A modern-day twist on Ibsen; Hedda is bored. She spends her days manipulating the people in her house, hiding behind the lenses of her CCTV cameras and a facade of decency.
The arrival of her ex-lover ignites flames of passion and destruction, unravelling her true desires. He’s got a woman under his arm, money in his pockets and a plan to change the future. Time without Hedda seems to have only done him good.
An invitation into the decadent world of a newly married woman, engulfed in a competitive, high-tech and male-dominated environment. Between Campari shots and lines of Cocaine, she embarks on a mission of destruction.
Hedda
Wonderlabs
Theatre (drama, modern)
Venue 236 – Greenside @Infirmary Street – Forest Theatre
With food prices rising amid the cost-of-living crisis, parents are being provided helpful ways to feed their children during the summer holidays.
The penny-pinching experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have looked at affordable ways to plan family meals throughout the summer break.
As supermarkets and fast-food chains increase their prices at the highest rates in over a decade, many parents are worried about the cost of feeding the kids during the holidays.
To support parents in the UK, restaurants and garden centres are offering discounted meals for kids to eat out, but there’s also simple methods to save money when cooking for the family at home.
Mitch Barnes, online consumer expert from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “We wanted to give parents a helping hand this summer, as many will feel the pinch of rising food costs in their weekly expenses.
“There are numerous schemes available this summer with a wide range of pubs and supermarket restaurants offering special discounts for kids to eat out.
“But we also wanted to provide simple ways for parents to save money on making meals at home for their children during the holidays.”
Here are NetVoucherCodes.co.uk’s budget-friendly ways to feed your kid on a budget this summer:
Picky bits for dinner
A classic British summer favourite which many households are familiar with this summer. To make the most of the leftover meals, leave them in the fridge overnight and get creative about which bits can be used for dinner. This tip will save you from making a last-minute trip to the supermarket.
Batch cooking
Many parents use this effective way to make batches of school lunches in the week. Use this tip throughout summer by freezing your food and allocating which days the kids can tuck into a delicious meal without going out to buy more ingredients.
Shop around for summer deals
If the local supermarkets are near one another, don’t be afraid to venture out to each store to work out which has the best offers. Most shops will be near the end of summer discounts, which means the chances of finding even better deals are at an all-time high.
Discounted pub meals
Local pubs are providing a variety of discounts for kids to eat cheaper this summer, from half price fish and chips to chicken nuggets for a dime. Head down and find out which are available.
A trip to the garden centre
Taking the family to the garden centre is the perfect summer day out, with fresh flowers, gardening tools and this summer – discounted meals. Lots of centres are taking on the helping kids this summer initiative, so look up your local garden centre to see what offers are available.
Cheap meals at supermarket restaurants
Throughout the summer holidays, many supermarket chains are offering further discounts on kid’s meals to help with the rising food costs. Have a look at which ones are offering free meals, with many promoting a £1 dine out option.
‘Once a week’ rule
Set some time aside for a family meal out by using the ‘once a week’ rule where you either dine out weekly or you get a takeaway of your choice as a family treat. This way you can plan around your food shops so less food will be wasted, which will also help to prevent overspending allocating food budgets.
Social media budget recipes
Everyone has a favourite social media recipe which has become a weekly make. But if you’re unsure of any meals which can be added to your cookbook, explore social media apps for simple recipes which will cost less than a fiver to make.
Family pizza making
Instead of the Saturday night takeaway, it can be a proper family get together making your own homemade pizzas. While the children are off school it’s a perfect initiative to use this to spend quality time with them, without having to splash a fortune on takeout.
Yellow stickers before scheme ends
The best before scheme is phasing out, so it’s important to make the most of a late minute dash to the shops for reduced labelled food. Have a look in the evenings and on a Sunday afternoon to have the best chance of securing food on a budget.
Family meal plan
It’s best to be organised when planning meals to save the extra pennies. To make this more creative, mark each day with a different colour pen and decorate with stickers when it’s time for a special dish or a day when you’re dining out.
Try veggie days
Meats typically cost the most on weekly meals. If you decide to swap the meat for veggie choices it can save around a third on select meals during the week. Have a look at meals which don’t involve meat or try out some delicious veggie options for half the price.
For budget-friendly ways to feed the kids during the summer holidays, head over to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.
