a new creative lease of life which has brought her full circle back to the acting she studied as a teenager.

Last autumn, she wrote the music for and starred in an off-Broadway show Only Gold. But she appreciates that the Fringe is a different beast, having experienced full Fringe immersion back in 2005 when, straight out of the BRIT School, she came to Edinburgh to flyer a show.

‘It’s such an amazing atmosphere and such a cool experience for performers,’ she enthuses. ‘Theatre in that Fringe setting is really exciting because it’s very raw. It’s people with ideas, throwing shit at the wall and having fun. There’s no way you can’t have a good night at our show. I hope people come and have a laugh with some pals and be very, very entertained by some unhinged corporate women . . . I can’t believe we’re actually taking it to Edinburgh.’

The Retreat, Underbelly Cowgate, 3–27 August, 8pm.

Others To See alternative comedy

The Retreat has these two little-ish words beside its Fringe blurb, but what even is ‘alternative comedy’ nowadays? A title such as the following should be reasonably representative, you’d think: The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society (Monkey Barrel, 6–9, 13–16, 20–23, 27 August, 11.55pm) is a night featuring a cavalcade of acts with comperes such as Thom Tuck, Siân Docksey and Jordan Brookes trying to keep proceedings on a less than even keel.

‘A master of simplicity’, Dan Lees (PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth, 4–20 August, 10.10pm) has worked with Nina Conti, Julia Masli and Dr Brown so the clowny vibe is strong with his brand of alt-com. The form is probably best sampled as late at night as possible, and in Vibe Shift (Laughing Horse @ City Café, 3–13 August, 1am; Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 17–27 August, 12.15am), host Camilla Borges introduces a collection of the Fringe’s finest leftfield laughter-inducers.

For just two wild and chaotic nights only, The Jam Society (Monkey Barrel, 23 & 24 August, 1am) rides along an absurdist wave with acts confirmed to appear so far including Courtney Pauroso, Josh Glanc and Lara Ricote. Hosted by Lucas Jefcoate, Oddity Comedy (Laughing Horse @ Eastside, 3–27 August, 1.55pm) will do all it can to live up to that name, featuring five different acts each afternoon who will ensure you think about the world of comedy somewhat differently afterwards.

PICTURE: DAVID PICKENS

Dan Lees

Sou

p-er trooper

Life can be tough, but Alison Spittle is a big fan of laughing her way through personal trauma. The Irish comic talks to Megan Merino about topless Danny Dyer mugs and ‘being mental’

Alison Spittle’s first taste of standup was inspired by a gentle nudge from Irish comic Bernard O’Shea while working on his radio show as a student. ‘If Bernard didn’t tell me to do stand-up, then I think I would only be starting around now, after several failed attempts at something else,’ says Spittle, now with five Fringe shows, a hit podcast and an EastEnders cameo under her belt. ‘I did it and I got these incredible endorphins; I just wanted to chase that feeling from then on.’

Hoping to top (or at least repeat) the success of her 2022 hour Wet, which covered everything from unpleasant coil removals to workplace sexual harassment, Spittle is dissecting her tendency to joke about personal trauma in new show Soup

‘I realised when getting treatment for CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), that I’d done stand-up about everything that had affected me. I couldn’t remember the memory itself, all I could remember was the actual material. I was talking to the therapist going “oh no, there’s a punchline there”. So I’m trying to do a show about CPTSD without triggering myself. It’s hard!’

Having grown up in an Irish Catholic family, laughing through dark times is something Spittle is familiar with. ‘I remember laughing the hardest at jokes made when you, or people around you, are upset. Like laughing at funerals is the most freeing thing you can do!’ These familial moments inspire a lot of her material: ‘I am very interested in the minutiae of domestic life,’ she says, before breaking into a cackle. ‘I sound like SUCH AN ARSEHOLE!

I get possessed by a cringe ghost that goes “NO”, but it’s true. I like that you could be having a row with your partner and they’re holding a mug with Danny

Dyer topless on it. It can be the most heartbreaking moment of your life but that mug was still there to witness it. It’s those absurd little things.’

So where does the soup come in? Aside from Spittle’s active membership in a soup WhatsApp group and it being her chosen dream starter on Off Menu, it’s also ‘my favourite thing to talk about. It’s uncontroversial. Everyone has an opinion on soup in a way but you can’t be offended by it.’

Alongside its comforting connotations, soup can also conjure up something murkier. ‘If the ground was soupy, it would stop you moving,’ Spittle continues. ‘It slows you down. I was chatting to a lady who doesn’t like soup, and I thought that would go against every sensibility I have. But she made some good points: it is quite sloppy.’

An hour-long exploration of pureed veg would run quite thin, of course. Instead, Spittle will serve up entertaining tales that straddle the joy and pain of everyday life. ‘To look at something and prod or laugh at it doesn’t take away from how hard it is. It’s just another part of life. And you can laugh at everything in life,’ she insists.

As someone who openly deals with bouts of poor mental health (or how Spittle and best friend Fern Brady put it, ‘being mental’), maybe she has a point. ‘I did want Soup to be about being happy,’ Spittle continues. ‘I’m a happy person. But I do comedy about dark things because they just interest me. Also, I love one-word titles; I think I’m going to stick with them from now on. My first ever show was called Alison Spittle Needs An Agent which wasn’t a one-word title. It was a cry for help that ultimately went unanswered.’

Alison Spittle: Soup, Monkey Barrel The Hive, 2–27 August, 1.25pm.

I’m a little hussy for the attention” “

TikTok sensation, musicaltheatre writer, comedian: Daniel Foxx has packed a lot so far into a short career. Ahead of his Fringe standup debut, this ‘haggard old witch’ chats with Zara Janjua about gay audacity, fabulous villains, and fading dreams of becoming the new Ian McEwan

H‘eroes try to maintain the status quo and villains try to change it,’ says Daniel Foxx, plucking examples from the world of Disney, citing Aladdin’s Jafar as an all-time ‘fave’ baddie.

Foxx, who brings his debut stand-up show Villain to this year’s Fringe, explains a particular fascination with these wrong’uns. ‘Queerness exists outside the typical narrative so being an outsider is an inherent part of being gay. Growing up, the only gay representations I could find were villains; they all seemed to have this camp feminine energy and were absolutely fabulous.’

Villain is an autobiographical showcase of comedic observations, conjured from his coming-out era in the noughties. ‘It tells you exactly who I am, from my childhood and school years. The villain is such an archetypal, vampy, campy, musical-theatre type that I decided to include songs and musical performances in my show.’ Meanwhile, reflecting on his look for the show’s poster, Foxx says: ‘I have what the queer community call gay audacity. I’ve made my own villainous outfit and I can’t even sew.’

Foxx is as sharp and enigmatic in real life as the characters he portrays on social media. The 29-year-old has almost 250,000 followers on TikTok, amassing many millions of views for comedy sketches about middle-aged mothers and a supervillain’s gay assistant.

‘Bite-sized character studies are the new wave of comedy content on TikTok and I just love the engagement you get from it,’ he says. ‘The internet gave me the opportunity to find an audience in lockdown. It took a few months, but after posting three times a week, it finally took off.’

They say it takes ten years to become an overnight success but Foxx has done it in just four. ‘I’m a newcomer at the Fringe this year, but in reality I’m a haggard old witch. I’ve written everything from immersive murder-mystery dining experiences to a gender-swapped Beauty And The Beast to a superhero parody of Wolverine called Vulvarine. And to think I grew up dreaming of becoming a serious writer like Ian McEwan.’

Foxx has written eight musicals, including the sell-out, multiaward-winning Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch, a musical parody of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which debuted at the Fringe in 2019. ‘We aimed for stand-up levels of funny on that show. As a writer, it was a great learning experience. I want my stand-up show to be just as fabulous as musical theatre.’ So, are there any nerves for the comedy writer-turned performer?

‘Not in the slightest. I’m a little hussy for the attention,’ says Foxx with an evil laugh.

Daniel Foxx: Villain, Pleasance Courtyard, 2–27 August, 7.05pm.

VIX LEYTON THE COMEDY ARCADE

If competitive anecdote-sharing was your Olympic sport of choice (assuming you’d put in the training) then this might be the show for you. Engaging host Vix Leyton brings together a panel of four guests with her bingo-ball spinner of random prompts such as dates and celeb encounters. Each guest is then invited to pitch their very best previously-unheard tale before those efforts are scored, with plenty of audience input.

