Fest Preview 2022

by KATI RAATIKAINEN + TEAM

by KALLO COLLECTIVE

by CIRCO AEREO + MIMEXPLOSION

by ROSSI + HOLOPAINEN + RIIKONEN

kOrean shOwcase 2022

3–28 august

theatre dance music

CONNECT MUSIC FESTIVAL .COM

FRIDAY 26 AUG

IDLES | Jon Hopkins

John Grant

Joesef

Optimo (Espacio) |

Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler

Moses Boyd | Charlotte Adlgery & Bolis Pupul

I. JORDAN | Future Utopia | LYRA | Maeve | Cloth | Hammer

Jealous of the Birds | TAAHLIAH | LVRA | Pocket

SATURDAY 27 AUG

The Chemical Brothers

Bonobo | The Twilight Sad

Caribou | Ride playing Nowhere

Holly Humberstone | Erol Alkan | Krystal Klear

Chloe Moriondo | LOW | Matt Maltese | Willie J Healey

NewDad | Swim School | Opus Kink | Dance System

Nightwave | Push It | Nadia Summer B2B DIJA

SUNDAY 28 AUG

The National

Mogwai | Bombay Bicycle Club Little Simz

Idlewild playing The Remote Part | Self Esteem

Black Country, New Road | Horse Meat Disco

Admiral Fallow | Sudan Archives | Sam Gellaitry

Jamz Supernova | DEHD | Rae Morris | Rachel Chinouriri

Hamish Hawk | Lizzie Reid | Barry Can’t Swim

Rebecca Vasmant | Geese | Kathleen Frances | Karma Kid

26 – 28 AUGUST 2022

ROYAL HIGHLAND CENTRE SHOWGROUNDS, EDINBURGH

Director

George Sully

Editor

Arusa Qureshi

Sales Team

Tom McCarthy

David Hammond

Christian Gow

Writing Team

Deputy Editor

Ben Venables

Design Team

Phoebe Willison

Dalila D’Amico

Jenni Ajderian, Eilidh Akilade, Anahit Behrooz, Evan Beswick, Deborah Chu, Katie Goh, Katie Hawthorne, Becca Inglis, Laura Kressly, Tamara Mathias, Nicola Meighan, Jay Richardson, Claire Sawers, Peter Simpson, Kirstyn Smith

Cover Image

Magnus Hastings

Radge Media

Editor-in-Chief

Rosamund West

Commercial Director

Sandy Park

Digital Editor

Peter Simpson

Fringe Dog Illustration

Lauren Hunter

General Manager

Laurie Presswood

Digital Editorial Assistant

Lewis Robertson

Fest Street Dates 2022 10, 17, 24 August

Advertising 0131 467 4630

sales@festmag.com

Published

3

Contact festmag.com

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Edinburgh, Scotland

Every

has been made to check the accuracy of the information in this magazine, but we cannot accept liability for information which is inaccurate. Show times and prices are subject to changes – always check with the venue. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the printer or the publisher. Printed by Think Solutions, Glasgow

Fest 2022 Preview

8 It’s Jinkx Monsoon Season

Drag Race royalty arrives at the Fringe

12 Fest turns 20

A look back at two decades of magazine memories

Comedy

31 A Zeus Cannon Garry Starr speaks about tackling all of Greek mythology in under 60 minutes

Theatre

45 A Breath of Fresh Airdrie

David Keenan on adapting his novel This is Memorial Device

Cabaret and Variety

67 Cabaret for Everyone

Aidan Sadler, Baby Lame and Eric Schmalenberger big up the genre

EIF

70 Taking Refuge

Farah Saleh on A Wee Journey

Music

77 Sounding it Out

Jess Williams, Kate Marlais, DJ Simonotron and Anna Meredith on music in theatre

Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus

83 Fever Pitch

We talk about our planet with Penny Chivas and Debra Batton

Kids

89 The World on a String

A closer look at puppetry across the programme

92 Venue Map & City Guide

Our recommendations for where to eat and drink around the city

Image credits (top to bottom, left to right): José Alberto Guzmán Colón; Fest Magazine; Aaron Walker; Heather Leigh; Nik Pate; Mihaela Bodlovic; Gem Harris; Claudia Sangiorgi-Dalimore; Rebecca J Michelson

Editorial

Arusa Qureshi

It’s near-impossible to think of a clever or succinct way to sum up the past two years, so I won’t try. Instead, I’ll defer to our cover star Jinkx Monsoon, who mused during our conversation: “Maybe we were all getting to a place where we were taking certain things for granted.”

Looking back at August 2019 – the year of the last Edinburgh Festivalsproper – I think I might have been taking things for granted. As someone born and bred in this city, the Fringe and the wider Edinburgh Festivals have always been a constant in my life but their absence the following year was strange; a feeling mirrored more widely by loss – of culture, events, jobs and even people.

This issue holds a great deal of meaning for the team, not just as our official welcome back to the Edinburgh Festivals in this 75th anniversary year, but also as a celebration of 20 years of Fest. I’m honoured to be part of the team for the first time, and to be following in the footsteps of former editor Evan Beswick. Obviously, we couldn’t just let him leave without a proper goodbye so we asked Evan to pen a love letter of sorts to this little magazine, where he recounts the good, the bad and the weird along the way.

We’re also extremely grateful to our designers Phoebe and Dalila for their mammoth efforts in redesigning

Fest. What you’re holding in your hands right now is Fest 2.0 – doesn’t it look amazing?!

Elsewhere in this preview issue, we catch up with Garry Starr about his new Greek mythology-inspired extravaganza and we also interrogate discussions around mental health and stand-up with Rich Hardisty, Sikisa and Chelsea Birkby.

David Keenan, author of This Is Memorial Device, gives us a run down on the new Fringe and Book Festival adaptation of his cult-classic about “the best band you’ve never heard of”. And we meet Seattle actor and playwright Justin Huertas, who’s bringing his pop rock musical Lizard Boy to the UK for the first time.

In conversations with clarinettist Sharon Kam, musician and composer Anna Meredith and choreographer Farah Saleh, we find out more about highlights across the International Festival. Plus, we delve into site-specific theatre, puppetry for kids, bombastic cabaret and so much more.

Since 2019, a lot has happened and so many of us have experienced every emotion under the sun, ranging from waves of sadness through to huge bursts of joy. But against all odds, we’re back and we’re collectively ready to celebrate.

In the words of the great Beyonce, “I can’t believe we made it, have you ever seen the crowd goin’ apeshit?”

Meet the Team

We asked: What’s your weirdest Fringe experience?

“Shared a hot tub with a comedian, only to discover I’d be reviewing them later.”

“Betty Grumble gifting me a personalised print of her vagina.”

“Being punched in the stomach while leaving a Daniel Kitson show.”

“The existential crisis that comes as a Glaswegian when realising Edinburgh isn’t actually that bad.”

“I drank a thousand beers and turned into a Fringe.”

“Red Bastard chasing some old ladies around a free BBC showcase. Truly, he didn’t need to go that hard.”

“Street magician somehow guessing what song I was listening to in my earphones. Still don’t know how he did it.”

“I attended a press conference hosted by Basil Brush. You could clearly see his sad puppeteer squatting below the table.”

“Sitting on a cushion on the floor in one of the Pleasance Courtyard breakout areas, drinking a hip flask of Disaronno with two elderly gentlemen.”

“When I was 12 going to see a play about a mole investigating who left their 'business' on his head.”

“I chose Beowulf because I thought it would have dragons. It was a 3-hour, 1-man reading in Old English. I was 11.”

Lewis Robertson Digital Editorial Assistant

Christian Gow Marketing and Commercial Assistant

Peter Simpson Digital Editor

Rosamund West Editor-in-Chief “[redacted]”

Tom McCarthy Creative Projects Manager

George Sully Director

Sandy Park Commercial Director

Laurie Presswood General Manager & Accounts

Arusa Qureshi Editor

Ben Venables Deputy Editor

Phoebe Willison Lead Designer

Dalila D'Amico Production Manager

It’s Jinkx Monsoon Season

In episode nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race

All Stars, the competing queens are tasked with creating a viral dance fit for social media. Most go by way of Gen-Z TikTok – simple and recognisable moves that can be easily replicated. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Werk Room, where the all stars prepare for the show’s challenges, Jinkx Monsoon is stuffing a peanut butter sandwich into her mouth as her fellow queens look on with confused and concerned expressions.

“Fighting to stand out against seven other winners is very hard,” she says. “This might be a risk, but I’m going to trust my gut.” The end result, the bizarre yet brilliant ‘Monsoon Munchie’, lands her in the top two of that week.

Known fondly as “Seattle’s premier Jewish narcoleptic drag queen”, Jinkx has been a centrepiece in the behemoth that is drag culture since winning season five of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She has since released albums, toured the world, appeared in a feature-length holiday film and undeniably, become a firm fan favourite.

Jinkx admits there were numerous anxieties ahead of her appearance on the new series, which sees eight past winners return to the reality competition. But, as she explains,

it helped that these feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty were shared amongst the other queens.

“The eight of us really formed our own tight knit little sisterhood and we were all so supportive of each other. The competition was real, but the love and the support was real as well. I think it’s really important at this point in time to see that really good stuff can come out of supporting each other just as much as cutthroat competition can inspire good work.”

As well as appearing on All Stars, which is still airing and in progress when we speak, Jinkx’s next move takes her to Edinburgh, where she makes her Fringe debut with her musical partner in crime Major Scales. The show, called She’s Still Got It!, is an opportunity to spend an hour in the presence of the wit, humour and musical prowess that has made Jinkx the star she is today.

“I first went on TV 10 years ago,” she says, “and I’m on TV again. For anyone who’s returning or anyone who’s a newcomer, we’re putting

Arusa Qureshi speaks to the drag superstar about her Fringe debut and return to Drag Race

Jinkx’s best foot forward. So if you’re a new audience member, and you’ve never seen me perform live before, get ready to get a crash course in the live Jinkx Monsoon experience. We’re going to give you a little bit of everything that I’m best at. So you can expect a lot of really raunchy candid stories, a lot of irreverent humour, and you can expect Major Scales and I to be flexing our musical muscles together.”

Jinkx and Major have been performing together since they first met in college, and She’s Still Got It! is the latest in their long history of collaboration. “We’re very distinct from one another,” Jinkx says of their camaraderie on stage, “but we share a sense of humour and we share a lot of musical taste. Major’s wildly entertaining but he possesses this rare

skill, which is that he can share a stage with a drag queen and be the foil and be the straight man, and set me up to shine while still being absolutely captivating and holding his own against a really big personality.”

In their 2018 album and show of the same name The Ginger Snapped, Jinkx and Major provided something chaotic and simultaneously harmonious, combining comedy, music and storytelling with frank discussions on mental health. It was powerful in its subject matter, but also resulted in these discussions becoming a permanent fixture in Jinkx’s onstage narrative.

“It’s actually very cathartic to talk about it openly because I find that the more I just put my own experiences and my own story out there,

Jinkx Monsoon

Photo: Magnus Hastings

the more I hear people say, ‘Oh, that’s so similar to me’, or ‘I deal with my own version of that’. ”

While mental health remains at the core of much of Jinkx’s writing and performing, She’s Still Got It! attempts to take audiences down a different route. In the context of the misery and hardships of the last two years, the duo want to offer some collective breathing space.

“Ultimately, we just wanted to create a show that gives our audiences an hour of levity in whatever’s going on in their life,” Jinkx explains. “A big part of how I entertain my audiences is just being extremely candid with them. So while the show is not about mental health or ageing or existentialism, like some of my past shows, all of that is in there. I always say I get my demons out on stage so that I can live a joyful life.”

While the ‘Monsoon Munchie’ peanut butter dance was just one example of Jinkx’s inexplicable comedic genius, that episode served as a reminder not to underestimate that which we might not immediately understand. Drag has been catapulted to the forefront of popular culture in more recent years, and as a part of this,

Jinkx not only strives to embrace her quirkiness but also takes her responsibility as a leader in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond seriously.

“I look at it a little bit as a responsibility, but also as a big opportunity to unlock the same kind of passions and realisations in other people that drag has done for me multiple times in my life. So I just think I’m taking everything I learned from the drag queens who came before me and passing it on to whoever is watching what I do now.

“We’re talking so much these days about how much representation matters in our media and in our culture,” she continues, “and so, for me it’s about getting on stage and sharing my stories, and sharing the things from my life that other people can relate to. Because living my life unapologetically is how I pay it forward.”

SHOW Jinkx Monsoon: She’s Still Got It! (with Major Scales)

VENUE: Assembly George Square Gardens

TIME: 8:10pm – 9:10pm, 6–18 Aug

Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales

Photo: José Alberto Guzmán Colón

Fest turns 20

It’s hard to pinpoint just where it sticks: in the mind or in the craw. Memorable, and terrible. It was 2008 and, against all advice, we went to print with a feature that was an attempted pastiche of the film poster for Face/Off, only subbing Nicholas Cage and John Travolta for Jim Jeffries and Andrew Maxwell. The execution was abysmal; the premise, arguably, worse. Two mainstream, acerbic, white comics, in conversation with each other, slapped on a print run of 10,000. But in 2008, that’s where the festivals were, and that’s were Fest was, too. I remember seeing Jeffries that year and thinking contemporary performance couldn’t plausibly get any better. Reader. It did.

This was the feature that I dreaded unearthing as I sat down one afternoon and

hauled out an archive box holding every issue of Fest since 2007. The Fringe marks its 75th year in 2022, and Fest has been with it now for 20 of those. I’ve been around since 2007 when the upstart tabloid switched to the glossy brochure audiences have been able to pick up ever since in venues across Edinburgh.

I’m struck by the extent to which, thumbing those glossy pages, a modern chronicle of the festivals leaps out, for better and worse. Worse than that Face/Off travesty, between 2007 and 2010, not a single woman featured individually on the front page of the magazine. That’s not to say there weren’t some significant splashes. But from 2022’s vantage point, the blind spot feels painful.

I could go on: there’s a masochistic pleasure in cringing at the past. But it’s also

Outgoing editor Evan Beswick takes a moment to look back on twenty years of Fest, and then moves on

Meow Meow

BUTT

a chronicle of how the festivals have expanded, sometimes by force, our collective imagination. In 2009 we went to Amsterdam to interview Hans Teeuwen, the Dutch comedian whose equal-opportunities baiting of minorities made him quite the man about town. Fast forward to 2018 and we interviewed the team behind Queens of Sheba, a play which placed the voices of women of colour centre stage. They baited every bit as much as the Dutchman, and enlightened much more. Looking back, it feels like revelation in too-slow motion. The exciting bit, though: that process continues both this year and the next.

If there’s a constant, though, it’s the delight in re-reading, year in year out, some stone cold bangers. There are, inevitably, favourites. Some of those stick out as superb pieces of writing. Junta Sekimori’s 2008 essay on his one-night transition to a Ladyboy of Bangkok was both colourful and utterly, beautifully sensitive about a form of gender play that’s an art form

and not a joke. That Bo Burnham piece, in which Jonathan Liew (now a Guardian sports writer) walked around Edinburgh with the boy with six million YouTube views and no one noticed. Fern Brady – then an aspiring writer, now a fully aspired comic – on her first standup gig, done as a piece of gonzo journalism.

And some of that delight is in the way that our criticism has alternately chased, followed, overlooked and seen so clearly the restless currents of creativity at the festivals. Bouncy Castle Dracula deserved all one of those stars for charging 2008 audiences nine pounds for a student piss about. “Languid arrogance” remains a great way of summarising a theatrical crime, though “slag heap theatre” is perhaps not how we’d aim our lances now. More than ever this year, with artists re-emerging from a painful cold storage, we’ll be recognising the emotional cost of artistic endeavour, while still trying to make judgements about its artistic quality.

On a personal note, I’ll step back as editor of Fest this year – the dignified retreat of a sub-cub journalist on a magazine whose professionalism has grown far beyond love of the arts and criticism. Those issues have gone back in the box, perhaps never to be flicked through again. That’s no bad thing. It’s cute to mark anniversaries and look back. This restless, relentless colony of festivals which occupy Edinburgh every summer have always encapsulated the present, and heralded the future. Fest will be right on its tail.

“Thumbing those glossy pages, a modern chronicle of the festivals leaps out”

Evan Beswick

“There’s no one else we’d rather watch onstage”

PENN & TELLER

BEN HART

WONDER

PLEASANCE GRAND

3RD – 28TH AUGUST, 7:50PM PLEASANCE.CO.UK

STAND UP’S ANSWER TO CHARLIE’S ANGELS

DIFFERENT LINE UP EACH NIGHT! COMEDY

11.40pm 4-28th August

WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY

www.rbmcomedy.com

Top Picks: Comedy

Comedy returns to the Fringe with three years' worth of newcomer shows and skilled hours from familiar faces

Ali Brice: I Tried To Be Funny, But You Weren’t Looking

PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth, 6-28 Aug, 4:50pm

As a member of the Weirdos collective, Ali Brice is always one of the most alternative comedians to arrive in Edinburgh. But this year he’s reflecting on how to celebrate life, and recover, after trying to take his own.

