The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh publishes its first book of 2023
Did you know that there are nearly 20,000 different species of mosses and their relatives worldwide with over 1000 in the UK?
And did you know that that Sphagnum moss is almost wholly responsible for the creation and maintenance of peat bogs, preventing harmful carbon from being released into the atmosphere?
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will publish TheHidden World of Mosses on March 31, providing an accessible guide to these not-so-humble botanical gems.
Written by bryologist Dr Neil Bell, the book presents information about these incredible plants, exploring their tiny, intriguing and diverse environments in detail. This fascinating book also contains hundreds of stunning photographs which reveal the beauty and splendour of moss.
Perhaps the most misunderstood and misrepresented of all groups of organisms, moss is often thought of as unattractive and unremarkable, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Mosses and their relatives (liverworts and hornworts) are found in almost every part of the world, from lush forests to rocky mountains tops and from city centres in the tropics to Antarctic tundra. Mosses are critical to the planet – if they ceased to exist tomorrow the world would be in a lot of trouble.
Examining the many different types of moss, including those found in the UK and internationally, The Hidden World of Mosses explores the incredible environments of these plants that form their own miniature forests filled with grazers and predators, and have their own ecological norms and mechanics. They play a critical role in climate change prevention and have an extraordinary ability to hold and control water in forests, uplands and valleys.
Grimmia montana and Grimmia decipiens (Grimmiaceae), on montane rock outcrop,1 Traprain Law, East Lothian, Scotland. 14 September 2014.
Incredibly, some mosses can hold more than 20 times their own weight in water. Peat mosses (Sphagnum) are almost entirely responsible for creating and maintaining peat, which is a traditional fuel and used for the flavour it imparts to many whiskies.
Sphagnum moss keeps the soil in which it grows permanently wet, largely preventing decomposition. Interestingly, Sphagnum moss has also been used by medics over the centuries. Due to its absorbent and antiseptic properties, it was used as a cheaper alternative to cotton wool dressings in World Wars One and Two, and has been used to treat wounds for many years.
On tropical mountains, mosses prevent flooding by capturing large amounts of water, gently controlling the flow of heavy rainfall, absorbing it like a giant sponge and then slowly letting it out again into rivers in a regulated manner.
Additionally, mosses offer hunting grounds, protection and food for a host of much smaller creatures such as worms, mites, spiders and beetles, who use moss as a place to shelter, graze, or reproduce.
Speaking about the publication of The Hidden World of Mosses, Neil Bell said, “Mosses are just a little smaller than most things we deal with in our everyday lives, so we tend not to notice their intricate beauty and how different they are from each other unless we make the effort to look really closely.
“Mosses and their relatives have evolved to live in a different way from other plants, playing a critical role in the environment that other plants can’t, and the mosses and liverworts we have in Scotland are of international significance – far more so than our other native plants, in fact.
“We need to recognise that and protect them. I hope that this book will raise awareness of this hidden botanical world and encourage more people to explore it .”
The Hidden World of Mosses is published by The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on March 31 and is available on pre-order now.
Edinburgh Science Festival is setting down its roots in the city today, as the 2023 edition of the Festival kicks off on Saturday, 1 April.
This year’s theme – Let’s Experiment – will see Edinburgh transformed into a living laboratory, with a jam-packed programme of hands-on science for people of all ages at 31 venues across the city.
One of the Festival’s flagship venues, the National Museum of Scotland, housesTrees of Life in its Grand Gallery from 1 April, presented as part of the Experimental Life interactive activity.
Created by Edinburgh-basedWe Throw Switchesin collaboration with Berlin-based artist Robin Baumgarten and award-winning composer and artist Luci Holland, Trees of Life is a specially commissioned, playable, interactive installation that explores Charles Darwin’s revolutionary theory of evolution through natural selection.
It is supported by Lumo and developed with support from Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund.
The National Museum of Scotlandalsohosts two themed weekends of family fun bookending the Festival. FutureFest (1-2 April) celebrates technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, coding, computers and space, offering children and families the chance to take a moment to wonder at the stars in a pop-up planetarium and create their vision for the future with LEGO® Build the Change.
From prehistoric creatures to the cutting-edge of climate science, EarthFest (15-16 April) is a celebration of the world around us that offers the chance to learn more about our planet, the animals that live here and how we can take care of it.
Learn about animal intelligence in the interactive Amazing Animals show and build your own dinosaur skeleton with giant bones.
Police have released an image of a man they believe may be able to assist them with their ongoing enquiries into an assault which occurred at the Hibernian Football Club stadium at Easter Road in Edinburgh on 7 August 2022.
The man is described as white, with short dark hair and stubble wearing a dark green/brown top.
Police Constable Luke Wilson said: “Officers are keen to speak to the man in the image as they believe he will be able to assist with their enquiries.
“The man pictured or anyone who recognises him, or anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101.
Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where you can give information anonymously.”