Changing nightly, the panel will feature a roster of well-known names, up-and-coming comedians and TV personalities. Announced so far are Jo Caulfield, Jenny Ryan, Andrew O’Neill, Sikisa, Alison Spittle, Jack Gleadow, Leila Navabi, Robin Ince, Tadiwa Mahlunge and Mark Watson (fun fact: Watson is partly responsible for Leyton’s career after discovering her on Twitter and encouraging her to try out comedy as a way of overcoming a fear of public speaking).

Fast, funny, and often scurrilous, Leyton’s upbeat hosting holds the whole thing together, creating a show that’s exactly like popping round your pal’s for a wine-fuelled dinner party. And happily minus all the crushingly dull bits like eating food, talking about house prices and feigning interest in little Johnnie’s exam results. (Jo Laidlaw)

 The Stand 3, 4–27 August, 4.40pm.

Damet Garm Damet Garm

Ga rm

“An extraordinary presence. Fresh, funny, smart, surprising.”

KATE COPSTICK (THE SCOTSMAN)

THENJIWE THE MANDELA EFFECT

‘In South Africa, we laugh at ourselves; we laugh at our pain because we can’t afford therapy,’ says Thenjiwe, her deadpan tone juxtaposed against a playful expression. Thenjiwe grew up in KwaMashu, South Africa’s most dangerous township, in a country labelled the fourth most dangerous in the world. ‘The first time I saw a homeless person was in America and I thought they were shooting a Hollywood movie,’ she said. ‘It was a real shock to go to a first world country and realise that even they can’t look after their own people.’

Known as South Africa’s first lady of comedy, Thenjiwe will be making her Edinburgh Fringe debut with The Mandela Effect. ‘People seem to think I’m going to be talking about Nelson Mandela’s life, but it actually refers to the phenomenon of people misremembering a historic event. A large portion of people wrongly think Mandela died in prison.’

The lawyer turned comedian writes, produces and stars in two popular South African sitcoms, Judge Thenjiwe Khambule and Meet The Khambules. The Funny Women Content Creator Award finalist has three YouTube channels with over 180,000 subscribers and more than 40m views. ‘I just want to share my story, because for too long the African story has been told by non-African people.

As long as the tale of the hunt is told by the hunter it will never glorify the lion. Now I’m the lion . . . in Nikes.’

Thenjiwe draws on observations about culture and language to educate audiences about her heritage. ‘Where I come from, you can tell a lot about someone by their name,’ she says. ‘We started using English words as names because people forced us to change our names so often. In 1994, babies being born were called Freedom because that’s when apartheid ended. In 2021, the most popular name was Sanitiser because of the pandemic.’ So, what does Thenjiwe mean? ‘Trust,’ she says, adding, ‘I’m thankful I wasn’t born during Ebola.’ (Zara Janjua)

n Just The Tonic At The Mash House, 3–27 August, 2.25pm.

Follow Grant on a stranger than fiction journey home, as his whole body slowly reaches paralysis after contracting a rare and unheard of neurological virus while on a motorcycle trip through the mountains of northern thailand.

Eight years in the making and a true story down to every detail, “one room sleep one night” is a bizarre, hilarious, poignant introspection into the human psyche and the lengths we will go to survive; relying on humour as the light that will guide us to safety.

PICTURE: STEVE ULLATHORNE

DON BISWAS THE REVOLUTION WILL BE DISORGANISED

Belatedly returning to the Fringe for his second full show eight years after his debut, Don Biswas is capitalising on the momentum of his first Radio 4 stand-up special, Neurotopical, released last year. Political comedy from a one-liner act sharing personal material about his dyspraxia, ADHD and autism, the left-wing comic’s vocation was forced upon him. ‘Being sacked from a couple of jobs due to having undiagnosed autism has given me a get-out-of-jail-free card out of the rat race, leaving me more time to think about what’s going on in the world,’ he explains. ‘Many of my autistic friends wrongly lost their disability benefits due to unfair, government-backed Atos assessments. I had no choice but to be political.’

Dyspraxia means Biswas can’t drive, limiting his opportunities as a gigging comic. And ADHD’s impact on his concentration ensures that he writes ‘material where I can get to the punchline as quickly as possible’. Giving him ‘something different to talk about compared to other comics’, his diagnoses also mean that he’s part of a revolution already. ‘The number of people who have come up to me saying my set has helped them understand their neurodiverse children better or given them a bit more hope for them in the future, shows people are starting to get more comfortable.’ (Jay Richardson) n Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 2–27 August, 9.40pm.

CELYA AB SECOND RODEO

Celya AB’s sell-out Fringe debut Swimming caused quite a splash in 2022. A year later, she’s back with Second Rodeo. After 12 months of rippling success, Chortle’s Best Newcomer returns to make more waves under the direction of fellow comedian Mike Wozniak. ‘This new show is sillier. Sillier AB,’ laughs the French-born comic. ‘It’s very close to the kind of comedy that I love the most. In the first show, it was like I had to introduce myself. Whereas for this one, it feels as though I can sort of stretch my legs a little bit and do weirder jokes a bit closer to what I like.’

A recent visit to her childhood home on the outskirts of Paris sparked a new source of material for the fresh-faced stand-up star. As well as recounting awkward teenage romances and a near-death experience at Thorpe Park, Second Rodeo explains why the French-Algerian comedian’s early memories are particularly unique. ‘So, there’s a thing in the bilingual brain, which in this show explains why my childhood is so weird and silly,’ notes the 27-year-old. ‘The fact that I know how to speak English has impacted my childhood memories. It’s like when you insert an image into a Word document and everything shifts slightly. So that’s been such a great tool to allow for some stupid jokes and stories.’

After an outstanding first Fringe, Celya AB isn’t scared of living up to her new-found reputation. ‘I’m looking at this show as like a whole new thing, as if it was my first time coming to the Fringe. Because otherwise I’d still be trying to fix last year’s show. I really wanted to do something that was joyful, silly and quite rapid. No one will take anything away from it except lovely jokes that are a bit of fun.’ (Rachel Cronin) n Pleasance Courtyard, 2–27 August, 7.30pm.

COMEDY HIGHLIGHTS

DANIEL SLOSS

The Fife comedy maestro brings us two nal ourishes of Can’t, as the self-proclaimed ‘Steve Irwin of comedy’ faces danger straight in the kisser and embraces the high risk of so-called ‘cancel culture’.

 Edinburgh Playhouse, 9&10 August, 7.30pm.

OLGA KOCH

This rising star is considering what happened when she turned 30 and found that her dreams were not exactly coming true. Could it be that social media gave her a false impression of what people might actually be like? Well, yes.

 Monkey Barrel, 1–27 August, 7.35pm.

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE

He loves cheese and he adores a good whine. So welcome to master Brigstocke’s Cheese And Whine, as he puts the world to rights, one forkful of Stilton at a time.

 Pleasance Courtyard, 2–13 August, 7pm.

FLAT AND THE CURVES

With Divadom, this quartet deliver a juicy ride of unbridled cabaret fun with tunes that cover all the angles from online porn to at-pack furniture.

 Pleasance Dome, 2–27 August, 9.50pm.

AUSTENTATIOUS

How much fun can it actually be to watch a set of comics and actors improvising their way to create a Jane Austen-esque story? A whole heap, that’s how much.

 Underbelly Bristo Square, 5–13 August, 1.30pm.

AMOS GILL

They both like a leather jacket, and that’s not where the Jim Jefferies/ Amos Gill connection ends as the latter has supported the former on tour. But now Gill gets his own moment in the Fringe sun with The Pursuit Of Happy(ish)

 Gilded Balloon Teviot, 2–24 August, 8.30pm.

RUBY MCCOLLISTER

If tragedy plus time equals comedy, what does a whole bunch of tragedy, one bit after another, add up to? This New York ‘downtown legend’ will aspire to make all her misery funny somehow.

 Underbelly Cowgate, 3–27 August, 5.45pm.

PICTURE: KARLA GOWLETT

PICTURE: RACHEL SHERLOCK

PICTURE: TROY EDIGE PICTURE: ANDY HOLLINGWORTH

AGELESS

While still artistic director of Dance Base, Morag Deyes set up PRIME in 2015, knowing that dancers over 60 have a sparkle in their eyes and twinkle in their toes just as vibrant as younger performers. Since then, the company has danced at festivals and venues across the world. Deyes handed over the reins to choreographer Steinvor Palsson in 2022, ensuring PRIME was in safe hands. Aged between 64 and 80, the dancers will deliver two works by Palsson and a new piece by Taiwanese choreographer Ming-Hsuan Liu. (Kelly Apter) n Assembly @ Dance Base, 8–13 August, 3.40pm.

