As households across the UK brace themselves for the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, CarStore’s Personal Advisors offer some tips to follow in order to improve fuel economy.
Mark Akbar, Managing Director at CarStore, said: “As prices at the pump are increasing rapidly and the cost-of-living crisis escalates, it’s more important than ever that drivers make the most out of every drop of fuel, improving driving economy and saving themselves money in the process.
“At CarStore our Personal Advisors are committed to listening and putting our customers’ needs first and we want share any informed, impartial advice that we can to make our customers’ lives easier and more affordable.”
“There are many different techniques and habits you can incorporate into everyday driving that will have a positive impact on your vehicle’s fuel economy. Try following even just a few of CarStore’s tips and tricks below and you may be pleasantly surprised just how much difference a change in driving style and habits can make to the miles per gallon you’ll achieve.”
Check your tyres & Tyre Pressures
One of the biggest factors in terms of fuel economy is the performance of your tyres – they are, after all, the only thing that connects your vehicle to the road. Having your vehicle’s tyres inflated to the correct pressures has a significant impact on your vehicle’s fuel economy. Under-inflated tyres can have a detrimental effect on your mpg by as much as -2.5%.
Always anticipate
Simply anticipating what is likely to happen in front of you when driving will greatly improve your efficiency as well as reduce wear and tear on your car’s brakes. While maintaining your focus on the vehicle directly in front of you, take the time to look further ahead to see what’s going on. If there’s a red light, try to lift off the accelerator a little earlier than you might normally, without taking it to extremes of course. If the lights change, you’ll still be rolling and you’ll spend less time getting up to speed, using less fuel in the process. Simply put, the less time you spend with your foot on the accelerator, the less fuel you will use.
Accelerate and Decelerate Smoothly
When the lights turn green, don’t stamp on the accelerator and get up to speed as fast as physically possible. Accelerate briskly but smoothly, reaching the desired speed in a reasonable time frame so as not to frustrate your fellow road users behind you. Don’t wait until the last minute to come to a standstill either, lift off the gas nice and early and brake gently until you come to a stop.
Remove Excess Weight
The heavier your car is, the more fuel it will use trying to get from A to B, so anything you can do to make it lighter will save you money. Roof boxes and bike racks are the main culprits, but simply having a good clear out of what’s in the backseat and the boot can have a positive impact as well.
Check Your Speed & Use Cruise Control
Always being mindful of the speed you’re travelling at is good, safe practice anyway, but it can help in terms of fuel economy too. Motorists should adhere to speed limits at all times so as they aren’t breaking the law, but saving money is another solid reason to do so. For instance, travelling above the national speed limit at 80mph instead of 70mph will use an extra 10% of fuel, as well as cost you extra money in speeding fines too. Cruise control only helps the situation too. Slowing down and speeding up increases fuel usage in a big way, so letting the car maintain the exact cruising speed for you whenever possible is simply the most efficient way to get around.
Use Your Gears Properly
It’s not part of the driving test to learn how to use your gears efficiently, you simply have to be able to use them to get the car to move at various speeds. However, to make the most out of every drop of fuel and maintain maximum efficiency, it’s vital that you’re always using the right gear at the right time. Be careful not to over-rev the engine, as this will use more fuel, and make sure you don’t labour the engine by being in a gear that’s too low for the speed and terrain. Generally, petrol cars are at their most economical between 1500 and 2500 rpm, so you should aim to change up to the next gear whenever you exceed the higher end of that band. For diesels, it’s between 1300 and 2000 rpm.
Service & Maintain Your Car
Ensuring that your vehicle is in tip-top mechanical shape is vital when making sure that fuel economy is as good as it can be. A car that has its engine serviced regularly and in line with service schedules using the correct parts, fluids and lubricants will work better and be more efficient than one that isn’t. It’ll be more reliable too. Wheel alignment (also known as tracking) can also have a negative effect on fuel economy too, and it can be knocked out by something as simple as a pot hole in the road, so make sure you get it checked regularly.
Avoid Unnecessary Idling
When the car is standstill and the engine is turned on and idling, you’re getting precisely 0 miles per gallon from your fuel. This is because fuel is being used but you aren’t going anywhere. So, waiting for a mate outside their house? Turn the engine off. Eating your burger at the drive thru? Turn the engine off. And yes, even if you’re defrosting your car, if you want to save fuel, you’ll have to turn the engine off. Modern cars with “stop/start” technology save fuel by turning the engine off while the vehicle is stationary. If your car has this function, keeping it turned on is the best thing you can do for fuel economy.
Use Air Con & Heating Functions Wisely
As a general rule, anything that drains the car’s battery in any significant way is also a drain on your car’s fuel tank. This is because it uses the alternator to charge the battery back-up, which is powered by the engine, which needs fuel to work. Air con is the biggest culprit here, increasing fuel consumption by around 5-7% in town driving. At higher speeds the effect is less noticeable, and using the air con at motorway speeds is actually more efficient than having the windows down because of the drag that’s created. Heated seats, heated steering wheels, heated windscreens and anything else heated will use extra fuel too.
Don’t Coast
Many drivers, particularly those who are used to driving cars from the ’70s and ’80s or even earlier, will swear that putting the car into neutral while going downhill or coming to a standstill will reduce fuel consumption because the rpm is lower. This is not true, certainly not of modern vehicles. Simply leaving the car in gear and coming to a stop – without labouring the engine – means you won’t be using any fuel at all. This is because the engine is using the drive. Coasting can also be dangerous too, as you’re less in control of the car.
A group of young adults from Tower Hamlets are set to represent East London’s young people in the opening flag-waving event of the Platinum Jubilee Youth Spectacular at St Ninians, taking place near Kelty in Fife.
TV presenter, magician and comedian, Stephen Mulhern, will host the event, which aims to “inspire youth” .
The Youth Spectacular, which is part of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, is taking place on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June. The amazing young talent who are participating will be performing in a newly constructed arena on the site of the former opencast mine at St Ninians.
The group from London, involving 11 young adults, aged 16-20, and 5 youth workers are from the Spotlight Youth Centre, a creative arts youth service based in London’s Tower Hamlets.
Around 4,000 young people aged 11-19 are engaged each year and come to the youth centre to make friends and for advice, guidance and support. Spotlight also runs a number of creative programmes including photography, music, fashion and visual arts, as well as an active programme including fitness and nutrition, sport and exercise.
It also has an in-house young-person only GP service, HealthSpot.
The group are part of the centre’s inspirational programme, focusing on youth leadership and volunteering. They are also members of Poplar HARCA’a Youth Youth Empowerment Board, which feeds into the governance of the award-winning housing association in East London.
While in Scotland the group will participate in outdoor activities at Willowgate Activity Centre in Perthshire, take part in a mini-Highland Games and visit some Edinburgh attractions, including Edinburgh Castle.
· The Imps Motorcycle Display Team, the world’s foremost youth display team
· Katie Robertson, the award-winning ‘Wheeled Piper’
· Massed pipes and drums from Scottish schools
· Massed military bands
· The musical skills of the massed army cadet force brass bands
· Highland dancing displays and other dancers
· The world-famous Red Hot Chilli Pipers
Harry Forshaw, Youth Volunteering Coordinator for Spotlight, said: “As a group representing young people from the east end of London we are incredibly excited and proud to be participating in this truly inspiring event.
“Spotlight provides facilities that all young people can access on a non-exclusive basis and our youth-led centre demonstrates what young people can achieve when they are given the chance to have their voices heard.
“We are honoured to be participating in the opening event, and what we have achieved will hopefully serve to inspire other young people.”
Irene Bisset, Chair of National Pride UK, said: “We’re delighted that this group of fantastic young adults from Spotlight are attending and participating in our event.
“With our aim being to showcase the tremendous talents of young people, inspiring both this and future generations, we are honoured that they have taken the time to come and participate.
“We look forward to welcoming them to St Ninians for a great weekend of fun and can hopefully leave them with fond memories of their time in Scotland.”
The Prime Minister has announced 2.5 million tenants renting their homes from housing associations in England will be given the right to buy them outright.
Right to Buy scheme extended to housing association tenants, with government pledging to build a new social home for every one sold
Universal Credit reform will incentivise more hard-working people to save for a house deposit
Review of mortgage lending market will aim to turn more of ‘Generation Rent’ into ‘Generation Buy’
Two and a half million tenants renting their homes from housing associations will be given the right to buy them outright, the Prime Minister has announced.
In a speech today, he has confirmed an extension of the popular Right to Buy scheme, which has made home ownership a reality for two million households since the 1980s.
Currently, tenants in council homes are eligible to buy their homes at a discounted price, up to 70% off the market value dependent on how long they have lived there. However, the scheme is less generous for those in homes owned by housing associations.
Extending the scheme could benefit up to 2.5 million tenants who would gain the right to buy, freeing them up to become homeowners, and add value and make improvements to their home as they wish. The Government will work closely with the housing association sector on the design of the scheme.
Social housing will always play an important role in our society, so the Prime Minister will also commit to the building of replacement social homes for each one sold.
The Prime Minister said: “Just as no generation should be locked out of home ownership because of when they were born, so nobody should be barred from that same dream simply because of where they live now.
“For four decades it has been possible for council home tenants to use a discount to buy the property they live in. Over that time almost two million people have been helped into home ownership.
“They have switched identities and psychology, from being dependent on the state for every repair – from damp-proofing to a new front door – to being in charge of their own family home, able to make improvements and add value as they please.”