Bilal Zafar – Care

Underbelly, Bristo Square, 3-29 Aug (not 15), 5:30pm

After graduating with a media degree, Bilal Zafar spent a year not employed in the film industry as he’d hoped, but working in a care home for the rich. Only now is the Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominee ready to tell his story.

Chloe Petts: Transience

Pleasance Courtyard, 3-28 Aug (not 15), 6pm

As part of the Pleasance Comedy Reserve in 2018, it’s been a long wait for Edinburgh audiences to see Chloe Petts return with her first full hour. A darts-throwing, feminist stand-up, Petts crosses the gender divide with a deft lightheartedness and dexterity.

Dalia Malek: Another Castle

Just the Tonic at The Mash House, 4-28 Aug (not 15), 3:15pm

Cutting her teeth on the UK comedy circuit, Dalia Malek was already getting noticed as a student. Now the acerbic Egyptian-American stand-up arrives from California to bring her first full show to Edinburgh.

Photo: Miranda Holms

Photo: Leslie Byron Pitt

Photo: Matt Crockett

Photo: David Korman

Ali Brice

Bilal Zafar

Chloe Petts

Dalia Malek

The Delightful Sausage: Nowt but Sea

Monkey Barrel Comedy, 2-28 Aug (not 17), 12:45pm

The Comedy Award nominees new show sees the duo stranded on a remote island. There’s more ridiculousness on offer with both Amy Gledhill and Chris Cantrill bringing their solo newcomer shows to Monkey Barrel too.

Eleanor Conway: Talk Dirty to Me

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 4-28 Aug, 8:15pm

Are women having enough orgasms to feel a fair society is within reach? Firecracking comedian Eleanor Conway returns to Edinburgh with a focus on gender equality.

Jen Ives: Peak Trans

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 3-28 Aug (not 15), 7pm

A de-toxifying look at trans rights from J.K. Rowling’s favourite ‘niece’. Jen Ives, one of most promising comedians in the UK, brings her newcomer show after its short WIP run at the 2021 Fringe.

Rob Auton: The Crowd Show

Assembly George Square, 3-29 Aug (not 16), 2:50pm

Rob Auton's thoughtful attention on any topic that interests him, from water to hair, now turns to crowds. Expect the poet-comedian to stand out from the crowd in his return to Edinburgh.

John Hegley’s Biscuit of Destiny

Summerhall, 3-28 Aug (not 15, 22), 2pm

The shortage of biscuits observed by a romantic poet acts as a starting point for John Hegley’s new show. They’ll be no shortage of treats in Hegley’s own poetry as he lifts the lid in an hour suitable for most ages.

Paul Sinha: One Sinha Lifetime

The Stand’s New Town Theatre, 4-28 Aug (not 16), 4:40pm

An established success as a stand-up and on The Chase, the former physician Paul Sinha now finds himself with a belated case of ‘sophomore syndrome’. Told he had Parkinson’s disease in 2019, his second post-diagnosis show might be his most ambitious yet.

Photo: Jen Ives

Photo: David Titlow

Photo: A D Zyne

Photo: Andy Hollingworth

Photo: Ed Moore

Photo: Polly Hancock

Jen Ives

Eleanor Conway

Rob Auton

Paul Sinha

The Delightful Sausage

John Hegley

Top Picks: Theatre

Masterclass

Pleasance Dome, 3-28 Aug (not 10, 15, 22), 5:40pm

Adrienne Truscott parodies the “great male artist” in this absurd masterclass, also starring Brokentalkers’ Feidlim Cannon. In their use of the arts world as a metaphor, the pair savagely interrogate themes of gender, privilege and power.

Exodus

Traverse Theatre, 6-28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), times vary

Uma Nada-Rajah’s new play Exodus is a dark, surreal comedy that takes aim at systems of power. The narrative follows Home Secretary Asiya Rao and her indifference to human suffering, as she bids to become the country’s next leader.

Silkworm

Assembly Roxy, 3-29 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), 6:50pm

Written by Vlad Butucea, Silkworm is the story of two young women living in a Glasgow tower block, seeking asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation. As they wait to hear the result of their case, we’re immersed in their navigation of this brutal system.

Feeling Afraid as If Something

Terrible Is Going to Happen

ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall, 3-28 Aug (not 4, 9, 16, 23), 7pm

Samuel Barnett plays a deeply flawed and professionally neurotic stand-up in his Fringe debut. This darkly humorous play from Francesca Moody Productions examines vulnerability, intimacy, ego and truth.

Self Service

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, 5-27 Aug (not 14, 21), 7:15pm

Described as a “(meta)physical dive into how to keep going”, Self Service sees the award-winning Anne Rabbitt emerge from the invisible role of Mother to find herself still invisible inside the skin of Middle-aged Woman.

Our pick of the best theatre at the Fringe, from surreal political comedy to hard-hitting tales of loss and betrayal

Photo: Ste Murray

Photo: Pete Dibdin

Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Masterclass Exodus

Silkworm

Hamlet with Ian McKellen

Ashton Hall, Saint Stephens Stockbridge, 2-28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), times vary

Veteran actor Ian McKellen prepares to take on the role of Hamlet once more, collaborating with Peter Schaufuss in this new production of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Far Gone

ZOO Southside, 5-11 & 15-20 Aug, 5:40pm

A moving story which follows Okumu’s journey from childhood innocence to child soldier in Northern Uganda. This one-man performance is told powerfully through love and betrayal.

Runaway Princess: A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness

Greenside @ Infirmary Street, 5-27 Aug (not 14, 21), 2:55pm Former New York City call girl Mary Goggin shares the story of her trauma, addiction and prostitution in this moving one-woman show. Expect humour and unflinching honesty as we follow her from darkness to joy.

Love Them to Death

Underbelly, Cowgate, 4-28 Aug (not 15), 3:30pm

Inspired by real events, Love Them to Death follows a mother who continually pulls her ill son out of school. But everything is not as it seems in this story which explores Fabricated and Induced illness (previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy).

Jack Docherty: Nothing But

Gilded Balloon at the Museum, 3-19 Aug, 8pm

The BAFTA award-winning star of Scot Squad and Absolutely brings this playful and darkly comic story of a one-night stand from 30 years ago to the Fringe. Expect explorations of lost youth, love, secrets and more.

Photo: Ilayda McIntosh

Photo: Finn Rabbitt Dove

Photo: Luigi Scorcia

Photo: Smart Banda

Photo: Devin De Vil

Image: courtsey of Chloe Nelkin Consulting

Photo: Ben Mankin

Feeling Afraid as If Something Terrible Is Going to Happen

Self Service Runaway Princess

Far Gone

Hamlet

Love Them to Death

Jack Docherty

Top Picks: Music

Edinburgh this Fringe

Nothing Ever Happens Here

Summerhall, 3-31 Aug, times vary Summerhall’s year-round music programme shines bright during the Fringe, with an almost daily medley of acts of all genres. This year’s headliners include Cate LeBon, Efterklang, Jenny Hval, tUnEyArDs, Deerhoof, The Weather Station, Cassandra Jenkins and Los Bitchos.

Saved

ZOO Southside, 5-28 Aug, 4:35pm

Created by performer, composer and instrument maker Graeme Leak, Saved is a musical journey built around rescued 70s home organs, which explores the mundanity of everyday life.

Six Stories

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 8-18 Aug, 10:40pm

Part of the Korean Showcase, Six Stories takes inspiration from the Korean shamanic rituals known as Gut. In this concert, WeMu combines Western and Korean instruments to create modern music based on ancient customs.

Sing Sistah Sing! Tales of Transatlantic Freedom

Pianodrome at the Old Royal High, 19-20, 23-26 Aug, times vary

Singer Andrea Baker and composer and pianist Howard Moody weave song, spoken word and piano together across centuries and continents in this celebration of the African diaspora.

Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience

theSpaceTriplex, 5-14 Aug, 11.35pm

California based Ensemble Mik Nawooj collaborate with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland for a programme that fuses hip hop with classical music. Expect deconstructed works by Mozart, Bach and Beethoven reimagined with rapid rhymes and beats.

Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers

The Stand’s New Town Theatre, 8-11 Aug, 9pm

Crime-writing super-group – Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Luca Veste, Doug Johnstone and Stuart Neville – are back to perform their rocking covers of much-loved songs.

There’s something for all music tastes across

Photo: KCCUK

Photo: Alan McCredie

Image: courtesy of Los Bitchos

Photo: Hazel Palmer

Photo: John Need

Photo: Pat Mazzera

Six Stories

Fun Lovin Crime Writers Los Bitchos

Saved

Sing Sistah Sing

Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience

Top Picks: Cabaret and Variety

What to see if you’re after subversive performance and a party atmosphere

Sugarcoated Sisters: Bittersweet

Just The Tonic at The Caves, 4-28 Aug (not 15, 22), 8:50pm

TikTok stars and real-life siblings bring their original songs to the Fringe for the first time, using the opportunity to launch musical attacks on everyone who’s ever wronged them.

Blunderland

Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 5-27 Aug (not 15, 22), 9:55pm

Expect an evening of drag, burlesque and more from some of the most subversive stars in the international cabaret and circus scenes. This hedonistic party, born out of the underground queer nightlife of New York, offers the ultimate dose of weird and wonderful.

The Idiot Circus: Death is Coming

Assembly George Square Gardens, 3-28 Aug (not 15, 22), 8:55pm

Original songs and existential banter from this theatrical cabaret band, who present tales of murders, magicians, drunken regrets and more.

Life is Soft

Summerhall, 3-14 Aug (not 4), 8:20pm

Turner Prize-winning artist and performer Martin Creed is back at the Fringe with his mix of folk-punk tunes, experimental theatre, heartwarming cabaret and thought-provoking chat.

Life’s a Drag

Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree, 4-28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), 6pm

Australian cabaret queen Dean Misdale gives us a behind the scenes look at the world of drag, taking us from early career moments through to current dating horror stories.

Photo: Jason Matz

Photo: Steve Ullathorne

Photo: Jacinta

Oaten

Photo: Melissa Stephens

Photo: Hugo Glendinning

Sugarcoated Sisters: Bittersweet

Blunderland

Life’s a Drag

The Idiot Circus

Life is Soft

Top Picks: Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus

Our selection of the best shows from circus on a treadmill to a provocative tomato

Antigone, Interrupted

Dance Base, 17-28 Aug (not 22-23) 8:40pm

Joan Clevillé brings a moving solo piece to Dance Base as part of the Made In Scotland showcase. Watch Solène Weinachter reinterpret the classic myth – with its themes of oppression, autonomy and family – under a modern gaze.

Hotel Paradiso

Underbelly Circus Hub on the Meadows, 6-27 Aug (not 15, 22), 3:20pm

Channelling the mounting chaos of hotel farces like Fawlty Towers, Hotel Paradiso is a whole-family circus extravaganza. Expect a full house of acrobatics blended with thigh-slapping antics, from one the UK’s leading family circus companies.

Runners

ZOO Southside, 5-28 Aug (not 10, 16, 22), 8:30pm

Award-winning Czech outfit Cirk La Putyka return to Edinburgh with two shows. Performed partly on a huge custom-built treadmill, Runners is as breathless, impatient and afraid of inertia as modern life forces us to be.

Taiwan Season: Tomato

Summerhall, 3-28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), 3:10pm

Described as “both playful and provocative”, Tomato is a dance production by Taiwanese choreographer Chou Kuan-Jou that uses analogue bodies and digital screens to explore sex and gender through a feminist lens.

Dance Body

Summerhall, 3-27 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), 4:15pm

For a discipline ostensibly about self-expression, dance can be fiercely prescriptive about physicality. In Dance Body, BAFTA-nominated playwright/actor Yolanda Mercy seeks to reclaim the dancefloor for plus-sized bodies and challenge an industry that excludes them.

Photo: Petr Chodura

Photo: Maria Falconer

Photo: Stella Chen

Photo: Camilla Greenwell

Photo: The Other Richard

Runners

Antigone, Interrupted

Taiwan Season: Tomato Dance Body Hotel Paradiso

Top Picks: Kids

The Adventures of Sleepyhead

Assembly Roxy, 4-29 Aug (not 16), 11:10am

Gemma Soldati’s Sleepyhead invites us to a slumber party that promises to aid a blissful sleep, using her clowning skills and opening our imaginations. Suitable for babies and their grown ups.

Marcel Lucont: Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow for Awful Children

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 3-14 Aug, 1pm

The acerbic Frenchman hosts a family gameshow. Playing off the children against the adults, Lucont wants to discover just who is the worst child in the room. Recommended for comedy fans with boisterous kids who can more than match the surly host. (From age six, but ideally ages eight plus).

Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids

Pleasance Courtyard, 3-28 Aug (not 17), 12:05pm Suitable for all ages, SK Shlomo is looking for the next adventurous generation of beatboxers, and inspires his audience to think about music while they’re playing it.

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Summerhall, 3-28 Aug (not 15, 22), 10am

An adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s inverted fairy tale where an angel appears for a family in need – only for the family to take advantage of their guest. Puppetry and subtle multimedia effects will hold the attention of school age children.

WhirlyGig

Dance Base, 11-21 Aug (not 15), 12:30pm

A wild musical adventure, WhirlyGig’s four musicians (and 30 instruments) are setting families countless puzzles to entertain children from around six-years and older.

The best of the Fringe’s kids programme, from magical realism to an acerbic comedian

Photo: Dan Derby

Image: courtesy A Very Old

Man With Enormous Wings

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Photo: Nathan Gallagher

Photo: Jason Read

Shlomo's Beatbox Adventure for Kids

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

The Adventures of Sleepyhead

Marcel Lucont WhirlyGig

The home of dance at the Fringe

Top Picks: Edinburgh International Festival

International Festival programme

Counting and Cracking

The Lyceum, 8-14 Aug, times vary

This profound play tells the tale of love and political strife through one Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. Performed in English, Tamil and Sinhalese, with live translation into English.

An Untitled Love

King’s Theatre, 20-21 Aug, times vary

Choreographer Kyle Abraham draws from D’Angelo’s rich catalogue of R&B and soul music for his newest fulllength work, which pays homage to self-love and Black love.

the best in theatre and dance

Samsara

The Lyceum, 18-20 Aug, times vary

UK/Indian dancer Aakash Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan take on this piece inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, exploring the Buddhist philosophy of the cycles of birth, misery and death.

as british as a watermelon

The Studio, 23-26 Aug, 8pm

Zimbabwean performer mandla rae presents a personal exploration of childhood migration memories, using unflinching narrative, poetry and storytelling together with colourful chaos.

A Little Life

Festival Theatre, 20-22 Aug, times vary

Acclaimed director Ivo van Hove adapts Hanya Yanagihara’s novel, which follows four men, bound tightly together by friendship, over a period of more than thirty years.

We scour the

for

Photo: Nirvair Singh

Image: courtesy of the artist

Photo: Jan Versweyveld

Photo: Brett Boardman

Photo: Christopher Duggan

A Little Life as british as a watermelon

Samsara

Counting and Cracking

An Untitled Love

See our pick of contemporary and classical music at the Edinburgh International Festival in Issue 1 of Fest (out 10 Aug)

Top Picks: Edinburgh Art Festival

Expect leading international and UK artists alongside the best emerging talent at this year’s Art Festival

Duncan Shanks: The Riverbank - A Landscape of Sorrow and Hope

The Scottish Gallery, until 27 Aug, times vary

An exhibition of new work, featuring vibrant and energetic paintings heavily inspired by lockdowns and subjects closer to home.

Ashanti Harris: Dancing a Peripheral Quadrille

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, until 28 Aug, times vary

Multi-disciplinary artist Ashanti Harris presents a series of sculptural and performance works. Using Faustin Charles’ novel Signposts of a Jumbie as a starting point, she explores ideas of communal and grassroots cultural production through the lens of the Caribbean Carnival.

Nadia Myre

Edinburgh Printmakers, until 18 Sep, times vary

Tell Me of Your Boats and Your Waters – Where Do They Come From, Where Do They Go? features newly commissioned work across print, installation and sound from the Montreal-based artist, responding to the 200th anniversary of the Union Canal.

Ishiuchi Miyako

Platform 2022

French Institute for Scotland, until 28 Aug, times vary

The festival’s annual showcase of early career visual artists, now in its eighth year. This year’s cohort includes Saoirse Amira Anis, Emelia Kerr Beale, Lynsey MacKenzie and Jonny Walker.

Stills Centre for Photography, until 8 Oct, times vary

The first exhibition in Scotland of work by the influential postwar Japanese photographer. Expect selections of work from some of her most celebrated series, including Frida (2012), where Miyako photographed Kahlo’s belongings.

