Tag: comedy

Festival Fringe 2023: First tickets made available as 190 shows revealed

More shows to be announced in coming months, as one of the world’s best-loved celebrations of arts and culture returns

Today, Thursday 16 March, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to announce that the first 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, events and more all represented in the programme.

Tickets for 190 shows will be released at 12:00 GMT today, with more shows set to be announced on Thursday 30 March and Thursday 11 May.

The official launch of the festival, including the reveal of the iconic printed programme, will take place on Thursday 08 June.

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.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Along with the programme launch and the first Friday in August, the announcement of the first batch of shows is one of those thrilling moments in the Fringe calendar.

“The whole Fringe community has been working behind the scenes to prepare for the festival for months now, but having actual shows to browse and book makes the build up to this year’s Fringe that bit more tangible.

“The Fringe is made possible due to a cast of thousands – artists, audiences, venue staff, industry, media, sponsors, partners and local businesses. It’s never too early to start planning a trip to the Fringe; booking early is also a brilliant way to support artists, to let them know there’s already an audience waiting for their show to come to Edinburgh.

“We’ll be announcing a lot more over the coming months, including details of our much-anticipated new app, so stay tuned!”

Theatre

At theSpaceUK, Call me Elizabeth joins Elizabeth Taylor in ‘an intimate look at the movie star’s early life, career, and loves as she grapples with the culture of celebrity and her place as Hollywood’s brightest star’. In Gilbert and Sullivan’s Nightmare at Greenside, we join Old Adam on awards night, ‘hoping he might just get the recognition he deserves’. Audience participation such as ‘sharing a memory and joining in with songs’ is encouraged at Memories of the Early 1950s (Just the Tonic). Combining drag, multimedia, audience interaction, puppetry and a lot of queer joy’, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is at Pleasance.

At C venues, Love is Blue follows Olly, a hard-drinking city trader recovering from the death of his boyfriend, who has ‘a chance encounter with homeless teenager Aaron’. Making History by Stephen Fry (St Ninian’s Hall) is ‘the first-ever stage adaptation of the 1996 novel’ in which a student and a physicist discover ‘they have the power to alter history and eradicate a great evil’. At The Stand’s New Town Theatre, Agent November’s Indoor Escape Game – Murder Mr E is a ‘unique blend of immersive escape room and murder mystery’.

Comedy

Chloe Petts is at Pleasance with her new show, If You Can’t Say Anything Nice, and Grace Campbell is offering A Show About More Me(n) at Gilded Balloon. JoJo Pat is Sober and Alive at Just the Tonic, The Sheraton Grand Hotel is offering its Pick of the Fringe and Marjolein Robertson is presenting Marj at The Stand Comedy Club. At theSpaceUK, Escape Velocity presents ‘an anecdotal, confessional, funny story of a rocket scientist’s journey through sex addiction’.

Some famous folk off the telly are coming to the Fringe this year: Frank Skinner and Gyles Brandreth will be at Assembly, Geoff Norcott is at Underbelly, Gary: Tank Commander will be at Gilded Balloon, and the Pleasance will welcome Adam Kay and Paul Merton (the latter alongside his Impro Chums).

Familiar Fringe faces will also be in attendance: Susie McCabe and Jason Byrne are at Assembly, Daniel Sloss plays the Edinburgh Playhouse, Rhod Gilbert performs his latest work in progress at Gilded Balloon and Danny Bhoy, James Nokise and Jo Caulfield are at The Stand Comedy Club.  Ensemble-wise, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare and Showstopper! The Improvised Musical are both at Pleasance this year.  You’ll be able to catch at least two Fringe shows online this year: Agatha Is Missing, ‘fun-filled murder mystery’, while The Woke Box is ‘a parody Gogglebox about two slobby Pakistani brothers getting brainwashed by an evil TV’.

