VENUES
In 2017 new venues are spread across the city and beyond. In Leith, Hibernian Football Club becomes a venue for the first time for Strange Town’s production of A Field of Our Own (p.330) while The Leith Volcano, formerly St James Church on Constitution Street, will be flooded for Volcano Theatre’s visceral production of Chekhov’s The Seagull (Seagulls p.381). Army @ the Fringe in Association with Summerhall sees the Army Reserve Centre on East Claremont Street transformed into a venue, while Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre will feature four performance spaces in the in the old Charlotte Chapel on Rose Street.
On George Street, Salt ‘n’ Sauce Promotions present a programme of comedy, spoken word, theatre, music and interactive game play at New Town Theatre. Traverse move off site to Traverse at the Wee Red Bar in the Edinburgh College of Art campus for Bluemouth Inc’s immersive performance show Party Game (p.370), while multimedia show Frogman (p.333) will take place at Traverse at CodeBase. Sweet Holyrood features three performance spaces in the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel with a host of shows including Adventurers Wanted: A 250-Hour Epic Tabletop Roleplaying Game (p.300). The Acoustic Music Centre changes its residence for 2017, Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC can be found at the Ukranian Community Centre on Royal Terrace. C royale is a new C venues hub on George Street, occupying the Royal Society of Edinburgh and presenting a mix of new writing, cabaret, circus and comedy. SpaceUK also return to theSpace on North Bridge after a two year hiatus, while Venue150 at EICC expands in to the tunnel below the main venue where Trainspotting Live (p.395) will take place.
Outside of the city, two performances of Oceanallover’s dance piece Sea Hames (p.204) will take place at Dalkeith Country Park (buses leaving from Dance Base), The Brunton presents a programme of music and theatre including The Mikado (p.283) at Musselburgh Race Course and Alice Through The Looking Glass (p.28) in the idyllic surrounds of Inveresk Lodge Garden, and Beyond Borders Festival Scotland brings a programme of debate, discussion, art and music to Traquair House in Innerleithen.
New free venues for 2017 include Black Market on Market Street which features six performance spaces in the former offices of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, while in the Grassmarket, tiki bar 52 canoes will host shows in its basement lounge. New Edinburgh comedy club Monkey Barrel becomes Heroes @ Monkey Barrel for the duration of the Fringe, while Laughing Horse brings a programme of free music to Newington’s Southpour bar with Laughing Horse @ Southpour and also presents shows at Laughing Horse @ The Cuckoo’s Nest on Home Street.
More unusual locations for Fringe shows this year include the Lochrin Belle boat which will host Scotch Egg Club Presents: Whisky on Water (p.218), a food and drink cruise along Edinburgh’s Union Canal. Novotel Swimming Pool becomes a venue for 274 Theatre’s water-based production Brodsky Station (p.313) and Chamber Pot Opera (p.278) brings toilet based opera to The Bathroom at Assembly Hall.
FAMOUS NAMES
A feast of famous names return to Edinburgh for the 70th anniversary edition of the Fringe. Ruby Wax (Underbelly, p.159) appears in Edinburgh for three nights only, with a show inspired by her best-selling book, A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled. Sue Perkins brings her sparkling wit and favourite stories to Pleasance (p.174), while Sean Hughes (Gilded Balloon, p.163) makes a welcome return to the Fringe with Blank Book, where a team of highly talented comedians will make up a story live on stage. Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens (Gilded Balloon, p.114) makes her Fringe debut with a show that takes on some of the key female figures in international politics, while comedian, writer and actor Robin Ince has two shows Robin Ince’s Rorschach Test (Gilded Balloon, p.158) and Pragmatic Insanity (The Stand, p.158).
From the world of film and TV, Clive Anderson hosts the live incarnation of the legendary improvisational comedy TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? – Live at the Fringe (Assembly, p.187) featuring a rotating cast of familiar faces. Dave Johns (p.85), star of I Daniel Blake returns to his comedy roots with a show about his unexpected turn as a film star at Pleasance, and BAFTA TV award-winning actress Monica Dolan (Underbelly, p.307) has written and will perform in The B*easts, a solo show that explores how far one mum will go to give her child what she wants. Dr Who legend Sylvester McCoy performs in A Joke (SpaceUK p.347), a new comedy by Dan Freeman, while Sam Underwood (The Following, Dexter, Homeland) brings Losing Days (p.355), a story about losing his mind – and finding it again, to New Town Theatre. Annie Sertich (Silicon Valley, Shameless, 2 Broke Girls), presents How to Not Kill Yourself for 30 Days... and the Next 330 (p.60) at Pleasance, and legendary American satirist Barry Crimmins (p.64) performs at The Stand.