DANCE & CIRCUS

Live and kicking

Unlike other Celtic dance spectaculars, Spirit Of Ireland throws a splash of humour and narrative into the mix. In Lisbon, Kelly Apter caught up with some of the cast and creatives bringing a new spin to this crowd-pleasing genre

After years preparing for competitions, Irish dancers are consummate in many things: fast footwork, graceful kicks, a sharp sense of rhythm and, of course, keeping their arms wedged to their sides like glue. Then, shows like Lord Of The Dance and Riverdance taught them how to blend in with the crowd and not stand out. So joining the cast of Spirit Of Ireland must have felt like a breath of fresh Celtic air.

‘It’s brilliant,’ says Emmett Mc Morrow, who has danced in the show for 12 years during various European tours. We meet during the its recent run in Lisbon. ‘I’ve performed in about 15 different Irish dance shows, but the reason I keep coming back to this one is it’s just extremely enjoyable. With a lot of productions, such as Riverdance, you come out on stage, you dance, you leave. But here, you have a narrator that’s absolutely hilarious; we’re consistently on stage acting as well as dancing. It’s a great mix.’

The show’s location (a 1000-year-old pub called Irish Celtic) is a key part of its charm, and one of the reasons both audiences and cast members enjoy spending time there. For although everyone who appears on stage (from the superb five-piece band to the world-class Irish dancers) is slick and professional, the whole show hangs together like a wonderfully warm and friendly pub session. Was that the atmosphere the creators were going for?

‘Absolutely,’ says musical director Anthony Davis, who combines original compositions, well-loved Irish songs and film tracks in the show’s score. ‘From the very beginning, the idea was that the audience is in the show, too. So at the start, we bring a few glasses of whisky down to the crowd, to make people feel like they’re in a pub. I’ve been performing in shows for 20-plus years and this is the only one that has that vibe.’

As for the humour, that comes from Spirit Of Ireland’s central premise: a landlord looking to hand over his business to the next generation. Only trouble is Paddy’s son Dermot isn’t the sharpest tool in the box and needs to learn a lesson or two about Irish history and how to run a pub. Taking on the role of Paddy at the Fringe is Michael Redmond, a Dublin stand-up best known for playing Father Stone in the beloved TV sitcom, Father Ted. His hapless son is played by Jack Lynch, whose own accomplishments are actually far from small. Specialising in traditional ‘Sean nós’ dancing (meaning ‘old style’ in Gaelic), Lynch is the current Oireachtas World Champion.

‘It’s the oldest type of dance we have in Ireland’, explains Lynch, who wows audiences with his tricky ‘brush dance’ among other moves. ‘A lot of what you see Irish dancers doing, that Michael Flatley style, evolved from Sean nós. It’s centuries old and survives in areas where the Irish language is spoken on a daily basis. I grew up in County Meath, so I was very exposed to the language and the dancing.’

But while initially Lynch trained in the more ubiquitous Irish dance style, he soon realised it wasn’t for him. ‘I always wanted to dance when I was younger, but I wasn’t very good at keeping my posture straight,’ he says with a smile. ‘Sean nós is more loose, more freestyle. As for the brush dance, that’s a kind of party piece. I’ve been doing it for years but it’s not easy, it takes years of practise and building up your stamina.’

Like his fellow cast members, Lynch calls Spirit Of Ireland ‘unique’ and a world away from the competitions he’s fought so hard to win. ‘The connection to the audience in this show is really important,’ he says. ‘And telling the story of Ireland and its history, intertwining that with my story as Dermot is heartwarming. There’s not usually a lot of speaking in Irish dance shows, so this is one-of-a-kind.’

Spirit Of Ireland, Pleasance At EICC, 7–27 August, 8pm.

Come along the journey of your life to the land of holiday wishes, dreams... and nightmare scenarios!

STAGE FRIGHT

Lucy Ribchester finds the freaky and the funny bound together in Party Ghost, an award-winning supernatural soirée from Australian acrobats Olivia Porter and Jarred Dewey

C‘ircus has always had a tinge of the creepy,’ says circus artist Jarred Dewey. ‘How the acts flirt with death, traveling misfits who band together to create a secret society, a world shrouded in mystery.’

His co-star, and onstage ‘twin’, Olivia Porter concurs. ‘There’s a macabre fascination in all things that scare us. Circus itself embodies that fear. It’s scary on so many levels; watching acrobats contort their bodies and throw themselves high in the air. Performing it and watching it creates an amazing adrenaline rush, as with horror.’

It was a fascination with the dark side of life (or afterlife) that led the pair to create their latest show, Party Ghost. Fresh from being crowned Best Circus And Physical Theatre Act at Adelaide Fringe, the show (which comprises aerial, juggling and slapstick) is described as part circus, part séance, with flavours of Tim Burton, and follows a set of ‘creepy twins’ banished to purgatory on their birthday.

‘Personally, drawing from my own significant experiences with death, I wanted to investigate ghosts in a way that was light-hearted and comical,’ says Porter. ‘It was a way for me to look at my own process of grief through a different lens and perhaps ask audiences to do the same.’

The two are keen to point out that while Party Ghost flirts with the idea of a circus of horrors, there are no squeamish sideshow acts, bodyshock tricks or genuinely gruesome sights. ‘Party Ghost is very much not this way,’ says Dewey. ‘Instead we invite you to laugh at something most people fear: death. It’s more of a “what the . . . ?” laugh-out-loud show.’

In this respect, the rehearsal process has been a riot for the pair, along with acclaimed circus director Nicci Wilks. They played with ideas of death and birthday parties, and explored various horror archetypes, including the weeping widow and a ghost having an identity crisis. ‘Our process was two weeks in a room filled with bed sheets, tissues, fake limbs, birthday paraphernalia and post-it notes,’ says Porter.

As for the séance side of the show, don’t expect a full banquet of Ouija boards and bell ringing, although there is a serious side to the tomfoolery. ‘We do invite you to “think” of your loved ones passed; however we don’t conjure them up with candles, lettered boards and chants,’ says Dewey. ‘Rather we take you on a ridiculous ghost ride to ponder, laugh or cry (with laughter) at how we look at death.’

Party Ghost, Assembly Checkpoint, 2–27 August, 2.55pm.

DANCE & CIRCUS

PICTURE: HAMISH MCCORMICK

RECOIL PERFORMANCE GROUP HARVEST

How do humans shape and cultivate nature? And how does this process in turn cultivate and shape the human body? That’s the question at the core of Recoil Performance Group’s new work Harvest, one that is deeply personal to the Danish collective’s leader Tina Tarpgaard. ‘I grew up in the countryside on a farm in rural Denmark, surrounded by the hard physical labour that goes into the handling of crops and soil,’ she explains. ‘So, connecting to farming was also connecting to my roots as an artist.’

Accompanied by the piece’s performers (flamenco specialist Jossette Reilly and contemporary dancer Hilde Ingeborg Sandvold), Tarpgaard spent time visiting and working on farms in Denmark and speaking to farm workers. This enquiry into the nature of the working body led them to make unexpected connections between farming and dance. ‘Digging, shovelling and harvesting are all work that both literally shapes the bodies of the people on the farm and build a silent embodied knowledge, in the muscles and bones, that allows for not only efficiency but also elegance when handling heavy-duty work,’ she says. ‘The piece is a dedication and a celebration of the silent knowledge and physical work that we came to experience as a connecting element between dance and farming.’

Dance is only one part of the equation, however, as the set itself plays an integral role in the performance. Harvest is a collaboration with Resonating Rooms, an ensemble led by composer Lars Greve, who provide the score for this work. Based on recorded sounds from farms and from the dance studio, they created a soundscape which is played using elements of the stage as speakers. ‘Our interest is to create choreographic work that includes all elements present on stage,’ says Tarpgaard, ‘regardless of its presumed function.’ (Dom Czapski)  ZOO Southside, 4–19 August, 6.30pm.

indigo productions presents

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR : TOBY GOUGH - MUSICAL DIRECTOR : ANTHONY DAVIS CHOREOGRAPHERS : DENISE FLYNN AND JIM MURRIHY

SLÄPSTICK SCHËRZO

Chaplin playing Bach? On skis? A would-be sophisticated classical music concerto is spun into a circus of commanding clownery by world-renowned silly-makers, Släpstick. The Spirit Of The Fringe Award winners make a rumbustious return to the Pleasance with an even wackier hour of absurdity than their 2022 affair. Buckle in for an hour of lung-bursting giggles and mind-blowing musical skill suitable for all ages.