In reference to a recent elease we issued regarding disorder at the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday, 26 February, 2023, please note:
Ten men have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Eight, aged 18, 18, 20, 21, 21, 24, 25 and 25, have been released on an undertaking.
Two, aged 43 and 21, are to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court today (Thursday, 30 March, 2023).
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Enquiries are continuing.
Police Scotland supports the event organisers, being the clubs and the football authorities, to create a safe environment for people to attend and enjoy football matches.
These arrests show that such violence and disorder has no place in football and our enquiries continue in order to identify those responsible for the disorder inside and outside of Hampden at this fixture.
We are committed to working with our partners to maximise the safety of all persons attending football fixtures.
A spokesperson for the SPFL said: “We have been working closely with Police Scotland and the Scottish FA to investigate and address the unacceptable behaviour of a small minority of supporters at the recent Viaplay Cup Final.
“We are encouraged by the progress which has already been made and look forward to more of the individuals involved being identified in the near future.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP for Edinburgh Western met pupils from Cramond Primary School yesterday (Wednesday 29 March) to learn about their walk to school.
Cramond Primary School is taking part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from charity Living Streets Scotland. The MSP was joined by Councillors Normal Work and Lewis Younie.
WOW sees pupils record how they get to school using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker with those who walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to school being awarded a monthly WOW badge.
WOW schools see on average a 13 per cent increase in pupils walking to school in Scotland with a corresponding drop in car use, helping to reduce congestion and increase safety outside the school gates.
Living Streets Scotland is delivering Active Travel Playground Games sessions to the pupils, during the Spring term. Completed over the course of two days, every pupil has the opportunity to participate in fun and interactive activities and learn more about the benefits of active travel for themselves and the environment.
First Minister announces increased support for households with energy costs
Up to £30 million will be made available through the Fuel Insecurity Fund next year to help households who are at risk of self-rationing or self-disconnecting their energy use, First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced.
The funding will be made available to third sector organisations in the next financial year to support the most vulnerable households in Scotland.
The Scottish Government had previously committed to doubling the Fuel Insecurity Fund, from £10 million to £20 million.
Previous funding has been provided to third sector organisations including the Fuel Bank Foundation, Advice Direct Scotland and Scottish Federation of Housing Associations to provide direct support to households.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I have said my immediate priority is to do everything we can to protect every Scot as far as possible from the harm inflicted by the cost-of-living crisis.
“That is why, in one of my first acts as First Minister, I can confirm today that we will build on our commitment to double the Fuel Insecurity Fund from £10 million to £20 million – to now triple it to £30 million for 2023-24.
“In a country as energy rich as Scotland, we should not have people living in fuel poverty. My government will renew and redouble our efforts to lift people out of poverty, to make work fair, to make our economy work for the people.
“With energy bills still at historically high levels and the UK Government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme being withdrawn from 1 April, over the next year our Fuel Insecurity Fund will continue to be a vital lifeline for many struggling households in the country.
“It is of course only as a result of the UK Government’s mismanagement of the economy and the cost of living crisis that we are having to take this action. This Scottish Government will always put the interests of the people of Scotland first.”
The heatwave and drought of summer 2022 has had a major negative impact on some UK butterfly species, a study has confirmed.
The latest results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) led by Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), show that the extreme weather experienced across much of the UK in the summer of 2022 has had a significant impact on some butterfly species.
The Green-veined White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Brimstone, all familiar garden and countryside butterflies, appeared in good or average numbers during the spring and early summer, but numbers in the subsequent generations were greatly reduced following the widespread drought conditions, and scientists fear that there will be similar negative impacts on other butterfly species when they start to emerge in 2023.
Drought impacts the offspring of the butterflies that are flying during the hot dry weather by causing the plants that caterpillars rely on for food to wither and die. Without sufficient food, many caterpillars will fail to survive, leading to lower numbers of butterflies in the next generation.
For some of the UK species that have more than one generation in a year, the resulting major decline in numbers has already been seen. However, for others, the next generation isn’t on the wing until this summer, meaning there could be noticeably fewer butterflies around in 2023.
It’s not the first time butterflies have been affected by drought in the UK. Data gathered by the UKBMS has shown serious negative impacts of droughts on butterflies in 1976 and 1995. Some species have never recovered their former abundance levels after the 1976 drought, although habitat destruction is likely to be a major factor in their failure to bounce back.
The difference in 2022’s drought compared to 1976 is that nowadays most UK butterfly species are already in decline. Butterfly Conservation’s recently published State of the UK’s Butterflies 2022 report revealed that 80% of butterflies have declined in abundance, distribution or both since the 1970s.
With droughts predicted to become more frequent and severe in the UK as climate change continues, some butterfly species may be pushed towards extinction.
Butterfly Conservation’s Head of Science, Dr Richard Fox, said: “Overall, the data for 2022 tells us that it was an average year for butterflies. However, it was a year of two halves with butterflies seen early and in about average total numbers (compared to the last 10 years) from April – July but then in greatly reduced abundance after the summer heatwave and drought.