For those individuals with a permanent zero hours, causal or term time only contract, the recent landmark legal judgment made by the Supreme Court represents a positive step forward in terms of their employment rights.
According to the ruling, all employees and workers in the UK will now receive the same minimum level of paid annual holiday leave, regardless of how many hours they work. The Supreme Court was asked to rule over whether their leave entitlement should be calculated proportionally as full-time employees or whether it should be calculated by ignoring the weeks they do not work.
It ruled that the amount of annual leave for workers and employees who have a permanent contract which is in force for the full year but who are employed for some weeks of the year should not have their holiday entitlement calculated on a pro-rata basis. This is a significant development for the 78,000 Scottish residents that are currently in employment on a zero-hours contract.
Tina Chander, Head of the Employment Law Team at Wright Hassall, said: “The Supreme Court ruling once again brings the topic of zero-hours contracts to the fore, as workers and employees are now entitled to a full year’s statutory holiday entitlement which is currently 5.6 weeks per annum.
“Generally speaking, zero-hours contracts are attractive to employers, employees and workers that prefer the flexibility to choose when they work, instead of having a strict full-time regime, which may not be wanted by either party.
“If you have a zero-hours contract, your employer does not have to give you any minimum working hours, and you do not have to accept any work offered. That being said, you can still be classed as an employee or worker.
“There are some significant distinctions between employee and worker status. For example, if you are classed as a worker then you are entitled to national minimum wage, paid holiday, rest breaks, protection from discrimination and protection from whistleblowing.
“However if you are classed as an employee, you are also afforded the legal protection to not be unfairly dismissed and you are entitled to statutory redundancy pay, so it is vital that Scottish employers and employees familiarise themselves with existing contracts and rights, especially in light of this recent development.”
A brand new scheme to support artists at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
theSpaceuk Supported Artists Programme is a brand new scheme to support new companies and new work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The programme provides artists with the space and skills needed to turn their creative new ideas into a reality. theSpaceUK looks to support work for all audiences across a spectrum of arts representing the vibrant and diverse community that is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Supported Artists Programme provides bespoke support for artists/companies based on their individual needs to cultivate, catalyse and develop innovative new productions. This year, theSpaceUK offered a programme of support for three artists, all at early stages of their careers.
Each artist was given tailored support – and each brought their work to the festival to develop audiences and work on their show.
There was emotional drama from Helena Fox and Ella Pound, an exploration of love and sex spun out in slam from Sarah Richardson and a dark comedy musical experience from Slap ‘N’ Tickle Theatre Company.
Blue & Pip
Blue is sick. The doctors aren’t listening. And the sea is making the illness worse.
1.5 million people in the UK suffer from endometriosis, a long-term and potentially debilitating womb condition. It takes sufferers on average 8 years to be diagnosed, with misdiagnosis common and testimonies often dismissed by medical professionals. Blue & Pip brings these experiences, so rarely depicted or discussed, to the fore.
A new piece from writer, performer, and drag artist Helena Fox, the creator and co-writer of five-star, award winning Edinburgh Fringe musical Rust, which was shortlisted for Best Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 by Broadway World and Musical Theatre Review.
Ella Pound, part of the team behind Edinburgh Fringe musical On Your Bike, which won the Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award 2021, and Penn Balint, who successfully directed new-writing piece Attrition at the National Student Drama Festival in 2022.
Previous praise for Helena Fox ★★★★★ ‘Close to flawless’ Musical Theatre Review
GirlPlay
GirlPlay is an exploration of love and sex spun out in slam.
After sold-out previews in both Dublin and London and an international tour as an audio play, award-winning playwright and performer Sarah Richardson makes her Fringe debut with GirlPlay. We follow the story of one woman’s ever-changing relationship with her body and sex.
This contemporary piece of theatre was created in response to the historic Repeal-the-8th referendum in Ireland, premiering as part of Dublin Fringe Festival, 2019. Richardson’s debut full-length play was adapted into an audio play and toured to digital festivals in 2020 and 2021 including Stockholm Fringe Festival, Online@theSpaceUK and Galway Theatre Festival. GirlPlay had sold-out in-person previews at Camden People’s Theatre in October 2021.