Expanding on last year’s acclaimed show, the Netherlands-based act are eager to go bigger and better in 2023. ‘Schërzo has lots of new, hilarious scenes, but showcases our musicianship even more than our previous shows,’ explains the group via email. ‘It’s our take on a classical music concert that goes completely off the rails; so musicality and virtuoso instrumental fireworks play a big role!’

These musical miscreants are itching to get back behind their instruments for the Fringe. ‘We love throwing our (vintage bowler) hat in the ring with all those other world-class artists, comedians, clowns and musicians. It’s a grind, but we love the frantic energy of it all. Last time we made friends for life, booked tours for years, and had hangovers for days. We can’t wait to get stuck in all over again!’ (Rachel Cronin)

 Pleasance Courtyard, 2–28 August, 3.10pm

A HUGELY IMPORTANT HOUR THAT GIVES A PLATFORM TO VOICES THAT ARE PRETTY MUCH UNHEARD IN THE MAINSTREAM KATE COPSTICK

PICTURE: JAAP REEDIJK

STUNTMAN

Two men debate their relationship to violence filtered through over-the-top screen acts and the horrible adrenaline rush of real-life trouble which they’ve both encountered.

n Summerhall, 2–25 August, 5.50pm.

OAT MILK & HONEY

A big winner at the Adelaide Fringe, this avant-garde reflection on anxiety fuses acrobatics with music. Lead performers Amanda Lee and Nathan Chettle bring us a different kind of storytelling. n Summerhall, 2–27 August, 10am.

LUCKY PIGEONS

‘Rats with wings’ some people cruelly dub them. The humble pigeon gets a chance to exert its mischievous side in this acrobatic show for all the family which will hopefully make certain folk look upon these feathered ones differently from now on.

n Underbelly’s Circus Hub, 5–26 August, 1.05pm.

THE ART OF FALLING

For three afternoons only, YDance present an Estonian-Scottish hook-up for a triple bill which tackles (as hinted at in the title) notions of falling plus connections and resilience.

n Assembly @ Dance Base, 4–6 August, 1pm.

SEXY CIRCUS SIDESHOW

The Piccolo tent will be positively purring for this late-night extravaganza where underground burlesque meets vaudeville capers. Perhaps not one for your prudish aunt or squeamish uncle.

n Assembly George Square Gardens, 3–27 August, 11.55pm.

ANGEL MONSTER

We loved it last year. We’ll love it again this time. Phluxus2 lay a physical theatre/circus call-to-arms on the viewing public with equality and respect high on the agenda.

n Assembly Checkpoint, 2–27 August, 6.10pm.

HAVANA STREET PARTY

Delayed by a year, this should be well worth the wait for performers and audiences alike, as a spectacular dance show all the way from the steamy Cuban capital lands with a Latin flourish.

n Underbelly Bristo Square, 3–27 August, 5.30pm.

#DANISH Special Event before MASS EFFECT

When: 15 August 11.30am - 12.40pm at Lady and the Bear - 1 Hope Park Terrace, Newington, Edinburgh EH8 9LZ followed by the show at 12.55pm at Summerhall Main Hall

The #DANISH showcase bring you several works from Denmark at the EdFringe. The works open your mind and ignite your curiosity. One of the works is the #DANISH award-winning dance performance MASS EFFECT at Summerhall. We invite you to an exclusive event before the first show on 15 August. We invite you for lovely organic fingerfood at Lady and the Bear, chocolate from Denmark and the chance to meet the people behind the Danish works. Sign up to the exclusive event and the first show of MASS EFFECT on this link: https://danishedfringe.com. Attendants will also be offered a 10% discount on any other purchase in Lady and the Bear during that day or they can use the discount any other day they would like. Please note only limited tickets.

See more about the #DANISH works at web: danishedfringe.com and social: danishedfringe

Photo credit: Christoffer Brekne

BEETLE

In House Of Oz, we drop into a garden where a young girl makes a new hardshelled buddy. The magic and mystery of Australia’s wilderness comes to Edinburgh as this pair of pals head off for an adventure in search of the elusive Christmas Beetle. Legs On The Wall follow up shows such as Thaw and Holding Achilles with this charming theatre-circus tale that lets everyone know there’s a place on the planet for us all. (Brian Donaldson) n House Of Oz, 4–26 August, 11am.

KIDS

Every trick in the book KIDS

Punchdrunk Enrichment’s interactive show

The Lost Lending Library thrives on the power of young imaginations. Rachel

Cronin takes a peek into its magical world and learns that kids can not only lose themselves in books, they can find themselves too

Since 2008, The Lost Lending Library has been enchanting pupils as it travels around primary schools in the UK, its 314 floors filled to bursting with stories from the world’s wildest imaginations.

London-based theatre company Punchdrunk Enrichment have adapted their flagship three-week long creative educational experience into a 55-minute family show for this year’s International Festival. And this interactive performance (for parents, and kids aged 6–11) is certainly no ordinary visit to your local library.

Writer, director and former Lost Lending Library performer, Mia Jerome, describes the project’s newest and most magical journey yet, from the schoolroom to the stage. ‘I think the biggest challenge is that, in the school shows, the children are the protagonists,’ she explains. ‘Although we still want to inspire a love of books and stories, the children are under no obligation to

PICTURE: PAUL COCHRANE

PICTURE: STEPHEN DOBBIE

go away and write. But we really hope that they do,’ she continues. ‘The focus here is to spark curiosity and to let them know that they can lose themselves in books, but they can find themselves there too.’

The school-based workshops from which the EIF show is spun naturally centred around pupils. A shortened stage adaptation will slightly shift focus onto the library’s mysterious staff, who share their own stories with the audience. But that’s not to say the quirky cast are any less keen to encourage our wee ones’ inner writers. Visitors to the library will stumble across Peabody, guardian of the miscellaneous department, a beady-eyed librarian searching for new stories to fill up her empty shelves.

‘The difference between a family show and a school show is huge,’ explains Jerome, who took over the project earlier this year. ‘All of our audience members get to create a story with their librarian. It’s an immersive experience. So I hope that parents who are bringing children are as engaged as their children are.’

Sure to set lightbulbs flashing above little heads, the show aims to run deeper than a simple hour of entertainment. Punchdrunk Enrichment are a theatre charity passionate about keeping kids’ noses buried in books.

‘As children, we soak up everything around us,’ observes Jerome. ‘We naturally attach learning opportunities to stories all the time. I think that the work Punchdrunk is doing just speaks for itself. Giving children that agency to create is so important.’ The literacy project inspires long-lasting awe in primary pupils who are lucky enough to have the library visit their school.

Jerome has seen its impact first hand in her days performing as a lost-lending librarian. Her most memorable anecdote involves a pupil catching her off-guard (luckily in-costume to protect the magic) on her way to work. Taking off her headphones to the unmistakable sound of a child screaming, she realised she was being chased up the street by a little boy from a workshop she’d done months earlier.

‘He proceeded to draw a tatty gold library card from his pocket,’ Jerome recalls. ‘He was waving it at me shouting, “I've been writing lots of stories! Is the library coming back? And are you here because the library is coming?” It honestly blew my mind,’ she says, grinning. ‘He was carrying that library card, tattered as it was, around in his pocket in the hope that he would be able to visit the library again. That scenario has happened to me hundreds of times in different ways since I’ve been working on this project.’

A personal passion for literature took hold of Jerome at an early age, which explains her unyielding enthusiasm for this work. ‘As a child at school, I just loved reading and loved stories,’ she says. ‘I’m a working-class girl, and we didn’t have facilities like this in the 80s when I went to school. So, to be attached to a project like this, I feel incredibly lucky. I don’t take it lightly. And I think that the work that we do has a very, very long-lasting impact that can change people’s lives. It’s a wonderful thing.’

The Lost Lending Library, Church Hill Theatre, 3–27 August, times vary.

PICTURE: PAUL COCHRANE

PICTURE: STEPHEN DOBBIE

THAT SCIENCE GANG THE ALPHABET OF AWESOME SCIENCE

Ahead of its Edinburgh debut, several family-focused awards have affirmed The Alphabet Of Awesome Science’s crowdpleasing status in Australia. Fresh from a major 85-venue tour, the performance combines mind-boggling scientific experiments with light-hearted entertainment which often takes the form of slapstick comedy. The show is written and directed by David Lampard, an Australian children’s TV personality who radiates passion for childcentred education. Along with dynamic co-star Abby Hampton, who plays Professor Lexi Con, Lampard takes on the role of Professor Noel Edge in a fun-filled race from A to Z.