“In general, warm, sunny weather is good for butterflies as they can be active, finding food, mating and laying eggs. But drought is a major problem as plants wither and die, meaning female butterflies may struggle to find anywhere to lay their eggs, or there is not enough food for the caterpillars when they hatch.
“The knock-on effect is fewer butterflies in the following generation. We have already seen an indication of this in the 2022 data for some of those species with a generation that flies in late summer and autumn, and sadly we can expect to see a decline in numbers of other species in 2023 too.”
The meticulously gathered UKBMS data show that, despite these concerns, 2022 was a good year for some species, including Purple Emperor, Large Blue, Chequered Skipper and Dark Green Fritillary, all of which have been the focus of targeted conservation work over the last few years. However, scientists issued a word of caution, as we have yet to see the result of the drought on these species because the next generation will not emerge until this summer.
There is much work to be done to conserve threatened species of butterfly in the UK, and the UKBMS data helps target those species most in need of conservation work.
Butterfly populations fluctuate naturally from year to year, largely due to the weather, but the long-term trends of UK butterflies are mainly driven by human activity, particularly the deterioration of habitats due to inappropriate management and pollution, and climate change.
Conservation efforts can make a real difference to local populations and working on threatened species in key landscapes to deliver nature recovery is a priority.
Dr Marc Botham, Butterfly Ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said: “In 2022 we collected data from over 3,000 sites and we are incredibly grateful to the thousands of volunteers who carry out monitoring and maintain this invaluable long-term dataset.
“This enables scientists to measure how butterflies are faring as well as assessing the health of our countryside generally. The UKBMS data are vital in assessing the effectiveness of government policies and progress towards the UK’s biodiversity targets.”
Nature Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Our beautiful butterflies are at risk from a changing climate and human activity. We have set out clear steps to enable nature’s recovery through our Environmental Improvement Plan and Pollinator Action Plan, which will help us meet our legal target to halt the decline in nature by 2030.
“The impacts of warm and dry weather last year are cause for concern, but it is encouraging that the last decade has seen most species stabilise. In particular, I welcome the findings that the Large Blue and the Purple Emperor, two wonderful and unique species people may recognise from Wild Isles, both experienced their second best year on record in 2022.”
Dr James Heywood, Breeding Bird Survey National Organiser at the British Trust for Ornithology, whose volunteers collect butterfly data through the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey, said: “These data are incredibly valuable as butterflies are indicators of the health of our natural environment and therefore the information gleaned from the UKBMS data is not just used to help understand and conserve butterflies, but also to help understand and protect the wider ecosystem on which so many birds, mammals and other species rely.”
Mental healthcare specialists, The Edinburgh Practice, has announced a city-wide art competition, entitled ‘Memory: Your Perspective’ in collaboration with its 2023 charity partner, Alzheimer Scotland, which will be officially unveiled at the opening of its new 6,500sq ft multi-purpose, custom built 26 room clinic in Waverley Square this summer.
The company, founded by Dr Fiona Wilson in 2017, has outgrown three sites in the city due to exponential growth over the last two years and is counting down to opening its new clinic which will include new specialist services for older adults including the provision of dementia assessments through the practice’s new Memory Clinic.
The competition, which has five categories; primary school pupils, secondary school pupils, adults aged 18-65, adults aged 65 plus, and people living with dementia, (or caring for someone with dementia) ties in with the range of new services for older adults and will also help raise awareness of the support offered by Alzheimer Scotland.
The theme for the competition is about encapsulating people’s interpretation of memory, which can range from a fond memory of quality time with grandparents or memorable past experiences of places, people and moments. Entries can be submitted in A0, A1, A2 or A3 format and be submitted digitally by emailing ella@edinburghpractice.com by 5pm on Friday 19th May 2023.
The winning artist in each category will receive a £100 voucher for the St James’ Centre, and their artwork will be displayed for one year in the new practice at Waverley Square.
Dr Fiona Wilson said: “Supporting the wider community is very important to us at The Edinburgh Practice and I am thrilled to announce that our 2023 charity partner is Alzheimer Scotland.
“The charity is doing tremendous work in supporting people with dementia and carers, as well as creating awareness about brain health across the life span.
“We hope that our ‘Memory: Your Perspective’ art competition will stimulate awareness and discussions among all age groups in the community as to how important brain health is to preserve our memory for as long as possible.
“We are very much looking forward to unveiling the winning artworks in each category at our launch event in the summer.”
Josh Munns, Stakeholder Engagement Leader at Alzheimer Scotland, commented: “We are delighted to be the charity partner for The Edinburgh Practice who are helping to raise crucial funds and vital awareness for Alzheimer Scotland.
“People living with dementia and those who love them continue to be disproportionately affected by the legacy of the pandemic and the effects of the cost-of-living crisis so it’s essential that we continue to be there to make sure no one faces dementia alone.
“Without the support of organisations like The Edinburgh Practice we wouldn’t be able to support the 90,000 people living dementia, their families and carers”.