Music

A Certain Edge is a ‘singer-songwriter, turncoat-musician collective’ blending influences ‘from Bacharach to Bach, Steely Dan to Dylan’ – catch them at the Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC.  At Novotel, Jazz at Lunchtime offers what it says on the tin: a ‘saxophone and piano duo, playing jazz standards and melodic originals in a comfortable, intimate jazz club setting’.  

Singer-songwriter Dean Friedman brings his Words and Music to St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, with a back catalogue featuring ‘Ariel’, ‘Lucky Stars’, ‘Lydia’, ‘Woman of Mine’, ‘Rocking Chair’ and ‘McDonald’s Girl’ among others.

Craig Herbertson, Edinburgh singer and songwriter, ‘presents a celebration in song and story of Edinburgh’ in Craig on the Cliff at St Cuthbert’s Church, while ‘South Australian musician/songwriter William Jack presents a free (non-ticketed) multi-style cello recital’, This Old Cello Box, at St Giles’ Cathedral. theSpaceUK is hosting a plethora of different Night Owl productions inspired by music stars of yesteryear, including Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Blondie, Carol King and James Taylor, Whitney Houston and more.

Cabaret and variety

La Clique are back at this year’s Fringe, ‘featuring the best of circus, comedy and cabaret’ at Underbelly, while ‘cabaret legend and variety artiste’ Ada Campe will be Naval Gazing at The Stand’s New Town Theatre. Just the Tonic is offering a Best of Cabaret lineup of ‘an all-star diverse rotating cast of international and regional seasoned artists in the genre’, and Dom Chambers: A Boy and His Deck at Assembly offers ‘exotic acts that connect alternative circus with the dark arts of underground burlesque and cabaret’.

Over at Gilded Balloon, JezO’s Car-Crash Magic Show is an ‘unusual blend of comedy, audience participation and magic’, while theSpaceUK hosts ‘magical legend’ The Great Baldini as he uncovers Illusionati – A Magical Conspiracy.

Dance, physical theatre and circus

Dance teacher and caller Ken Gourlay leads you through some Ceilidhs (Scottish Dancing) at 9 Queen Street.  Returning to the Fringe are The Black Blues Brothers, ‘five unleashed acrobats’ performing their comedy tribute to the cult movie – they’re at Assembly Rooms.

The Centrepiece Global Sacred Circle Dance, Lighting up the World with Dance is at Craigmillar Park Church, offering ‘sacred, circle and traditional dances which bring communities together’.

Children’s shows

Fringe regular Marcel Lucont brings Les Enfants Terribles – A Gameshow For Awful Children to Assembly, which is also where you’ll find The Mighty Kids Beatbox Comedy Show Strikes Back!  Pinocchio! The Panto is at theSpaceUK, as the titular puppet ‘learns some hard lessons about what it takes to be a real boy’. At Underbelly, Trash Test Dummies is an ‘award-winning, side-splitting, slapstick comedy circus routine’ about household bins.

Musicals and opera

Potty the Plant at Gilded Balloon is a ‘new dark-comedy musical starring Potty, a singing, talking, tap-dancing pot plant’. Blue Morpho at Greenside tells the story of Juliane Koepcke, a teenager in the 1970s who survived a plane-crash and 11 days in the Amazon. theSpaceUK boasts several musical adaptations including Frozen Jr, Shrek Jr and Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost. And Boys in the Buff at C venues explores issues around body confidence, with two ‘clothing optional’ performances on 15 and 22 August.

TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] by Harry Hill and Steve Brown is at the Pleasance.  Another Afternoon at the Opera with Brian Bannatyne-Scott and Friends is at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, offering ‘an enchanting concert of operatic highlights’.

Spoken word

Alice Hawkins – Suffragette at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre is ‘a stirring and passionate account’ of the early-1900s feminist delivered by her great-grandson Peter. In Loft Clearance at Greenside we join Eileen ‘as she rummages through a hundred years’ worth of possessions’ in her loft.