Image: courtesy of the artist

Image: courtesy EAF

Image: Courtesy Ishiuchi Miyako

and The Third Gallery Aya

Image: Courtesy of HES

Image: Courtesy of the artist

and The Scottish Gallery

Untitled, Emelia Kerr Beale

Ashanti Harris Portrait, Emilia Beatriz

Mother’s#38, Ishiuchi Miyako

Edinburgh, Union Canal

Winter Wild, Duncan Shanks

• Ali Smith

• Diana Gabaldon

• Douglas Stuart

• Val McDermid

• Frankie Boyle

• Irvine Welsh

• Armando Iannucci

• NoViolet Bulawayo

• Ottessa Moshfegh

• Alan Cumming

• Hollie McNish

• Gemma Cairney

• Jarvis Cocker

• Maggie O’Farrell

• Martha Wainwright

• Ellen Renton

• Patricia Lockwood

• Sinéad Gleeson

• Travis Alabanza

• Kayo Chingonyi

• Lola Olufemi

• Charlotte Church

• Nick Drnaso

• Amy Liptrot

• Julia Armfield

• Torrey Peters

• Jenni Fagan

...and hundreds more.

Mohsin Hamid

A Zeus Cannon

odyssey into Greek myths

Interview: Jenni Ajderian

The Ancient Greeks understood better than anyone that the gods are out to get us. Plagues and political incompetence aside, the residents of Mount Olympus tinkered in the lives of mortals, their exploits recorded by the playwrights of the time.

Writing two and a half thousand years ago, the stories by Euripides and Sophocles, alongside all of the myths and legends, have stood the test of time. After spawning spin-offs, retellings and even psychological complexes, audiences still recognise the ancient plots and flock to productions in numbers suited to an amphitheatre.

For Damien Warren-Smith – alias Garry Starr – that recognition is key to crafting and re-crafting his show: “It’s something that everyone knows something about,” he says. “I was able to make a list of all the famous figures from Greek mythology and the one thing everyone knows about them – then draw a misunderstanding from that.”

Damien Warren-Smith talks about Garry Starr’s latest

Photo: Aaron Walker

In his clown persona Garry Starr, WarrenSmith brings Greece Lightning to Edinburgh, an attempt to perform all of Greek mythology in one Fringe hour. “The general idea is that Garry has discovered his Greek heritage. He discovers the economy isn’t doing well in his homeland, so he thinks ‘What if I help boost tourism by performing all of Greek mythology in an hour? Surely, everyone will want to go to Greece!’

“This is the type of high stakes, low intelligence of this character. It’s this impossible task and this utter arrogance of this character who thinks he can do everything.”

Starr previously set himself the task of performing every genre of theatre in an hour: “I needed something else that has a big pool to draw from,” he says. Greek Mythology is a huge pool, even if you only skim across its surface.

Warren-Smith uses the recognisable parts of these stories as a starting point, then jumps off into play-time, creating a highly interactive show that is different each night: the twist coming from the performance. “Oedipus is the original motherfucker,” he says, an observation which inspired Greece Lightning’s barnstormer Oedipus rap.

To a modern audience, these tragedies are larger-than-life in their turmoil and excessive death. But the same audience would likely recognise the utter heartbreak of losing half your family to war, or being ostracised for your lover. These stories were meant to be experienced live.

Clowning is, in Warren-Smith’s view, “one of the oldest art forms. I could take my show to anywhere in the world and it would work. I can do it non-verbal, it crosses all kinds of barriers. Essentially clowning is an adult behaving like an infant, and that’s something that we’ve always done. Play involves other people, and play is as old as time.

“I want my shows to be pure escapism,” he adds, “I think that’s one of the reasons people come back. They say ‘I’m going to bring my mum, my grandma, my racist uncle’. In a world where we’re so divided, families can’t agree on comedy shows to go and see together, because everything’s got something political in it.

“I would describe what I do as playing with the audience. This new show I hand out props at the beginning, and they don’t know when or how they will be used. As soon as people realise that I am the butt of every joke, no one is ever made to look more stupid than me. I don’t prescribe to what I want people to do, I just give them the prop and they think ‘Oh wow, I think this is the moment I need it!’”

SHOW Garry Starr: Greece Lightning

VENUE: Underbelly, Cowgate

TIME: 8:55pm – 9:55pm, 4–28 Aug, not 17

“Oedipus is the original motherfucker”

Damien Warren-Smith

Photo: Aaron Walker

Tragedy plus Time

Interviews: Kirstyn Smith

The adage ‘comedy = tragedy + time’ has been part of public consciousness for decades. Variously attributed to Mark Twain, Carol Burnett and Lenny Bruce, its general conceit is that everything is funny given enough space to reflect, mull and conjure humour from something as raw as pain and devastation.

But what about the more immediate need to find comedy in anguish? We don’t live in a leisurely world – one look at any social media platform reveals that today’s horror quickly becomes tomorrow’s afterthought. So when it comes to personal tragedy, sometimes there’s a more immediate need for The Bad Thing to be released, mocked and moulded into something less terrifying or saddening than it is. For some, that’s where stand-up comes in.

“It’s like exposure therapy,” says Rich Hardisty. “With other forms of writing, you send it off, you wait months for feedback, then someone might say ‘no’. Whereas with stand-up, you think of it in a day, go out that night and get immediate feedback.”

Comedians often make reference to therapy in relation to the art of stand-up, but

with different takes on how this should be considered. Chelsea Birkby is keen to state that, crucially, stand-up is not therapy. “The two should be very distinct,” she says.

“Making and playing are brilliant for mental health, but I’m not fully convinced that being in pubs most nights asking strangers if they love you is.”

Meanwhile, Sikisa counters with, “It’s an inside joke that doing stand-up is a great way to get therapy for free.”

No matter how seriously or jokingly they mix-and-match stand-up with therapy, it’s an interpretation that plays on their minds. And that makes sense when you’re a stand-up who

Rich Hardisty, Sikisa and Chelsea Birkby talk about finding therapy in stand-up

"Doing stand-up is a great way to get therapy for free"

Sikisa

lives with episodes of poor mental health. It’s not as if mental illness is a switch that can be flicked on or off: if you wake up unwell, there’s often very little you can do about it. Where stand-up differs from other careers is in the notion that you can employ the humour card as a way of making connections with people in a way other professions don’t really get to do.

“I suspect there’s a similar (high) frequency of people struggling with their mental health in every field”, says Birkby, “I wonder if stand-up attracts people equipped at making difficult things palatable for others, which has its pros and cons.” Humour is a vehicle that makes tough conversations a little easier to bear for the audience. Yet, it can have a profound effect on the person behind the mic too.

“You can be unhinged on stage,” says Hardisty. “My personality works on stage, but not in an office. [Stand-up helps to] stop the noise in my head. If I say a joke and you laugh, I know you understand me. So as long as I have that, everything is okay.”

There’s also something to be said about the freedom to present a different version of yourself – perhaps only minimally tweaked –when you’re on stage. Sikisa maintains there’s something essential about exaggerating who you are, getting into a different mindset and not having to be relentlessly introspective about your problems.

“I don’t like cancelling gigs,” she says. “So being forced to get out of bed, get ready and perform on a stage has saved my life. It’s a great way for you to tell your story – and for people to relate to your story, because you never know what they are going through.”

Isn’t this why any artist puts their work out on display, after all: a scrabble to find a

shared bond, forge a connection, or reach out towards people who get you? Sikisa’s show is about a party, which is pretty high up there in terms of togetherness and communication, but she also delves into topics like immigration, race and gender roles.

“Talking about subjects that are personal to me allows me to educate people as well as making them laugh. It’s very important in this day and age, especially when we talk about things people have misconceptions about. Being able to address these issues through telling jokes is a great way for me to put a point across and not feel preachy.”

Birkby’s show centres around the concept of accepting the things about us that aren’t

Sikisa

Photo: Adrian Tauss

“nice”, discussing what being nice actually even means, and why we should all spend some time exploring our darker sides.

“Audiences can unpack where they learned to be lovely,” she says. “And question if it’s still serving them. I want my audiences to come away caring less about pleasing others.”

Hardisty deals in empathy and compassion – looking beyond initial impressions and trying to see what might have caused people to be and act in the ways they do.

“When you’ve truly lost your mind you’ll realise how little control you have over it. And that’s the thing I’ll never be able to forget now. I can’t judge anyone ever again. And that’s what my show is about: what it feels like to be me and how I see the world.”

We all have different ways of coping. For these acts - and dozens more during the Fringe - that’s getting up on stage and spilling their guts in the most vulnerable ways and trying to build a relationship, if only for 55 minutes (aka, fittingly, a therapist’s hour).

SHOW Sikisa: Life of the Party

VENUE: Pleasance Courtyard

TIME: 8:25pm – 9:25pm, 3–28 Aug, not 17

SHOW Rich Hardisty: Silly Boy

VENUE: Pleasance Courtyard

TIME: 4:30pm – 5:30pm, 3–29 Aug, not 15

SHOW Chelsea Birkby: No More Mr Nice Chelsea

VENUE: Just the Tonic at The Caves

TIME: 3:40pm – 4:40pm, 4–28 Aug, not 15

Chelsea Birkby

Photo: Chris CW Cox

Now We Know They’re Funny

Interviews: Ben Venables

“Iremember reading the list of former winners and finalists,” says Maisie Adam on the Gilded Balloon’s So You Think You’re Funny?: “It was a Who’s Who of all the comedians I’d grown up watching. I applied straight away.”

Following the path of comedians such as Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan and David O’Doherty – all SYTYF? winners before we knew their names – Adam reached the final in 2017: “exactly six months after my first gig. I thought I was a ‘seasoned act’ by then. What a tit!’”

Since winning the competition, Adam’s success makes it easy to forget the rookie she was to stand-up just five years ago: “To suddenly be on this massive stage, in this huge hall, with a well-known comedian hosting the gig... it’s a big step up.”

Ivo Graham was less seasoned even than Adam when he entered in 2009. He says: “I’d been doing comedy for approximately five months and was already feeling this attention-seeking university hobby might have run its course.” Encouraged by comedy producer Corry Shaw, Graham spent that August doing 15 minute slots each day in a split-bill show and progressing through the SYTYF? competition heats – a summer that turned him “from a chancer into a comic.”

For Luca Cupani, the 2015 competition offered him a kind of redemption in Edinburgh. The Italian comic had made a shambles of attempting a Fringe-run the year before, where he thought: “I’ll improvise every night a new hour of material, in a second language, without any experience.”

Not that it’s easy on the Gilded Balloon stage. Adam describes being a “bag of nerves”

and so too was Heidi Regan in 2016. Regan says: “I struggled to get the mic out at the very start and just assumed I’d lost the crowd from that point on.” She adds: “The room felt huge at the time, though the audience was friendly so I was able to enjoy myself by halfway. Going back a year later the room suddenly felt so much smaller. But maybe I just got taller?!”

The contrast from the ramshackle nature of early gigs to the grander surrounding of Teviot House may have helped Finlay Christie in 2019: “I was doing lots of open mics in London, sometimes performing to five or six people who were clearly unwell. The Gilded Balloon audience was massive and largely mentally stable. After I walked off stage it felt like I was on a very tiny amount of MDMA.”

As ecstatic as Christie felt, he still didn’t expect to win. He even assured a fellow competitor they had the victory in the bag: “This person had absolutely smashed it. I showered them with praise as soon as they came off and told them they were going to win. The first thing I said after they read my name out was ‘Shit, I’m really sorry’. I must have come across like a complete tosser.”

Like the comedians that won before them, all agree the competition propelled their comedy careers forward. Ivo Graham says: “It got me an agent, filled my diary with gigs and gave me an accolade of ‘youngest ever winner of...’ – which has been following me around in various promotional materials ever since; next to a photo of a greying long-adulted man who should surely have something else to bang on about now.”

Adam agrees: “Oh it changed everything, for sure!” she says. “It put my name on people’s

As comedy’s premier new act competition turns 35, we caught up with past So You Think You’re Funny? winners

radars – other comedians who might have been looking for support acts, producers who wanted to hear ideas, bookers who then gave me gigs.”

Regan adds: “The competition also sent me to Montreal, which was mind blowing and also introduced me to established UK comics, like Joe Lycett and Aisling Bea, who were so supportive and kind that it made a huge difference at that key time in my career.”

The recognition that there’s a future in comedy is perhaps as important as the industry boost that winning a competition helps with. As Cupani says: “Most of all, it happened when I really needed a sort of recognition. I started doing comedy because I love the idea of being on stage, being myself and connecting with an audience of strangers through humour and laughter.”

Where to Find the SYTYF? Winners

Maisie Adam: Buzzed

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 5pm, 3–29 Aug

Finlay Christie: OK Zoomer

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 6pm, 3–28 Aug (not 17)

Luca Cupani: Happy Orphan

Just the Tonic at The Caves, 2:20pm, 4–28 Aug (not 15)

Ivo Graham: My Future, My Clutter Use Pleasance Courtyard, 7:30pm, 3–28 Aug (not 6)

Heidi Regan Gives Birth Live On Stage Every Night Or Your Money Back

PBH’s Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms, 5:55pm, 6–28 Aug (not 20, 21)

SHOW So You Think You’re Funny?

Competition Heats

VENUE: Gilded Balloon Teviot

TIME: 10:15pm – 11:30pm, 6–16 Aug, not 10, 11, 12, 13

SHOW So You Think You’re Funny? Grand Final

VENUE: Gilded Balloon Teviot

TIME: 7:30pm – 10:00pm, 25 Aug

“Oh it changed everything, for sure!”

Maisie Adam

Photo: Piers Alladyce

Photo: Matt Stronge

Photo: Karla Gowlett

Photo: Steve Ullathorne

Photo: Matt Crockett

Finlay Christie

Ivo Graham

Heidi Regan

Luca Cupani Maisie Adam

Sharing the Joke

Writer Jon Canter and stand-up Sarah Keyworth discuss collaboration in comedy

Interviews: Jay Richardson

Stand-up so often expresses a deeply personal experience that it rarely occurs to us it might have been written by a team. Panel shows euphemistically employ “programme associates”, while comics writing for bigger names’ arena tours sign non-disclosure agreements but are indiscreet. Generally though, it’s not talked about.

“Nor should it be,” argues Jon Canter. “When you go to see Lenny Henry, you don’t for one moment want to think of someone like me in a room coming up with stuff. There’s skill in hiding yourself in the artist.”

Canter, writer of the play Spoons, about a marriage guidance counsellor sublimating care for her own relationship into others’, has penned lines for everyone from Peter Cook to Richard Wilson and has worked alongside Henry for 30 years. Dubbed a “comedy butler”, he admits “I’ve done a fair bit of sublimating, although I’d say I’ve had a very good time doing it.”

He scoffs at the idea of his friend struggling to come up with material. “Lenny never

had any trouble getting stuff out of his head, he writes reams,” he explains. “He’ll say: ‘I really want to do something about my mother or what it was like for me at school’. And I will take what he’s written, reshape it, add gags where necessary and try to give it more structure. I can’t dictate to him, I simply respond.”

Jewish and from North London, rather than from the Midlands with a Caribbean background, “it was curious to be sitting in a room by the Suffolk coast pretending to be Lenny Henry growing up in Dudley,” he admits. Yet the “gulf between us wasn’t ethnicity but class. I’m a middle-class guy who went to Oxbridge, while he left school at 15 and worked in a factory. Amusingly, he’s since become far more educated than me, doing a PhD and an MA. I can hear his voice in my head now, simply by virtue of the amount of time I’ve spent with him. As a butler, you’ve got to just serve it up, you can’t impose your own ego.”

Henry hasn’t hid their collaboration, dedicating a chapter to Canter in his forthcoming memoir Rising To The Surface, whom he says

Spoons

Photo: Marshall Stay

has “neuroses up the wazoo”. Canter tours with him, “maybe for the first 12 gigs and we’ll be changing the script.

“I’d be in the wings and he’ll be turning to me, calling ‘Jack!’ after a line bombs and saying ‘well, that’s no good Jack, we’re going to have to cut that’. Like it’s Jack’s fault.”

To a greater or lesser degree, most standups workshop with other comics. Complete auteurs are in the minority.

“It’s never occurred to me to be secretive about it,” explains Sarah Keyworth, whose third solo hour, Lost Boy, deals in part with the passing of her writing partner, Paul Byrne, from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Stand-up is a dialogue

with an audience rather than a monologue after all, and “so much of the joy is writing with other people.

“When you see a comedian coming up with stuff on stage in the moment, it’s because that little flame, that bit of their brain is flicked on,” she says. “It’s very hard to generate that on your own. It helps to be in a light and frivolous zone with your mates, that social aspect is what gets your brain working.”

Byrne, younger brother of stand-up Ed, worked with the likes of Brendon Burns, Andrew Maxwell and Phil Nichol. Keyworth got to know him while working on her debut show in 2018. “There was a specific bit that wasn’t quite clicking into place. I asked him to come and look at it and he solved the problem within two minutes. He had that knack and we got on so well that he directed my second show.”

Byrne could push Keyworth to share the unsayable. “He was willing to say all the things I was unwilling to,” Keyworth recalls. He never suggested ideas but “often saw potential in bits that I didn’t. As a straight man in his 40s, he was always going to look at things slightly differently to me. He’d say, ‘well, if I heard you say that, I’d be thinking this’, questioning me on it.”

Most helpfully, “Paul had this ability, without being explicit, of blowing smoke up your arse, making you feel really good about yourself. He never said something was a bad idea. He would run with it, we’d take it to a point, before I’d realise it wasn’t going anywhere. He always indulged me.”