Today, Thursday 30 March, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to announce that more shows for the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be available to book at edfringe.com.
This year’s Fringe takes place from 04 – 28 August 2023 and will feature an exciting range of shows, with theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus, musicals, variety, cabaret, children’s shows, events and more all represented in the programme.
Tickets for more than a thousand shows will be released at 12:00 BST today, with more shows set to be announced on Thursday 11 May.
The official launch of the festival, including the reveal of the iconic printed programme, will take place on Thursday 08 June.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:”We’re now well on our way to Fringe 2023, and having so many more shows go live this week is yet another reason to get excited. It feels like August is just around the corner, and once again Edinburgh will be filled with artists, creatives, and people with amazing stories to tell.
“Artists are the beating heart of this festival and central to everything we do at the Fringe Society. Our team are here to support artists at every step of their Fringe journey, including our participants hub, Fringe Central; full details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
“From theatre to comedy, cabaret to music, children’s shows to circus; the shows going on sale today represent the breadth and depth of creativity that will be bursting from every seam of Edinburgh this August. The Fringe and all its moving parts are still in recovery, I encourage you to support the artists and their work this summer, get browsing, get booking and come and see their shows.”
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book from today. The full list of shows released today can be found at edfringe.com.
Theatre
At theSpaceUK, The Quality of Mercy: Concerning the Life and Crimes of Dr Harold Frederick Shipman is a “drama examining the legacy of Britain’s most prolific serial killer, written and performed by the grandson of one of Shipman’s victims”. New Slang Productions is the company behind Tomorrow Is Not Promised at Underbelly, in which “a Black British woman finds herself homeless and alone after an earthquake”. Gilded Balloon hosts the latest world premiere from Henry Naylor, Let the Bodies Pile, displaying the playwright’s “characteristic blend of comedy and tragedy, and tackling the care homes crisis”. At Assembly, Blue by CCEGHM explores the fallout from “the death of a Black motorist during a traffic stop at the hands of a white officer”. The Edinburgh Little Theatre company presents The Court at Hill Street Theatre, a “courtroom drama [that] centres around the question of euthanasia”. And at The Royal Scots Club, crackers is “a darkly funny reflection on dealing with broken heads”.
In Modern Witches at Greenside, “lesbian actor Kate tries witchcraft to cure her relationship anxiety, but the real help comes when she accidentally summons the ghost of Virginia Woolf during a self-tape audition as the famous Modernist.” Meanwhile, Brandon Urrutia brings Lo Siento Mi Espanol Es Tremendo Mal to St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, exploring Hispanic culture and identity.
Soundplay Theatre Productions presents Sound Clash: Death in the Arena at Pleasance Courtyard, “a contemporary Romeo and Juliet, set in a dystopian world of reggae and dancehall music”. At Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre, Leitheatre company presents A Midsummer Dream in Auld Reekie, moving Shakespeare’s original setting “from Greece to Edinburgh – the Athens of the North”.
The Counterminers are presenting two shows at Just the Tonic. In Hersterectomy, Carmel “plots to curate the perfect nuclear household” to qualify for an operation, while “fast-paced comedy” Lost and Found “follows three best friends from London, Leeds and Glasgow as they fight to find themselves, without losing each other”.
David Thill’s Exit 20:20 is at Paradise in Augustines; it follows 16-year-old Moses, whose high school board bans the graphic novel Maus. At PBH’s Free Fringe, Alexander Klaus, the One-Legged Shoemaker Man tells the story of a 16-year-old American Civil War veteran who “struggles to live a normal life on New York City’s Lower East Side”.
Comedy
Elf Lyons and Duffy present Heist at Monkey Barrel Comedy, “a ridiculous bank heist conducted in Visual Vernacular, British Sign Language with very silly and violent live sound foley”. At Laughing Horse, Raul Kohli presents his new show Kohl and The Gang, selecting “five of the best upcoming acts on the circuit right now for a late-night comedy extravaganza”. Emmanuel Sonubi is back at the Fringe with Curriculum Vitae at Underbelly, “taking us through the life he led that brought him to the stage, via his work history”. And at PBH’s Free Fringe, Harun Musho’d is explaining Why I Don’t Talk To People About Terrorism.
Fresh from Vietnam, expat Parisian Francis Renaud hosts French Bashing by a Frenchman at Paradise in Augustines, “using comedic anecdotes, cultural comparisons and a wry sense of humour”. Panamanian-born, Florida-raised and Germany-residing Abigail Paul commits Involuntary Momslaughter at Greenside, serving “a biting dark comedy show about narcissistic personality disorder”. At The Voodoo Rooms, Joe Jacobs presents TurboFleshSuck5000, “a sex-positive, carbon-neutral, HIV-negative comedy hour”. And at Just the Tonic, Ali Al Sayed and Mina Liccione – “the UAE’s King and Queen of comedy” – have a Dubai Fling.