The premise of The Alphabet Of Awesome Science stems from Lampard’s fascination with rare and obsolete words, from ‘annular’ to ‘zephyr’. Through his science communication work, he came to realise that children are equally drawn to ‘chewing over and playing with’ intriguing words, citing dinosaur names as a classic example which ignites their imaginations. In the show, 26 eccentric words are used as a ‘jumping-off point to demonstrate some quirky and explosive science’.

Consequently, there are 26 rigorously rehearsed scientific experiments to show off, but only 52 minutes to fulfil them all. Rather than following an alphabetical route, children in the audience get stuck in to randomise the order, instilling an element of surprise into this show. Inevitably, children sit on the edge of their seats, playing vocal timekeepers for Lexi Con and Noel Edge, desperate to witness what the next experiment has in store. Expect hydrogen fireballs and flying breakfast cereal, as well as one extra-special experiment which is locked into place as the show’s climax: ‘a massive cloud which reaches the venue’s roof’ created by the manipulation of liquid nitrogen. (Rachel Ashenden)

n Underbelly George Square, 2–28 August, 2.15pm.

BRYMORE PRODUCTIONS ARTISTE

This independent Brisbane-based kids’ theatre company brings a Tony Hart-meets-Marcel Marceau approach to children’s entertainment. Or as they put it, ‘Mr Bean meets the Mona Lisa’. Things get messy in their comedy art lesson with felt tips, clowning, slapstick, mime and lots of slapping paint onto easels. Dressed in black and white stripes with painted-on red noses and tiny moustaches, one performer (don’t be fooled by the posters with a duo, they take turns on different days) larks about every morning for their junior audiences and grown-up companions.

Brymore Productions teamed up previously with the National Museum Of Scotland to present The Bureau Of Untold Stories at Edinburgh’s Museum Of Childhood, using storytelling and improvisation in a noir-style interactive tale about detectives. Then the pandemic hit. After a struggle to stay afloat, and help from a crowdfunder to cover those whopper flights from Australia, they’re back with a brandnew show, and hoping to win over more fans with this inventive, silly hour of art-inspired fun. If you can’t wait until then, they also have downloadable art supplies and DIY theme-night kits on their website. (Claire Sawers)

n Gilded Balloon Teviot, 2–20 August, 11.20am.

SCIENCE ADVENTURES

Coppice Theatre bring us a mix of storytelling, animation and puppetry for a deep dive into this aquatic tale. Professor Flotsam and Dr Wright are on the search for some of the strangest creatures down there.

 Pleasance Courtyard, 2–20 August, noon.

CHEVALIER

Finnish group Race Horse Company are hot to trot with their homage to all things equine as a ringmaster performs a variety of tricks and acrobatics alongside his cast of hobby horses.

 Assembly George Square Studios, 3–27 August, noon.

SMASHING SHAKESPEARE

If you want a young mind to be introduced to the Bard’s work without boring or traumatising them, then family-friendly musical pieces based on Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet are probably the best avenues to go down.

 Gilded Balloon At The Museum, 2–15 August, 11.30am.

TRASH TEST DUMMIES

Every night is bin night for the Trash Test Dummies crew as they clean up with another round of acrobatics, juggling and plain silliness. A show that’s far from rubbish.

 Underbelly’s Circus Hub, 5–26 August, 12.05pm.

PLAGUE, POO N’ PUNISHMENT

The Edinburgh Storytellers (Natalie and Ben Nardone) drag up the capital’s icky past, and rope in their audience to consider the guilt (or otherwise) of an individual on trial. Songs and stories aplenty about the 3 Ps.

 The Lost Close, 3–28 August, 10am, noon.

MARIO THE MAKER MAGICIAN

Straight outta New York comes Mario with his homemade robots, quality magic and old-school slapstick for a show that features an admirably strong ecological message.

 Underbelly George Square, 2–27 August, 10.55am.

LIGHTNING RIDGE

Based on the 2000 novel by Ben Rice, Catherine Wheels’ new show is set in the Outback with 12-year-old Ashmol living with his mum and little sister Kellyanne, and her two invisible friends. But when Pobby and Dingan ‘disappear’, it forces Ashmol to take action.

 Summerhall, 4–20 August, 11.30am.

PICTURE: HANNU HUHTAMO

PICTURE: JAMES ARMANDARY

MUSIC

KATHY AND STELLA SOLVE A MURDER!

A sleeper musical hit from last year’s Fringe, Kathy And Stella Solve A Murder! is rewarded with a bigger venue and an expanded show. They might run Hull’s most critically unacclaimed true-crime podcast but when their favourite author is shockingly dispatched, who better than this hapless duo to get on the investigative trail and unveil the killer before they strike again. Who says true crime doesn’t pay? (Brian

Donaldson)

n Underbelly George Square, 2–27 August, 7.30pm.

PICTURE: MIHAELA BODLOVIC

Curtain up!

With its winning blend of opera and pop, mixed with a dash of humour, A Comedy Of Operas has been a smash hit in Europe. Kelly Apter gets a sneak peek at the show and talks to co-director Joe O’Curneen about getting that tricky balance between laughs and emotional impact just right

Afew seconds ago, the Gran Teatro La Estación in Madrid rocked with laughter. Packed to capacity with locals and tourists looking for a good time, the 900-seater venue was playing host to A Comedy Of Operas, a show that stays true to both its nouns. But all of a sudden there is a quiet hush. Not from the stage (that’s still ablaze with volume courtesy of one of the incredible operatic voices populating this show) but from the audience. Laughter has been replaced with tears and you can feel the crowd’s collective heart swell. Such is the power of opera, or more specifically, a well-chosen, well-placed aria designed to grab you by the feels.

It’s five years since directors Joe O’Curneen and David Ottone first unleashed this hugely popular show on the world. Since then, it’s played to opera buffs and aria virgins alike, both of whom have been unanimous in their praise. Based around the central conceit of an operatic troupe down on its heels but still aiming to please, the show fuses music, song and physical comedy. Three love stories emerge as the five performers work their way through one well-loved song after another.

Designed to please all-comers, its humour is quick and accessible without ever diminishing the beauty and power of those arias. What is perhaps most unexpected, however, is just how many of them sound familiar. ‘We obviously had an extensive repertoire to choose from,’ explains O’Curneen. ‘So it was like going to a tree of operas and picking the best fruit. They had to be the ones that are most well-known for a general audience, so we explored all of the famous operas and started to select those that would fit our story. It was like a puzzle; we started with about 40 or 50 arias and reduced that down to 20.’ Whether it’s been used in an advert, a film, a television programme (or, of course, the opera itself), all of the songs here have infiltrated our psyche. ‘Nessun dorma’ from Puccini’s Turandot, the ‘Flower Duet’ from Delibes’ Lakmé, and other equally famous arias from Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Offenbach’s The Tales Of Hoffmann, and Verdi’s Rigoletto and La Traviata all feature. During one particularly amusing scene, the macho baritone holds an ‘opera masterclass’, asking the audience to finish each phrase he starts: and everyone does. ‘When you know a tune, the scene is more effective and you engage with it emotionally,’ says O’Curneen. ‘And when you don’t know the tune, it doesn’t transmit as well. And our experience with A Comedy Of Operas is that the moment the performers start singing, people instantly recognise the tune.’

This is especially true during a scene where the fun-loving counter-tenor keeps deviating into the world of pop music, surprising us all with similarities between those two genres. Meanwhile, the tenor is trying to recapture his former glory, the soprano is trying to encourage him to give up the booze, and the mezzo-soprano is convinced the right man is out there somewhere (in the audience). Each comes to the show with an impeccable operatic pedigree; but that’s not all the directors were looking for, because none of the between-aria action is portrayed through words.

‘It took a while to find the right cast,’ says O’Curneen. ‘First of all, the voice quality was very important; it had to be superb. And then we were looking for an ability to express themselves through gestures and physicality. But it’s not just about the laughs, we wanted to create emotional moments too, because how can you laugh with ‘Nessun dorma’ in your ears? You can’t. So we make sure that we respect the music. When it’s Puccini’s moment, it’s Puccini’s moment; and when it’s our moment, it’s our moment. That balance is important. So one minute you’ll be laughing and enjoying yourself, and then you might find yourself shedding a tear. And I think people really love that combination.’

A Comedy Of Operas, Pleasance At EICC, 2–27 August, times vary.