In order to turn more members of ‘Generation Rent’ into ‘Generation Buy’ the government will also launch an independent review of access to mortgage finance for first-time buyers, with the aim of making it easier for this group by widening access to low-cost, low-deposit finance such as 95% mortgages.
Currently, soaring house prices, stringent mortgage lending restrictions and high deposit requirements are hampering the ambition of many young people who want to own their own home. Over 50% of today’s renters could afford the monthly cost of a mortgage but various constraints mean only 6% could immediately access a typical first-time buyer mortgage.
This will be the first comprehensive review of the mortgage market for a decade, seeking bold and innovative steps that Government and industry can take to support more first-time buyers into home ownership.
As the Prime Minister set out: “We have a ludicrous situation whereby plenty of younger people could afford to make monthly mortgage payments – they’re earning enough to cover astronomical rent bills – but the ever-spiralling price of a house or flat has so inflated deposit requirements that saving even just 10 per cent is a wholly unrealistic proposition for them.
“First-time buyers are trying to hit a continually moving target.
“And of course the global rise in the cost of living is only making life harder for savers. So we want it to be easier to get a mortgage.
“Reporting back this Autumn [the review] will look at how we can give our nation of aspiring homeowners better access to low-deposit mortgages.”
The Prime Minister has also pledged to turn ‘benefits to bricks’ – changing welfare rules so that the 1.5 million people who are in work but also on housing benefit will be given the choice to use their benefit towards a mortgage, rather than automatically going directly to private landlords and housing associations.
The welfare system exists as a safety net to help the poorest people, but the government also wants to incentivise people to find work and take steps to better their lives.
So if a hard-working family saves a deposit to buy a home, the government will back them with the same housing support that they would have used on their rent, to pay towards their mortgage instead.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove MP said: Today we are extending the opportunity of homeownership to millions more hardworking people across the country.
“By extending Right to Buy and bringing forward the most comprehensive review of the mortgage market in decades, we are backing first-time buyers, breaking down barriers to homeownership and delivering on the people’s priorities.
“At the same time, we will continue to deliver much-needed new, good quality social homes by replacing each and every property sold.”
The government will also change the rules to incentivise those who are claiming Universal Credit to save for a deposit. Currently, welfare rules taper the amount of Universal Credit received when the claimant’s savings exceed £6,000, and it stops entirely when savings exceed £16,000.
We will commit to exempting Lifetime ISA savings from these rules – meaning hard-working people can save a little each month specifically for a deposit without impacting their Universal Credit payments, until they have enough for a deposit for a first home.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “For too many people the aspiration to own their home has been taken away. By turning benefits to bricks, we are opening the door to home ownership for those on the lowest incomes.
“By removing barriers and allowing people on benefits to save into a Lifetime ISA, they will be incentivised to put aside a deposit to buy their home.
“And we are also giving people the choice to use their benefit towards their mortgage rather than on rent that pays a buy-to-let landlord.”
To support existing homeowners, the government will also improve support for mortgage interest (SMI) – a loan which helps claimants pay interest on their mortgages and stay in their homes if they lose their jobs.
Currently, this only kicks in after nine months of unemployment so the government will bring this forward to three months, to incentivise people to find work again and bring government into line with what lenders offer in these circumstances.
The Levelling Up Secretary will push forward our commitment to deliver 1 million new homes by the end of this parliament. Working with local communities to build the right homes in the right places, more publicly owned brownfield land will be used and small sites unlocked, with priority given to key workers and first time buyers.
The Prime Minister has today also reaffirmed his commitment to end the scourge of unfair leasehold terms to give leaseholders better control over their homes and lives. The government will drive forward leasehold reform, including the ability for a leaseholder to buy their freehold – helping 4.6 million households genuinely own their own home. This will include discounts of up to 90% for those trapped with egregious, escalating ground rents.
Extending right to buy will worsen rural affordable homes crisis, says CPRE
Commenting on plans to extend the right to buy scheme announced by the government, Tom Fyans, director of campaigns and policy at CPRE, the countryside charity, said: ‘Unfortunately, this is another example of a government rapidly losing touch with the realities of rural life.
“Extending right to buy will do nothing to address the rural affordable homes crisis because the problem is a lack of homes in the first place. There are 176,000 families in rural areas on social housing waiting lists. These are families that could be even further disadvantaged by housing associations being forced to sell their limited homes on the cheap.
‘The number one lesson of right to buy in a rural context is that it decimated rural social housing stocks. What low-income families need is hundreds of thousands more truly affordable homes to live in. Those living in the countryside are hampered by low wages and high house prices. That’s why the government needs to commit to building 145,000 social homes a year to fill the gap between supply and demand.
‘The demand for social housing is growing nearly six times faster than the rate of supply in rural areas. At current rates, the backlog of low-income families needing accommodation would take 121 years to clear. This is an utterly unsustainable situation and potentially selling off the few remaining housing association properties we do have will make a bad situation immeasurably worse.’
A leading trade body is urging newly-elected Scottish Councils to embrace investment in build to rent (BTR) and co-living to help address the current housing crisis, addressing nationwide shortages of rental stock and providing additional housing supply to help meet housing targets.
The call comes from the UK Apartment Association (UKAA), which recently launched in Scotland at an event in Glasgow.
BTR is a relatively new model for creating new homes in the UK, where all the properties are built for rent, not for sale and are located in close proximity to amenities, places of work and transport links.
Co-living is a type of communal living in which residents get a private bedroom, with the opportunity to share meals and discussions in common living areas.
Data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows that in Scotland demand for rental housing had risen by over a third in the last three months, while supply had dropped by around 50 per cent, leading to an expectation that rents in Scotland will rise faster than in England and Wales.
However, the pipeline for BTR in Edinburgh and Glasgow represents just 6.7 per cent and 10 per cent of current private rented sector households, respectively. There is great capacity therefore for growth given the pipelines in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds represent 29.6 per cent, 15.5 per cent and 13.1 per cent of current PRS households
BTR schemes in Glasgow include proposals for 324 homes at Buchanan Wharf and 685 BTR and co-Living homes at Portcullis House, with 338 homes at Skyliner and 476 homes at Fountainbridge in Edinburgh.
Brendan Geraghty, CEO of the UKAA commented: “BTR and co-living offer a tremendous opportunity for the thousands of people looking for a good place to rent, as well as councils wanting to revitalise neighbourhoods while solving the housing crisis in their area.
“Scotland is perfectly placed to look to models of living that are already popular across Europe and harness investment from organisations like pension providers to fund affordable, high-quality homes with a long-term value.
“We are witnessing massive demand for a new form of housing because so many people don’t see the traditional housing market as working for them. But the supply just isn’t there to meet the need. Managing rents can’t solve the fundamental issues in the market so it is time to focus on really delivering a supply of sustainable homes in sustainable locations.
“There is an opportunity for newly elected councillors to take the time to really understand and fully embrace BTR and co-living as having a critical part to play in helping to solve the housing crisis, enhancing quality and choice in the private residential sector.”
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce commented:“BTR and co-living are delivering high-quality housing, which is desperately needed, and will serve to address increasing demand. Innovative approaches to housing such as this are to be greatly welcomed and will also serve to retain and attract skilled young people to our cities.
“Glasgow City Council’s City Centre Living Strategy, for example, outlines a target to double the city centre’s population to 40,000 over the next 15 years and increasing density in the city centre is essential to its long- term success and sustainability. BTR is a key element in delivering this.”
Gillian McLees, UKAA Scotland Chair, commented: “2022 is set to be a pivotal year in the BTR sector in Scotland with the launch of landmark schemes to the public and long awaited buildings becoming operational.
“The UKAA and the UKAA Scotland Steering Committee are committed to the success of this sector and providing the rented homes that Scotland desperately needs.”
With people’s concerns about wellbeing being at an all-time high, a new two-day Festival MIND BE KIND, will be taking place at Edinburgh’s Princes Street’s Ross Bandstand on 18th and 19th June, focusing on wellbeing.
This new social enterprise, MIND BE KIND, aims to raise awareness of wellbeing and help signpost ways of combating issues such as anxiety and isolation with workshops, stalls, and a concert.
The event also aspires to support and motivate people to access wellbeing information, find more enjoyment and perhaps different more positive ways of coping with challenges, and has something for all ages at this family friendly event. Organisations such as Health in Mind and UpStart Scotland will be there to provide some help and information to support people with wellbeing matters.
Lynne Stanford, Fundraising Manager says “At Health in Mind we’re excited to be a part of the Mind Be Kind Festival.
“It feels more important than ever to raise awareness of mental health, the things we can all put in place to keep well, and how to access the right services when we need them – and so it’s brilliant of the organisers to be bringing us all together.
“Health in Mind services are free to access across Edinburgh, including our online information resource iThrive that includes a wide range of self-help materials. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival”.
Tania Pramschufer, founder member of MIND BE KIND stresses the importance of care and kindness for oneself and others and noted: “The Festival is a chance for people to connect with practitioners, professionals, therapists and learn more about how to look after your own physical and mental wellbeing and ways to cope with anxiety and low mood.
“We believe that Edinburgh is a city of hospitality and friendship and that by organising something with kindness at its heart, will have a positive impact on our community.”
The concert will be hosted by amazing television presenter and Mind Be Kind ambassador Gail Porter.
Commenting on the new Festival, celebrity presenter Gail Porter added: ”Being an Ambassador for MIND BE KIND is an absolute honour and a pleasure. Kindness is something that should be second nature. Unfortunately, it isn’t on everyone’s agenda these days.