At Assembly, Anuvab Pal works for The Department of Britishness, selling “the idea of Britishness to India… there’s trouble ahead,” while Kuan-Wen Haung comes to Gilded Balloon with Ilha Formosa, telling how he traded his beloved Taiwan for the British Isles.
“Queer feminist and bloody lefty” Kathleen Hughes brings her work-in-progress show, One of the Girls, to the Scottish Comedy Festival @ Waverley Bar, asking what it means to be an independent woman. Frankenstein Pub hosts The Impro All Stars aka Stephen Frost, Ian Coppinger, Andy Smart and very special guests.
At theSpaceUK, Beehavioural Problems: Something Something Autism is a “new surrealist escapade” from Stephen Catling. In The Weegies Have Stolen the One O’Clock Gun! at St Columba’s by the Castle, “only Morningside Malcolm, quiet resident of the douce suburbs, can prevent aggro” between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Online, Clare McCartney’s Luck Court is a 25-minute sitcom pilot in which “a working-class woman in her 40s” who has been recently divorced is “left with nothing and has to start again”.
Fringe 2023 is also overflowing with faces familiar from off the telly and previous festival appearances. David O’Doherty, Ed Byrne, Frankie Boyle and Reginald D Hunter are all at Assembly; Robin Ince and Patrick Monahan are at Gilded Balloon; Ahir Shah, Jamali Maddix, Catherine Bohart and Luisa Omielan are at Monkey Barrel Comedy; Mark Watson, Rachel Parris and Rosie Holt are at Pleasance; Bridget Christie, Stewart Lee and Seann Walsh are at The Stand; and Craig Hill and John Robins are at Just the Tonic (the latter with Howl and a new work-in-progress).
Music
The Jazz Bar hosts “an unmissable exclusive performance from legendary Russian-American trumpeter and Jazz Messengers alumnus, Valery Ponomarev” in 30th Anniversary! Valery Ponomarev: The Jazz Messenger. At Frankenstein Pub, Squeeze founder Chris Difford asks What Happened? 50 Lyrical Years, charting “the journey he has taken with songs from Take Me I’m Yours to Cool for Cats and Up the Junction”.
British composer Girish Paul and his virtual orchestra present The Diary of Anne Frank: Her Journey in Music at The Old Dr Bells Baths. At the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, singer/songwriter Tim Hunter uses music to tell the story of Independent Yorkshire MP William Wilberforce, who “led the campaign to abolish the slave trade”, in The Progressive Campaign. And at Greenside, Soul Circus asks Who Walks This Path, a show that combines “interactive storytelling with original music and improvisation about loss, community, our human need for connection, and the pain and humour of the journey”.
In celebration of his 50th birthday, Scottish fiddler Alastair Savage presents “a unique series of concerts” at St Cuthbert’s Church, featuring guests Alice Allen and Laurence Wilson. Scottish Voices perform Nuadh-Òrain and Other Songs at the Scottish Arts Club – “settings of poetry in Gaelic and English by Scottish contemporary composers and poets including the premiere of a new work by poet Aonghas MacNeacail and composer Margaret McAllister”. Eilidh Steel and Mark Neal “weave together their own compositions and songwriting alongside interesting old melodies and songs from the Scottish west coast” – they’re at the Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC. And Stockbridge Church is hosting Haggis Ceilidhs, helping visitors “experience the very best Scottish ceilidh dancing with one of Scotland’s leading modern ceilidh bands”.
Fringe-goers can “experience the groovy energy, dreamy moods and relaxing sounds from South Korea’s Il Wol Dang Band” at Assembly this August, while Pharos’ Rave at Just the Tonic “is an immersive journey into the depths of electronic music, featuring hypnotic beats, intricate textures, and haunting melodies”. Arrive Alive is a collaboration between poet Blukat, music producer and DJ, Cream, along with musicians Dead Poets” – watch it online.
Memphis-born singer/songwriter/pianist Charlie Wood takes you on a live listening tour through the Blues in Trouble In Mind: 100 Years of the Blues at the Argyle Cellar Bar, while Peaks and Valleys “combine folk, punk, gypsy, and classical elements” – catch them during The Blue Hour at The Royal Oak. Pitchblenders Swing the Blues is at Valvona & Crolla, where “Christine Adams sings her favourite songs from the era of scandalous Harlem rent parties,” accompanied by “Dick Lee on reeds, guitarist Phil Adams and bassist Jerry Forde”.
The A Club at the Merchants Hall hosts The Katuns, a West Lothian band “whose catchy riffs and high-energy choruses are influenced by indie rock bands Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana”. At The Liquid Room, The Rising: The UK’s No 1 Tribute to Springsteen and the E Street Band returns to the Fringe for their 12th year. The Allman Brothers Project by Safehouse is at Stramash, including “Allman favourites Jessica, Whipping Post, Soulshine, Ramblin’ Man and Elizabeth Reed”. Le Monde is hosting a programme of tribute artists this August, with various shows dedicated to the music of Adele, the Beach Boys and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And Bannermans plays host to a pair of shows from rock’s experimental leftfield: Absolutely (not) Free – An Evening of Zappa by Pygmy Twylyte and Beefheart – Tropical Hot Dog Night! by Orange Claw Hammer.