Famous Scots participating in the Fringe this year include Craig Ferguson, who last performed at the Fringe 24 years ago, before leaving Scotland to find fame in the US; he brings The Craig Ferguson Show (p.82) to Gilded Balloon at Rose Street Theatre. Irvine Welsh presents two new shows – Creatives (Pleasance, p.278), a darkly comic pop-opera look that examines the contemporary music industry, and Performers (Assembly, p.371),a black comedy that revolves around two gangsters auditioning for roles in a 1960s film, making its world premiere at the Fringe. From the world of sport Judy Murray (p.293) and broadcaster Hazel Irvine (p.293) take part in the New Town Theatre’s In Conversation With…series, and superstar Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss brings NOW(p.84), to Venue150 at EICC.
UPCOMING TALENT
The Fringe continues to attract new and upcoming talent keen to develop their skills and reach new audiences. Ed Night follows in the footsteps of his father, comedian Kevin Day, with his debut Edinburgh show Anthem for Doomed Youth (Pleasance, p.91). In Mindy Raf: Keeping My Kidneys (Gilded Balloon, p.138), author and comedian Mindy Raf brings her razor-sharp storytelling style to Edinburgh for the first time, while Kwame Asante: Open Arms (p.125)and Sean Patton: Number One (p.163) make their Fringe debuts at Pleasance. Iain Connell, star and co-creator of BBC hit show Burnistoun, turns his hand to stand-up in his work in progress show Some Buzz (The Stand p.108) and in Gareth Waugh: Honestly? (Gilded Balloon, p.99), the Scottish Comedian of the Year finalist tackles fake news in his first solo show. Award-winning Australian comedian Josh Glanc examines modern notions of masculinity in Manfül (Gilded Balloon, p.121) and South African born, New Zealand-based comedian Urzila Carlson brings her First Edition (Assembly, p.184) to the Fringe. The star of BBC Radio 4's TEZ Talks makes his Fringe debut with Tez Ilyas: Testify (Pleasance, p.176), as does Piccadilly Comedian of the Year 2016 Eshaan Akbar, with Eshaan Akbar: Not for Prophet (Gilded Balloon, p.92).
THEME: ACTIVISM
Activism is a key theme at the Fringe this year as artists respond to past and present examples of people standing up and taking action to try and drive political and social change. Shon-Dale Jones bring activist theatre to the Fringe in Me and Robin Hood (Pleasance, p.136), a show about the story of money and how sharing the opportunities that we’ve been given can address the growing gap between rich and poor, with proceeds being used to support Street Child United World Cup 2018. Little Soldiers presents Derailed (Pleasance, p.322), gig theatre that uses live rock music to explore the individual experiences of different characters as they try to make a difference. In Domestic (SpaceUK, p.324), new surveillance legislation in the UK and across the world is scrutinised through a love story between an activist and the policeman sent to spy on her. Ahead of the UK centenary of women first gaining the vote, Peter Barratt recounts his great grandmother’s hard-fought campaign for suffrage in Vote 100 – Alice Hawkins – Suffragette (Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, p.299), and Woman on Fire (SpaceUK, p.403) tells the story of radical suffragette Edith Rigby. Woke (Gilded Balloon, p.403) uses original music and traditional gospel and blues to examine the 20th century African-American struggle for civil rights through the eyes of two women, living 42 years apart, andCardboard Citizens present Cathy (Pleasance, p.315), inspired by Ken Loach's ground breaking film, Cathy Come Home, inviting audiences to join the debate on how society should be tackling social issues.
THEME: SYRIAN CONFLICT
The Syrian conflict and resulting refugee crisis have inspired several shows at the Fringe this year. Your love is Fire (Summerhall, p.405) is a play about daily life in the midst of the Syrian war, waiting in despair for things to change for the better. Borders by Henry Naylor (Gilded Balloon, p.311) focuses on the journey of a young Syrian refugee, stranded on an ageing fishing boat in the Mediterranean, that is sinking fast under the weight of her fellow passengers. Undercover Refugee (SpaceUK, p.397)brings refreshing stories from the refugee trail that challenge the image often presented by mainstream media, inspired by the cast’s experience following refugees from Lesvos beach towards Europe in 2015. The Sleeper (SpaceUK, p.385) weaves together the real testimony of Syrian refugees and the personal experience of journalist Henry C Krempels, while The Elephant, Your Majesty! (New Town Theatre, p.327)is devised by the Action for Hope Theatre Group, a theatre troupe formed of Syrian refugees based in Lebanon, inspired by the text of renowned Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannous. Elsewhere, Requiem for Aleppo (Pleasance, p.204), brings together 12 dancers from across the world, with original music inspired by a combination of Requiem Mass lyrics, Arabic poetry and the voices of people from Aleppo telling their real-life stories, with proceeds being used to support Syria Relief and Techfugees.