She adds: “I would be alone in my room, writing, and I’d get this excitement thinking, ‘God, I can’t wait to see what Paul thinks of this’, to hear him laughing at it. One of the hardest parts of moving forward is that I didn’t realise how much I wrote for Paul.”

SHOW Sarah Keyworth: Lost Boy

VENUE: Pleasance Courtyard

TIME: 5:40pm – 6:40pm, 3–28 Aug, not 16

SHOW Spoons

VENUE: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

TIME: 6:00pm – 7:15pm, 4–28 Aug

“So much of the joy is writing with other people”

Sarah Keyworth

Sarah Keyworth

Photo: Matt Crockett

A Breath of Fresh Airdrie

David

and Stephen Pastel chat about adapting hallucinatory novel This Is Memorial Device

Interviews: Nicola Meighan

I used to have a radio show that didn’t exist called Radio Thistle. My best friend and I taped ourselves transmitting to no one from our teenage bedrooms in Stirling, and invited imaginary guests to join us for a rock‘n’roll grilling. A recurring phantom interviewee was subterranean pop legend Stephen Pastel. (Spoiler alert: it was me, aged 15, doing a dubious, if audacious, impression.)

This would have been the early-mid 90s, and his band, The Pastels, had already been blazing a trail for over a decade. It would take a while longer for them to have a number one seven-inch (with a Sonic Youth split of New York Dolls covers in late ‘21), and to star in a headline Glastonbury slot, via Paolo Nutini’s recent take on their ‘89 album cut, ‘Nothing To Be Done’. But there was never any rush. The Pastels work on Pastels time; they’ve never been shackled by hands on a clock.

Lately, Stephen Pastel has been toing and froing in place and time – specifically, to Airdrie in the early-mid 1980s. It’s thanks to a novel, a virtual cult, and a forthcoming theatre show with sound design by Pastel – all inspired by an

underground band so magical that they never existed. You might even have heard them. Who can ever say for sure? Anyway, they’re called Memorial Device.

David Keenan first conjured them in his brilliant 2017 novel, This Is Memorial Device: An Hallucinated Oral History of the Post-Punk Music Scene in Airdrie, Coatbridge and Environs, 1978-1986. Its cabal of misfits and visionaries has since spawned a wildly popular Twitter account (Keenan doesn’t know who runs it), and a forthcoming prequel – Industry of Magic & Light – not to mention this stage production

Keenan

“Art gives you that opportunity, that permission, to step out into the adventure”

David Keenan

from Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Royal Lyceum. Adapted by Graham Eatough, it stars Paul Higgins (The Thick of It, Line of Duty) as frenzied protagonist Ross Raymond.

“Such an incredible community has sprung up around Memorial Device,” Keenan muses on a sunny Monday in Glasgow subcultural paradise, Mono. “People read it, and it becomes their story. I had no ambition to do a theatre production, but very early on, I realised that Memorial Device doesn’t belong to me. All these people coming on board, it’s exactly part of the life of this book. And what Graham and Stephen are doing with it – it’s pretty bold.”

At its heart, in every incarnation, Memorial Device is a psychotropic love letter to Lanarkshire. “I’ve always wanted to write about how amazing it can be in small towns,” Keenan says. “I’d go shopping with my gran when I was a kid, and I’d watch all these incredible characters walking down the high street. That’s been my fantasy world since I was 14. But it’s a fantasy that taps into a lot of people’s reality. It’s about falling in love and discovering poetry and listening to John Coltrane and painting. It’s set in Airdrie, but it’s every town, and any town. It’s about these beautiful moments where the world seems to open up to you through art, somehow. Art gives you that opportunity, that permission, to step out into the adventure.”

The Pastels make an early appearance in This Is Memorial Device – their seven-inches are on-sale upstairs at the Savoy Centre – so when Stephen Pastel joins us in Mono, he emerges from fantasy into reality in more ways than one. “I was blown away by the book’s real sense of adventurism when I first read it,” Pastel says, pulling up a chair beside us. “It’s that idea of starting from things that are almost prosaic experiences, then ascending into this absolute madness. I didn’t grow up in Airdrie, but when I read the book, it had a real truth about the time.”

Keenan nods. “I think you can get closer to the truth through fiction than you can through a purely objective telling. That’s why it gets to that hallucinatory level – it’s that fevered

Photo: Heather Leigh

David Keenan

moment where you’re getting so into art and music, and it’s so radically changing your life, that it’s almost as if reality itself is up for grabs.”

“The true story of post-punk, or underground, or independent music is not about the huge bands that had massive hits,” Keenan adds. “It’s about the bands that recorded one demo cassette, people who put on three shows, who published a fanzine. They’re the real heroes. It takes a level of belief and bloody-minded commitment to come through with that kind of art.”

Pastel first got involved with the theatre production during an on-stage EIBF exploration in 2019. “We had a really good experience collaborating on it,” he says. “I think Graham and [Lyceum Artistic Director] David Greig always liked the idea of doing a more developed version in the future. And so it’s come back round again.”

As for what the show might sound like, Pastel’s clear on what it’s not. “I always knew it shouldn’t sound like The Pastels,” he offers. “I also felt very strongly that Memorial Device’s music shouldn’t feature, because people have such a strong image in their minds of what that is. The first time we staged it, I saw the role of music more as providing the atmosphere and the noise of the time – the way it sounded, the way it was recorded.”

Some Pastels-related archive recordings are rumoured to feature. These tapes are unlikely to include the fake Radio Thistle sessions, but never say never. One thing that’s assured is total immersion. “It’s got to have that same thing as the book,” Keenan says. “You come staggering out the other side of it going –what the fuck just happened?” Magic happens, everywhere, all the time.

Nicola Meighan speaks to David Keenan as part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival at the Wee Red Bar on 13 Aug, 8:30pm

SHOW This Is Memorial Device

VENUE: Wee Red Bar

TIME: times vary, 13–29 Aug, not 17, 24

Photo: Robin Gautier

Paul Higgins stars in This is Memorial Device

Common Wealth Games

sharing with Edinburgh audiences

Interviews: Eilidh Akilade

“Even getting working class people into a theatre is political,” says Rhiannon White, Co-Artistic Director at Common Wealth. That’s why the site-specific, political theatre group, based in Cardiff and Bradford, are setting the stage a little differently. Specialising in speaking to and from the working class, many of their productions see experimental sound, lighting, and design meet verbatim theatre and new writing to create something as crucial as it is captivating. This year, Common Wealth are taking two shows to the Fringe with this mission statement in mind: Payday Party and Peaceophobia.

A collaboration between director Darren Pritchard and Common Wealth, Payday Party consists of six cast members, who each give a monologue and performance, with the entire production held together by a host. It’s joyful

and funny while also reflecting on the (undeniably politicised) hardships experienced by the cast. But Pritchard – and the show itself – is clear: “I’m not making poverty porn.”

Peaceophobia is likewise celebratory –particularly, of cars and the peace that the three actors in the show have found in Islam. Set in a car park, the show explores the rise of Islamophobia, reflecting on the men’s own experiences of growing up in Bradford. It’s a Common Wealth collaboration with several groups: Speakers’ Corner, a political and creative collective of women based in Bradford; Bradford Modified Club, a community-based car group; and, Fuel Theatre.

For Iram Rehman, a member of Speakers’ Corner and one of several co-directors of Peaceophobia, that collective feeling is experienced by the audience themselves. “It’s quite rare to have a play in a car park,” she says, “and then [even rarer] to be sat in between the cars and to see the actors work on the cars.” Common Wealth’s site-specific approach isn’t just a gimmick: these community-used spaces allow for a connection and a closeness that simply cannot be accessed in a traditional theatre.

Payday Party takes a slightly different approach. The radical, socialist celebration was originally put on in a Conservative club (yes, with a capital C) in Cardiff – in the ‘Margaret Thatcher Room’, no

Site-specific theatre company Common Wealth discuss the two shows they’ll be

Photo: Jon Pountney

Payday Party

less. It’s a place for gatherings – weddings, birthdays, christenings, wakes – and so, ironically perfect for Payday Party, a show all about bringing people together. “Being in the heart of that Conservative club – like politically, professionally, socially – that for us was a mad catalyst,” says White, who worked closely on the show. “But then to take the essence of that and move it onto a stage in Edinburgh – it still holds all of that fire in its belly with the cast politically. It shows that you can move these things into different spaces.”

For Common Wealth, site-specific doesn’t mean site-fixed; there’s a real desire to take things elsewhere. “It’s not just a Bradford thing,” Rehman adds on Peaceophobia. “We want to reach out to people who don’t have the same opinion and to educate people from different backgrounds and from different cities.” The show is inextricably bound to Bradford but the strength of this bond allows it to take Bradford, its people, and their stories, elsewhere.

“If I’m designing a show that’s for working class people, we need it to be a show that we can take to those communities,” says Pritchard. As such, it’s not reliant on any elaborate sets. “We could do it around a dining table and the cast could tell their stories and sing their songs and tap-dance on the table.” With Payday Party, the audience become

complicit; eating crisps, shouting and dancing while playing politicised party games. In the midst of a cost of living crisis where so many feel powerless, Payday Party seeks to return agency to audiences, simply by refusing to let them be passive.

Through their innovative work, Common Wealth emphasise the fact that theatre is anything but fixed. Spinning away from traditional theatre, and touring from city to city on their own terms, they create a political movement imbued with joy and unity. Times are bleak –but, as Common Wealth prove, theatre doesn’t have to be.

SHOW Peaceophobia

VENUE: Q-Park Omni Car Park

TIME: times vary, 24-28 Aug

SHOW Payday Party

VENUE: Pleasance Dome

TIME: 2:40pm – 3:40pm, 23–27 Aug

“It’s quite rare to have a play in a car park”

Iram Rehman

Photo: Ian Hodgson

Peaceophobia

Meeting Death

Haley McGee and Helen Wood discuss mortality

Interviews: Kirstyn Smith

Theatre has been obsessed with death for centuries. “Take Hamlet questioning life and death in his famous soliloquy,” points out writer and performer Helen Wood. (‘To be, or not to be, that is the question’, if you’re not in the know). “However, as successive generations are less inhibited, there’s a gradual and beneficial change to people being more open about mental health issues, suicide and death.”

This could partly be to do with the destigmatisation of therapy, of the anti-small talkification of modern society and constant ‘It’s good to talk’ campaigns, but after the two years we’ve just had, death is on a lot of people’s minds. Nearly 6.5 million people have

died of Covid (so far) – it would be odd to think that, given this level of loss and grief, death is something anyone can ignore.

“Western culture has shied away from death, especially in the last 100 years,” says Haley McGee. “But as more people confront their fears on a personal level, their ability to share that can liberate those around them to discuss their own fears. And when those conversations are recorded, so that millions can listen in, the willingness to talk about the things we’re scared of snowballs.”

So that’s what Wood and McGee are doing – portraying their experiences with death in front of audiences in order to open up the

Photo: Thea Courtney

Haley McGee, Age is a Feeling

conversation just a little bit more. Wood’s Let’s Talk About Philip is a fast-paced, darkly comic journey she embarked on to discover the circumstances that led up to her brother Philip’s death by suicide decades ago. And McGee is showcasing Age Is a Feeling, a show about how our relationship with mortality radically changes the way we live.

“Thirty years of family silence is broken just after my mother’s funeral when my father says, ‘Let’s talk about Philip’,” says Wood. “I embark on a quest that takes me back to scenes from my childhood, exotic Asian locations, a coroner’s court, and the rooftop from which my brother jumped.”

An outpouring of death onto the stage is useful in many ways. It’s about illuminating not just the people we’ve loved and lost, but the need to think about death and how it affects each of us. McGee’s Age Is a Feeling makes innovative use of the audience to help create a show that’s never the same two nights in a row. The audience chooses six out of thirteen stories that can be told each night. The rest are left by the wayside to remind us that our paths can change dramatically due to seemingly insignificant choices.

“It’s a covert rallying cry against cynicism and regret. A call to seize our time,” says McGee. “I want people to reflect on their lives, and

their relationship with mortality, regret, and things unsaid.”

Both Wood and McGee agree that there are no cons when it comes to talking about death onstage. How could there be when it only serves to put this difficult topic front and centre where it should be, particularly for people who are grieving or considering it, or afraid to open up about confusion, fear and pain. From Wood’s point of view, shielding people from death is fatal.

“It’s something that will happen to us all, but a subject that’s so often kept hidden,” she says. “And that is often to the detriment of people in crisis, just as my brother was.”

“The inevitability of death is perhaps the only universal truth for all living things,” adds McGee. “This strikes me as excellent fodder for a live performance, something experienced among a collective of strangers.”

SHOW Age Is a Feeling

VENUE: Summerhall

TIME: 12:10pm – 1:20pm, 3–28 Aug, not 8, 15, 22

SHOW Let’s Talk About Philip

VENUE: Pleasance Courtyard

TIME: 4:00pm – 5:00pm, 3–28 Aug, not 15

“It’s a covert rallying cry against cynicism and regret”

Haley McGee

Image: Rebecca Pitt

Let's Talk About Philip

Pride and Joy

Tabby Lamb and James Ireland talk about unwrapping joy in their theatre shows

Interviews: Katie Goh

“Let’s be honest, the last three years have been fucking awful,” says the writer Tabby Lamb, half laughing, half sighing. “Every day there’s another transphobic article and a new tweet from awful people, and it all feels inescapable. But when you go into a theatre, you have to turn your phone off. If I can offer an hour’s respite from the world, I will be very, very happy.”

Theatre as a joyous escape is something on several LGBTQ+ playwrights’ minds this year at the Fringe. While shows about traumatic, and often painful, subject matters have always had their place at the festival, they often overshadow the need for a diverse range of queer storytelling, particularly shows which celebrate queer happiness over queer suffering.

“Happy Meal is all about joy,” Lamb explains firmly about their show. “I wanted to create a

trans show that trans people could watch and not be triggered by, and one that depicts the reality of our lives but focuses on the joy, happiness, romance, and gives us a happy ending.”

A nostalgic rom-com, Happy Meal is about two teenagers who meet online and, via MySpace, MSN and chatrooms, figure out who

“I wanted to create a trans show that trans people could watch and not be triggered by”

Tabby Lamb

Photo: Piers Foley Photography

Happy Meal rehearsals

they want to be. Rather than focus on the negatives of our current online world, Happy Meal is about the power of the internet to bring communities together. “My life was spent using the internet to find out who I am and who I could be,” says Lamb. “I think that’s a very trans thing. For example, a lot of trans people play The Sims because you get to build the person you want to be.”

Another show at the Fringe unapologetically centring queer joy is Rajesh and Naresh. “We wanted to make something that was a positive story that didn’t subscribe to the 'bury your gays' trope or punish people for daring to be queer,” explains the show’s writer, James Ireland. “We wanted to put something positive out into the world, particularly given the lack of queer and South Asian theatre in the UK.”

Originally written as a 10-minute script in 2019 by Arjun Singh, Rajesh and Naresh is a collaborative work, comprising numerous perspectives. Ireland came on board to help develop the short script into a 60-minute show, as Singh, the show’s director, Sophie Cairns, and performers, Brahmdeo Ramana and Madhav Vasantha, each brought their own experiences to the rom-com.

“A fundamental part of the process was bringing as many people as possible into the room,” explains Ireland. “We invited many research participants to see the original play and give us feedback. You’ve got to get the balance right, and not write something that’s detached from reality, but balancing the happiness with the grim which feels more true to our research participants’ experiences.”

Ireland and Rajesh and Naresh’s creative team sought to create a rom-com that also

subverted expectations. “When he first came up with the 10 minute concept, Arjun was reacting against a perception that the UK is the liberated west where everyone can be queer no problem, and India is repressed,” says Ireland. “We flipped that perception on its head because it’s not true to many queer people of colour’s experiences in the UK. The Rajasthani character, Naresh, is comfortable being out to his friends, whereas the British character, Rajesh, is very emotionally locked down. For Arjun, that was a radical statement.”

Like Lamb, Ireland hopes that Rajesh and Naresh can also offer a safe space for LGBTQ+ audiences at the Fringe. “There’s just something really powerful about being able to put a happy story on stage. The kind of stories that tend to be written for theatre in the UK are often very difficult and very painful to sit through. We wanted to create a story that centred queer joy, so that an audience member could see that, despite there being some difficult parts in any journey, there are happy endings for them.”

SHOW Happy Meal

VENUE: Traverse Theatre

TIME: times vary, 4–28 Aug, not 8, 15, 22

SHOW Rajesh and Naresh

VENUE: Summerhall

TIME: 2:45pm – 3:45pm, 3–14 Aug

Image: Hugh Tarpey

Rajesh & Naresh

A Site to Behold

An adventure in space with the ingenious minds behind Muster Station, Dreamachine and Pianodrome

Interviews: Katie Hawthorne

Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever seen a show? In August, it can feel like every single basement, attic and courtyard in Edinburgh has been co-opted into a venue. From the sticky dancefloors of the Cowgate to University lecture halls transformed into comedy clubs, Fringe audiences quickly grow accustomed to spotting rising stars in the most unlikely of places. But look more deeply, and you’ll find that some shows this summer are exactly where they need to be. Which is where we meet the creatives behind three intensely site-specific performances, created in loving response to deeply unusual spaces: a busy secondary school, an amphitheatre made of pianos, and an art deco ice rink – naturally.