The Edinburgh Renaissance Band’s New Frontiers 50th birthday is at artSpace@StMarks, exploring “medieval and renaissance Europe and Central America, accompanied by sackbuts, cornetts, serpent, viols, rebecs, harps, shawms, curtals, recorders, crumhorns and voices”. St Giles’ Cathedral hosts a series of Celebrity Recitals on its world-renowned Rieger organ, with performances from Matthew Owens, Jordan English and Michael Harris. Meanwhile, St Mary’s Cathedral hosts its own series of Cathedral Celebrity Organ Recitals, with Duncan Ferguson, David Goode and Imogen Morgan performing “popular organ music on the mighty Father Willis organ.”
At St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, Christine Hurley and Nancy Crook present Cello and Piano Recital: Music of Love, featuring compositions by Beethoven, Cesar Franck and Amy Beach. “One of the UK’s longest-established youth orchestras, conducted by Allan Young and featuring solo performers from within its own ranks,” the Perth Youth Orchestra is performing their Autumn Concert at Greyfriars Kirk. And the Royal Scots Club have a programme of classical recitals at breakfast, lunchtime and afternoon, “performed by some of the finest young talent in comfortable surroundings”.
The Sacred Arts Festival (a programme within the wider Fringe lineup) has music events in several Edinburgh church spaces, including new sacred compositions at Canongate Kirk, Schola Cantorum at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, a lunchtime choir recital at St Michael and All Saints and works by Bach and Handel at St Vincent’s in Stockbridge.
Guitarist and composer Daniel Martinez presents a concert of “emotive, exciting, moving and technically brilliant” Flamenco Guitar at Yotel Edinburgh and classical guitarist Jonathan Prag brings “music from Spain’s greatest composers” to St Columba’s by the Castle.
theSpaceUK is hosting Aca-Villa: The Love Island Musical, where “contestants navigate their road to true love through the medium of chart-topping songs, all performed a cappella”. Meanwhile Gilded Balloon is hosting at least two acapella shows this Fringe, with Aquapella representing Bath and The Oxford Gargoyles coming from – you guessed it – Oxford.
Cabaret and variety
Reuben Kaye returns to Assembly for his “queer, messy, and f*cking hilarious” late-night cabaret show, The Kaye Hole. “Destynee is a dramatic drag artist performing songs from some of the most fabulous divas and icons of all time” – you can catch her in An Evening With Drag Artist – Destynee at Planet Bar. Gilded Balloon hosts Divas: From Stage to Screen by BBD Productions, featuring “a live band and cast of fierce beltresses” celebrating “music, movies and musical theatre”. And at theSpaceUK, “gender euphoric cabaret” A Bit Too Much Hair is “a musical paradise for thems, mens, femmes, and everyone in between”.
Magical Bones returns to Underbelly with Soulful Magic – Volume Two, while magician and mind reader Tom Brace takes audiences on A Trick Down Memory Lane at Pleasance.
The Kaisa Ling Thing brings The Feminist’s Handbook for Eastern Europe to PBH’s Free Fringe, presenting “a vaudevillian blues portrait of modern life”. Blues and Burlesque at The Voodoo Rooms offers “original music by Pete Saunders (Dexy’s Midnight Runners)” alongside “classic striptease from Belle de Beauvoir”.
At Hill Street Theatre, the Machine Man Spectacle invites audience members to “participate in seven of the universe’s most spectacular machines, invented specifically to observe the human spiritual spectrum”. King of More is at Paradise in The Vault, using “music, interactions, quasi-workshop, laughter, tears and quantum physics” to explore “secret connection among all of us” in Veza.
Forth 1 returns to the Edinburgh Playhouse this August to host its annual Forth on the Fringe gala.
Dance, physical theatre and circus
In circus, Afrique en Cirque visit Assembly to display “gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, all to the contemporary sounds of African contemporary music”. Hong Kong physical theatre company Theatre de la Feuille present Fall and Flow at Underbelly, diving into “the depths of war, the power of love and hate as the futility and sorrow explode in front of you in six short stories”.
Katherine and Pierre at Gilded Balloon is “a gender-bent love story combining elements of drag with comedic dance choreography”, set to the music of Katy Perry. A/lone at Greenside is a “dynamic Australian work” exploring “the painful depths of loneliness and the profound joy of aloneness”.
At Just the Tonic, Fruit Salad is “a clown comedy of fruit-based stupidity by two Gaulier-trained comedians”. Klouns Theatre Company presents An Act of Seven Ages at Paradise in The Vault – a “clowning escapade of vignettes focused on a multitude of influences endured from birth until death”. And Släpstick return to the Pleasance with Schërzo, “a clown-esque concerto for the ages where a seemingly highbrow classical concert glissandos into a bacchanal of comical mishaps and absurdity”.