Fringe 2022: The Ofsted Massacre

THE OFSTED MASSACRE

Fawlty Towers meets Bad Education in this modern farce by Phil Porter

It’s Monday morning at a sleepy further education college in Sussex. The caretakers unlock the building, and a Drama teacher is rehearsing Romeo and Juliet.

Just as a group of careerworn teachers are about to begin period one, the call comes through to the principal and Ofsted arrive! Cue hilarity, romance and a little murder.

This is KGS Theatre Company’s fourth outing to the fringe following their hits Female Transport, 2015, Joseph K, 2017, and Rattigan’s Nijinsky 2019 .

First performed as a LAMDA showcase, this is a national premiere of Ofsted Massacre.

KGS Theatre company are the keen Sixth Form Drama students from Kingston Grammar School. Directed and produced by the Drama and English departments.

“an excellent performance of which the youthful cast should be very proud”

★★★★ SGFringe

“Good performances from a capable young cast.”

 British Theatre Guide

“a young company that demonstrates the intellect and talent their generation has

to offer”

Broadway Baby

Listings information

Venue: theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

Dates: 22–27 August 2022

Time: 09:50 (1hr20)

Ticket prices: £12.50 / concessions £7.50

Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com

Suitable for 12+

Fringe 2022: Ideation

‘What if this is a mass conspiracy against me?’ 

Hypothetically speaking, if you were in a boardroom with a ticking clock, the survival of humanity on your shoulders and a growing sense of a darker reality, would  you succeed… no matter what?

A group of corporate consultants’ battle morality and mystery  with logic in this hilariously dark play. Do hypothetical actions have very real consequences? Is  everything just as it seems and how do you know that? Can we trust you to let the paranoia sink  in, as comedy and thriller distort the truth of this hypothetically real Ideation! 

Aaron Loeb’s sinister comedy will leave you questioning all things you ever thought to be real.  Ideation, first performed in 2014, scarily resonates with prominent affairs today. Set in real time,  Ideation is a fast-paced analytical response to the society we live in today. With a directorial  debut, Chlöe Hallsworth has brought to life (and to Edinburgh) a play that will leave you wanting  more. 

Exeter University Theatre Company, fondly known as EUTCo, is one of the largest and longest  running theatre societies at the university. Our goal is to get students involved in directing,  producing, stage management, technical management, and performing professional quality  drama.

The society provides a platform to produce innovative and high-quality student theatre, in  an effort to entertain and inspire the rest of the student body and the larger community in  Exeter.

EUTCo also offers a number of industry led workshops for members and non-members  to further provide theatrical opportunities for students. 

‘Ideation makes the mundane amusing and the average extraordinary’ Exeposé

Listings information 

Venue: theSpace @ 45 

Dates: 15-27 August 2022 (not 21st) 

Time: 12:10 (1.5 hours) 15-20 August, 13:15 (1.5 hours) 22-27 August Ticket prices: £6.00 / Concessions £5.00 

Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com 

Suitable for 16+

Fringe 2022: An Idiom’s Guide to the Galaxy

Son and father-in-law, Dave and Pretty Good Nick, invite you to jump on their absurdist bandwagon to explore the world of idioms in An Idiom’s Guide to the Galaxy. A fast-paced, fact-filled show that’s as funny as a barrel of monkeys. 

An Idiom’s Guide to the Galaxy is one of Captain Breadbeard Productions new shows. It will be attempting to cut the mustard for the first time this year, as it is the world premiere of this show.

This competitive comedy sketch show is full of facts that will race through your mind and the theatre. Unlike their other production at Fringe, this gluten free offering from Captain Breadbeard is aimed at an older audience of fourteen and over. 

This fast-paced, absurd sketch comedy show is full of music, audience participation, game shows, such as An Idiom Abroad and Has it Got a Sock in it?! An Idiom’s Guide to the Galaxy also provides an education look at many everyday sayings and phrases. QI meets Shooting Stars meets Mighty Boosh. 