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220+ MUSIC, COMEDY, FAMILY, LITERATURE, WELLBEING & EXPLORATION EVENTS ACROSS TEN DAYS IN NORTH BERWICK

FRI 4TH AUGUST ANDY CATO: FUTURE OF FOOD

SAT 5THAUGUST CAL MAJOR

SAT 5TH AUGUST TRAVIS

SOLD OUT

MON 7TH AUGUST ALY BAIN & PHIL CUNNINGHAM

WED 9TH AUGUST SOUND EFFECTS

FRI 11TH AUGUST BEMZ & THE HONEY FARM

SAT 12TH AUGUST PEAT & DIESEL

FRI 4TH AUGUST DENISE MINA

SAT 5TH AUGUST ADAM FROST

SUN 6TH AUGUST HAMZA YASSIN

MON 7TH AUGUST ALISTAIR DARLING

THURS 10TH AUGUST MEGAN MCCUBBIN

FRI 11TH AUGUST SISTER SLEDGE

FINAL FEW TICKETS

SAT 5TH AUGUST DICK V DOM DJ BATTLE

SUN 6TH AUGUST K.O.G

FRI 4TH AUGUST SPLASH TEST DUMMIES

SAT 5TH AUGUST SUSIE MCCABE

SUN 6TH AUGUST CORTO. ALTO

TUES 8TH AUGUST PATRICK GRANT

THURS 10TH AUGUST DARA O’BRIAIN

SOLD OUT

SUN 13TH AUGUST SIR ROBIN KNOXJOHNSTON

SAT 12TH AUGUST BOMBSKARE

FRI 4TH AUGUST GROOVE ARMADA DJ SET SOLD OUT

SUN 13TH AUGUST VIGGO VENN SOLD OUT

All nestled in the beautiful Lodge Grounds, North Berwick, with delicious street food, Coulters Makers Market and the Lighthouse Live music stage.

WED 9TH AUGUST MARK BEAUMONT

FRI 11TH AUGUST ROALD DAHL’S THE THREE LITTLE PIGS ON TOUR

SAT 12TH AUGUST GOGGLEBOX’S GILES & MARY

SUN 13THAUGUST INTERNATIONAL FILM ORCHESTRA PRESENTS HARRY POTTER

MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO EDINBURGH

BENJAMIN SCHEUER A MOUNTAIN FOR ELODIE

Benjamin Scheuer has decided that the world is finally ready to hear his most personal and touchingly intimate work to date. This American songwriter has spent the last decade crafting a collection of songs soundtracking his first experiences of fatherhood, a period when Scheuer was also dealing with the loss of his own father. He uses A Mountain For Elodie to lay bare raw feelings of uncertainty and confusion that are seldom depicted by performing artists.

Scheuer’s description of the Abbey Road-recorded track ‘When It Ends’ offers a glimpse of what crowds can expect. ‘In each of the three verses, I talk to a different character: my long-dead father, the cancer that nearly killed me, and my young daughter. And I ask different questions of each of them.’

Initially unsure of how to bring the music of A Mountain For Elodie to life, Scheuer turned to a hero of his in Olivier Award-winning director, and fellow new parent, Polly Findlay. ‘Our collaboration on the development of A Mountain For Elodie has in many ways charted our own progress navigating the first few chapters of parenthood,’ Findlay says. ‘I guess you could say that our journey of creative discovery has mapped pretty neatly onto our journey of personal discovery.’

Though the overarching themes of A Mountain For Elodie are clear, nobody can be sure of how exactly their show will look right up until it hits the Fringe; Scheuer included. ‘It’ll be written by opening night,’ was the guitarist’s response after being asked by a promoter when it would be completed. ‘I plan to keep tweaking the show until then,’ says Scheuer. Cutting it so fine, with a project as ambitious as this debuting at a festival as daunting as the Fringe, would likely stress most performers out, but Scheuer appears unphased. ‘Risk reaps reward, brings us to places we wouldn’t otherwise have gone. Trying new things, things that may not work, is absolutely vital. And there is no better place than the Edinburgh Fringe to share brand new material.’ (Danny Munro)

n Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 4–27 August, 8pm.

GÜNTHER GROISSBÖCK & MALCOLM MARTINEAU LIEDER SONGS

There’s a reason why pianist Malcolm Martineau returns regularly to Edinburgh for song recitals. Well, actually two reasons. Firstly, he is one of the very best accompanists out there and, secondly, there is something about a concert programme devoted to artsong that gets under the skin in a way that nothing else quite matches. Depth of interpretation is all and pairing Martineau with Austrian bass Günther Groissböck guarantees a certain sensitivity which both artists are known for.

The repertoire they bring to the Queen’s Hall is perhaps fairly predictable from the Lieder catalogues (songs by Robert Schumann, Richard Strauss and Hugo Wolf), but there’s also work by Hans Rott, a friend and contemporary of Gustav Mahler and favourite student of Bruckner, who died when he was only 25. Not many of Rott’s works survived beyond that short life, so Groissböck and Martineau’s programme offers a rare chance to hear pieces which did prevail. Of the more familiar, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn in the second half culminates in the completely magical ‘Urlicht’, originally for piano and voice, and then orchestrated to become the fourth movement of Mahler’s Symphony No 2. (Carol Main)

n Queen’s Hall, 9 August, 11am.

“A CAPPEL LA ROYALT Y”

THE TELEGR APH SHAKIR A

“OUT OF THE BLUE ARE AWESOME”

MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS

CLUB LIFE

Lemon Jelly legend Fred Deakin lays on an immersive trip through his Edinburgh clubland heyday of the 80s and 90s. If you were there, this will be a blast. If you weren’t, a thrilling, eye-opening joyride awaits.

n Summerhall, 2–27 August, 9pm.

CHRISKIRKPATRICKMASS

What better way to spend August than with a parody mash-up of Charles Dickens and Frank Capra’s Christmas classics through 12 original songs as ‘Chris Kirkpatrick’ prepares for the festive season of 2008.

n Pleasance Courtyard, 2–28 August, 3.10pm.

STEFAN JACKIW & FRIENDS

Playing works by James MacMillan, Johannes Brahms and Charles Ives, the young American violinist and his equally talented pals tap into the upbeat folk-classical canon.

n Queen’s Hall, 5 August, 11am.

JUPITER ENSEMBLE

Dubbed ‘Baroque A-listers’ by Gramophone, this young early-music collective’s recent album, Amazone, was described by the same music mag as ‘stonkingly good’. Here they play a wideranging selection of chamber pieces.

n The Hub, 7 August, 8pm.

PUBLIC: A MUSICAL

Going into a bathroom that isn’t in your own home can be a difficult experience for some. Stroud & Notes aim to ease that anxiety a little with a musical featuring four people stuck in a gender-neutral loo.

n Pleasance Courtyard, 2–28 August, 6.30pm.

CHOIR!CHOIR! CHOIR!

DaBu (Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman) started their choir project as a weekly drop-in singing session in 2011, and now it’s at the Fringe having toured the world. On their journey, they’ve hosted guest singers such as David Byrne, Patti Smith, Rufus Wainwright and Rick Astley.

n Underbelly George Square, 4–27 August, 5.45pm.

MASSAOKE

What was best: the 80s or 90s? But why choose when you can just revel in the sonic delights of both decades with the biggest community singalong of the summer.

n Assembly George Square Gardens, 3–27 August, 11.30pm.

PICTURE: MATT KAMIMURA

PICTURE: JULIEN BENHAMOU

PICTURE: LINDSAY DUNCAN

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EDFESTMAG GUARDIAN STAGE SCOTSMAN ARTSHUB

SÉANCE

If you want an unforgettable immersive experience this August, look no further than the folk at Darkfield who have fine form in this area. Within a shipping container on Bristo Square, they’re putting on a pair of happenings, Eulogy and Séance. For the latter, this 24ft space is transformed into a Victorian-era parlour where audiences are invited to get rapidly accustomed to their spooky surroundings before welcoming in spirits from beyond . . . (Brian Donaldson)

n Pleasance Dome, 2–28 August, every half hour from 11.30am–9pm.

PICTURE: MIHAELA BODLOVIC

Troy story

The aftermath of war is often where a new horror begins, according to theatre director Ong Keng Sen. Rory Doherty speaks to Ong about merging traditional and modern Korean styles in his new take on the Greek classic Trojan Women and how Euripides’ ancient text still resonates with events going on around the world today

Ong Keng Sen seems like an endlessly curious person. The acclaimed Singaporean director brings to Edinburgh a reimagining of Euripedes’ Trojan Women (his third International Festival production in 30 years), telling the tale of those sold into sexual slavery after the Greeks captured the city of Troy. The classic play is reinvented in traditional and modern ways, taking the form of pansori, a Korean form of opera that combines vocals and drumming to tell heartrending stories.