Edinburgh theatre company Grid Iron are experts in shaping a performance to fit its surroundings. Or, in playwright and director Ben Harrison’s words, at making theatre that really “listens to a space”.

“You might go in with one idea, but the building will tell you if it works”, he laughs, recalling previous exploits in underground vaults, open-air playgrounds, and the hubbub of Edinburgh Airport. This summer, the target in question is

Leith Academy, a large state school near Easter Road. Students will be back in classrooms from mid-August, so the task is to “respect the fact that it’s a working building”, he says, and to tell a story that’s deeply intertwined with its specific setting. “We begin by asking the question we always do – why are the audience here?”

Photo: Laurence Winram

Muster Station

Muster Station is the result. Set 10 years from now, in the moment of an “extinction-level climate change event”, the school has become a processing point for citizens evacuating Edinburgh ahead of a catastrophic flood. The audience will learn the stories of eight different characters as they move through school, all the while awaiting emergency transportation. The multiplicity of voices, perspectives and experiences is central to the play, so much so that each scene has been written by a different playwright: Harrison, Nicola McCartney, Tawona Sitholé and Uma Nada-Rajah. “In a crisis we all need the same things,” Harrison says. “So we want to capture the voice of the city.”

Exchanging a dystopian future for a music-lover’s utopia, the Pianodrome is similarly dedicated to showcasing the sound of Edinburgh. In the historic Old Royal High School, a grand and only recently repurposed

building nestled into Calton Hill, you’ll find the city’s most idiosyncratic venue: an amphitheatre crafted out of over 40 disused pianos. “It’s 100% piano!” says musician and producer Matt Wright, “Right down to every single bolt and screw!” Constructed in the round, the Pianodrome is part treehouse, part boutique lounge, and it can hold over 100 audience members within its warm, wooden embrace.

This Fringe, there’s a free lunchtime concert every day at 1pm, as well as the flagship show Pianodrome Live every evening: “The quality is just immense,” enthuses Wright, “it’s a handpicked selection of musicians from Edinburgh and around the world, and it’s different every time: that’s 23 shows and 46 different acts.”

Peformances include star harpist Esther Swift, improv with a 140 year old Beckstein grand, and soprano Andrea Baker’s exploration of folk traditions through the lens of Scotland’s colonial history. Wright suggests that you expect the unexpected: “Improvisation runs through everything the Pianodrome does – not just in music, but in life!”

Community-led right down to the on-site food and drink (supplied by homeless charity and no-waste cafe Cyrenians and hyper-local brewery Bellfield) the Pianodrome carves out Fringe space for a celebration of Edinburgh’s year-round creative communities.

“In a crisis we all need the same things”

Ben Harrison

Photo: David Levene

Dreamachine

In a car park outside Murrayfield Stadium, Dreamachine is conjuring brand new communities. A wildly ambitious project dreamed up by producer Jennifer Crook, the temporary installation twists together scientists, philosophers, technologists, Grammy nominated electronic musician Jon Hopkins and Turner Prize-winning art collective Assemble – all with the goal of giving you a “portal to the powers of your brain”. The original dreamachine is a cult art-object invented by beat artist Brion Gysin in the late ‘50s, and uses flickering light to create extraordinary visions in the viewer’s mind’s eye. “You experience it with your eyes closed!” clarifies Crook, who first became fascinated with the concept as a teen. But it was after attending one of Hopkins’ concerts in 2014 that Crook realised that Gysin’s invention could be expanded and teamed with music – with transformative results. “I just thought, what if it became a whole environment? What would that feel like?”

Crook’s iteration of the Dreamachine will take residency in Cardiff, London, Belfast and Edinburgh, and each time in a public building –a market, a temple or, in our case, a baby blue art deco ice rink. “It’s a new kind of community centre,” she says, “the minute you step inside, you’re in the Dreamachine. But ultimately, the real show is in your head.”

And after the show, Crook enthuses, the community starts: “The minute people connect back to the world, they just want to talk! People are itching to hear what other people have seen.” The experience is free but ticketed, and there’s unlimited time and space for audience members to draw, write and talk together, sharing their innermost visions. “The human mind is one of the biggest mysteries there is,” Crook says, “so what could this experience reveal about people across the world? Do we all see and feel the same things?” Dreamachine makes the case that the most unique venue of all is the one inside of your brain.

SHOW Muster Station: Leith

VENUE: Leith Academy

TIME: times vary, 15–26 Aug, not 16, 22

SHOW Dreamachine

VENUE: Murrayfield Ice Rink

TIME: times vary, 13 Aug – 25 Sep

SHOW Pianodrome Free Lunchtime Concerts

VENUE: Pianodrome at the Old Royal High

TIME: 1:00pm – 2:00pm, 5–27 Aug

SHOW Pianodrome Live

VENUE: Pianodrome at the Old Royal High

TIME: 9:00pm – 11:00pm, 5–28 Aug, not 8, 15, 22

Photo: Douglas Roberts

Pianodrome Amphitheatre at the Old Royal High

Works of Art

The industrious hands crafting Temping and Work.txt on making a job of the Fringe

Interviews: Katie Hawthorne

Sick of your job? Try a new one! Two plays making their Fringe debut will put the audience to work, helping us explore our love-hate relationship with our daily grinds. In Temping, a show for one audience member at a time, you’re subbing for middle-aged actuary Sarah Jane. Sat at her desk, you’ll uncover her story through emails and Excel spreadsheets and possibly, as director Michael Rau puts it, “exorcise some demons” in the process. “You can write that email you’ve always wanted to write to your boss,” he laughs. Playwright Michael

Crowley expands: “You’ll do ‘work’ but you can be good or you can be bad at it! Both ways make for a great show.”

More than a workplace revenge fantasy, Temping encourages brave, big-hearted questions about how humans spend the majority of their waking hours. “What is this strange world that we call ‘going to work’?” asks Crowley. “At some point, it’s going to stop. Maybe because you quit, or get fired, or get sick, or you die… the work will stop. How do you get your head around the meaning of that work, and how much of yourself do you want to give to it?”

Intimate and mindful, Temping’s not the kind of ‘interactive’ show where an actor will come and “touch your face”, as Rau puts it. “Neither of us are fans of that!” Yet the visceral responses it receives continue to surprise its creators: “We’ve even had people quit their real jobs and write to us to tell us.” And since the pandemic, they’ve realised that Temping’s depiction of life in an average office cubicle has morphed into something of a period piece. “The world has changed, and so has the way that we work,” reflects Crowley. “There’s this noticeable new element of nostalgia.”

Over in Summerhall, Work.txt by Nathan Ellis takes a more communal approach: in this show, fellow audience members become colleagues

Photo: Alex Brenner

as you perform the show together, through a series of gentle, optional, text-based instructions. The initial ‘job’ taken to task is that of a social media manager (“because I’ve done that job” Ellis laughs, darkly) but it’s designed to poke fun at “bullshit jobs” across the board.

Influenced by the book Bullshit Jobs, by anthropologist David Graeber (who died in 2020), Work.txt picks at the boundary between our self-worth and our work selves. “It’s a show about being always on, turning all of your hobbies into work: these questions of optimisation and labour just stretching out into everything that we do,” says Ellis.

The play took digital form in 2020, but Work.txt was always intended for a room full of people – and the labour crises of 2022 have made it particularly timely. “We had this a moment when a lot of people got paid not to work, and we haven’t metabolised that yet,” Ellis muses. “What does it mean to be useful, or essential? To have purpose? These were difficult, risky questions before the pandemic, but even more so now.”

The last years have devastated the theatre industry, and Fringe economics are stretched

tighter than ever before. Have these shows cracked the code to prosperity by casting their audiences as performers? “Nope!” says Ellis, and Work.txt confronts this head on: “Is the value in theatre in your enjoyment? Or are you paying to see actors cry?”

Behind the scenes, Temping is staffed by two people – that’s a 2:1 ratio for every audience member. For Crowley, it stands against the capitalist urge to consider value in terms of prices and profit. “This is not that show. To experience it is to accept that there’s a different way of thinking about art.”

SHOW Temping

VENUE: Assembly George Square Studios

TIME: times vary, 9–28 Aug

SHOW Work.txt

VENUE: Summerhall

TIME: 1:15pm – 2:15pm, 3–28 Aug, not 15, 22

“It’s a show about being always on, turning all of your hobbies into work”

Nathan Ellis

Photo: Alley Scott

Temping

Criminal Minds

Is theatre the deadliest weapon of them all?

Interviews: Tamara Mathias

From a classic whodunnit to a musical murder mystery, crime is on the rise in Edinburgh.

While some of us spent lockdown brewing artisanal coffee and swearing off formal wear, several writers and performers were carefully plotting grotesque murders. But scratch beyond the veneer of suspense and you will find that creators had very different motives for using crime in their plays.

Take Closure, an intimate, three-person drama starring writer Faye Draper and director Maz Hedgehog, where audiences attend a disturbing dinner party from which not everyone might leave alive. The performance is designed to be an intense, unsettling, claustrophobic experience with dark humour and wicked twists.

“You think that the crime in this story is murder, but then you realise there is a painful theme of violence against women underpinning everything,” Hedgehog says.

Both Draper and Hedgehog (of Manchester-based theatre company Ink and Curtain) are survivors of sexual assault and delved into their own experiences to create a show that gives voice to “feminine rage”.

“This is a potent, slow-burning anger against systematic sexism, sexual violence and misogyny. It is rage at how women’s pain is trivialised and justice is denied,” explains Hedgehog. “I feel my job as director is to build and maintain tension, without exhausting the audience. There’s a pressure valve to the humour and getting the pacing right is very important.”

Also drawing on real-life experiences, Matt Wilkinson’s Psychodrama was inspired by sto-

ries from a Whatsapp group of female actors. The play will transport mystery lovers to the dark underbelly of showbiz and hinges on the unreliable narration of a beleaguered actress in her 40s who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. It pays homage to Hitchcock’s Psycho and was scripted specifically to be performed as a monologue by Emily Bruni.

Image: courtesy Francesca Moody productions

Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder

“This play is in part a love letter to actors and the particular demands we face,” she says. “How you look is subject to discussion, being vulnerable is part of the deal… Psychodrama borrows real stories from actors who love their jobs but land in horrifying, and sometimes hilarious situations because of them.”

Bruni serves up a whole cast of suspects, playing eight characters brought to life amid a soundscape by Gareth Fry (who worked on the Olympic Ceremony and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child), and lighting by Elliot Griggs (of Fleabag fame.)

“I’m breaking the fourth wall all the time. I don’t feel alone on stage as the audience becomes the other character I’m in conversation with.”

Yet not all killer shows rely on foreboding to serve their purpose. In Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder, the hunt for a killer is brought to life with music and lyrics. Writer-musician team Jon Brittain and Matthew Floyd Jones took up the challenge of combining two unlikely genres into a show where clues are hidden in bangers and every scene has its own song.

“Murder mysteries and musicals are so different: one demands intrigue and plot

twists, the other pushes you to be emotional and reflective,” Brittain says. “If we’ve done our jobs right, the audience will be thoroughly entertained and end up really investing in the characters and their friendship.”

Like the play’s protagonists, a pair of amateur true crime podcasters, Jones says he’s always harbored a secret wish to crack an unsolved case. “Kathy and Stella are exactly like that. We don’t have an Agatha Christie cast of 30 people, but we’re aiming to be very ambitious with five absolutely amazing musical theatre performers and just me on the piano.”

SHOW Closure

VENUE: Pleasance Courtyard

TIME: 3:10pm – 4:10pm, 3–29 Aug, not 15

SHOW Psychodrama

VENUE: Traverse Theatre

TIME: times vary, 4–28 Aug, not 8, 15, 22

SHOW Kathy and Stella Solve A Murder

VENUE: ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall

TIME: 9:50pm - 11pm, 3-28 Aug, not 4, 9, 16, 23

“It is rage at how women’s pain is trivialised and justice is denied” Maz Hedgehog

Photo: The Other Richard

Psychodrama

At Edinburgh Festival Fringe presented by The Danish Arts Foundation

ROCKY! by Fix&Foxy

 17.55 ❙ Aug 5 – 20 ❙ ZOO Southside - Main House

Fiercely entertaining award-winning political theatre based on the movie about the boxer.

WALKMAN by Don

Gnu

 12.15 ❙ Aug 14 – 28 ❙ ZOO Southside - Main House You will never cross the street in the same way again!

TUESDAY NIGHT SLEEPING CLUB by hello!earth

 21.00 ❙ Aug 9 – 26 (only Tuesday-Friday) ❙ ZOOTV

An immersive live streamed audio experience at your home. Prepare to enter the night like you never did before!

AN EVE AND AN ADAM by Granhøj Dans

 18.50 ❙ Aug 9 – 14 ❙ DANCEBASE

NB: Granhøj Dans presents works the whole month A rather naked duet.

www.danishedfringe.com

Cabaret for Everyone

Interviews: Laura Kressly

Cabaret’s popularity has been growing for some time now. However, the flexible and wide-ranging genre that overlaps with circus, drag, improv, theatre and variety hasn’t gone stale. It regularly offers new and exciting shows instead of falling back on established tropes. According to three of this year’s acts, this is still the case despite being more than two years into a pandemic.

“Cabaret is an art form that is rooted in constant development,” says Aidan Sadler, which explains why it hasn’t stagnated with time. This is reflected in both their company and their show Tropicana’s flexibility: “We’re very grassroots and we like to do things differently, there’s no real hard script to the show.” They've found that the Fringe is particularly conducive to experimentation. They explain: “Festivals, like the Fringe, allow cabaret artists to push boundaries and explore performance concepts... you can see a performance on the first day and by the last it’s something completely different.”

This approach doesn’t just allow performers to improvise and find new content as they go. It also means cabaret can tell a huge range of personal stories. Baby Lame says Final Baby Girl! is “ultimately about giving yourself permission to be what you want to be, and live the life

you want to live... this show is about learning to control your own narrative and confronting your inner demons in the best possible way.” Sadler’s approach also focuses on the self. “Rather than playing a character, I am simply me,” they say.

Ultimately, performers can find inspiration anywhere and they can inspire all sorts of forms and styles. According to Baby Lame, “there aren’t really any hard and fast rules in contemporary cabaret”. It’s this adaptability that helped cabaret not only survive COVID-19, but thrive. Eric Schmalenberger, creator of Blunderland, believes difficult circumstances

Aidan Sadler, Baby Lame and Eric Schmalenberger, share their thoughts on the value of cabaret

“I think rough times make for great cabaret”

Baby Lame, Final Baby Girl!

Image: courtesy Baby Lame

like this make better shows. “I think rough times make for great cabaret. There is so much going on in the world, throwing glitter and camp on reality and turning it into a show makes it a little easier to swallow,” he argues. Baby Lame compares cabaret artists to cockroaches, then explains, “when venues were closed, cabaret adapted much quicker than conventional theatre spaces did.”

This combination of resilience, flexibility and constant evolution means that audiences can always find something different. Sometimes it’s a matter of seeing an artist an individual doesn’t know. Sadler says: “It’s a dialogue between the artist and the audience which is personal on so many levels.” Schmalenberger doesn’t think it’s possible to exhaust cabaret. “People have not seen everything. I love taking taboo acts or subjects and finding ways to invert or surprise with them,” he adds.

These artists hope that audiences try out cabaret or get to know the genre even better. For one thing, as Baby Lame points out, “cabaret artists don’t get the same level of credibility or critical acclaim that theatre does and we definitely don’t receive the big commercial

opportunities or pay packets that comedians do.” By supporting cabaret, you’re supporting an art form that’s outside the mainstream and artists that may struggle to find regular, well-paid work. Schmalenberger challenges audiences to look beyond the glitz and glamour. “What happens on a cabaret stage is often a good example of the temperature of the world outside... There is a delicacy though, even in the most aggressive performances, in reaching deep places with our audiences.”

Sadler sums it up with his nan’s simple, but effective, saying: “Cabaret is for everyone.”

SHOW Blunderland

VENUE: Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows

TIME: 9:55pm – 10:55pm, 5–27 Aug, not 15, 22

SHOW Final Baby Girl!

VENUE: Assembly George Square Studios

TIME: 7:00pm – 8:00pm, 4–28 Aug, not 8, 15, 22

SHOW Aidan Sadler: Tropicana

VENUE: Assembly George Square

TIME: 10:20pm – 11:20pm, 3–28 Aug

Photo: David Myers Photography

Image: courtesy Blunderland

Blunderland

Aidan Sadler

Taking Refuge

Farah Saleh talks about bringing the experience of migration into focus

Interview: Anahit Behrooz

Every year, it seems, the refugee crisis hits a new and previously unimaginable peak. Conflict mounts in Syria as the West tightens its borders; a war in Europe breaks out as Ukrainians abandon their homes; asylum seekers drown in the Channel as the UK government forms plans to ship them to Rwanda. The refugee crisis has become a crisis not just of the conditions that create displacement, but of the responses from those who should offer a safe haven, peace amidst the wreckage. What does it mean to be a refugee now, in a world of unprecedented hostility? What does it mean to maintain borders, in a world where they are increasingly proved untenable?