There are over 25,000 idioms in the English language alone. Join Dave and Nick as they explore what water off a duck’s back really tastes like and find out who is freezing the balls off a brass monkey. Suitable for village idioms, American idioms and idioms abroad. 

Dave Watt is the founder of Captain Breadbeard Productions. The co-directors and performers, Dave Watt and Nick Surridge, are a son and father-in-law duo whose story is just as tantalising as their show.

The original idea for Captain Breadbeard Productions and the subsequent shows blossomed at a networking event in Croatia. Dave was approached by a woman who explained she had been trying to locate him, but did not know what he looked like. Someone told the woman he was ‘the man with bread on his face,’ although he had a standard hairy beard at the time with not a crumb in sight.

The conversation inspired Dave so much that he collaborated with his father-in-law to create the production company and baked his way into a legacy. 

The company also perform Captain Breadbeard’s Bready Brilliant Comedy Cookbook at C aquila during the Edinburgh Fringe 2022. 

Previous reviews for Captain Breadbeard Productions: 

‘Brave, childishly satisfying… silly comedy at its best’ Audience Review, Brighton Fringe 

‘A wonderfully funny and playful hour of entertainment that will make you laugh your socks off’ �������� Page on Stage 

www.CaptainBreadbeard.com 

Listings Information 

C ARTS | C venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe | C aquila, Roman Eagle Lodge, 2 Johnston Terrace, EH1 2PW, venue 21, 3-28 Aug at 21:00 (1hr00) Tickets £8-£10 Comedy (New writing, Sketch show, Drama, Absurdist, Theatre) (recommended for ages 14+) 

C ARTS box office +44 (0)131 581 5555 / res.CtheArts.com/event/34:3709 

Fringe box office +44 (0)131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com 

Fringe 2022: How To Be A Better Human at Summerhall

‘Some Hedgehogs are Absolute Dickheads’

What does a 70-year-old man pulling dead rats out of gutters have to do with becoming a better human? Chris Singleton has the answer in his spoken word comedy show ‘How to be a Better Human’ at Summerhall this month.

“I lost my dad to bowel cancer in 2019,” says Chris. “And a few months later my wife left me.  So I did what anyone would do, and wrote a comedy about it.”

‘How to Be a Better Human’ is a spoken word comedy about grief, loss and self-acceptance. Set up as a Ted Talk, it features powerpoint comedy, animation and original music.

“I wanted to explore the lightness and humour in death and divorce,” continues Chris. “How we can lose everything and still find the strength to rebuild. How it helped me become better at empathising, connecting and understanding.”

His debut show has received glowing reviews on tour across the North, with many comments about how the show shifts between laughter and sadness.

“Death is something we’re all going to experience – that’s one thing we can be absolutely sure of. So why don’t we talk about it more? I’m hoping this show will spark conversation and understanding around the subjects of death and grief.”

To find out how growing a beard can be the best decision of your life, and why some hedgehogs are absolute dickheads, catch How to be a Better Human this month.

How to be a Better Human is on every day at 6pm until Saturday 28th August (excluding Monday 15th & Monday 22nd)

Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre

Fringe First Winners bring THE GOLFER to Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Twilight Theatre Company presents

The Golfer

A fast-paced, comic fantasia By two-time Fringe First winner Brian Parks

Directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry

Assembly George Square Studio Two

August 3 – 29 at 3:05 PM

Fringe First Winners Bring THE GOLFER to Edinburgh

In THE GOLFER – a fast-paced comic fantasia – an ordinary guy skips work to play golf. But on the first tee he’s struck by lightning, thrusting him into a world of hard- nosed detectives, talking golf clubs, the Wife of Bath, and a peculiar underground river.

The play was first produced at The Brick theater in New York City in 2016 and won five New York Innovative Theatre Awards.

Time Out New York awarded it four stars and called it “A gleefully out-there dark comedy.”