To Ong, the ancient Greek play was the perfect fit for pansori. ‘The piece was echoing some of the horrors that happened to Korean women during World War II, when a lot of them became comfort women and sex slaves for the Japanese military system,’ he explains. ‘Even though the names are very alien (Polyxena, Astyanax, Andromache), the material is not alien. I won’t say that this piece is post-identity, because I think that's too glib, because in a way it is very specific to the identities that are in the work.’

Ong is fixated on how history and current affairs inform his art; during our conversation, he brings up the global spread of African music, the history of Kosovo, the Tories, and the recent OceanGate submersible disaster. Trojan Women spoke to him because of the contested, confused moments immediately following wars. ‘It’s a project which we tend to forget, but after the war, the gains and all the riches are divided, and with that, the women become “the booty” from a war,’ he says. ‘In a sense, we live in all these divisions today after a war . . . after that, all the work begins. Also a new horror begins.’

In order to create a new pansori, Ong collaborated not just with legendary pansori singer Ahn Sook-sun (whose efforts to write Trojan Women’s solo numbers were so taxing that she often coughed up blood) but also composer and K-Pop producer Jung Jae-il.

Since Trojan Women debuted bck in 2016, Jung has gained some international acclaim for his sweeping compositions for film and TV hits such as Parasite and Squid Game. It’s this reflexive knowledge of orchestral and popular music that made his collaboration with Ong so rewarding.

‘He was the first one who asked me “What do you think K-Pop is?” I immediately said, “well, is it like Gangnam and all these videos of rhythm and boy bands?” And he said, “K-Pop is describing all pop as a genre”,’ Ong says. ‘That was when we started getting close to what could be the final expression, because pop culture is a very immediate manifestation of emotion. It was about this strong emotionalism that linked K-Pop together with pansori, which is a very overt kind of emotional music where they actually bring all the emotions to the vocals. You don’t try to repress it, like gagaku (Japanese classical court music): it’s about repressing the emotion and letting form speak before the emotion. I found that what looks initially very different has some strong common impulses.’

Troy has been depicted on stages for over a thousand years by vast numbers of playwrights, a tradition that Ong doesn’t find intimidating but exciting. ‘Each of these writers had specific worlds that they wanted to communicate, but the words remain the way Euripedes wrote them, in essence. These words travelled 2300 years so, to me, there’s a sense of time travel.’

It’s something reflected in the striking but unusual set: a white pavilion structure that evokes an ornate liminal space. ‘What began our design for this was to think about what happens today when people are deported from countries. We see in the airport, sometimes people who are deported, escorted by police in handcuffs, sitting at the last row of the gate. And they’re waiting, and then they’re sent out.’

This pavilion was, in fact, inspired by waiting rooms. ‘It comes to this idea that the women are waiting to be deported, to be sent away from their land. It was a very luxurious, futuristic-looking pavilion that they’re sitting at, but it’s basically a lounge they wait in to be deported.’ Complexity lies in every aspect of Ong’s Trojan Women, promising a fresh reinvention that belongs to a multiplicity of traditions.

Trojan Women, Festival Theatre, 9–11 August, 7.30pm.

Loneliness, self-destruction and drug dealing are all filtered through the prism of poetry in Martha Watson Allpress’ latest show.

Gareth K Vile talks to the writer about humanising the socially unacceptable and dropping audiences into ‘the abyss of feeling’

“

I have never dealt drugs! ”

Following Fringe success in 2021, writer Martha Watson Allpress returns to Edinburgh with Lady Dealer, a one-person show that tackles contemporary themes of alienation and loneliness via a subject that is controversial, and language she hopes will surprise the audience.

‘The whole thing is told in poetry,’ she says. ‘It is not the normal, naturalistic language of the storytelling world. It has the pace of the protagonist’s brain, firing on all cylinders.’ Told in real-time, during a power cut that forces Charly (played by Alexa Davies) to examine her life of drug-dealing and self-destruction, Lady Dealer shares the unflinching seriousness of Allpress’ previous Edinburgh show, Patricia Gets Ready (For A Date With The Man That Used To Hit Her) and is a creative response to recent social anxiety.

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‘It is definitely a product of the lockdown covid life,’ she continues. ‘The play is about loneliness and that was on everyone’s mind. The drug-dealing aspect came from thinking about what careers I perceived as the most lonely: [with drug dealing] you can’t build community because your community is the competition, and you can’t take your problems to HR.’

Allpress’ enthusiasm for theatre comes from her early recognition that it provides a unique experience: she recalls seeing amateur productions of Shakespeare at Lincoln Castle that hooked her through a sense of communal engagement and emotional intensity based on their ephemeral nature. Lady Dealer’s mixture of the gritty and the compassionate promises to humanise a job that is frequently placed outside of acceptable society.

‘The job is a by-product of loneliness, and it is what Charly clads herself in: the play is the process of removing that armour. And if you are the kind of person who has not looked after yourself, like the protagonist, it is a perfect ground for festering.’

Directed by Emily Aboud, who was recently awarded the Evening Standard’s Future Theatre Award, Lady Dealer represents a lively and energetic form of theatre which recognises the power of familiar monologues while addressing modern concerns with a vigorous dramaturgy. Allpress speaks with enthusiasm of Aboud’s quest to find ‘the moment’ of emotional intensity, something that goes beyond the language, dropping an audience into what she calls ‘the abyss of feeling. You tap into an extra layer of feeling: the words aren’t quite enough.’

And while the production is not autobiographical, Allpress recognises how a recent residency has informed her writing. ‘With Kestrel Theatre, I went into a prison (one of my favourite writing jobs) and I wrote a pantomime with the guys and they performed it,’ she explains. ‘These men were so funny, so respectful, kind and cool. And that time fed the empathy and the nuance that is now in Charly; so the person is shining more brightly than the practicalities of her job.’

Certainly, in Patricia Gets Ready, Allpress demonstrated a skill at exposing the complexities of her protagonist’s psychology, shuttling between self-doubt and self-assertion, and exploring the moral confusion caused by domestic violence. Lady Dealer speaks to similar difficult areas, finding a broader commentary on how alienation can impact on the individual in a story that is specific and subtle.

Nevertheless, Allpress avoids the obvious, skilfully negotiating that space between the familiar and the shocking, maintaining a healthy distance from Charly even as she captures a slice of her hectic and discomforting lifestyle. ‘We have to be really careful that no one thinks we are the drug dealers for the Fringe,’ she laughs. ‘I have never dealt drugs! My parents will be really happy with me saying that.’

Lady Dealer, Summerhall, 2–27 August, 4pm.

Gie’s Peace

Songs and stories of women who have taken a stand against war

Written and performed by Morna Burdon

VENUE 30

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE

Aug 9, 16, 24, 25, 26 4.30pm (55 mins) £12/10

“Your show has never been more needed”

Prague Fringe 2022

“Beautiful. Thank you” Theatre Co., Ukraine

The plight of Afghanistan and care-home deaths in Britain may seem disparate tragedies on the surface. But both are placed under the spotlight with Fringe stalwart Henry Naylor’s work this August. He tells Dom Czapski why it’s so important for him to give a platform to untold stories

Henry Naylor is interested in the things we don’t like to talk about. In his one-man show Afghanistan Is Not Funny, returning to the Fringe after a successful run at London’s Arcola Theatre, Naylor describes a trip he made to Afghanistan in 2003 to research a play. That experience highlighted the disparity between what we were being told by TV news and a reality he saw on the ground. ‘You didn’t see any dead bodies on air,’ he says, ‘and that felt wrong. You felt the war was being Disneyfied.’ Naylor had always worked in comedy (he was a lead writer on Spitting Image and formed a double act with Andy Parsons), but his work was never the same after visiting Afghanistan. ‘It changed me. I was writing jokes about the news; with jokes, you can make short points that get people laughing, but to explore more complex issues, I think you need the substance of a play to do it.’

Naylor’s latest play, Let The Bodies Pile, is a meditation on the disastrous decisions that led to tens of thousands of deaths in care homes in the early stages of the pandemic. Written for Emily Carding (‘she’s just phenomenal,’ he says enthusiastically, ‘one of Britain’s finest Shakespearean actresses’), the idea came to him when he became friends with a care-home nurse who was traumatised by the covid experience. ‘I thought there was an untold story. Mainly the press has focused on the people who died, and how difficult it was for people to visit. But I have seen very, very few accounts of what it was like for the carers.’