★★★★ ‘Littered with firsts – and thirst’ The Stage (audio version)
Spit Me Out
A saucy, song-filled, slapstick evening but looks can be deceiving …
Spit Me Out weaves original songs, movement and slapstick comedy through naturalistic scenes. Spit Me Out, looks at the boundaries between sex and violence and how they have influenced the female sexual experience. It addresses the crisis of sexual violence against women and challenges why it happens.
Slap ‘N’ Tickle is an award-winning theatre company formed in 2020 by East 15 Acting School alumni. The company has a vision to empower and explore the female narrative.
★★★★ ‘The cast of ‘Spit Me Out’ have created something timely, important and quite special’ Voice Magazine
WINNERS ‘Spirit of The Space UK’s Online Fringe Award 2021’
Charles Pamment, Artistic Director of theSpaceUK, said ““Since 2015 we have supported new writing by making it possible for work to come to the festival that would not have been affordable otherwise.
“When the festival was cancelled in 2020 and we received some art council funding we immediately ring fenced funds to assist in bringing supported work to the live platform as soon as it was possible.
“The whole existence of EdFringe relies on participation, performers are the oxygen and crucial is that we embrace any opportunity to make it easier and more affordable for creatives to bring their work.
“We are proud to be pioneer this level of support for artists”.
Charities appeal to First Minister to double Scottish Child Payment bridging payments NOW
We can turn compassion and justice into action to support children in low-income households.
120 charities and community organisations are calling on the Scottish Government @scotgov to continue to do the right thing by doubling Scottish Child Payment bridging payments.
See the letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (below):
Granhøj Dans has announced some changes to its schedule of shows as part of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. An Eve And An Adam will now run at Dance Base until August 21 at the new time of 20.30.
This timeslot was formerly where the production of This is Not Swan Lake had run but this show has finished its run early and was taken down from August 10, due to travel problems with one of the artists.
Members of the public who have tickets for This is Not Swan Lakewill be contacted by the box office and offered a full refund or tickets for an alternative show.
STONE – FACE – BOOK
This solo performance with award-winning dancer Mikolaj Karczewski is a personal portrait made in collaboration with the obstruction master Palle Granhøj. Drawing on his father’s background as a miner, Mikolaj uses whimsical choreography to breathe life into the stones, finding music in them and from that music, dance arises. Stone – Face – Book is produced in close collaboration with PlatformaFestival in Klaipeda.
“An outstanding stage fantasy with the incredible high-flying acrobatic dancer MikolajKarczewskialone on stage among the collection of gray stones of memories.” Danstidningen
A beautiful, profoundly naked performance presented as nature intended. This is a performance celebrating the pure, authentic, original beauty of nudity – as a contrast to the versions given to us by social media. Increasingly we see uncovered bodies readily exposed all over social media. All kinds of pornography are easily available and widely consumed. Modesty no longer exists when it comes to the naked body in virtual culture, yet young people feel shamed by natural nudity. In this provocative show, Palle Granhøj asks: ‘what has happened to our relationship to our natural nudity?’
An intense and high energy experience featuring 8 musicians and 9 dancers, on stage live at the beautiful Dance Base
Boléro was written in 1928 as ballet music and the work is one of Ravel’s last and most famous. PalleGranhøj has transferred the music’s intensifying signature to a deconstructed version – and finally in its full length. The intensity of the melody and dancers increases throughout BOLERO – EXTENDED, giving it a powerful, uplifting, trance-like quality in a unique and iconic performance with nine dancers and eight cellists live onstage.
★★★★★ “A captivating performance that leaves the audience euphoric” Cphculture
“a dizzying experience” Danstidningen
Age suitability 12+
Dance Base Studio One
Aug 23-25 19:00 (1h) £16.00 (£14.00/£10.00) Aug 26-28 19:00 (1h) £18.00 (£16.00/£10.00)
The Granhøj works are part of the #DANISH showcase at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 presented by The Danish Arts Foundation and produced by WILDTOPIA. The showcase is supported by The Embassy of Denmark in the UK.
The Heart of Newhaven Community (HoNC) has finally received the keys to the front door!
The charity, formed four years ago to purchase Newhaven’s old Victoria Primary School for use as a community hub, has faced a long battle to get all the legal documentation with the City of Edinburgh Council signed, sealed and delivered but has finally been given legal possession of the site.
The original Steering Group was set up after public consultation and eventually converted into a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), registered with OSCR the charity overseer in 2020.