“An event, after all we have been through over the past few years, that is dedicated to kindness..is exactly what we all need. And… It’s in Edinburgh. Could it be anymore perfect?
“Kindness, love, listening, talking, smiling, crying, sharing. It’s not that difficult. I can’t wait to come home. I can’t wait to be involved in such a wonderful event. And I’m more than happy if you want a hug. I do love a hug!
Gail concluded: “Kindness… it’s very simple. It costs nothing and can change a person’s outlook. Or just give them that hope they need.”
Onstage events also include Laughter Yoga; Yoga with Jen McGregor, Zumba with Nadia Alkoc, Zumba with Ross MacPherson and numerous talks including inspirational speaker Mike Stevenson.
Performances from acts such as amazing newcomer and local act Rane Delyte, Dopesick Fly, The Rouse, Paul McDonald, Supa & Da Kryptonites, Demi McMahon, Tony Wright, and Manchester based rapper Conduit. Edinburgh based drumming group Pulse of the Place, The Well Happy Band and the amazing Got Soul Choir will also be performing over the two-day Festival.
Two local radio stations will be on hand to promote the event, SAM Radio (Scottish Autistic Media Radio) and Mix One radio, who will both be providing DJ’s.
Scran Academy and Punjabi Junction are also going to be there with amazing and delicious food to help refresh everyone’s mind, body, and soul. The MIND BE KIND team is also organising a raffle for people to have a chance at winning prizes.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover some of the costs as the Festival is not run for profit but for the benefit of the our community:
A multi-million pound grant fund has opened to support people across Scotland to travel in more active and sustainable ways.
Community, public and third sector organisations can now apply to the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund which has £5 million worth of grants available this year alone – double the amount available previously.
Now in its fifth year, the fund has already awarded over £9.3million to hundreds of projects across Scotland that aim to get people out their cars and walk, wheel or cycle for short journeys or use public or sustainable travel for longer trips.
The launch of this year’s grant fund has been welcomed by Scotland’s Active Travel Minister Patrick Harvie MSP. He said: “I’m delighted we have been able to double this year’s Open Fund to £5 million – reflecting both the popularity of the fund and the effectiveness of giving community groups the flexibility to draw down funding and spend as they see fit to deliver initiatives that provide the best value for money in the communities they serve.
“This increase is part of our record funding for active travel this year and another step in our commitment to make walking, wheeling and cycling the natural choice for our daily short journeys in Scotland, and I commend Paths for All for their excellent stewardship of the Open Fund.”
Managed by national walking charity Paths for All and supported by Transport Scotland, the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places (SCSP) Open Fund aims to encourage people to change their behaviour and to walk, wheel or cycle for short, everyday journeys.
It also encourages people to use sustainable travel choices, including buses, trams, trains for longer journeys to help cut Scotland’s carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Since 2018, the SCSP Open Fund has supported charities, colleges and universities, social enterprises, third sector organisations, community groups and health and social care partnerships to realise their active travel ambitions.
It’s funded dozens of new active travel jobs and has boosted hundreds of initiatives to get people moving as part of their daily journeys, funding everything from information apps to active travel hubs.
Kevin Lafferty, Chief Executive Officer at Paths for All said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to offer £5million in grants this year to support more people to travel in ways that benefit their health and wellbeing and that helps protect our environment too.
“It’s been incredible to see what has been achieved so far, and we are looking forward to this seeing more projects coming forward with new and creative ways to make walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport the natural choice when getting from A to B.
“I’d encourage anyone with an active travel idea to get in touch with us and find out how we can help get projects off the ground. Together we can work towards creating a happier, healthier and greener Scotland.”
STIRLING, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 20: A Paths For All workplace walking project is pictured at Kintail House, on November 20, in Stirling, Scotland (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Over 3,000 shows now available to browse online in the lead up to the Fringe’s 75th anniversary this August
Today, Thursday 09 June, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to announce that tickets for a further 1,047 Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows are now available to browse and book atedfringe.com.
This is the fourth set of tickets to be released for 2022, with the first 283 shows revealed in March, 796 in April and 1,281 in May.
In total, there are 3,131 shows now available.The official programme launch will take place on Thursday 07 July.
The 75th anniversary of the Fringe takes place from 05 – 29 August 2022 and will feature an exciting range of shows, with theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus, musicals, variety, cabaret, events and more all featured in the programme so far.
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book from today. The full list of shows released so far can be found at edfringe.com.
Theatre
At Pleasance, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is “the Fringe premiere of new kickass-pirational pop musical from one of the producers of hit SIX”, celebrating the lives of Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Emmeline Pankhurst and many more. Brown Boys Swim – also at Pleasance – “examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in this exhilarating new play about fitting in and striking out”, while DARKFIELD revive two of their immersive, pitch-black experiences: Flight and Séance.
David Greig and Wils Wilson revisit The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart at the University of Edinburgh Playfair Library, “a wild session of anarchic theatre, haunting, authentic folk music and strange goings-on”.
At Wee Red Bar, This Is Memorial Device is based on David Keenan’s novel of the same name. It offers a “fictional history of 1980s Airdrie’s mysterious, post-punk legends” and features original music by Stephen McRobbie from Glasgow band, The Pastels.
Art27 Scotland presents several productions at ZOO, among them From the Heart of the Incident – the story of Dr Issam Bassalat Hijjawi, “a highly respected and much-loved Edinburgh medical doctor and Palestinian activist held in a Northern Irish prison for nearly 16 months”. At the same venue, Ontroerend Goed return to the Fringe with Every Word Was Once an Animal, which takes a meta look at performing a show, and Marriage in Progress features Lauren Katz (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Joey Slotnick (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The Good Wife) who “explore marriage as an improvisation and improvisation as a marriage”. Online, via ZOOTV, Tuesday Night Sleeping Club is “an immersive live-streamed audio experience at your home”.
At Assembly, Brian Cox presents She/Her, a multimedia performance of “a diverse group of women speaking their truth”. Assembly also hosts August Wilson‘s How I Learned What I Learned, the UK / European premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s solo show chronicling his life as a Black artist in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
Fishamble theatre company returns to the Fringe with Kingby Pat Kinevane: A Work-In-Progress. Hosted by Dance Base, “King tells the story of Luther, a man born on the day MLK was assassinated, who only leaves his apartment to perform as an Elvis impersonator”.
Directed by Guy Masterson, Pip Utton is Adolf is at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, exploring “what made Adolf Hitler so compulsive” and how any “cultured person could follow him to destruction, desolation and genocide”.
Just an Ordinary Lawyer is available online with C ARTS, the story of how “Nigerian Tunji Sowande quietly breaks through multiple barriers to become Britain’s first Black judge”. Also available online, Dickin’ Around asks “what does it take to satiate a heartbroken 20-something homosexual with a penchant for deep-diving into the sensory stimuli he finds along the way?”
ThickSkin’s Blood Harmony features music from The Staves combines with “bold new writing and dynamic physicality in this uplifting and powerful new play with songs about love, loss and legacy”. It’s at the Traverse Theatre, as is Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb, “a joyful queer rom-com where Millennial meets Gen Z and change is all around”.
Bastion, Beacon or Bridge? features full readings of three plays from Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian playwrights, with post-reading discussions from the authors. It’s at Army @ The Fringe, as is For Queen and Country, the story of WW2 Major Denis Rake MC, who entertained Nazi officers as a drag queen in a Parisian nightclub.
Buzzing Anonymous, based on an ADHD support group, is at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre. The play “watches unlikely relationships form through the chaos and natural dramatic comedy that occurs when neurodivergent people try to navigate through day-to-day life”.
For Example Theatre present: Boat! at BlundaBus, “a tragicomedy combining clowning and physical theatre” following “two friends at sea as they navigate companionship, solitude and altering states of reality”.
Motor Court 103 at Central Hall joins a group of strangers stranded at a motel during a Kansas snowstorm – an “eerie, timeless pocket of Americana”. Also at Central Hall, We Are the Kingdum of Lear uses puppetry, masks and magic to stage “an experimental reimagining of Shakespeare’s great play”.
Dynamic Earth is hosting a series of Planetarium Lates this Fringe, including Under Pressure: The Ocean Show, which takes a deep dive beneath the waves, and You Are Here, “a dramatic journey to the very edge of our solar system and back”.
Hart follows “a transgender doctor in early 20th-century America” who is outed in the newspapers by his best friend, while The Severing Sword is an adaptation of a popular wuxia novel following “men hungry for the legendary Kun Wu sword and its ultimate power”. Both are available to watch online.
At Gilded Balloon, Bluewater is set in London in 2008 and joins a 17-year-old girl “as she attempts to navigate her way from Bluewater shopping centre with the girls to the weekly party happenings on a Saturday night”. At the same venue, Fear of Heights examines the American experience through the lens of Kevin Flynn’s Irish immigrant family.
The Virgin Travels is “a challenging, powerful and often funny piece, using music and movement to explore the tension between queerness and a restrictive Catholic upbringing”. It’s at Gladstone’s Land.
Greenside is home to Silent Gutter’s Playtime, in which “a birthday wish plunges the world into a hellish playground of 90s nostalgia”. At the same venue, Sugar? explores “real life stories of homelessness through a blend of verbatim theatre, physical storytelling and live and recorded sound”.
Conflict in Court, at Hill Street Theatre, is “an immersive courtroom experience where you decide the case’s outcome”. Also at Hill Street Theatre, Independence “looks at the Scottish independence debate with wit and humour as two families decide how to vote”.
Ladies Day is on at Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre; set at a racecourse, it’s an “exuberant, poignant comedy about female friendship and what fortune really means”.