The plot also centres around the Harold Shipman murders; not a particularly pleasant place for a writer to inhabit. ‘With fictional characters, it can sometimes be quite awful living in a world with somebody that you intrinsically hate. And it’s not been a bundle of laughs writing Shipman’s story. I think I’ve surprised myself with some of the stuff that has come out of my head in terms of the vileness.’ Naylor sees theatre as a chance to set the record straight. ‘I’ve felt that in the absence of a covid inquiry, or a very delayed inquiry, people like my friend needed to have some form of public debate. We kind of facilitated it. We didn’t look into those deaths very much. We kind of went, “oh these are old people. Fuck it”.’

Let The Bodies Pile, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 2–28 August, 4pm; Afghanistan Is Not Funny, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 11–18 August, 7.15pm.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

INDIGO PRODUCTIONS THE WAY WAY DEEP

The Way Way Deep explores the ups and downs of a 20-year friendship. And, after bringing a show based on romantic relationships to last year’s Fringe, creator, writer and performer Patrick McPherson felt this was a natural shift to mine a topic that affects everyone but is explored creatively far less frequently. ‘Friendships are built on loyalty, but they’re like the tide; they come and they go,’ explains McPherson. ‘There’s a simplicity there. But they also have a horcrux-like power on our identity. This show is essentially about how we grow up, told through a friendship.’

McPherson’s work mixes narrative with spoken word and original music (his other day job is working on books for new musical-theatre productions). ‘Music is always the best way to unlock emotion and narrative,’ he says. ‘You can feel the energy of the room change with a song.’ After getting his first break in comedy (also at Underbelly, he’s in sketch show Pear: But Braver with his identical twin Hugo), there are also parallels between the breakneck speed of that format and how he uses music as narrative beats: ‘I always want to keep the pace quick; music helps me do that.’

One-person shows proliferate at the Fringe, for obvious financial reasons. But standing up there on your own every day for three weeks makes for a tough paper-round. It’s fitting, then, that McPherson is keen to emphasise the collegiate nature of his Edinburgh experience (he met his partner, housemate and many friends here) as well as his production. ‘It takes a team to put on a show; it’s all a big mash-up and in some ways the actor is one of the smallest cogs in the wheel. For example, I can’t wait to see the choices director Ellie Coote will bring.’ (Jo Laidlaw)

 Underbelly Cowgate, 3–27 August, 5.20pm.

PICTURE: MATT CROCKETT

BRIC À BRAC GLASS CEILING BENEATH THE STARS

Explicitly feminist in content, and using an experimental format that embraces screen ubiquity, Glass Ceiling Beneath The Stars is an expression of Bric À Brac’s engaged philosophy and their dynamic approach to a Lecoq-based theatricality. ‘I was listening to a podcast about space,’ says director Anna Marshall, ‘and heard a beautiful story about this married couple [Jan Davis and Mark Lee] who went to space together. I thought it could be a really cute show about a male and a female astronaut falling in love.’

From here, the company developed a scenography that combines live performance and video screens to explore multiple perspectives on NASA’s flight, and how something less charming emerged. ‘Then I looked at the political and social aftermath and how it also overshadowed the first African-American woman’s journey into space,’ Marshall continues. ‘Nobody really cared about these women’s achievements. They just wanted to know if Mark and Jan had sex in space!’

By using cinematic technology on stage, Bric À Brac echo how television and film have shaped the public experience of the space race. Plus, they generate a ‘choreography of camera’ that rescues these women’s stories from the confusion and obscurity generated by years of titillating speculation, voyeurism and lazy sexism. (Gareth K Vile)

 Pleasance Dome, 2–27 August, 2pm.

FISHAMBLE HEAVEN

Twenty years before his latest work Heaven, Irish playwright Eugene O’Brien made a name for himself with Eden, a show about the frictions and resentments tangled up in a young, unhappy marriage, told through two parallel monologues from each character. Heaven focuses on an older marriage that’s at equal risk of falling apart, and although you might expect the couple to contend with their difficulties with more maturity, the additional years have only given more opportunity to suppress their true feelings.

‘The characters speak about each other, sometimes sharing secrets with the audience that they keep from each other, so the audience gets to know them intimately, but also to know more about them than they do themselves,’ director Jim Culleton explains. Heaven mimics Eden’s split-perspective style: ‘Even though they don’t speak directly to each other, they both remain onstage all the time, in the half-light when they are not speaking. So they are always visible to the audience as they are being spoken about, to reflect that they are always on each other’s minds.’

Mairead (Janet Moran) and Mal (Andrew Bennett, last seen in the Oscarnominated The Quiet Girl) attend a wedding in the Irish midlands, hoping (and praying) that something miraculous will solve their marital strife, in the process baring all their issues to the audience. It sounds like a daunting task for an actor, but Moran relishes it. ‘Performing monologues, once you’ve learned the lines, is actually very freeing. The relationship is primarily with the audience; they become your confidant, confessor, foe, ally or whatever you need them to be. You can be very alive moment to moment and that is very exciting,’ says Moran. Mairead and Mal’s unwillingness to speak to one another may be their ruin, but sharing their company will undoubtedly be thrilling. (Rory Doherty)

n Traverse Theatre, 3–27 August, times vary.

DAVID WILLIAM BRYAN IN LOYAL COMPANY

Every family has ‘that’ story: a piece of significant family folklore that’s been handed down through generations, the tale that’s bigger than the teller and perhaps even bigger than the person it actually happened to. In the case of David William Bryan, that story centres on Arthur Robinson, his uncle. A packer from Liverpool, Robinson joined up in 1941 as World War II was raging, partly in response to the Liverpool blitz. After becoming a private in the 18th Reconnaissance Division, he was deployed to Singapore where his troop ship was destroyed by Japanese bombers and he was declared missing.

Devised, written and performed by Bryan, this oneperson play aims to avoid the poeticisation of war: Robinson’s story (shared in some part by around 190,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers) needs no metaphor. Rather, Bryan focuses on action and truth, aiming for a matter-of-fact retelling of Robinson’s experiences based on his diaries, family memories and treasured objects. By demanding the audience’s imagination as well as their attention, Bryan encourages us to explore our shared humanity and the experiences that unite us, as well as suggesting we reflect on important stories of our own. (Jo Laidlaw)

n Pleasance Courtyard, 2–28 August, 1.30pm.

PICTURE: STE MURRAY

LOVEFOOL

Luxembourg’s National Theatre bring us this one-woman piece in which Grace looks for adoration in the worst places imaginable. Darting around between comedy and trauma, Lovefool is a sleeper hit in the making.

n Summerhall, 2–27 August, 7.15pm.

DUSK

Based on Lars von Trier’s controversial Dogville, Brazilian director Christiane Jatahy has found plenty resonance with her homeland’s recent dark history through this often cruel tale.

n Lyceum Theatre, 5–8 August, 7.30pm (7 August, 2.30pm).

THE ICE HOLE

Subtitled ‘A Cardboard Comedy’, this slice of physical fun comes courtesy of the people who brought you the 2019 Fringe hit Fishbowl and may well make you think of everyone from Mighty Boosh to Stan & Ollie.

n Pleasance Courtyard, 2–28 August, 1pm (5 August, 2.30pm).

ADULTS

To some he’ll probably always be Lord Varys, but Conleth Hill also happens to have some Olivier Awards and Tony nominations to his name. Here he stars in Kieran Hurley’s play which tackles blame culture and the generation gap.

n Traverse Theatre, 1–27 August, times vary.

OTTO & ASTRID

You may see a bit of White Stripes in this warring-siblings musical act as they settle into the idea that no one really wants to perform on stage with them, apart from each other. This Joint Solo Project will end in tears at the very least.

n Assembly George Square Gardens, 2–27 August, 7.25pm.

THE DEATH OF MOLLY MILLER

Wound Up Theatre lure you down a dark narrative path where a social-media influencer is held hostage in her own home with the thief demanding a wad of cash. Sadly for him, Molly has information that could hurt them both.

n Underbelly Cowgate, 3–27 August, 6.30pm.

BLOWHOLE

Written and performed by Benjamin Salmon, this solo piece nutshells the perils of contemporary life for a gay man who is still discovering his true identity while seemingly on a road to self-destruction.

n Pleasance Dome, 2–28 August, 2.50pm.

festival hot shots

At National Galleries Of Scotland: Modern One, create dangerously (until 7 January) is Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle’s largest exhibition to date, holding very little back in considering Scotland’s role in colonialism but seeking hope among broken systems.

The Festival Of Politics and International Festival join forces for an ‘in conversation’ event at the Scottish Parliament (9 August). World-renowned percussionist Evelyn Glennie ponders a big question: where do we go from here?

The double act is arguably the most fragile relationship in all of culture. Sea Words at Summerhall (2–27 August) considers what might happen if one of them just decided to throw in the towel, leaving their partner to carry on.