THEME: GLOBAL POLITICS
Many shows in the 2017 programme address the dramatic shifts that have occurred in the global political landscape. Shows tackling Brexit include Border Tales(Summerhall, p.193), which takes a satirical look atpost-Brexit Britain through the eyes of a diverse, international cast. Comedy Ballot Box (Paradise, p.307)follows two unemployed actresses as they take in the final weeks of the 2016 EU Referendum televised campaign before casting their votes. In Breaking Black by Njambi McGrath (Laughing Horse, p.72), Njambi offers her take on post-Brexit Britain as a British/African woman, while Walls and Bridges (SpaceUK, p.400) uses verbatim accounts in a theatre piece that challenges notions of home and belonging. Donald Trump’s presidency and his proposed state visit to the UK are satirised in Simon Jay’s interactive farce Trumpageddon! (Gilded Balloon, p.182), Trumpus Interruptus: The Impeachment of Donald J Trump (Greenside, p.396) is set in a fictional future where Trump is in political exile following a constitutional crisis, and Kinsey Sicks: Things You Shouldn’t Say (Gilded Balloon, p.125) takes a look at the Trump administration in four-part harmony and drag. American Immigrant: Zoltan Kaszas (Just the Tonic, p.56) offers an immigrant’s view of the Trump presidency, while Hasan Minhaj (Gilded Balloon, p.106) makes his Fringe debut following his recent speech at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an engagement that President Trump controversially neglected to participate in.
THEME: GENDER
The Fringe continues to provide a forum for perceptions of Gender to be discussed and explored. Dance Base hosts John Scott’s Lear (p.199) which sees Shakespeare’s famous protagonist portrayed by 82-year-old dance star, Valda Setterfield, and in Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus (p.199) Oona Doherty embodies the stereotype of the disadvantaged male. In You’ve Changed (Summerhall, p.405), Kate O’Donnell draws from her own journey to shine a light on the ins and outs and ups and downs of transitioning, and Sisters Grimmsubvert and question perceptions of gender in Lilith: The Jungle Girl (Traverse, p.354). Courtney Act: The Girl from Oz (p.16) sees one of the stars of hit TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race bring her solo cabaret show to Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows. International drag troupe Denim make their Edinburgh debut with Denim: World Tour (Underbelly, p.87) and award-winning drag artist Gingzilla brings Late Night Lip Service (p.22) to Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre.
THEME: DISABILITY AND HEALTH
Disability and health are key topics at this year’s Fringe, with shows exploring disability and starring disabled artists. In Assisted Suicide the Musical (Assembly, p.304) disability rights activist and actress Liz Carr explores opinions on assisted suicide, drawing on her own experiences as a campaigner and performer, while in The Shape of the Pain (Summerhall, p.383), a woman attempts to articulate her experience of physical pain and the impact it has had on her life. Blank Tiles (Assembly, p.310) is a solo show that sees a Scrabble world champion, played by Dylan Cole, attempting to document his life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Bella Freak: Unwritten (SpaceUK, p.308) presents the poignant, but often comical, true-life stories of three disabled individualsin a show co-produced by Disability History Scotland and Bella Freak, and Jess Thom takes on Samuel Beckett’s Not I (Pleasance, p.366), a performance that explores neurodiversity and asks who is allowed to perform what, and who gets the final say. In Tom Skelton: Blind Man's Bluff (Underbelly, p.180) Tom discusses the history of blindness and his own sight loss, while Jamie MacDonald offers his thoughts on humiliating products for the blind in Jamie MacDonald: Designated Driver (Assembly, p.114) and Ray Bradshaw: Deaf Comedy Fam (Gilded Balloon, p.155), sees Ray performs his whole show in British Sign Language and English.
THEME: FERTILITY
Fertility is explored in several shows at the Fringe this year. Dr Carnesky's Incredible Bleeding Woman (Pleasance, p.325) scrutinises issues around fertility, body shame, ancient taboo and women's activism, as some of the world’s leading cabaret performers reinvent menstrual rituals for a new era. In Eggsistentialism(Summerhall, p.326), one woman goes on a comical quest to uncover the arguments for and against reproducing her genes, while in Breakfast Plays: B!rth (Traverse, p.312), leading female playwrights from Syria, USA, India and UK question their country’s approach to birth practice and the cultural pressures that surround it. In All KIDding Aside (SpaceUK, p.301), Christel Bartelseshares her fears about becoming a mother after years of thinking she was infertile, Jenny Bede returns to the Fringe with Jenny Bede: Eggtime (Pleasance, p.116), a one-woman show featuring music, massive pants and her biological clock, and in Natalie Palamides: LAID (Pleasance, p.141), Natalieexplores motherhood with absurd dilemmas, silly routines and surreal physical comedy.