At Just the Tonic, Theatre Paradok presents “a fresh, LGBTQIA+ take” on Constellations by Nick Payne, a multiversal view of a burgeoning relationship with infinite possibilities. Also at Just the Tonic, Cassie Workman: Aberdeen is a “part eulogy, part fantasy, part biography” about Kurt Cobain.
Boy: Looking for Friends is at Laughing Horse, offering a family-friendly solo show from Polish clown, Piotr Sikora. “Boy is happy living in his suitcase until he is forced to journey to the end of the world in the greatest adventure he has ever known.”
At Mayfield Salisbury Church, The Deil’s Awa! is “a roistering tale of smugglers in the East Neuk of Fife”.
Jonathan Price’s Alternate Endings is an “American cautionary tale, told in 10 vignettes, delving into the woes of the modern world as we ponder why we are here.” It’s available via Online@theSpaceUK, as is Call Mr Robeson, which tackles the life of world-famous actor, singer and civil rights campaigner Paul Robeson.
Carnegie at Panmure House explores the life of Andrew Carnegie, one-time richest man in the world and famous philanthropist.
An Evil Thing is a “dark, contemporary one-act play” about bullying set in Tyneside during WW2. It’s at Paradise in Augustines, where you’ll also find The One TEEN Show, “a Sri Lankan teenager’s quest to stage a live theatre show amidst post-AL angst, a pandemic and a country in crisis”.
At PBH’s Free Fringe, in Boys Who Punch Holes in Walls, “two young men explore what it means to be a ‘man’ in the modern world of social media, sexuality and toxic masculinity”, while The Azure Sky in Oz, Yellow and Special is a “powerful, funny and unflinching drama following two women whose lives are profoundly changed by their immersion in the world of the other-abled”.
Kathputli Colony: A Tale of Art and Resistance is at Pianodrome at the Old Royal High, shining a light on India’s biggest community of traditional artists through “Indian folk songs, traditional puppetry, musical instruments and explosive Dhol drumming”. Also at Pianodrome, Playing Beethoven lets you “feed your inner Beethoven with period and contemporary live music, costumes and ideas in an amphitheatre made entirely out of upcycled pianos”.
Sweater Worthy is “a one-woman performance about knitting through grief, heartache and depression”. It’s at Pins and Needles, and “knitting or crocheting is encouraged”!
Mara Menzies’s Blood and Gold returns to the Fringe at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, combining “ancient mythology and modern storytelling” to explore “the legacy of colonialism and slavery”. Also at the Lyceum, Tim Crouch: Truth’s A Dog Must to Kennel is the world premiere of a new solo work by the experimental playwright, in which “King Lear meets stand-up meets the metaverse”.
Cat is “a razor-sharp, subversive exploration of life at its darkest” by Connie Harris; it’s on at RSE Theatre.
At the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Miss Lindsay’s Secret sees a museum curator finding hidden letters binding Glenesk to Canada’s Klondike gold rush – “a true tale of sewing and 1900s sexting”. At the same venue, Mohan: A Partition Story “is a piece of oral storytelling which retells renowned storyteller Niall Moorjani’s Grampa’s experiences” during Partition in India.
At Shout – Scottish Music Centre @ 111 Holyrood Road, The Woman He Lived With tells the story of the wife of William Burke, of infamous graverobbing murderers Burke and Hare.
Marrano, a Tale from the Inquisition is at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St – “a historical play performed in contemporary storytelling fashion”.
At The Royal Scots Club, High Five is “an explosive, high energy, physical theatre production that explores the drug crisis with young people in Scotland”.
At theSpace, Floodgate joins three siblings in 2061 as they clear out their grandma’s belongings in a deserted coastal town, where “they find a diary left behind that will change everything”. Long Nights in Paradise, also at theSpace, is the story of a loving relationship “set in the context of the Grenfell Tower tragedy”.
Surfing the Holyland at Underbelly is a fish-out-of-water tale set in Tel Aviv, blending “bighearted comedy, electrifying storytelling and bold physicality”, while The Endling “explores the interconnectedness of human existence with the lives and deaths of other species”.
Comedy
The Pub Landlord returns with Al Murray: Gig for Victory at Assembly, where Frank Skinner also brings his “highly anticipated” new show 30 Years of Dirt.
At Monkey Barrel Comedy, triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Josie Long presents her new show Re-Enchantment, and from the “award-winning comedy collective CHUNKS” comes Chris Thorburn’s Monday Mash-Up Meltdown,“an hour of ill-advised mash-ups and remixes”.
Stephen Robinson brings his award-winning show DeafMimoto Deaf Action, a “storytelling event performed through mime” which is suitable for deaf and hearing audiences of all ages.
“Poet Laureate of Punk” Dr John Cooper Clarke and special guests come to the Edinburgh Playhouse with a “roller coaster of poetry, spoken word, off the wall chat, riffs and wicked stories” in I Wanna Be Yours.
Host of Netflix’s 100 Humans, Sammy Obeid comes to Gilded Balloon with his stand-up show So Comedy, and the “comedy phenomenon” The Guilty Feminist returns with “excitement, confessions, activism and inspiration”.
PBH’s Free Fringe hosts We Are Not In the Least Afraid of Ruins; We Carry a New World in Our Hearts from “non-binary whirlwind” Andrew O’Neill, as well as Clandestina Queer Comedy Triple Bill, “a queer women, trans and non-binary-led comedy show” from Charlie George and Victoria Olsina plus a new “wildcard” act every night.
Jerry Sadowitz returns with his show Not for Anyone (Pleasance at EICC), including “impressions of Greta Thunberg, Frankie Boyle and deep vein thrombosis”, while Pleasance Courtyard is the setting for Catherine Cohen’s double-bill, including her award-winning The Twist…? She’s Gorgeous, as well as a new cabaret show.
Troy Kinne Live marks the return of the comedian from a “sell-out tour” of Australia, NZ and London at 4042.
At the Acoustic Music Centre @UCC, Katya Kan Metaverse 4/20 “recounts the story of an Eton-schooled cannabis dealer” against a “lockdown backdrop”.
At BlundaBus, Amrita Dhaliwal presents “provocative physical comedy” in her show Driving Around, and “frivolity, shock and redemption” can be found in Riss Obolensky’s Healing King Herod.
Online, A Place Like Thisis hosted by Nicole Kidman as she shares “some of cinema’s greatest moments”, Plymouth Presents Theatre Company performs “hilarious comedy” Bartholomew’s Strip, and “the point of view of a tortoise” is front and centre in Daffodil Tramples the Fringe.
At Greenside, Brayden Kerr’s Tales of an Altered Consciousness Within a Comical Lunatic mingles realism and nonsense in a “comedy con carne”, while in Ann Chun: Asian Divorce, the NYC-based comedian takes on the “dissolution of her parents’ marriage in Thailand” while living in America.
Award-winning musical comedian David Hoare “combines wit and flare with precise delivery” in his 100 Songs in an Hour at Hill Street Theatre.
Just the Tonic hosts The Local Tourist, the “hilarious and emotional tale of a local immigrant who gets labelled as a tourist across five countries” from the mind of Ram Adithya Arangi, and Vlad and Kuan-wen: The Wee Aliens provide “fantastic observations about life in Britain” from Vlad Ilich and Kuan-wen Huang.
Sharon Wanjohi and Abbie Edwards can be found at Laughing Horse with their “sell-out show” Not Too Shabby, which covers “everything from babies being racist to Brad Bird’s 2007 masterpiece Ratatouille”; also at Laughing Horse, you’ll find an hour of Stand Up At Seven With Ella Al-Shamahi and Suse Steed.
100% Cotton: In a Spin pits Liz Cotton and two small villages against “the might of a huge sewer company” at Paradise in the Vault, and the same venue hosts Popstar Hair Show, Christina FanMail’s “comedy stream of consciousness”.
Ray Bradshaw: Bald Ginger comes to the Scottish Comedy Festival, along with The Many Faces of Horatio Gould, a “bold hour of high-octane stand-up”.
At Smoke & Mirrors, American stand-up comedian Leah Renee hosts the free showcase, Star-Spangled Stand Up.
For two nights only, Fred MacAulay – What(ever) Next? is on at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, as well as John Lloyd: Do You Know Who I Am?, from the producer of QI, Blackadder, Spitting Image and other British TV favourites.
theSpace hosts Menopause Party, from Essex pub landlady Dolly Slatemen (alias of real-life Essex pub landlady Debbie Baisden), a “taboo-smashing show with character comedy, sing songs, spoken word and the unveiling of Dolly’s arty expressions.” Also at theSpace, How to Be a Girl (In Three Easy Steps) by Gara Lonning is a “love letter to adolescence” on growing up as “a closeted Trans person in the middle-of-nowhere, Iowa.”
“Britain’s funniest, friendliest blind theoretical physicist turned award-winning broadcast journalist and stand-up comedian” Richard Wheatley brings his show Blindingly Obvious to C venues, while online, Nathan Mosher is Injured tackles the comedian’s “failed relationship, bipolar diagnosis, and a year-long breakdown and recovery” through stand-up, music and poetry.
From Soho Theatre, ALOK comes to Traverse Theatre with their new comedy and poetry show, exploring “themes of trauma, belonging and the human condition.” At the same venue, Liz Kingsman presents her One-Woman Show for a limited run.
BC:AD – Before Children: After Diapers is “one mad, brown mommy’s take on how the definitions of words change before and during motherhood” (Underbelly), and Thom Tuck and Tim FitzHigham: Macbeth appears for a limited run, with a different guest director daily.