The Sacred Arts Festival presents drama at St Vincent’s with The Mysteries (reimagined by Peter Holloway), bringing to live “five Medieval guild plays” in a “warm, funny, yet gritty production”.
There’s a feast of flamenco at Fringe 2023, including Flamenco Fiesta at Alba Flamenca, 2Flamenco at Argyle Cellar Bar, Flamenco in Scotland at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St and Flamenco Fringe at Lunch at Yotel Edinburgh. Meanwhile, over at theSpaceUK, Giorgia Marchiori and Marcelo Guardiola present Los Guardiola – The Comedy of Tango, using “the universal and timeless language of movement to tell stories inspired by the world’s best-loved tangos”.
EN-PERFECIÓN is available to watch online, tracing “its roots back to the Ankoku-Butoh movement active in Japan from the 1950s, mixing it with contemporary dance and experimental theatre”.
Children’s shows
Quebec circus clowns Brotipo return to Assembly with a family-friendly show “to make you laugh, dance and even sing”. At Gilded Balloon, Artiste is an “interactive exhibit of physical comedy and crafty clowning”, while “UK premier magician and kids entertainer” Leigh Milne brings The Crazy Puppet Magic Show to Frankenstein Pub.
The Blue Badge Bunch are back at Pleasance with ReRamped, “a hilarious, interactive game show where each game represents a disability and comedians battle it out”. One Step Ahead presents The European Extravaganza! at Greenside, “an interactive musical journey to some major European cities”. Inside The Robot: Kids vs Chaos! is “the world’s only theatrical escape room”, an “immersive, educational and hilarious spectacular suitable for ages 5+” – it’s at Just the Tonic. And Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge present The Alphabet of Awesome Science at Underbelly, taking a “tongue-twisting race from A to Z that’s equal parts explosive, messy, hilarious, fascinating and gross”.
The Ancient Ballad of Thomas the Rhymer (Into the Woods) at artSpace@StMarks features “specially composed music performed by John Sampson, performed by Sampson, Julia Munrow and Pete Baynes”. Dragon Tales at LifeCare Centre is “an interactive storytelling show for 4–6-year-olds” using “felt puppets, percussion and harp”. And theSpaceUK features two adaptations as part of their children’s programme: Peter Pan and The Twits.
At St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, FlamenKids is an “original, well-made, fun, passionate and highly entertaining show where you’ll experience a breathtaking professional flamenco performance of eight artists interacting with the wee ones”. Recitals for Wrigglers presents two “fun, interactive and educational shows for babies and toddlers” at Stockbridge Church: Kings and Queens and Wriggle Around the World.
Amazing Prize Family Bingo at 9 Queen Street is exactly what it sounds like: “bingo with loads and loads of prizes”. Hill Street Theatre hosts Reach for the Stars, “a fun show showcasing Edinburgh’s young talent”.
Musicals and opera
OSCAR at The Crown (Assembly) takes place “in a secret bunker far in the fascist future”, and focuses on “one of history’s most flamboyant figures” – Oscar Wilde. Greenside hosts Fierce, in which “seven famous women tell their stories” to “a soundtrack of empowering music that’s sure to smash the patriarchy”. Two separate musicals explore the life of Alan Turing at this year’s Fringe. Alan Turing – Guilty of Love is at Hill Street Theatre, while Alan Turing – A Musical Biography is at Paradise in Augustines. And theSpaceUK welcomes Les Millénniables, “a pop parody about the plight of the generation deemed ‘millennials’”.
“Oliver Harris sings the great songs from Les Misérables, Chess, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, We Will Rock You and many more” in The Greatest Show Songs at Le Monde. Forth Children’s Theatre return “for their 42nd year at the Fringe with their spooky, kooky production of The Addams Family – A New Musical” at Broughton High School. And Captivate Theatre presents a programme of musical adaptations at the Edinburgh Academy: Les Misérables School Edition, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical Jr, School of Rock and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Without is “an intimate and authentic new musical” at Underbelly, in which “a busker and a runaway find unexpected camaraderie and challenge together, discovering the importance of acceptance through conversation, confrontation and the power of music”. In On Your Bike at Gilded Balloon, “Gemma and Aidan deliver food they can’t afford for mega-corporation Eatsaroo, but things get messy when it cuts their pay and derails their budding romance”. “A Christmas Carol meets It’s a Wonderful Life meets… *NSYNC!” in Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical at Pleasance. And at Stockbridge Church, Acceptance Pending tells the story of high-school senior Angela, who “fights through the daunting US college application process” and is “met with the harsh reality of the student mental-health crisis”.
Scotland’s professional touring company, Opera Bohemia, returns with John Leo Wilkie’s highly acclaimed production of Madama Butterfly at St Cuthbert’s Church.