Refuge, a season of dance, theatre, visual arts and conversation at the Edinburgh International Festival, sits unflinchingly within these questions. “The hope is first to acknowledge that this is ongoing – it’s not a topic that curators or programmers can talk about one year and then it’s over,” explains choreographer and dancer Farah Saleh, whose work A Wee Journey, co-created with composer Oğuz Kaplangı, explores the potential universality of migration. “Refugees keep on arriving, moving everywhere. It’s ongoing and it has been since the beginning of the world.”

A Wee Journey emerged out of Kaplangı’s physical and emotional journey of arrival to Scotland, from his initial feelings of displacement and alienation to a state of acceptance and hope. His collaboration with Saleh is adroitly chosen; not only has Saleh been making waves in Scottish dance this year with her pieces PAST-inuous and Gesturing Refugees, but her work has always been deliberately collaborative – deconstructing ideas of authorship and belonging within her very practice. “I don’t want to ruin it for you or the audience,” she laughs, “but there are also a couple of moments where we invite the audience to participate with their senses, let’s say. So when they’re sitting and watching, they’re not passive observers.”

“Refugees keep on arriving, moving everywhere. It’s ongoing and it has been since the beginning of the world”

Taking place in the intimate space of The Studio, right at the heart of the festival, A Wee Journey is the first of Saleh’s works in a long time to return to the theatre space – itself a deliberately political decision. “The last few years I’ve been working in unconventional spaces – galleries, outdoors – as a choice,” she explains. “I really abandoned the black box [of the stage], and for me, going back is really about reappropriating the theatre space. A lot of works presented about refugeehood and migration don’t really involve people from refugee or migration backgrounds, or they are not really part of the creative process.”

This is a deliberate thread that runs throughout the broader Refuge programme, which unequivocally centres the voices of those who have been through the refugee and migration process. Zimbabwean performer mandla rae’s as british as a watermelon is an inexorable examination of trauma and forgiveness told through the queer migration experience, while Akeim Toussaint Buck’s

dance and spoken word piece Windows of Displacement speaks to the tangled history of British oppression, from the transatlantic slave trade to Windrush. Works such as Amber and Detention Dialogues, meanwhile, draw directly from verbatim testimonials to place refugee voices centre stage of the festival.

It feels unusual, in many ways, to see a festival as large and established as EIF bring the margins into the spotlight. But, for Saleh, it is only appropriate: “The founder of EIF, as I understand, was a refugee,” she points out. “I think this fact should be very much celebrated on the website of the festival – to make people reflect on it, to have it always there. To remember, to make history alive. It’s not a fact in the past. It’s ongoing.”

VENUE:

TIME: times vary, 16–20 Aug, not 19

SHOW A Wee Journey

The Studio

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

A Wee Journey

Clarinet Queen

Sharon

the clarinet

Interview: Evan Beswick

I’d prepped for this interview, with the clarinettist Sharon Kam, hoping to big up the joy that comes with playing instrumental music. Quite recently, I bought a new clarinet, my first and only upgrade of a clunker of a school instrument. I’d spent time with the pieces in Kam’s eclectic International Festival programme, enjoying some of the easier passages, toiling my way through some of the trickier runs, giving up on whole sections of impossible woodwind acrobatics. But I’d loved it, and wanted to bring that pleasure to the conversation.

Turns out I needn’t have primed, since Kam, it transpires, radiates her own extraordinary level of joy. There’s times when an interviewer need to be circumspect, critical and analytical. And there’s times when it’s much more enligtening to just enjoy it. Without a doubt, our hour fits the latter category. Describing that magical moment of hitting your stride with a new instrument, Kam says: “the ‘bang’ of the sound is just there, and that is such a great feeling!” It’s spot on, and could just as well describe the German-Israeli’s winning energy.

We’re speaking after a hard day’s rehearsal at the Staatstheater Darmstadt, Hesse, where Kam is premiering a clarinet concerto by the Israeli composer, Tsvi Avni – a still-energetic 92-year-old who attends practice via Zoom and has to be brought down from the ceiling

afterwards with reassurances that the sound quality he’s hearing isn’t reflective of the upcoming two performances. Kam describes him as a “legend” and the experience as “really very special”. She is tired but seems exilarated. “I am!” she agrees. “I’m always excited about what I do, and I’m always 100 per cent inside what I do, and I’m always really needing to feel like I gave my best, not hanging behind an experiment or something”.

And so it is with the programme she’s bringing to Edinburgh, with the Italian pianist Enrico Pace (“he is exceptional so you gotta use him!”). It stands out in the brochure as a setlist of extraordinary ambition and diversity: from the Brahms clarinet sonata which set the tone for piano and clarinet ensembles for the next century, to Alban Berg’s Vier Stücke, which puts tonality and rhythm to the sword; from the folk dance rhythms of Lutosławski’s Dance Preludes to the syncopation and latin rhythms of the Horovitz Sonatina; from the melody of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke to the incredible frenzy of notes that combine for Francaix’s

Kam on the joy of

“Why not just show off all the stuff we can do?”

Tema con Variazione. “It’s a scary programme for me, because it’s like it’s having too many notes, and too many things to do.”

We talk through the setlist, me effusing on my attempts to muddle through the pieces with the naive zeal of a recent convert, Kam warmly embracing my enthusiasm while offering more insighful reflections of her own. Generous doesn’t even cover it: “I am a big fan of every person who has another profession, and still takes the time to touch their instruments. Don’t give up! The passion for it is so much more important than how it sounds, really!” she offers. Thanks Sharon.

But it’s the Horovitz that Kam most lights up over. “He just passed away and it’s one of those things we just have to play to keep him in our memories. It’s very close to my heart. Twice he heard me playing it. I met him twice and he commented on my playing. He was thankful and always happy when his piece was being played.” She goes on: “I don’t know anything else like it. It’s very, very emotional, and it’s very short and but it still leaves you with this sort of taste for more.”

SHOW Sharon Kam & Enrico Pace

VENUE: The Queen’s Hall

TIME: 11:00am – 12:45pm, 11 Aug

Photo: Nancy Horowitz

Sharon Kam

22–28 AUGUST

Ten vital, genre-defying performances

→ horizonshowcase.uk 0131 226 0000

I Was Naked, Smelling of Rain 186 Aidan Moesby

Peaceophobia

Common Wealth, Speakers Corner and Bradford Modified Club

The Dan Daw Show 22 Dan Daw Creative Projects

Dykegeist Eve Stainton with Mica Levi

Civilisation 82 Jaz Woodcock-Stewart with Morgann Runacre-Temple

He’s Dead 26 Marikiscrycrycry

Look At Me Don’t Look At Me 23 RashDash

I Am From Reykjavik

Sonia Hughes

NUTCRUSHER 22 Sung Im Her

EXPOSURE the vacuum cleaner

@hrzn_showcase @hrznshowcase

The Dan Daw Show.

Photo © Hugo Glendinning

Sounding It Out

Jess Williams, Kate Marlais, DJ Simonotron and Anna Meredith chat about the role of music in theatre productions

Interviews: Becca Inglis

Of all the ways to look for inspiration for your next show, listening to your favourite band is rather a nice one. Sister trio The Staves provide the soundtrack to ThickSkin’s Blood Harmony, which, mirroring the band’s own loss in 2018, explores the emotional fallout for three sisters after their mother’s death.

When asked why they chose The Staves, co-director Jess Williams shares that, well, she and Jonnie Riordan just really love their music. But the group’s harmonies also evoke the evolving relationship between the three sisters onstage.

“We wanted to look into blood harmony –when siblings sing together, the sound that they make,” says Williams. “We thought it would be a great way of showing how siblings are connected in an unspoken way.”

Part of the appeal of using a band’s existing lyrics, rather than working with a traditional composer, is the emotional punch they lend to the action. Music director Kate Marlais differentiates between what she calls “room songs” and “corridor songs” in musicals, where “corridor songs” exist solely to drive the story forward. “I think we’re sitting more in ‘room songs’ here,” she says. “It frees you up to get to the depths of how a lyric is supposed to feel.”

“We talk about the show having two worlds: the real world and the emotional world,” adds Williams. “The songs are everything that’s unsaid, everything that they’re feeling, and their sisterly connection as well.”

Music’s capacity to say the unsayable emerges in the tracks that DJ Simonotron selected for Ode To Joy, a queer clubbing chronicle set in Berlin’s Berghain. “For me, the music in this show, and the way the performers interact with it, demonstrates the transformative nature of people dancing together,” he says. “There’s something inherently silly about flinging your arms and legs about and smiling

“We thought it would be a great way of showing how siblings are connected in an unspoken way”

Jess Williams

Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Ode To Joy (How Gordon Got To Go To The Nasty Pig Party)

with strangers in a room. There’s a joy and freedom that can be conveyed onstage.”

Writer and director James Ley frequents Hot Mess, the queer club night that Simonotron DJs in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Simonotron believes that its euphoric atmosphere is what inspired Ley to recruit him to Ode to Joy, which presents a uniquely optimistic picture of hedonism.

“Within popular culture, you often get stories about people losing themselves in the joys of drugs, sex, and dancing, but there’s always a dark side,” he says. “Someone will end up dead or diseased or life in pieces. This is not that story. This is a story of men enjoying that hedonism and falling in love, and there’s no apology.”

Another story getting a refresh this August is that of Robert Burns, whose struggles with poverty and mental health will complicate his tartan and shortbread brand. Music by Anna Meredith backs Burns’ choreography, though she says it was the lack of any obvious national identity in her compositions that got her the gig. “They said they wanted something that didn’t necessarily sound Scottish,” she says of director Alan Cumming and choreographer Steven Hoggett. “Stuff that didn’t just romanticise, and showed the human struggle stuff that he had.”

Uniquely for a production about Scotland’s national bard, his linguistic prowess takes a backseat while music and movement reveal

new facets of his character. “It shows his journey rather than his output,” says Meredith. “It’s more about why he was writing like that, or what was going on for him.”

For musicians involved in a production like this, there is intrigue in seeing how their music will be interpreted. Meredith says she feels in safe hands with Cummings, while The Staves have praised the Blood Harmony script in a private letter.

“It’s quite a fresh approach that is having a surgence,” says Marlais. “There’s so many artists clamouring to put their music into a theatrical context. As a music writer myself, to reframe your songs in a new way is really exciting.”

SHOW Burn

VENUE: King’s Theatre

TIME: times vary, 4–10 Aug, not 8

SHOW Ode to Joy (How Gordon got to go to the nasty pig party)

VENUE: Summerhall

TIME: 6:20pm – 7:20pm, 3–28 Aug, not 15, 22

SHOW Blood Harmony

VENUE: Traverse Theatre

TIME: times vary, 6–28 Aug, not 8, 15, 22

Photo: Lawrence Winram

Image: courtesy Blood Harmony

Burn

Blood Harmony

Musical Scales

Justin Huertas talks about his pop rock musical Lizard Boy

Interview: Claire Sawers

The Seattle actor and playwright Justin Huertas grew up on a diet of superheroes and comic books. He loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Spider-Man and X-Men, carving out his own identity from all the characters that he loved to follow. Huertas has also been playing the cello since he was 10 and his high school obsession with musicals like Hello, Dolly! and Les Misérables led to him composing his own music and writing lyrics. So when he was commissioned to write a show for Seattle Repertory Theatre seven years ago,

he decided to write himself in as the hero, and play his cello too.

Lizard Boy is his pop rock musical; a story about a boy called Trevor who acquires superpowers after dragon’s blood is spilled on him. He grows green scales which, alongside his telekinetic powers, almost jeopardises his chances of romance with Cary, who has been flirting with him...

It’s a queer, sci-fi, coming-of-age story about Grindr, catfishing, shapeshifting and first dates, with songs that have earned it a

Photo: Kevin Berne

cult following in the States, and more recently, new fans in Manchester. Huertas brought the show over to the Mill Theatre where it had its UK debut in July.

As a gay American Filipino man writing Lizard Boy back in 2015, Huertas was unaware of the impact his show would go on to have.

“My own coming out story was very boring and uneventful,” he explains. “I was privileged to have the most supportive parents and a great community at high school. I needed to make it more interesting when I wrote about it, so I gave myself green lizard skin and made that the point of drama instead. It was only later that I came to realise, that I came up with that metaphor because I had a lot of trauma related to my skin. I was a young brown person existing in very white spaces. The lizard metaphor was my response to my upbringing and trying to fit into this world where I don’t feel like I fit.”

Over the seven years that Lizard Boy has been performed, representation for queer people of colour has thankfully changed for the better according to Huertas, who was touched by some of the early responses he got to his musical.

“In 2015 people came to see the show and told me afterwards how much it meant to see someone like me be onstage, and be quirky and weird and also be in love, and be a hero, and save the day. I really didn’t know until we were in performances how kind of revolutionary that was.

“I’m so happy to see that there are more and more works and spaces being created now by and for queer people of colour. It’s amazing.”

Bringing Lizard Boy to Edinburgh for its debut Fringe performance, Huertas hopes the audiences will like it, and hopefully leave with some of his songs stuck in their head.

“Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, however you identify, or whoever you love, I hope we help you make you feel not only more comfortable in your own skin, but more empowered in your own skin. You should feel powerful standing in your identity and sharing your identity with the world. That’s kind of the whole message behind the show.”

VENUE: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose

TIME: 6:30pm – 7:30pm, 3–28 Aug, not 15

SHOW Lizard Boy

“The lizard metaphor was my response to my upbringing and trying to fit into this world where I don’t feel like I fit”

Photo: Kevin Berne

Remote Goat Mumble Music TW Edinburgh

The List Broadway Baby ThreeWeeks

Fever Pitch

Penny Chivas and Debra Batton discuss the climate crisis and the diversity of life on earth

Interviews: Deborah Chu

In late 2019, Glasgow-based dance artist

Penny Chivas was in Australia visiting family when the bushfires broke out. “The air was so thick [with smoke], particularly in Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) — you couldn’t see more than 20 or so metres in front of you,” she says.

The fires raged on for months. By March 2020, 19 million hectares of land had been burned, thousands of homes destroyed, and more than a billion wildlife killed.

This August, Chivas grapples with the history and legacy of the Black Summer through her dance-theatre work Burnt Out. “It feels important to bring my perspective on all this, as an Australian, to a country like the UK, that doesn’t quite seem to feel the same devastating effects of climate change yet,” she says.

The key word: yet. Due to the climate crisis, catastrophic natural disasters such as these are growing in frequency and scale. The future of humanity, says UN Secretary-General António

Guterres, is at ‘code red’. The evidence is there for all to see, black and smouldering. Yet three years on, true progress has been stifled by ineffectual governments and the rapacious fossil fuel industry. In the most decisive decade of human history, our window of opportunity is closing.

In end times such as these, what can we do? Many shows at this year’s Fringe centre around this very question. Some seek to educate, such as Matt Winning’s stand-up hour Hot Mess, or David Finnegan’s blend of science and storytelling in his own account of the Australian bushfires, titled You’re Safe Til 2024. Others use the space to feel and reflect – the play The Kettling brings the drama of a climate protest to a fever pitch, while Shrimp Dance stages a heady blend of Butoh and ecocide.

Aussie circus company A Good Catch looks at the question from a slightly different perspective: maybe how we do it matters

Photo: Claudia Sangiorgi-Dalimore

Photo: Sarah Walker

Zoë

You're Safe Til 2024

too. Their show Zoë sees three performers set out to embody and express nothing less but life itself, in all its forms.

“There is a liveliness in a dog, a table, an imaginary creature, a molecule, and a virus,” says Debra Batton, a performer and co-director of the company. “As circus artists, we understand this. We have relationships with apparatus and fellow acrobats; with lighting, sound and the groups of strangers who attend our performances.”

The show explores the necessary entanglements of all kinds of life – both human and non-human – and its chaotic, beautiful consequences. As part of this thinking, much of Zoë’s choreography came together organically, in response to what Batton calls “the conditions of life”. “We allow[ed] the show to emerge through skills training, discussion, play and the everyday,” she says. “There [was] no line between the end of training and the beginning of making.”

The value of play and discovery for its own sake in Zoë stands in opposition to what the trio term ‘the trans-species commodification of life that is advanced capitalism’. That is, the idea that our planet exists merely as a resource to be extracted, and that all living things within it – including humans – are measured in terms of their monetary value. “Nothing can exist for its own sake, for the wonder of it,” says Batton, “including art!”

A circus rebuttal to neoliberal capitalism is “absolutely absurd”, acknowledges Batton, and also wholly necessary. Zoë’s love letter to the planet and the inherent mess of living creates room for manifold possibility. Also known as: hope. “It’s the unforeseeable outcomes of each entangled encounter that casts new light and creates new shadows,” says Batton. As we enter into a messy, chaotic month, entangled with millions of other in this city, that’s something to hold onto.