At ZOO, Aidan Goatley: Tenacious “guides us through a tale that leads to dreams coming true”, and Naughty by Anna Marie Simonsen “confronts the disturbing image of innocence and youth as sexy.”
At the RSE Theatre is Shaun Patrick Flynn RN: Healthcare Anti-Hero, a new comedy about “caring for critically ill Covid-19 patients” described as “dark, dry and full of surprises”, and Emmy-nominated comedian Mike Glazer and Julian Stern present Absolute Friendship!
Music
Rage Against the Machine play “their first Scottish headline show in 14 years” at the Royal Highland Centre ahead of Connect Music Festival this August, where audiences can also catch The National, IDLES, The Chemical Brothers, Little Simz and more.
Singer-songwriter John Otway returns to the Fringe with PBH’s Free Fringe, along with his “surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona”.
At The Liquid Room, First Edition – Helena Hauff provides a “thrilling sonic experience”from the techno DJ, and there’s an appearance from Fife singer-songwriter King Creosote and Band.
At the Acoustic Music Centre @UCC, Iona Fyfe: Scots Sang and Mair provides an “intimate performance” from the award-winning Scottish folk musician, and Ross White: Provenance explores “what is lost and gained when music, and anything else, goes through a filtering process” in a blend of genres.
Argyle Cellar Bar presents Julie London Calling, an exploration of the life of the songwriter of Cry Me a River and Fly Me to the Moon, while The Memphis Music Story takes the listener through the music of “veteran singer / songwriter / keyboardist” Charlie Wood.
Looking Forward, Looking Back features “both compositions by musicians who served in the armed forces, and new work composed in response to the works of these civilian-soldier-musicians”, hosted by the Army @ The Fringe.
Flute Recital: From Darkness to Light is an evening recital of “lyrical and rousing works for flute and piano” by duo Leila Marshall and Ailsa Aitkenhead, and wind quintet Festivo Winds from Manchester present an evening of French music, Poulenc: Sextet, both at artSpace@StMarks.
Assembly hosts Folksville at the Fringe, “Edinburgh’s favourite folk music night returns, packed with outstanding singer-songwriters, acoustic musicians and poets”, and InChorus: Still Standing, a “large, contemporary choir from Peebles” whose programme includes “rock, opera, stage and popular favourites”.
Away Vain Warld: The Music and Poetry of Elizabeth Melville is on at Canongate Kirk, presenting how “traditional Scottish music increasingly became an influence on Scottish nobility” in the court of James VI. At the same venue, Influencing Mozart: An Exploration by Opera dei Lumi examines the “key figures from Mozart’s rich musical life”, with Michelle Dierx (violin) and Edward Keenan (viola) as soloists.
Deaf Action presents Deaf Rave, “the ultimate daytime rave in a unique location”, providing “an amazing clubbing experience with visual performances”.
Inspired by the music of Pink Floyd, Planetarium Lates – Dark Side of the Moon takes place at Dynamic Earth “in explosive surround sound”, including “spellbinding abstract projections on the dome”.
The French Institute in Scotland hosts Jesse Rae: Vive Funk, “a new live, immersive music performance wi’ the spirits o’ Parliament-Funkadelic founding member Bernie Worrell and Zapp founder Roger Troutman”.
A Journey Within: An Artistic Blend of Sufi Music and the Motions of Sama is “a journey of sound and motion through a modern artistic portrayal of this 1,400 year-old spiritual practice”, available online.
The Other Guys return with their “award-winning moves, beatboxing, and side-splitting parodies” to Gilded Balloon.
“Fairy tales and ghosts, loneliness and grit, electric guitar and classical orchestra” come together in Ninotchka at Greenside.
At Greyfriars Kirk, violinist Anna-Liise Bezrodny makes a return to the Fringe with the Orchestra of the Canongait and conductor Robert Dick to play Beethoven – Violin Concerto and Fifth Symphony, while Spirit – Barnsley Youth Choir is “an hour of wonderful entertainment and high quality music making” from the international award-winning choir.
Amy PapiranskyandEllyn Oliver come to Hope City with “a feast of live blues-pop music”, and the Jon Green Quintet deliver live contemporary jazz at the same venue.
The Bunker at Just the Tonic “is a late night of music, mayhem and madness” in the Fringe’s “most infamous late-night venue”.
At C venues is Midnight Wine, where singer / songwriter Chris Milner “shares songs, wine and stories from 50 years on the folk scene, touring UK and Europe”. Also at C venues, Kuniko Plays Reich: Counterpoint and Kuniko Plays Reich: Drumming exhibit the Japanese percussionist’s “flawless technique” and the work of Steve Reich.
The Laughing Horse’s Free Fringe Musicof many genres can be found at range of venues throughout the city, including Ghillie Dhu and The Grand Café.
Marchmont Music at Marchmont St Giles Church is “a free afternoon concert from quality performers for your delight lasting approximately an hour.”
S!nk – Return to the Source is at Pianodrome at the Old Royal High and has “Edinburgh’s acoustic innovators” present their “improvised, experimental new music”, along with Sing Sistah Sing! Tales of Transatlantic Freedom, which traces “threads of power, resistance, migration and emancipation in story and song” as part of Andrea Baker’s series.
Pleasance hosts Countess of Fife, “insurgent alt country outfit led by The Rezillos’ Fay Fife”, and Samba Sene and Diwan, a “fusion of funky mbalax / Afrobeat rhythms with undercurrents of ska, rock, Senegalese soul” from a “diverse international collection of musicians”.
RSE Theatre hosts the Jive Aces, a “mixture of swing, hot jazz and rhythm ‘n’ blues”.
Heal and Harrow comes to the Scottish Storytelling Centre as a “humanising tribute to the victims of the Scottish Witch Trials”, based on commissioned stories by Mairi Kidd with accompanying visuals by Alison Piper. At the same venue, the Poosie Nansie Burns Club presents Robert Burns: A Life in Songs and Poetry to explore both “his familiar and lesser-known works”.
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha in Concert is a British and European premiere of the South African soprano in this song recital at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, where you can also see Cameron Shahbazi (counter-tenor) and Ashok Gupta (piano) in Shahbazi – Handel en Edimbourg.
At St Cecilia’s Hall, the Shackleton Concert uses instruments from the University of Edinburgh’s Musical Instrument Collection and presents works by Gordon Jacob, Arthur Bliss, Ralph Vaughan Williams and James MacMillan. Spinning the Works sees Lucia Capellaro, László Rózsa and David Gerrard explore the music of Bach and Telemann.
Bach Cello Suites, by a returning London-based cellist, and Back to the Fringe, by “Scotland’s Premier Barbershop Chorus”, can both be found at St Cuthbert’s Church.
St Giles’ Cathedral hosts the National Youth Choir of Scotland, on a four-concert tour across the country this summer, to perform Duruflé Requiem by Candlelight.
At St Mary’s Cathedral, Calum Huggan is an award-winning Scottish marimbist and percussionist who will perform works by Séjourné and Debussy, and Maximiliano Martin, Principal Clarinettist of the SCO, presents a “memorable evening” of works by Poulenc, Saint-Saens, Gaubert, Pierne and Chausson.
The Absolute Jam comes to the A Club at the Merchants Hall with the “uncanny sound and vibrancy of The Jam while playing a full range of songs from the band’s back catalogue”.
Bird ‘n’ Diz – The Music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie offers the “rare chance to hear the music of two of jazz’s great innovators”, while Brass Gumbo Plays the Music of The Beatles takes a “musical tour through The Beatles’ back catalogue using only horns and drums” – both at The Jazz Bar.
At theSpace,Korean Yeonhee Concert comprises of “four pieces of yeonhee music and dance, with rhythmic, powerful and ritual interpretations of ancient traditions”. At the same venue, in The B-aca-chelorette,The Rolling Tones take on a “journey to find love” through the “power of gorgeous harmonies”.
Climb is at Underbelly, where Jamaican-Canadian singer-songwriter Duane Forrest “shares his stories and songs gleaned from his travels around the world”. Also at Underbelly, a capella “super-group” The Magnets present “the ultimate soundtrack of your life”.
Graeme Leak, of Spaghetti Western Orchestra fame, presents Saved at ZOO, a “retro-mechanical music show built around rescued 70s home organs”.
Cabaret and variety
Dream at artSpace@StMarks is “a new show packed full of drama and musical theatre song and dance”, performed by students from The Performance Academy, Scotland.
At Assembly, Jinkx Monsoon proves She’s Still Got It! with “bawdy stories, unique covers and original music” in her Edinburgh Fringe debut, fresh from RuPaul’s Drag Race all-winners season. Also at Assembly, publicity stunt specialist Mark Borkowski shares his stories in False Teeth in a Pork Pie: How to Unleash Your Inner Crazy.
El Dizzy Beast is “a show about a queer, autistic, Latinx caterpillar”, Andrea Spisto. It’s on at BlundaBus, as is Dark Mother, an “unquantifiably maternal, darkly ceremonial experience by everybody’s favourite shadow-shaman-clown-priestess,” Lucy Hopkins.
Hopkins also performs her Ceremony of Golden Truth at Pianodrome at the Old Royal High – a “ceremonial mess-about, interactive choral laughter bath and collective act of golden manifestation”. At the same venue, Phil Kay and Stacey Clare launch the inaugural Book Festival Fringe – “the funniest, wildest, most happening book festival / book launch-launch ever”.