Spoken word
LBC presenter Iain Dale hosts a series of talks at Pleasance this Fringe, meeting with Ian Blackford MP, Penny Mordaunt MP, Wes Streeting MP, Sir John Curtice and Brian Taylor. Over at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, Fair Pley’s conversation series features Scottish Labour Party leader Anas Sarwar, “guitarist, songwriter and DJ” Bobby Bluebell and BBC 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson.
Rob Redenbach shares his Conversations with Mandela at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, “recounting his journey from casino bouncer in outback Australia to working with Nelson Mandela’s bodyguard team in South Africa”. A “lifelong friend” of David Bowie shares stories at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Bowie, Cambo & All the Hype – An Evening with John Cambridge. Confessions of a Teletubby is at theSpaceUK, with “the original LaaLaa” Nikky Smedley sharing her experiences on the children’s TV show. And “ex-Hibs, Aberdeen, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Scotland striker Steve Archibald discusses his extraordinary football career” in Steve Archibald – An Evening With at Le Monde.
From Marlon Solomon, “the maker of Conspiracy Theory: A Lizard’s Tale,” comes How to Be an Antisemite, “a dark comedy about rising antisemitism, where it comes from and what we do about it”. It’s at Gilded Balloon, while at Hill Street Theatre, Good Grief: Five Deserts in Search of My Father is a one-man show by writer Jon Lawrence, recounting how he “walked 500km over five deserts on five continents to come to terms with the death of his father”.
Sacred Arts Festival hosts Spirituality, Faith and Belief: Voyages of Discovery, “an exploration of literary works as vehicles of spiritual discovery”, at Greyfriars Kirk, and Strafed by Splendour: Under Paolozzi’s Window at St Mary’s Cathedral, “a magnificent setting for poetry, music and an explanatory talk”.
Dean Tsang explores Our Anxious Measurements at PBH’s Free Fringe, probing “research and understanding” and questioning the “expectations placed on us and the ways apprehension can enter our lives”.
Caledonia – Words and Music for Sir Walter is a series of “short readings from Scott’s works on the themes of resilience and recovery, with contemporary choral settings of Scott’s poetry by Edinburgh composer Nigel Don”. It’s at St Vincent’s.
Environmental campaigners have said that the UK Government needs to address the ‘elephant in the room’ of domestic oil and gas production as it unveils a raft of energy announcements geared towards meeting climate commitments.
The UK Government’s ‘energy revolution’ package was silent on the urgent need to phase out North Sea oil and gas. This is despite the mounting climate crisis and scientists’ repeated warnings that the use of fossil fuels must be significantly reduced this decade.
Approval of the controversial Rosebank oil field is thought to be imminent, while the decision to offer over 100 new exploration licences shows the UK Government’s climate-denying commitment to long term oil and gas expansion.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “With this package the UK Government is trying to greenwash its woeful lack of climate ambition and ignoring the massive elephant in the room of its own oil and gas expansion plans.
“This Government cannot be taken seriously on climate whilst it looks set to approve the hugely polluting Rosebank oil field and deliver billions in public subsidies to make that controversial project happen. Fossil fuels are driving both climate breakdown and the cost of living crisis yet the UK Government looks set to slam its foot down on the accelerator.
“Failure from politicians to put an end date on oil and gas, and properly plan and support the transition to renewables is leaving workers totally adrift on the whims of fossil fuel companies, and the planet to burn. Workers and communities most affected must be at the heart of planning the transition to decent green renewable jobs.”
Amongst today’s announcements was more detail on the process for public subsidies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. The Scottish cluster, which includes the controversial Scottish Government backed Acorn project, could move forward under a new application process launched today.
Ms Church continued: “The UK Government is throwing public money at fossil fuel companies to try and prolong this climate-wrecking industry through the pipe dreams of carbon capture. These CCS projects risk yet more missed climate targets and turning the seas off Scotland into Europe’s carbon dumping ground.
“Politicians at both Westminster and Holyrood need to wake up and realise that carbon capture is a dangerous distraction from the urgent and necessary work of cutting climate emissions at source and delivering a just transition away from fossil fuels. The Scottish Government must chart a different course from Westminster, end its over-reliance on speculative negative emissions technologies, and focus on the real solutions that can cut carbon and improve people’s lives now. ”
Following the election of Humza Yousaf as SNP leader and his swearing in as First Minister, dentist leaders in Scotland have called for immediate action to ensure the beleaguered service has a future.
The leadership election has delayed the timetable for reform of the low margin/high volume system dentists work to, that has left providers facing the risk of delivering NHS care at a financial loss. In an open letter the British Dental Association has stressed that without immediate action the exodus from NHS dentistry will accelerate.
A recent survey of high street dentists across Scotland showed over half (59%) have reduced the amount of NHS work they do since lockdown, and four in five (83%) say they plan to reduce or further reduce their NHS commitment in the year ahead.
In the letter BDA’s Scottish leadership state: “In 2021 the SNP made a promise to the Scottish electorate: free NHS dentistry for all. The decisions you take in your first 100 days will effectively determine if that promise is going to be kept.”