The Village Voice said that “The Golfer might be a sly commentary on the impending end-times. Or a demonstration of how the human brain short-circuits when its owner spends too much time in front of a TV or computer screen. Or, like the singing gonads in its early moments, it could just be nuts.

“I won’t spoil the fun by giving away the ending, but only say that, especially for those overeducated, buttoned-up folks who languish in cubicles, it’s a much-needed antidote.”

Brian Parks is an American playwright whose work has been produced in New York City and several other cities in the U.S. The plays have also been staged in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

His play Americana Absurdum helped launch the New York International Fringe Festival, where it also won the Best Writing Award. Parks has become a regular at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with seven plays previously presented at Assembly: Americana Absurdum, The House, Enterprise, Imperial Fizz, The Professor, Goner, and American Poodle (Splayfoot). He has won two Fringe Firsts, for Enterprise and Americana Absurdum.

New York-based director Margarett Perry is a frequent collaborator with Parks, having directed the world premiere of The House at the Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca, New York, as well as productions of the play at the Human Race Theatre in Ohio and at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Assembly).

Her other Fringe credits include the Fringe First award-winning production of Brian Dykstra’s Clean alternatives (Assembly), No Parole (Audience Favorite Nominee), and Confessions of Old Lady #2. She has directed and developed new work Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the U.S.

Recent favorites include the critically acclaimed world premieres of Born in East Berlin by Rogelio Martinez and Seared by Theresa Rebeck, both at San Francisco Playhouse, Brian Dykstra’s Use to Was (Maybe Did) with Center Theatre Group,
and Shrek the Musical at Connecticut Rep.

Margarett was the Resident Director at the Kitchen Theatre, where she has directed over 25 productions. www.margarettperry.com

The accomplished cast includes Parks veterans and a team of actors that has been working together for years with Margarett Perry—Matthew Boston (Enterprise, The House), Brian Dykstra (Americana Absurdum, Enterprise), Patrick Frederic (Goner), Vince Gatton (The House), Lori Prince, and Alex Sunderhaus (The House).

The ensemble plays nearly 60 different characters. Joining director Margarett Perry on THE GOLFER creative team are: Tom Kitney, production design; Julian Crocamo, composition and sound design; Dan Lawson, costume design; Alex Ridley, production stage manager and Natalie Tell, associate director and producer.

Founded by Sturgis Warner, Twilight Theatre Company’s mission is to develop, workshop, and produce new work by theater artists and to tell stories that deepen our awareness. Past productions include Ted LoRusso’s Prelude to the First Day, Suite for Four Actors and Percussionist, Brian Dykstra’s A Play On Words at 59E59 Theaters, and Palestine by Najla Saïd.

Now under the artistic leadership of Margarett Perry, Twilight continues to develop and present new work through readings, workshops, and productions. During the shutdown, Twilight ventured into the short film and music video world, producing digital content such as #Hashtag That-Say Their Name (from the musical Crazy Make Crazy) and This Doesn’t Work, written and performed by Darian Dauchan and Brian Dykstra.

Twilight contributed to the development of the animated feature film My Love Affair With Marriage, directed by Signe Baumane; the piece will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.

“A gleefully out-there dark comedy.” ☆☆☆☆ Time Out New York

“The Golfer might be a sly commentary on the impending end-times. Or a demonstration of how the human brain short-circuits when its owner spends too much time in front of a TV or computer screen. Or…it could just be nuts.” –The Village Voice

“No American writer’s more thoughtful in an explosive and comic way.” –The Scotsman

LISTING INFORMATION

Venue: Assembly George Square Studio Two
Time: 15:05
Running Time: 70 minutes
Dates: 3 – 29 August. Previews 3, 4 August. No shows 10 or 17 August.
Tickets: Previews Aug 3 & 4 £8.50; Aug 5-9, 12-14, 19-21, 26-28 £15 (£14); Aug 11, 15- 16, 18, 22-25, 29 £13 (£12)

Bookings: assemblyfestival.com, 0131 623 3030 or Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly George Square, Assembly Checkpoint and Assembly Rooms.  