Blazin’ Hot Summer promises “costume changes, choreography and general fabulosity” from Drag queen Blaze and her team of dancers at Brewhemia.
Paradise Palms is offering an “infamous buffet of raucous cabaret and queer performance alongside comedy, spoken word and the ridiculous” in Late-Night Tropical Cabaret. It’s also staging Paradise Palms Out Eastthis August: a weekend of family-friendly music, cabaret, drag, spoken word, comedy, storytelling, wellness, dance and more at Dalkeith Country Park.
At Deaf Action, theatre company Solar Bear presents “a rude, riotous celebration of Scottish deaf talent” in Spill Your Drink: A Deaf Cabaret.
Forth on the Fringe returns to the Edinburgh Playhouse with “some of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment”.
At Gilded Balloon, Biddy O’Loughlin “weaves her story through dark, dry stand-up and sweet, sad songs” in Funny Girl, Sad Songs.
William Roby stars as a centenarian cabaret artist in An Evening With Mr Noel Howard at Greenside, sharing stories and songs from his long career, while “self-described musical genius James Love and his sequin-clad showgirl wife Stephanie” perform their cabaret show Live, Laugh, Love.
The Burlesque Show at Hill Street Theatre gives Fringe audiences the chance to help choose the winner of the Fringe 2022 dance competition. At the same venue, The Gin Show returns to the Fringe for its third year, “with comedians, dancers, musicians and entertainers interwoven” between gin tastings.
TA DA – The Ramblings of a Magician is “an existential show about one magician’s relationship with his magic”. It’s at Laughing Horse, as is Hot Boys Bathhouse, a “debaucherous extravaganza of devilishly good comedy” written and performed by a trio of international clowns.
Kiki Mellék brings her show Wonder Woman to PBH’s Free Fringe, promising a “new, all dancing, all lip-syncing, all revealing tribute to fierce femmes. Also at PBH’s Free Fringe, Canadian performer Daniel Zindler charts his career as a busker and street juggler in Daniel Zindler Drops.
At Pleasance, Ki and Dee – On the Sesh follows the “two housemates and best friends who went viral during lockdown by singing silly little songs about their silly little lives (mainly their sexual frustrations, hideous dating histories, pulling all-nighters in their 30s and Jack Grealish’s thighs).”
Former Makar (aka National Poet of Scotland) Liz Lochhead rejoins with saxophonist Steve Kettley for Back in the Saddle at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, performing everything “from in-character monologues to heartfelt true confessions”.
Veteran musical theatre performer Peter Straker performs his Adventures of Straker at theSpace, which is also where you’ll find Abby Rose Morris exploring body standards in the entertainment industry in cabaret show More Than Tracy Turnblad.
Mr Brake Down: The Headmaster Will See You Now is a “St Trinian-esque” school assembly hosted by a drag king headmaster at C venues. Online, Chansons: Songs and Stories from Piaf, Brel and Me is a cabaret performance by singer Stefanie Rummel, accompanied by Vignir ór Stefánsson on piano.
At Underbelly, The Bleeding Obvious asks “What happens when you tumble out of the big pink closet and across the LGBTQ+ spectrum in a sprawling queer heap?”
Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus
Ballet Freedom at Pleasance features a “world renowned ballet company journey from Kyiv” with 14 dancers in an “intimate, sensual ballet”.
Beyond Signs: International Deaf Narratives takes place in Deaf Action for Edinburgh’s first International Deaf Fringe: it’s “a daring triple-bill show performed by a Deaf-curated International cast of Deaf performers”.
Angel-Monster at Assembly explores “sex, consent, violence and empowerment” through contemporary dance from “one of Australia’s most prolific dance-theatre artists”, while 360 ALLSTARS fuses “BMX, basketball, breakdancing, beatboxing, acrobatics, drumming and more” in a “phenomenal physical performance”.
Across an Irish Indian Sea combines Irish folk dance with the classical North Indian dance style Kathak at the Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC, a show which “highlights the beauty of the two dance styles and live music”.
House of Jack presents Rock What You Got at ATIK, where top dancers will battle it out for cash prizes, with “some of the best physical performance acts from the Fringe”.
At Dance Base, 71BODIES 1DANCE is an “interdisciplinary and choreographic initiative” from Daniel Mariblanca, “inspired by 71 personal experiences and testimonies from transgender individuals living in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Spain”. At the same venue, Sung Im Her examines “how her three identities of woman, performer and migrant intersect” in Nutcrusher, part of the Horizon Showcase.
Rhythms of India by Dr Radha Krishnan, Arabhi Krishnan and students is online, combining “storytelling using complex footwork set to rhythmic music along with facial expressions.” Also online is When the Body Breaks, “a true-life multi-faceted story of sudden ill health, and kindness”, and Young China Shines, featuring recorded performances from schools in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
Greenside hosts Decision – An Irish Dance Play, where “two very different sisters have a devastating decision to make” with original music from TV and film composer Chris Tolley, and In/Out of Bounds, “a Covid-inspired, thought-provoking and cross-cultural dance show co-curated by Hong Kong and Edinburgh artists”.
From the Erin Fowler Movement, EGG and FEMME are two solo works from the Australian performer exploring “fertility, motherhood and big life decisions”, and “female sexuality, gender roles and female identity”. Both at House of Oz.
At Just the Tonic, Mother Tree is “a solo show about motherhood, the forest and the universe”, combining theatre, aerial silk and spoken word.
Part of C venues’ online programme, I/O (volume 4) is a series of performances from calligrapher and choreographer Chiharu Kuronuma and juggler Teruki Okamoto. Also online at C venues, Tokyo Fugue is “a mesmerising piece of physical theatre, set in the maze-like train system of Tokyo”.
Paradise in Augustines hosts Crying of Four Seasons, created by Chinese dancer / choreographer Zhibo Zhao and using “creative, critical contemporary dance adapted from ancient Chinese poems”. Meanwhile, Pan Gu is a “50-minute physical dance play based on a Chinese mythic story in the Classic of Mountain and Seas”, with “modern interactive techniques” to engage audiences.
Shoes at PBH’s Free Fringe dissects “defining yourself when you feel undefinable” with interdisciplinary dance artist, Kristen Helen Poppe and including tap, Irish, flat-footing, ballet and modern dance.
Pianodrome at the Old Royal High presents Pamoja, “an extraordinary collaboration between dancers from Kibera and Kariobangi, two informal settlements in Nairobi”. This African contemporary dance show features performances and stories from women in Kenya “to challenge our perceptions and normalise the discussion around periods and menstruation in Africa”. Also at this venue is The Music Box, a “quirky and touching comedy show” about a ballerina.
St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St is host to Flamenco in Scotland, “full of bravery, heart, spirit and plenty of home-grown performers”.
At theSpace, The Ticking Clock impresses the “urgency of climate change” in a South Asian contemporary-classical dance performance.
Scene Africa is at Underbelly, and combines original music, dance routines and physical theatre to celebrate “African contributions to world culture” in “the ultimate South African experience”.
At ZOO, Heroes explores the “mind of a severely injured person undergoing a surgery after a serious car crash”, and stars award-winning mime Radim Vizváry. The award-winning contemporary circus company Cirk La Putyka presents the UK-debut of Runners, “featuring a giant treadmill, four performers and two musicians mix dance, running, cyr-wheel acrobatics and original live music, while running almost a whole marathon.”
Spoken word
The Stand’s New Town Theatre hosts the return of the Cabinet of Dangerous Ideas, with top academics discussing provocative subjects including Can the Police Be Feminist?, How Much Do Apps Know About You? and My Neighbour Hacked My Toothbrush!The Stand’s New Town Theatre is also where you’ll find the Fair Pley series of on-stage interviews, with guests including Jeremy Corbyn, David Hayman, Ian Rankin and Elaine C Smith.
The poetry of Robert Burns continues to inspire in I’ll Mak You Be Fain To Follow Me, at Army @ The Fringe, including performances from service persons. Bàrdachd Cogaidh – War Poetry looks at the Gaelic poetry around armed conflict, to help learners and fluent speakers “understand the contribution of Gaelic speakers to the history of the armed forces”.
In Alison Jackson’s Celebrity Fake Takes, join the “BAFTA-winning mischief maker” as she reveals the secrets behind creating “hyper-realistic fake stories” at Assembly. In the same venue, menkind LIVE tackles the topic of masculinity, as well as “straight-vs-gay badinage. Queerness. Profundity. Occasional filth. Sometimes, all of this at once.”
On at Pleasance, award-winning LBC broadcaster Iain Dale hosts a series of interviews with guests Owen Jones, Ash Sakar, Tim Rice and Rory Bremner to discuss current affairs.
At the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre is Mystic Poetry, with “mystical, magical words simple and straightforward” presenting a variety of tales in verse, from company Highland Mystic with Bill Macneil.
MindTravels: Reflections, Meditations and Attentions takes place at artSpace@StMarks, where Unitarian minister and poet Mark Hutchinson and Irish musician and composer Josh Johnston share “musical reflections and meditations”.
Kaye Adams – How to Be 60: Live! comes to Gilded Balloon to meet the approaching age of 60 head-on, with her “filter-free friend Karen, some well-known guests and most importantly, you”.
Anne Harper – Stop the Bus! at Greenside allows life coach Ann to “help you explore your journey in life” in a “light-hearted, entertaining and, maybe, even life changing” show.
At C venues, KC Finn: Free Agent delivers a “high-energy exploration of modern LGTBQIA+ life” and tackles “the tricky business of gender identity”.