SHOW Zoë

VENUE: Assembly Roxy

TIME: 3:30pm – 4:30pm, 3–14 Aug

SHOW Burnt Out

VENUE: Dance Base

TIME: 1:30pm – 2:15pm, 23–28 Aug

“The UK doesn’t seem to feel the same devastating effects of climate change yet”

Penny Chivas

Photo: Brian Hartley

Penny Chivas, Burnt Out

MOSAICO ERRANTE blackbluesbrothers

Freedom To Move

productions –

Dan Daw

Interviews: Eilidh Akilade

There’s a certain image of contemporary dance – it’s all arched backs and stretched out arms and bare feet against a scuffed black floor. It’s not an issue. What is, however, is that this image of contemporary dance almost always centres only able-bodied dancers. This year, a number of disabled-led dance shows at the Fringe are shifting the focus.

Queer, disabled dancer and choreographer Dan Daw had spent much of his career hearing how much of an inspiration he was to others; now, The Dan Daw Show is all about him inspiring himself. “It looks at the ways pride and shame intersect, looking at the pride and shame associated with having a disability in the world,” Daw says, “but also the pride and shame of being kinky in the world.” Daw’s disability is explored in relation to his kinkiness, with such topics so rarely given the limelight and disabled folk routinely desexualised in mainstream media.

Daw’s work incorporates spoken word and dialogue, ensuring nothing is left unsaid. There’s no room for ambiguity – and this is exactly Daw’s intention. Performing at this intersection of theatre and dance allows for a clarity which is often lost between the alienating angles and curves of contemporary dance. As Daw puts it, his work is just as much for the industry as it is “Margaret who plays bingo on a Thursday” – or anyone else for that matter.

There’s not only a desire to limit who “gets” contemporary dance, but also an inclination to limit who has the title of “dancer”. Kvartetto sees choreographer Kati Raatikainen collaborate with three disabled performers, exploring their personal longings and desires, while claiming their identity as both dancers and participants in society. For Raatikainen, “The piece gives an opportunity for the audience to contemplate normality and ableism on the stage as well as in our own society and in our ways of thinking.”

While disability is not a boundary within contemporary dance, disabled-led dance doesn’t need to always make a commentary on disablism or disabled-rights: that inherent desire and love for dance is enough. “Music makes me dance and move and feel good,” says Sanna Tornikoski, one of the dancers in Kvartetto “Dance brings me joy and makes me surrender.”

This notion of giving in is something that also comes through in Daw’s work, primarily in its exploration of kink. “I’m essentially being dominated on my terms and using Christopher Owens – who is a non-disabled performer and collaborator – to use his body to set my body free,” he says. “I want to feel this free when I’m out in the world – when I’m being stared at, when I’m being laughed at, when I’m being pushed over.”

Creatives involved in three

The

Show, Kvartetto and Ice Age – discuss how disability is no longer a boundary in dance

“The piece gives an opportunity for the audience to contemplate normality and ableism on the stage as well as in our own society”

Kati Raatikainen

To platform such vulnerability, the relationships off-stage are just as important as those on-stage. Daw has known Owens for over 15 years, having worked together throughout their careers. For Daw, that familiarity is key, allowing them “to really rely on each other in the work and to meet each other where we’re at during the piece.” Their full presence is required to emotionally and physically support each other.

Ice Age – a collaboration between visually impaired choreographer Chang Chung-An and disabled choreographer Maylis Arrabit –explores this notion of mutual support across the stretches of distance and time created by the pandemic. “In the process of interaction, despite the language barrier and different cultures, we support each other in this journey of struggle but with hope and toward the same direction together,” says Chung-An.

“Support sometimes means stepping back, giving space for someone else to ‘be’, sometimes it’s watching and listening, sometimes it’s finding allyship,” adds Arrabit. The show’s

inclusive choreography seeks to reflect this by drawing on the dancers’ simultaneous vulnerability and power. Yet again, it’s a far cry from inspiration porn.

Rather, disabled dancers are approaching the Fringe on their own terms. Just as all contemporary dance doesn’t look one uniform way, nor does all disabled-led contemporary dance, a reminder of just how much these groups are bringing to the stage. As Tornikoski says, “Performing in Edinburgh is exciting and a little scary too, but still very interesting.”

SHOW Ice Age

VENUE: Dance Base

TIME: 4:15pm – 5:05pm, 5–21 Aug, not 8, 15

SHOW Kvartetto

VENUE: Summerhall

TIME: 2:45pm – 3:30pm, 17–24 Aug, not 19, 22

SHOW The Dan Daw Show

VENUE: Dance Base

TIME: 8:30pm – 10:00pm, 23–28 Aug

Photo: Huang Jyong Jhe

Photo: Hugo Glendinning

Photo: Ulla Nikula

Ice Age

Kvartetto

The Dan Daw Show

The World on a String

Puppetry is coming out of the shadows across the children’s programme

Interviews: Claire Sawers

The American children’s author Mo Willems was impressed after seeing a gothic puppet version of Frankenstein by the performance troupe Manual Cinema and decided they should adapt his books next. Having started out as a writer and animator for Sesame Street, Willems knew good puppetry when he saw it. He approached the Chicago-based company and they created the kids stage show Leonardo! inspired by two of his books: his 2005 bestseller Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, about a monster who can’t frighten anyone no matter how hard he tries, and Sam,

The Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World

The show combines Willem’s much loved original illustrations and pastel backdrops with live actors, puppets, DIY cinema effects and a brand new musical score.

“My two-year-old is a big fan of Mo Willem’s books and absolutely loves Should I Share My Ice Cream? It’s a core philosophical text!”, says Sarah Fornace, who directs Leonardo!, and also plays Sam, the scaredy-cat kid in the show. “In Leonardo!, we see a kid who thinks being scary is cool, kinda like being famous. He’s in this white track jacket, everyone’s following him on cameras. He’s adorable, with boundless optimism. But bullies put pressure on him. He has to make a choice between being a wonderful friend to Sam, who needs him, or being a scary monster. It’s a story about empathy and reaching out to others – and the rich interior emotional life of children!”

Leonardo! is coming to Edinburgh fresh from a run in New York, and is the follow up

“It’s a story about empathy and reaching out to others”

Sarah Fornace

Photo: Rebecca J Michel

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster

to Manual Cinema’s 2019 Fringe run of Frankenstein. It keeps the cute Calvin and Hobbes meets Maurice Sendak-style aesthetic from the original book but gives it the live action treatment with a combination of furry Muppetsesque puppets and moving paper cutouts. The company also uses an ingenious live filming technique where a folder of drawings is flipped through onstage like a stop motion animation, with props and stickers added as they go.

The bar is high for puppetry in this year’s Fringe, with other kids’ productions giving imaginative updates to the genre once made famous by the likes of Punch and Judy, Sooty, Basil Brush and Pinocchio. A Ladder to the Stars at Gilded Balloon is a gentle, charming adaptation of a book by Simon Puttock, using floating lights, twinkling music and a tiny knee-high doll to tell the story of Olive, who wishes upon a star. It’s the first time Glasgow’s Visible Fictions have brought a show to the Fringe, but reviews of a pre-pandemic tour of A Ladder to the Stars declared it magical and enchanting.

Two other shows carry an environmental message; The Man Who Planted Trees from Edinburgh’s Puppet State Theatre Company is an adaptation of a 1953 short story by Jean Giono, and Space Hippo is a science-fiction cautionary tale from Japan’s Mochinosha company. To set the scene in Provence for The Man Who Planted Trees, the Storytelling Centre will be filled with the scents of lavender and herbs as the allegory unfolds, about a man who plants acorns in a desolate valley. Meanwhile the eponymous Space Hippo at Assembly George Square has been tasked with saving a dying planet Earth. Her epic voyage is brought to life by over two hundred shadow puppets in the one-hour show.

Puppet Pansori Sugungga shines a spotlight on the Korean art form pansori, a

type of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer. Although criticised by Kim Jong-Il in North Korea, pansori singers are considered to be national treasures in South Korea, praised for keeping an ancient folk tradition alive. For Fornace, who became a mother in May 2020 during the pandemic, the opportunity to connect with children’s audiences IRL now is a pretty special one. “My toddler didn’t get to play with any other kiddos at first, and Leonardo! was the first live show he saw. Watching kids enjoying stories together now – especially after kids spent a long time not being able to connect with each other, with closed schools and everything, it’s very soul-filling to see.”

SHOW Manual Cinema Presents: Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster

VENUE: Underbelly, Bristo Square

TIME: 1:45pm – 2:35pm, 3–29 Aug, not 15

SHOW Space Hippo

VENUE: Assembly George Square

TIME: 10:20am – 11:20am, 4–29 Aug

SHOW A Ladder to the Stars

VENUE: Gilded Balloon Teviot

TIME: 11:30am – 12:30pm, 3–29 Aug, not 10, 16, 23

SHOW The Man Who Planted Trees

VENUE: Scottish Storytelling Centre

TIME: 1:15pm – 2:20pm, various dates between 5 Aug and 29 Aug

SHOW Puppet Pansori Sugungga

VENUE: theSpace @ Niddry St

TIME: 6:05pm – 6:55pm, 5–20 Aug, not 14

Puppet Pansori Sugungga

The Old Town

Quintessential Edinburgh, in that it’s hilly, cobbled, a bit dank, and full of ‘character’. There are many places to eat and drink around the subterranean Fringe venues in the Old Town

Words: Peter Simpson

The City Cafe

If you’ve ever dreamt of going to an American diner in the 1950s, well... you can’t. Sorry. Luckily, The City Cafe is a pretty good alternative, with its chessboard floor and leather and chrome booths.

19 Blair St, @thecitycafe

Civerinos

The vibe is great; all flypostered walls and marble statues. The pizza is great: sourdough base, brilliant toppings, and big enough to fuel even the busiest flyerer.

5 Hunter Sq, @civerinos

Cold Town House

Bannermans

The back room of Bannermans is one of the favourite haunts of the city’s rockers, but the main bar is more laidback. A good-value, roomy haunt right in the centre of town.

202 Cowgate, @Bannermans

Banshee Labyrinth

If a dive bar were designed by a crypt-keeper, it would look like Banshee Labyrinth. Endless caves, copious hiding places and free-flowing drinks.

29 Niddry St, @banshee_labyrinth

The Bow Bar

One of the best pubs in the Old Town, head to the Bow for an impressive range of draught beer and whiskies, all in an extremely woody environment. 80 W Bow, @the_bow_bar_edinburgh

Chop House

If the Fringe is getting you down, may we recommend the Chop House’s frankly outlandish breakfasts, or one of their incredible dryaged steaks?

East Market St, @chophousesteak

They’ve got a bar on the roof. Cold Town House is a threefloor hive of drinks, food and fun times, but its unquestionable ace in the hole is its rooftop terrace.

4 Grassmarket, @coldtownhouse

The Hive

The wild and cavernous Cowgate haunt is a notorious student haunt for good reason. If you only know The Hive for its Fringe programming, you haven’t lived.

3 Niddry St, @thehivenightclub

Image: courtesy of the venue

Cold Town House

Hula

Bright and breezy, Hula does a great line in fresh fruit juices with exotic and outrageous blends that you never would have considered, as well as great coffee and exciting food.

103-105 West Bow, @hulajuicebar

Lady Libertine

Mezze, cocktails, multiple areas through which to sashay, and a late closing time all combine for an ideal end of day venue.

25 W Register St, @Lady_Libertine_

Mary’s Milk Bar

A cute little gelateria inspired by the milk bars of the 1960s but with 2022’s flavours, Mary’s is the one place you must go while you’re in town. No ifs, no buts, have an ice cream.

18 Grassmarket, @MarysMilkBar

The Milkman Or should that be Milkmen?

Head to The Milkman at the top of Cockburn Street for an excellent flat white; if it’s too busy, go to the other Milkman at the bottom of the street.

7 & 52 Cockburn St, @themilkmancoffee

Moo Pie Gelato

Exceptional modern ice cream in the heart of the Old Town, Moo Pie offers up small batch gelato and soft serve. Yep, Mr Whippy’s gone all fancy; we love to see it.

26 St Mary’s St, @moopiegelato

OX 184

A lengthy bar stocked with a legion of beers, ciders and spirits and nightly DJs are a solid start. Then there’s a wood-fired grill and handsome BBQ menu served until 2.30am.

184 Cowgate, @ox_184

Room and Rumours

There’s tasty coffee and exciting brunch options, yes, but a trip to R&R is about getting one of their delightful filled doughnuts, made fresh each morning.

25 E Market St, @roomrumourscoffee

Salt Horse

Salt Horse features one of the most comprehensive beer selections in the capital, an eclectic and impressively dense range that will take the whole month to work through.

57-61 Blackfriars St, @salthorsebar

Sneaky Pete’s

It’ll make your Fringe flat seem like a palace, but what Sneaky’s lacks in area it makes up for with energy. A huge range of club nights with an ever-pres ent crowd of the city’s most discerning clubbers.

73 Cowgate, @sneakypetesclub

Image: courtesy

of the venue

Sneaky Pete's

The Milkman

The New Town

Big. Georgian. Energy. This is the ‘top half’ of the ‘city centre’ – the bit north of Princes Street – where you’ll find The Stand’s various comedy venues, the Assembly Rooms and the Rose Street Theatre, along with some phenomenal places for a pint

Words: Peter Simpson

BABA

Middle Eastern mezze are the order of the day at BABA. Expect a highly shareable menu packed with tasty Levantine dishes.

130 George St, @babaedinburgh

Black Rose Tavern

The Black Rose is a Rose Street haven for rockers, moshers, and everyone else who wants to enjoy their pint with some good riffs.

49 Rose St, @blackrosetavern49

Bramble

Arguably the city’s finest cocktail bar. It’s dark, the hip-hop bumps loudly, and the drinks are beautiful.

16a Queen St, @Bramble_Bar

Chez Jules

The chaotic basement bistro is an Edinburgh institution. Classic French dishes and ludicrous value; a three-course lunch for £12 is always gonna get a mention from us.

109 Hanover St, @chezjuleshanoverstreet

El Cartel Mexicana

Some of the best Mexican food in Edinburgh can be found in the cosy (as in tiny) confines of El Cartel. It’s a tight squeeze inside, but the tacos and margaritas make up for it.

64 Thistle St, @elcartelmexicana

Fierce Beer Bar

The Aberdonian brewery have taken up residence at the west end of Rose Street, with their bar serving up some craft beer realness.

167 Rose St, @fiercebeer

Fortitude Coffee

In Fringe terms, Fortitude is a perfect fit – coffee, sandwiches, cakes – all on the literal doorstep of The Stand.

3c York Pl, @fortitudecoffee

Lowdown Coffee

A small but perfectly-formed Scandi-style basement beneath George Street, Lowdown is a calming environment from which to escape the madness of the street above.

40 George St, @coffeelowdown

Nightcap

Great cocktails, a moody yet welcoming interior, lovely bar staff, and an ideal location next door to The Stand.

3 York Pl, @nightcap2016

Noto

Exceptional small plates in a pared-back and super cool setting, we love Noto. We particularly love their crab butter, which is one of the single best things to eat in the city.

47a Thistle St, @notoedinburgh

The Voodoo Rooms

Its performance spaces get plenty of shine in August, but the amazingly ornate bar deserves its own entry. Big leather booths, very fancy ceiling.

19a W Register St, @thevoodoorooms

Image: courtesy

of the venue

Photo: Splintr Design

Fortitude Coffee

Fierce Beer Bar

Bristo Square

During August, a cluster of university buildings generates its own gravity. Pleasance Dome, Gilded Balloon Teviot and Bedlam Theatre are all within a few hundred yards of one another – surrounded by a pick of great bars and restaurants

Words: Peter Simpson

Che

Falafel cures all ills, so if you’ve hit it a bit too hard, head to Che for a chickpea nightcap. The freshly-fried falafel, wrapped up with salad and pickles, will see you through.

21 Forrest Rd

Civerinos Slice

Need to recharge after running from show to show? Head to Civerinos Slice and get a piece of a 20-inch pie. Seriously, these slices are enormous.

49 Forrest Rd, @civerinos_slice

El Cartel Mexicana

This branch of El Cartel is in the belly of the Fringe beast, but grab some tacos and soon that staircase queue in Teviot will be far from your mind.

15 Teviot Pl, @elcartelmexicana

George Square Street Food

Expect to find a raft of street food vans parked up in-andaround the George Square homes of Underbelly and Assembly. We recommend seeking out The Buffalo Truck (black van, amazing fried chicken).

Paradise Palms

A genuine lynchpin for Edinburgh’s creative community, Palms has a bit of everything. It’s a performance space, a record shop (and record label), a veggie diner, and a hugely fun bar.

41 Lothian St, @edinburghpalms

Saboteur

South Asian street food with a great range of veggie options, Saboteur is right next to illustrious sibling Ting Thai Caravan, but without the queues.