THEME: FRIENDSHIP
The theme of friendship forms the focus of shows including Girls (Pleasance, p.334), a funny and passionate new play about the enduring friendship between three girls that are kidnapped from their homes. Flying Bridge Theatre explore the unique friendship between celebrated WWI poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon in Not About Heroes (Pleasance, p.365), while Jess and Joe Forever (Traverse, p.347) is a contemporary coming of age tale that explores friendship, rural life and what it means to belong. Edgar and Me (Zoo, p.326) recounts the real-life correspondence between a death row prisoner and his pen pal and the reaction their relationship provokes in other people, while in 8 Years, 5 Months, 4 Weeks, 2 Days (Gilded Balloon, p.195), Bert and Fred push the limits of their relationship to the edge with a show of daring circus tricks. Luke Wright brings his award-winning performance piece What I Learned from Johnny Bevan (p.356) to Underbelly, comedy drama Fag/Stag (Underbelly, p.329) asks what it means to have your best mate when you’re stuck being your worst self, and Cosmic Scallies (Summerhall, p.318) is a new play about class, friendship and absence by award-winning writer and comedian Jackie Hagan.
THEME: PERSONAL JOURNEYS AND IDENTITY
Personal journeys and identity are the subject of shows including An evening with an immigrant (Traverse, p.328), in which award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams shares his story, from escaping fundamentalist Islam in Nigeria to drinking wine with the Queen.salt. (Summerhall, p.380) recounts the journey of two artists who retraced the routes of the Transatlantic Slave Triangle – from the UK to Ghana to Jamaica and back on a cargo ship, while in Here Comes Trouble (Dance Base, p.198), Keira Martin draws on influencesfrom Yorkshire, Ireland and Jamaica, weaving together traditional music, authentic song and gutsy choreography to tell the story of her life. In Danny O’Brien: RaconTour(Underbelly, p.84), Danny shares stories from the personal journey he began after inheriting an unreliable old motorbike, and in A1 The Long Road to Edinburgh (Laughing Horse p.60), Mark Row tells the story of the 12 month journey he embarked on after deciding, with no prior experience, to perform as a stand-up comedian at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
FREE SHOWS
Free shows this year include Aatif Nawaz: The Last Laugh at Laughing Horse @ Newsroom (p.49) and Aaah Sure, It's the Irish Comedian of the Year! (Laughing Horse, p.49) from Steve Bennett, Irish Comedian of the Year 2016. Alex Morris – Apologies (Laughing Horse, p.54) is a one-man sketch show from the winner of the Best Writer and Best Director awards at the 2016 London Student Drama Festival. Anna Morris presents Anna Morris: Bitchelors (PBH’s Free Fringe, p.60), character comedy that sees four women compete for the Woman of the Year Award, while Alex Smith explores modern notions of masculinity in Alex Smith – Real Man (PBH’s Free Fringe, p.54). Korean children's classical music club Arisol, present Arisol: Samulnori (C venues, p.231), a free show for all the family, while at Voodoo Rooms, Chris Cook: Control (p.15) offers devilish trickery and cheeky audience interaction and The Singing Psychic Game Show (PBH’s Free Fringe, p.25) promises audience readings, songs, 70s-themed team games and prizes.
BBC AT THE FRINGE
The BBC’s Festival Hub returns to the grounds of George Heriot’s School for 2017 with a programme of daily live performances across radio, TV and online, capturing the festival’s most exciting new talent, biggest names, hidden gems and Fringe stories. From BBC Radio 2 Steve Wright in the Afternoon (p.66) and The Michael Ball Show (p.67) are both set to broadcast live from Edinburgh. The semi-finals and final of the BBC New Comedy Award (p.65) will once again take place during the Fringe alongside special editions of BBC Radio 4 favourites Loose Ends, Front Row, and Just a Minute (p.66). The Janice Forsyth Show (p.66) will bring up-to-date coverage, highlights and top interviews to BBC Radio Scotland throughout the Fringe.
TICKETING
From 7 June tickets will be available for purchase and collection from the Fringe Box Office, 180 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QS. Tickets and can be collected from the University Visitor Centre, 2 Charles Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AD from 7 June and purchased from 31 July onwards. This year there will be a ticket collection point at Waverley Station, in partnership with Virgin Trains, where tickets can be collected from 31 July. From 31 July, there will be a collection point in Domestic Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport and for the first time, there will also be a collection point in International Arrivals. There are over 20 collection points throughout the city open during the Fringe.
For more information go to edfringe.com.
Photo by Neil Hanna