“A rare insight into a special art form that will make you look at street arts in a whole new light”, Pavementology takes place at the Meeting Point at East Princes Street Gardens, Corner of Market Street and Waverley Bridge, and tracks “story of street performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.”
At Panmure House, How Heavy? Is “a brief history of weights and measures and how they have defined civilisation, by comedian / financial writer Dominic Frisby.” At the same venue, The Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker and Merryn Somerset Webb discusses the economy with “well-known economics, politics and finance gurus”.
Solving problems is a choice in The Biggest Problem in the World: Our Problem With Problems and Why Truth Matters at Paradise in Augustines, while Scotland’s Oldest Poem – The Gododdin delivers a “modern English rendition in free verse” of this “bloody and poignant” dark-age poem at Paradise in The Vault.
At PBH’s Free Fringe, Around the World in 80 Events: The Journey is a “lyrical adventure”, exploring “80 events, 26 countries, 8 months and 2 weeks”, while Door-to-Door Poetry: Nationwide sees Rowan McCabe develop a project where he “knocks on stranger’s doors and writes poems for them, for free, on any subject of their choosing”.
At RSE Theatre, Sport on the Fringe is a new chat show “with leading sports figures from across the UK”.
Fire Is Not the Only Element comes to the Scottish Storytelling Centre bringing “pithy observations” on topics “from womanhood to war, from class and punk to love, and the beautiful game”. Also at this venue, Traditional Tales of Scotland offers “storytelling session with some of Scotland’s best storytellers as they share the wonderful, and sometimes wild, traditional tales that have shaped the myths and legends of this country”.
Children’s shows
Chores is a comedy-circus show from Australia, following “the story of a brother and sister who have to clean up their messy room so they can ride their bicycles”. It’s on at Assembly, as is Sean Choolburra: Didj and Dance!, “an exciting kids’ show from an Aboriginal comedy star” blending traditional dance, didgeridoo, storytelling and humour.
Central Hall is home to two twists on traditional bedtime stories. Bedtime Stories (As Told by Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up) is about an absent-minded dad trying to settle his three kids into bed but getting fuzzy on story details, while The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig is a musical adaptation of the musical based on the popular children’s book by Eugene Trivizas.
Edinburgh’s underground walking tours have a couple of family-friendly adaptations this August: the Children’s Underground Ghost Show (City of Edinburgh Tours) is led by Minging Annie, a guide who has “been trapped beneath the city streets for 400 years”, while the Children’s Underground Vaults Tour (Auld Reekie Tours) explores the haunts of “criminals, body snatchers and witches alike!”
Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show at Gilded Balloon is an interactive “hour-long show of explosions, chemical reactions and even a toilet roll”. At the same venue, Funbox Present… Funky Farm!, a farm-themed singing and dancing performance where dress-up is encouraged.
Greenside boasts at least two family-friendly adaptations in its programme: Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids, following the “man cub” Mowgli as he grows up in the jungle, and a production of The Grimm Tales as retold by Philip Pullman, featuring Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel.
Reach for the Stars at Hill Street Theatre is a “funny and light-hearted show” featuring four talentless directors and their long-suffering child actors.
Camille Saint-Saëns’ musical suite Carnival of the Animals is brought to life by circus acrobats Circa at House of Oz this August, while at the same venue, Australia’s “kidult comedy duo” The Listies present their irreverent Shakespeare adaptation, Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark.
Shakespeare for Kids: This Rough Magic is a family-friendly introduction to The Tempest at C venues, while online, One Day in Wonderland joins Lewis Carroll’s intrepid heroine Alice as she explores a strange world.
Pianist Will Pickvance plays the First Piano on the Moon at the Pianodrome at the Old Royal High, while spinning a yarn about performing at Mozart’s birthday celebrations.
Pleasance is host to a live adaptation of Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, “a lively and engaging first theatre experience for young children aged 3+”. It’s also where you’ll find two versions of the music-and-sensory performance Moon Dragon – one for babies and one for kids aged five and under.
Storyteller Shona Cowie presents Beware the Beasts at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, delving into Scotland’s mythic past for tales of “bog goblins, dragons, naughty fairies, brownies, bony-backed horsemen” and more. At the same venue, Niall Moorjani and Minnie Wilkinson perform The Girl and the Dragon, in which “our hero Toral… swims uncrossable rivers, braves impassable forests and scales unclimbable mountains, all to fight a great and terrible dragon”.
FlamenKids at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St features eight flamenco artists performing and interacting with the wee ones.
At The Royal Scots Club, Count On Me: A Girl and Her Dog is “a heart-warming story performed live by Haley Grace and her dog Nickel, imparting life lessons and social-emotional learning through storytelling to give hope to young children”.
At theSpace, we join a young hero on the search for a magpie feather in Papageno’s Quest, with songs, dancing and different languages, while School’s Out Comedy Club is a “hilariously silly children’s joke show where the kids are the stars.”
At Underbelly, “top award-winning comedians and improvisors tell extravagant stories all based on” The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Musicals and opera
Underbelly hosts Making a Murderer: The Musical this August, with the legal troubles of true-crime subject Steven Avery adapted for the stage.
Dots and Dashes: A Bletchley Park Musical is being staged at Army @ The Fringe this August, “telling the untold story of six women working at Bletchley Park during World War Two”.
Assembly has two musical adaptations from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland among its programme: Godspell, Stephen Schwartz’s “acclaimed gospel musical”, and the American Civil War-set Little Women.
Good Enough at Central Hall follows Chelsea, a strong-willed but reserved girl, and Steve, a brilliant underachiever. “What happens when the two are forced to work together for the state science fair project?”
At Gilded Balloon, Gigglemug Theatre present The Bean Spillers: The Improvised Musical, “based on scandalous stories from the audience”.
The Princess Pyunggang at Greenside “exemplifies Korean traditional culture and history through the story of a fool, Ondal, and the Princess Pyunggang. Performed in English, it combines Korean music, puppets, and dance.” Greenside is also hosting X: 1969, which uses the discography of Fleetwood Mac to tell the story of the women of the Manson cult.
Hill Street Theatre is home to the Edinburgh Little Theatre company’s staging of popular puppet musical Avenue Q.
At Paradise in Augustines, the University of St Andrews Gilbert and Sullivan Society is presents Iolanthe, a story of “young lovers, immortal fairies and some very lost politicians”, while the Kingdom Theatre Company premieres their adaptation of Highlander: A New Scottish Musical.
Haggis, Neeps and Burns is a “warm, moving and funny look at the life of Scotland’s greatest bard, Robert Burns”, staged at RSE Theatre. At the same venue, Happy Sad Productions stage their version of the William Finn-scored The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
At C venues, My (unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical “discovers a writer who dreams herself awake and rediscovers romance in a non-conventional way”, and Re:ACTION: Inspired by the Album How We React and How We Recover by Jason Robert Brown tackles “the American high school experience of the past few tumultuous years”.
Join the Bohemians at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St for A Bohemian Broadway, “an eclectic selection of their favourite Broadway songs”. At the same venue, Edinburgh Music Theatre present two anthemic shows: Anthems – 40 Years of Edinburgh Music Theatre and Anthems – Movie Musicals.
Ordinary Days at The Royal Scots Club follows “the lives of four ordinary New Yorkers… as they all desperately search for the same impossible thing – happiness”.
American Performing Arts International presents Best of the Songs That Made Usat theSpace, “an intimate, cabaret-style concert celebrating music and storytelling”. theSpace is also where you’ll find Edinburgh Youth Theatre’s production of Into The Woods Jr, as adapted from “Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s cockeyed fairy-tale”.
At ZOO, GOYA Theatre Company present Don’t Say Macbeth, a meta-musical set behind the scenes of a troubled Macbeth-themed production.
Are you aware of the consequences of proxy purchasing?
Underage drinking plays a huge part in antisocial behaviour, crime and violence in local communities. One of the ways young people get their hands on alcohol is to ask an adult to buy it for them. This is called proxy purchasing – and it’s a criminal offence.
Buy alcohol for someone under 18 and you could face a fine of up to £5,000 or up to 3 months in prison. Or both.
If you’re the adult being asked to buy alcohol for someone under 18:
Buying alcohol for anyone under the age of 18 is a criminal offence.
Depending on the circumstances, if you’re caught you could be fined up to £5,000.
You could also face a prison sentence of up to three months and a criminal record.
Alcohol-related anti social behaviour and violence affects everyone. It might be someone you know who suffers.
If you’re under 18 and asking an adult to buy alcohol for you:
You’ll lose the money you’ve handed over, and the alcohol purchased on your behalf will be confiscated.
If you are under 16 your parents or guardians will be notified.
If it’s an older brother, sister or mate, you’ve asked, then you’re putting them on the spot – they will be the ones facing a fine and a criminal record.
Alcohol can have a significant impact on your health, and put you in vulnerable or dangerous situations.
Edinburgh International Book Festival Programme launched
We’re ALL TOGETHER NOW as we launch the 2022 #EdBookFest programme! 🎉 📚 Explore now and join us this August for over 600 in-person and online events, featuring everyone from politicians to graphic novelists, actors to chefs and stars to storytellers: https://t.co/qLavYf8nCApic.twitter.com/LHZBZecmp8
— Edinburgh International Book Festival (@edbookfest) June 8, 2022
All Together Now is our rallying call in 2022. This year’s vibrant programme builds on the hybrid format we’ve developed over the past two years, with live, in-person events, many of which are also available to stream or watch at a later date.
Packed with events for adults and with a stunning programme for children and young people, this year’s Book Festival celebrates the imagination, ideas and issues at the heart of books and stories, offering new perspectives on the world around us.