19 Teviot Pl, @saboteurrestaurant

Thomas J Walls

Taking up residence in the former opticians on Forrest Road, Thomas J Walls is a pretty grand place for a coffee. It’s also bloody enormous, so grabbing a seat is rarely an issue.

35 Forrest Rd

Ting Thai Caravan

Totally affordable, incredibly tasty and more than a little exciting, Ting Thai Caravan is in many ways the perfect lunch spot. Get down early for a seat at the canteen-style benches.

8 Teviot Pl, @tingthaicaravanedinburgh

Union of Genius Soup’s great, and Union of Genius’ soup is greater than most. Loads of veggie options, plentiful servings and super-quick service make this a perennial favourite.

8 Forrest Rd, @unionofgenius

Image: courtesy of the venue

Image: courtesy of the venue

Civerinos Slice

Paradise Palms

Newington and the Southside

One of Edinburgh’s student areas and home to Fringe heavyweights

Pleasance Courtyard and Assembly Roxy. The main street runs from the Bridges to (off) the edge of the Fringe map with plenty of places to refresh

Words: Peter Simpson

The Auld Hoose

An ‘old man pub’ and ‘rock bar’ cross-breed, this Newington pub covers both in style. Slick decor, varied drinks and ridiculous nachos.

23-25 St Leonard’s St, @AuldHooseEdinburgh

Bits Bake Shop

If you need a pick-me-up, Bits is the place to go. Great homemade cakes and pastries, and excellent coffee via local roastery Williams & Johnson.

38 Dalkeith Rd, @bitsbakeshop

Black Medicine Coffee Co.

A much-loved Fringe spot, Black Medicine is a sanctuary. Lovely wooden tables, delicious smoothies, and great coffee.

2 Nicholson St, @blackmedicinecoffee

Bonnie Burrito

Looking for a filling meal, but still need to keep one hand free for your emails? Bonnie Burrito has you covered –their burritos are packed with flavourful ingredients.

82 S Clerk St, @bonnieburrito

Brass Monkey

Tucked in between the Pleasance and the Bridges, Brass Monkey matches a great location with a relaxed atmosphere and warrenlike layout.

14 Drummond St

Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch

Fun fact: BBL produce all their own sausages in-house. It’s a neighbourhood cafe that focuses on quality ingredients but doesn’t break the bank. Two thumbs up.

65 Pleasance

Image: courtesy of the venue

Brass Monkey

The Dog House

An all-action bar with endless decorations on the walls, great music on the speakers, and a kitchen residency from Mexican food truck Antojitos.

18 Clerk St, @thedoghouseedinburgh

Dough

You’re between shows, a bit hungover and you haven’t eaten in a day and a half. What you need is a slice of pizza –Dough are here to help.

47 South Clerk St, @DoughEdinburgh

The High Dive

A cracking drinks list and some intriguing cocktails, plus food courtesy of Sando, a pop-up specialising in Japanese-style sandwiches.

81 St Leonards St, @the_high_dive

Kebab Mahal

Everyone knows about the Mosque Kitchen, but let’s flag up its oft-overlooked neighbour Kebab Mahal. Great curries, constant hubbub and big flavours; get into it.

7 Nicholson Sq

Kilimanjaro Coffee

The perfect place to while away the hours, Kili matches its coffee with freshly baked muffins, freshly squeezed juice and a good selection of sandwiches and soups.

104 Nicholson St

Kim’s Mini Meals

Truly putting the ‘family’ in ‘family restaurant’, Kim’s is all nooks and crannies, eccentric decoration and homely ambiance. The menu is full of great takes on Korean classics.

5 Buccleuch St, @kimsminimeals

Mother India’s Cafe

At Mother India, the tapas-style menu means that the breadth and variety of your dinner is limited only by your ability to share.

3-5 Infirmary St, @mother_indias_cafe _edinburgh

On Bap

This tiny Korean spot is simple but extremely effective. The bibimbap and kimchi pancake both come with our seal of approval.

57 Clerk St

Piemaker

What do you mean you’ve never had a macaroni pie?

Macaroni cheese wedged into a pie crust is the kind of bigtime carb-loading this festival was built on.

38 South Bridge, @piemaker_edinburgh

Pizza Posto

An ideal spot for a whistlestop between-show meal, Posto turn out brilliant pizzas at a hell of a speed. It’s a massive space so waiting times are minimal, and it’s pretty reasonably priced.

16 Nicholson St, @pizzapostouk

Sister Bao

You there! Put down that Greggs! Head over to Sister Bao and get a freshly steamed bao bun for £1.50 instead. For something more substantial, check out their homemade noodles.

32 S Clerk St, @sisterbao_edinburgh

Soi 38

This Thai restaurant sums up what’s great about eating in Newington. The dining room is chaotic (check out the L-shaped table), the flavours are impressive and punchy, and the prices are great.

38 Clerk St, @soi_38

Tanjore

Step inside the bright yellow facade at Tanjore and you’ll find bumper dosas and brilliant South Indian curries, with a range of options for all tastes and diets.

6 Clerk St

Image: courtesy of the venue

Photo: Gerald Warrack

Mother India’s Cafe

Sando @ The High Dive

TICKETS: SUMMERHALL.CO.UK

LATE NIGHTS

DJs from 9pm in our Basement Bar & Restaurant

WITH AUGUST HEADLINER

NINA STANGER

Friday 5th

ALI OOFT

Saturday 6th

NINA STANGER

Friday 12th

CRAIG SMITH

Saturday 13th

MATTHEW K

Friday 19th

SCOTTIEBOY

Saturday 20th

LEL PALFREY

Friday 26th

BABES

Saturday 27th

SCOTT PROPER

The Meadows, Marchmont and Summerhall

This part of town is notable for its various parks and gardens. In the middle is George Square – home to Underbelly and Assembly – or you can head round the corner to Summerhall

Words: Peter Simpson

The Argyle Bar

A cute corner bar just off the Meadows. Grab an outside seat and watch the student comedy troupes sprint by, or head down to the Cellar Bar for nightly jazz and vaudeville shows.

15 Argyle Pl, @argyle_cellar_bar

Cult Espresso

Cult pairs a stripped-back split-level aesthetic with delicious, expertly crafted coffees and a tightly curated food menu.

104 Buccleuch St @cultcoffeeedin

Dagda

A cracking real ale bar that’s also the size of a large living room, Dagda is a place to rediscover your convivial spirit over a pint. Grab a booth if you can.

93 Buccleuch St

Detour Espresso

Sat about halfway down the Meadows, Detour serves up an excellent cup of coffee in a light and airy space ideal for a pre-show pitstop.

39 Argyle Pl, @detourespresso

Elliott’s

A combination of provisions shop, cafe and events space, all helmed by chef and food writer Jess Elliott Dennison.

21 & 27 Sciennes Rd, @elliottsedinburgh

Machina Espresso

Machina roast their own beans, so they know what they’re all about. Their new spot in Marchmont is bright, breezy and hard to miss.

38 Marchmont Rd, @MachinaEspresso

The Nile Valley Cafe

This unpretentious Sudanese cafe is our top pick for an ad-hoc Fringe lunch – the Africa wrap (falafel, feta cheese, broad beans, hummus and spicy peanut sauce) is a particular favourite.

6 Chapel St

Noodles and Dumplings

A no-frills Chinese diner in the heart of Newington, this is where you go for glutinous hand-pulled noodles and delicious broth served in bowls the size of your head.

23 South Clerk St

The Original Mosque Kitchen

An Edinburgh institution, the Mosque Kitchen serves up delicious curry all day long with huge plates of spicy goodness starting at just a few quid. If you haven’t been yet, go now.

50 Potterrow

The Royal Dick Summerhall’s bar is stocked with beer from the on-site brewery and gin from the onsite distillery, and its courtyard is one of the city’s most sprawling beer gardens.

1 Summerhall, @summerhallery

Soderberg

The extensive outdoor seating might draw you in, but the food will keep you there –crispbreads, cardamom buns, sourdough breads, salads, sandwiches and more await.

1 Lister Sq, @soderbergbakery

Image: courtesy

of the venue

Soderberg

Leith, Broughton and Abbeyhill

Heading Leith-wards is the contemporary music strand of Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe Central’s new home at the St James Quarter – don’t miss the street food and community cafes

Words: Peter Simpson

Alby’s Big. Hot. Sandwiches. Alby’s will give you one of the city’s best lunches, stuffing all manner of stuff into some suitably fluffy focaccia.

8 Portland Pl, @albys_leith

Artisan Roast

One of the forerunners of Edinburgh’s coffee scene, Artisan Roast are still firing out excellent espresso at venues across the city.

57 Broughton St

@artisanroast

Bross Bagels Deli

Larah Bross’ Montreal-style bagels have become a local institution in just a few short years. You’ll find delicious flavours, inventive combinations and a generally cool vibe.

4 Little King St, @BrossBagels

Kvasa

The sourdough bakery moved into their Leith Walk shop a few months back, and have been impressing everyone with great bread and excellent sweets.

101 Leith Walk, @kvasa.bakery

Leith Depot

The Depot fought property developers and won, so we have to shout them out. Live music upstairs, community vibes downstairs, and great bar food with comically huge portions.

138 Leith Walk, @leithdepot138

Little Fitzroy

One of the city’s best coffee spots, you’ll know you’ve arrived by the queues on the pavement outside.

Great baristas, lovely folks, excellent espresso.

46 Easter Rd, @littlefitzroy

The Pitt Edinburgh’s year-round street food market is home to some of the country’s best food vans. Get down there before it closes for good at the end of August, moving to a new location in 2023.

125 Pitt St, @thepittmarket

Polentoni

Excellent sandwiches, bakery staples, really good pastries and cakes, homemade soups and gnocchi – if you’re in need of some Italian comfort food, this is the place.

38 Easter Rd, @polentoni_

Razzo

Edinburgh has its fair share of good pizza, and Razzo is near the top of the pile. Big puffy crusts, classic Neapolitan toppings, and slightly asymmetrical, which we find indicates quality.

59 Great Junction St, @razzopizzanapoletana

Williams and Johnson

The Leith roasters supply many of the city centre’s best cafes, but their own spot in the achingly cool Custom House complex by The Shore is an ideal place to check them out.

65 Commercial St, @williams_and_johnson

Image: courtesy of the venue

Image: courtesy of the venue

Bross Bagels

The Pitt

At 'The A Club' Merchants Hall, 22 Hanover Street, Edinburgh

4th - 27th August

Other acts include ABBA, Just Beatles, The Queen Killers and many more!

GEORGE SQUARE

Tollcross and Lothian Road

Grab a bite or drink in this neck of the woods, which is also where you’ll find The Traverse, Lyceum, Usher Hall, Filmhouse and the new site of the Edinburgh Book Festival at Edinburgh College of Art

Words: Peter Simpson

Blue Blazer

The Blue Blazer is a ‘proper’ Edinburgh pub, in the best possible sense. Boasting one of the city’s finest selections of real ales, whiskies and rums, the Blue Blazer’s walls have seen it all.

2 Spittal St, @blue_blazer_edinburgh

Bread Meats Bread

Incredible burgers, outrageous sides – try the poutine – and a great location; Bread Meats Bread is ideal Fringe fuel, and their vegan menu has come on leaps and bounds recently.

92 Lothian Rd, @BreadMeats_EDI

Cloisters

Set into the side of a church, Cloisters’ huge beer selection and lively atmosphere make it a great spot for a pre- or post-show pint.

26 Brougham St

@CloistersEdinburgh

The Hanging Bat

A huge and ever-changing range of some of the best beers from all over the world, a mini-brewery at the back and super knowledgeable bar staff make this a must-visit.

133 Lothian Rd, @TheHangingBat

Lovecrumbs

An inventive sweet and savoury menu, tables made from old pianos, and a literal window seat give Lovecrumbs an anarchic air that turns the act of going for coffee into an adventure.

155 West Port, @hellolovecrumbs

The Source Coffee Co

This small but well-formed coffee shop is essential for serious coffee heads. Get a funky, boozy, fruit-packed espresso made with beans from their very own roastery.

4 Spittal St, @the_source_coffee_roasters

Taza in Town

This no-frills Syrian and Levantine restaurant has something for everyone. The mezze is fantastic, the ma’anesh are excellent, the shawarma is lovely.

69 Bread St, @tazaintown

The Ventoux

Inspired by the Tour de France mountain of the same name, this is a great local hangout with fish tanks on the shelves, bikes on the ceiling, and an impressive host of German beers behind the bar.

2 Brougham St

Image: courtesy

of the venue

Image: courtesy

of the venue

The Hanging Bat

The Ventoux

West End and Fountainbridge

Stay fuelled with bakeries and bistros while exploring the Edinburgh Art Festival around the Grand Union Canal. The Film Festival and EICC are also nearby

Words: Peter Simpson

Cairngorm Coffee

It’s a bright and airy corner unit with some lovely period touches. You’re in good hands, with the coffee roasted by Cairngorm themselves, alongside a carefully curated food menu.

1 Melville Pl, @cairngormcoffeeco

Company Bakery

You’ll find bread from the fantastic sourdough bakery at cafes and restaurants across the city, but check out their weekend market to get your loaves and pastries straight from the source.

5 Devon Pl, @companybakery

Hula

At Hula’s Fountainbridge branch, the aesthetic runs wild. Loads of neon and pattern, plenty of plants, bright green *everywhere* – and an insane mix of brunch classics and great juices.

94A Fountainbridge, @hulajuicebar

Maki and Ramen

Lovingly decorated and surprisingly spacious, Maki and Ramen’s Fountainbridge spot is part sushi bar and part noodle house. Expect quality in presentation, ingredients and execution.

97 Fountainbridge, @makiramen

Nice Times

Sister venue to the excellent Lovecrumbs, Nice Times offers great baking, fantastic coffee, and a pleasingly assertive teal and pink colour scheme.

147 Morrison St, @nicetimesbakery

The Palmerston

This all-day bistro is equal parts grand and down-toearth. Expect modern variations on Northern European classics, and a focus on local ingredients and suppliers.

1 Palmerston Pl, @the_palmerston

Polwarth Tavern

An excellent local pub in Polwarth, the Tavern has an ace up its sleeve – Rob Casson’s King of Feasts pop-up in the kitchen. Expect brilliantly over-the-top sandwiches and burgers.

35 Polwarth Cres, @polwarthtavern / @kingoffeasts

Taco Libre

Neon: everywhere. Tables: lots of them. Tacos: fantastic. Taco Libre is tucked away off Princes Street, but wriggle your way in and you’ll find some of the city’s best Mexican food.

3 Shandwick Pl, @tacolibre_edinburgh

Teuchters

An unexpected slice of country pub cosiness in the middle of the city, Teuchters is ideal for the nights when it’s pissing it down. Get in by the fire, grab a pint, refuse to leave until the rain stops.

26 William St, @teuchtersbar

Image: courtesy

of the venue

Photo: Sally Price

Maki and Ramen

ROOMS

Fringe Dog meets Susie McCabe

Edinburgh’s canine journalist talks to one of Scotland’s best stand-ups about her new optimistic show, and her dog Baby

Illustration: Lauren Hunter

hallo ms susie !!! i hear you doing great show about trying to be more optimistic as a cynical person. with this in mind i think it very important to ask you, what breed is your dog ???

Lhasa Apso.

they say a dog is a “mans” best friend , would baby describe you as their best friend ???

No. Baby would describe me as her best alibi, that is, when blamed for eating the biscuits she knows she can count on me to take the heat off. Her other mum is definitely her best friend.

how would baby describe your show ??!

She would likely be offended that she’s not mentioned more, but living in the shambles that is my life, she would approve of

me trying to make light of the situations that arise.

when you come home after a gig, good or bad, how does baby support you ?!? Baby is quite aloof and doesn’t really pick up on the moments I might need a cuddle, and will certainly never accept affection simply on my terms, but she is there to jump on my head at two in the morning, thinking that’s an acceptable time to carry on, and that, to her, must be nice.

dogs tend to be happy-golucky as we lack the executive planning skills to think forward, do you think being cynical is just part of being human ??? Yes, absolutely. Expect the worst and anything else is a bonus. However, I am trying to be more positive and keep cynicism to a minimum – you’ll hopefully see this in my show!

what is your favourite edimbrugh smell !?!

My favourite Edinburgh smell is probably at the Christmas markets where it’s a mixture of ten thousand candles, mulled cider and pastries.

what are baby’s tips to be happy about the world and do you agree ?!?

Baby would definitely say sniff

everything at least twice, pee in as many places as possible, always trust your instinct and don’t stray from your pack. I’m quite happy with all of that!!

what shows is baby most lookin’ forward to in edimbrugh ?!? Baby loves daftness and has a great sense of humour, but she’s smart and cultured so she’s definitely going to have a diverse Fringe. I think she’s hoping to see Ada Campe (she loves her) and might take in some poetry by Pauline Holmes that is all about dogs.

VENUE:

TIME: 7:45pm – 8:45pm, 3–28

Aug, not 15

Photo: Jiksaw –Aeman Sukar

Susie McCabe

Baby

SHOW Susie McCabe: Born Believer

Assembly George Square Studios