They won the right to purchase the site under the Community Asset Transfer scheme in July 2020 and secured funding for the purchase from the Scottish Land Fund in June 2021.
The school pupils and teachers moved out of what was then the oldest working primary school in the city in December 2021, but delays originally caused by Covid 19 and last minute legal hurdles meant that the final transfer could not take place until this week.
Current HoNC Chair Judy Crabb and former, and very first Chair, Rodney Matthews led the way in and now it’s all systems go, with volunteers tidying and cleaning and potential users and tenants queuing up to move in and get started.
First though, there are some necessary health and safety measures to install, IT equipment and communications must be set up and the most urgent repairs to the structure need to be completed.
Once open to the public, the community hub will be offering spaces for intergenerational activities of all kinds, including space for such as theatre groups, choirs and performances, rooms for rent for meetings or parties, artists’ studios and small business rooms for rent, a Heritage Suite including the Victorian Schoolroom run by the History of Education Centre, much needed early years’ provision in the modern Anchor Building, rooms for the Men’s Shed to carry on their activities in the Creel Building and of course a community cafe.
Current Chair, Judy Crabb has been involved since even before the first public consultations and is now celebrating with the rest of the Board.
“It’s a well known phrase ‘ If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for’ and how true that is as of today,” she says. “Finally, we are thrilled to announce that HoNC now owns the former Victoria Primary School that from now on will be known as ‘The Heart’.
“A huge thank you to everybody who has helped over the years to bring about this day, volunteers, supporters, members of the community, our funders, trustees and consultants. Every contribution, big and small, has made a difference.
“Over the next few months we will begin to open up the buildings to all the services and activities that support our themes of culture and heritage, learning and enterprise and improvement in well being.
“Watch this space as we offer opportunities for people of all ages, from all walks of life and interests, to come together in an accessible and welcoming environment and The Heart comes to life.”
Cara Gillespie, Chair of the Scottish Land Fund, said: “The Scottish Land Fund is committed to helping urban and rural communities across the country to unlock assets on their doorstep and to put them to work for local people, so we are delighted that Heart of Newhaven Community has now taken ownership of Victoria Primary School.
“We wish them every success with their plans to turn the school into a thriving community hub.”
WAS THE PLEASANCE RIGHT TO CANCEL SECOND SADOWICZ SHOW?
THE ROW over the cancellation of Jerry Sadowwitz’s show at the EICC shows no sign of abating.
The Pleasance axed the controversial comedian’s second show at the venue following ‘an unprecedented number of complaints’. Pleasance chose not to go into further detail about the nature of the complaints following the cancellation of Saturday’s show.
However in a further statement yesterday, The Pleasance said: “We became immediately aware of content that was considered, among other things, extreme in its racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny.
“We will not associate with content which attacks people’s dignity and the language used on stage was, in our view, completely unacceptable.
“We received an unprecedented number of complaints that could not be ignored and we had a duty to respond.”
Late last night Sadowicz, a veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe, tweeted:
It seems incredible that any Scottish venue would be unaware of the controversial nature of Jerry Sadowitz’s humour – it’s not as if he’s some unknown new kid on the block!
If Jerry Sadowitz’s brand of humour ‘does not align with the Pleasance values’ why book him in the first place?
Returning for its third year, Stories and Scran celebrates the dynamic and thought-provoking work created by participants in Citizen, EIBF’s long-term creative programme offering local people a platform to explore identity and place.
Enjoy a snack and a diverse showcase of readings, stories and short films from communities in North Edinburgh and Musselburgh.
I’m delighted to be reading a short story at tonight’s Citizen event. Big question for tonight is: wellies or flip-flops with the dinner jacket?
Find out more about EIBF’s Communities Programme: ontheroad.edbookfest.co.uk.
I’ll also be reading LOST, my contribution to the Scotland’s Stories Now project, tonight at 5pm in the On This Day slot:
Scotland’s Stories Now: On This Day
This year, EIBF asked people across Scotland – of any age, background or ability – to submit their own stories responding to the prompt ‘On This Day’, to build a fascinating portrait of Scotland today.
Every day at 17:00 different storytellers from around the country share their work. Join us to hear their illuminating stories and have a go at writing your own.
Supported by EventScotland as part of the Year of Stories 2022.