We return to Edinburgh College of Art but with a new site layout to accommodate more events and bigger audiences. You’ll find more than 600 events in this year’s programme featuring over 550 authors, performers, musicians and thinkers from 50 countries.
The big outdoor screen returns for free screenings of selected events, and a range of new theatres and creative workshop spaces host daily events for adults and children in the bustling Book Festival Village.
There’s also the Baillie Gifford Storytime Yurt, dedicated to children’s events and activities, the iconic Wee Red Bar, a great space for performances and writers events, and our biggest new venue, Central Hall, located just off Lothian Road, is a five-minute walk away.
Like last year, we have hybrid events in Central Hall, the Baillie Gifford Sculpture Court and Baillie Gifford West Court theatres, with live audiences as well as multiple cameras.
Amongst the hundreds of authors taking part this year are Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, Vietnamese American poet Ocean Vuong, Outlander writer Diana Gabaldon, as well as Noam Chomsky, Jack Monroe, Alexander McCall Smith, Denise Mina, William Dalrymple and Armando Iannucci.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joins us for two events, interviewing acclaimed novelist Louise Welsh about her new novel The Second Cut, and screen legend Brian Cox about a life on the Scottish stage and his role in television hit series Succession.
For younger readers there are events with some of the world’s best known children’s authors including Jason Reynolds, Cressida Cowell, Julia Donaldson, Michael Morpurgo and doctor turned writer and comedian Adam Kay.
Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We’ve learned a great deal in the last two years, so that alongside the return of our full-scale in-person festival we can also offer the accessibility and international reach of live-streamed events.
“The world has changed immeasurably since 2019: we’re learning to live with the effects of the pandemic and war in Europe – but we’re also beginning to imagine what a better future should look like.
“Exploring these issues in inspiring conversations with scientists, historians, poets and novelists is exactly where the Book Festival comes into its own. I’m thrilled that thanks to Baillie Gifford, every young person coming to a Schools event gets a free ticket and a free book this year.
“With all online events and a selection of our in-person theatre tickets also available on a Pay What You Can basis, we’re doing everything we can to make the festival accessible to everyone.”
Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020 winner Maggie O’Farrell launches her hotly-anticipated novel The Marriage Portrait. Also launching new books are some of the world’s best-loved thriller writers: Val McDermid follows up last year’s bestselling 1979 with 1989, the latest in her series chronicling modern Scotland, while Irvine Welsh talks for the first time about his new crime novel The Long Knives.
The most recent winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah, talks about his novel Afterlives. Among other leading writers discussing their new books are Booker Prize winners Marlon James, Damon Galgut, Howard Jacobson and Julian Barnes. Douglas Stuart is back on home soil with Young Mungo, the follow up to his Booker-winning first novel Shuggie Bain. And the great Irish writer Anne Enright returns to reflect on finding influence and inspiration in Ireland.
Two more Irish writers making a welcome return to the Book Festival are Colm Tóibín – the new Irish Laureate for Fiction who was recently awarded the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime of achievement – and Small Things Like These author Claire Keegan. Also, Monica Ali introduces her first novel for a decade. Appearing via screen link from their home countries are Helen Garner from Australia, and Jonathan Franzen, A M Homes and Jennifer Egan from the USA.
Artistic boundaries will be crossed in events featuring world-famous musicians including Martha Wainwright, Jarvis Cocker, Vashti Bunyan, and Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross, who share stories of their journeys through the world of music; while writer Sinead Gleeson discusses This Woman’s Work – the anthology she coedited about women and music, whilst screenwriter Abi Morgan and actor Alan Cumming discuss their luminous memoirs about their fascinating lives.
Questions around the role of Europe and the impact of war remain front of mind. Chernobyl expert and bestselling Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy discusses Ukraine’s position at the crossroads of Europe and Russia, while Gideon Rachman, Andrew Wilson and Lea Ypi come together to investigate the rise of authoritarian leaders. Historian Antony Beevor talks about his new book exploring the dramatic story of Russia’s revolution that continues to influence the modern era.
In a story from closer to home, Norman Scott shares his own perspective on his affair with politician Jeremy Thorpe in the 1970s, and a subsequent failed assassination attempt. Meanwhile we explore the relationship between money and power in the post-pandemic world and rising inequality in the UK, in events featuring leading economists Mariana Mazzucato and John Kay; historian Adam Tooze and journalist Oliver Bullough.
Poetry heavyweights, alongside up-and-coming talent, also feature this year with the likes of American poet Ada Limón, while P J Harvey will be in conversation with fellow poet and editor Don Paterson. We also welcome Edinburgh Makar Hannah Lavery, and Michael Pedersen with special guests Shirley Manson and Charlotte Church. And Lemn Sissay, Malika Booker, Kayo Chingonyi and Salena Godden will take the stage together to celebrate the work of Black British poets.
Black perspectives take centre stage in non-fiction events: Howard W French presents a revised history of modern civilisation from the point of view of Africa and its people in conversation with Olivette Otele. Tsitsi Dangarembga from Zimbabwe and Esi Edugyan from Canada join us to discuss their essays on race and representation, and Lord Simon Woolley, founder and director of Operation Black Vote and the first Black man to lead an Oxbridge college, talks about his own inspiring life story with Baroness Lola Young.
The Book Festival features a range of LGBTQIA+ voices. From the continuing fight for equality, recognition and belonging, to tender tales of love against the odds, these stories get to the heart of issues affecting the queer community.
Participants include Imogen Binnie, Torrey Peters and Shola von Reinhold who join Harry Josephine Giles to talk about the evolution of trans literature, and award-winning poet and performer Joelle Taylor who inspires audiences to use personal experience and perspectives to create new forms of poetry.
It’s an unprecedented year for performance at the Book Festival. This is Memorial Device is a full theatre production of a new play based on David Keenan’s novel of the same name, and is presented throughout the Book Festival. Graham Eatough’s adaptation is the latest development in a long-term partnership between the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and the Book Festival.
Performance events also include a series entitled Scotland Through Time – supported through the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund – looking at Scotland’s past, present and future through new books. Sarah Smith presents Hear No Evil; the new memoir by Chitra Ramaswamy, Homelands, is brought to life using a mixture of images, sound and performance; Deep Wheel Orcadia is a performance written in Orkney dialect and based on the verse novel by Harry Josephine Giles. International performances include the premiere of a major touring production of theatre, music and image, based on Faïza Guène’s bookDiscretion, directed by its English translator Sarah Ardizzone. And Philippe Sands is joined by RSC and Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh to present an illustrated performance of his book The Last Colony.
Stories are part of Scotland’s DNA and with support from EventScotland as part of the Year of Stories 2022, the Book Festival champions books by globally-acclaimed Scottish authors. Amongst the many highlights is Ali Smith with her latest work, Companion Piece; Richard Holloway, who has spoken at every Festival for the last 23 years, returns for an on-stage discussion with his friend, the artist Alison Watt, and the newly-knighted Ian Rankin returns for a conversation with Sam Baker about Murder Island, William McIlvanney and his upcoming Rebus novel.
We welcome firm favourites in the Baillie Gifford Children’s Programme including bestselling author-illustrator Cressida Cowell, Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson, British poet Dean Atta, author Juno Dawson, comedy writer and former doctor Adam Kay, and celebrated comedian and cartoonist Henry Packer.
Michael Morpurgo returns with Carnival of Animals, a musical event for the over fives and, for the first time, the Book Festival hosts the YA Book Prize Ceremony. Also appearing are authors Sinéad Burke, Rosie Jones, Jason Reynolds, Humza Arshad, Elle McNicoll, Ross Montgomery, and Aisha Bushby with their own books and stories in a series of lively events.
Our flagship Citizen programme, which has brought local communities in North Edinburgh, Musselburgh and Tollcross together through shared creativity, showcases some of the inspirational work created by the groups: participants share their own stories in events including at a community meal.
In a separate project, the Citizen Writers’ Group, led by author Eleanor Thom, presents One Day Ticket – a brand new play that takes the audience on a journey through the memories of Edinburgh in a script-in-hand performance by seven actors.
Citizen is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and through the PlaCE Programme.
This is just a small sample of the many joyful, inspirational and thought-provoking events in our programme this year.
The 2022 Edinburgh International Book Festival runs from Saturday 13 to Monday 29 August 2022. Audiences can enjoy live events in person, or online from home, and relax and chat with fellow audience members at our Festival Village at Edinburgh’s College of Art on Lauriston Place – entry to our Festival village is free.
Join us to learn about digital help and support for your staff, board and volunteers, as well as the people and communities you support.
About this event
This event is hosted by EVOC, delivered in partnership with Big Health, the NHS Lothian Digital Interventions team and the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership.
The community and voluntary sector continues to face a range of challenges resulting in many staff, board members and volunteers experiencing anxiety, worry, low mood, sleep problems or stress – often while supporting people who are themselves experiencing poor mental health.
In this session you can find out more about digital therapeutics that are free to use and open to anyone, without the need for a referral:
Sleepio is a 6 week online program designed by sleep experts and based on cognitive and behavioral techniques.
Daylight is a clinically proven digital therapeutic that helps people gain control over their anxiety. After a two-minute quiz to discover their Anxiety Type, individuals receive personalized techniques to help manage it.
Silvercloud provides a range of psychoeducational modules on various topics, including managing stress, and supporting an anxious child or young person.
The event will take place on Zoom.
A reminder and the event link will be sent out after registration closes at 10am on Tue 21 Jun.