Web: twilighttheatrecompany.org 

Web: assemblyfestival.com 

Instagram: twilighttheatreco

 Facebook: twilighttheatreco

Fringe 2022: Anu Vaidyanathan BC:AD (Before Children: After Diapers)

Stand-up comic Anu Vaidyanathan used to be an international triathlete, who became a mum and then she was history.

BC:AD (Before Children, After Diapers) is an invitation to anyone that finds themselves slightly overdrawn, mostly obscure and definitely needing the sound of another voice to reason with their own challenges.

In her debut standup hour, Anu paints a peripatetic picture of a comedian, filmmaker and sometime engineer who loves endurance sports, including parenting.

From the equatorial latitudes of Madras, India to the glacial confines of Munich, Germany, the throughline of BC:AD is anything but a line. It resembles a cooked thread of spaghetti. Or string cheese past its due date, with enough twists and turns to make the most ambitious wedgie, jealous.

If before children, Anu was considered unique for being one of few women to race triathlons, after diapers she finds herself being the least common multiple. A mum. And that might be something to write home about.

Anu Vaidyanathan is a filmmaker, comedian and engineer whose memoir Anywhere But Home was long-listed for the Mumbai Film Festival’s word-to-screen market in 2016. Her feature scripts have found themselves at the final rounds at Sundance and Rotterdam.

As a comedian, she has gigged across greater Europe and London and has trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France.

Scotsman Fringe First Award for Sonya Kelly’s comedy The Last Return

Druid today announced that their world premiere production of Sonya Kelly’s new comedy The Last Return has won a prestigious Scotsman Fringe First Award at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Scotsman Fringe First Awards celebrate the best new writing at the festival.

As part of their commitment to new Irish writing, Sonya Kelly’s comedy was produced by Druid in Galway, had its world premiere at the 2022 Galway International Arts Festival in July, and is now running at the Traverse Theatre in the heart of Edinburgh. Following this international run, the production returns to Ireland for dates at Dublin’s Gate Theatre as part of Dublin Theatre Festival in October and November.

News of the Scotsman Fringe First Award follows rave reviews by critics including five-star ratings from What’s On Stage, The Arts Desk and The Wee Review, and praise such as ‘pitch black comic mayhem’ from The Guardian, ‘wonderful’ from The New York Times, and ‘shocking and very funny’ from The Irish Times.

This is the second Scotsman Fringe First Award for playwright Sonya Kelly who previously won in 2012 for her play The Wheelchair on My Face.

Druid has won numerous awards at Edinburgh Festival Fringe over the years including in 1980 for two plays, Island Protected by a Bridge of Glass and The Pursuit of Pleasure (both written by Garry Hynes), in 2007 for The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh, and in 2008 for another Enda Walsh play, The New Electric Ballroom.

Directed by Sara Joyce, The Last Return is a thrilling comedy about conflict, peace and the pursuit of territory at any cost. One final night. One last chance. Five people queue for a ticket to the hottest show in town. All they must do is simply wait in line. But what in life is ever simple? Who will triumph, who will fail, and who will walk away with… The Last Return?

Following the success of Furniture (2018) and Once Upon a Bridge (2021), The Last Return marks the third time Druid has premiered a new work by Sonya Kelly. The Last Return has already earned the acclaimed playwright a nomination for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, while Once Upon a Bridge was nominated for Best New Play at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2021, and Furniture won the Stewart Parker Trust Award in 2019.

Playwright Sonya Kelly: ‘I am thrilled and humbled to receive a Scotsman Fringe First Award for The Last Return at Traverse Theatre.

“It has been an unforgettable journey getting this play from page to stage with Druid and director Sara Joyce. Here’s to the return of live theatre and welcome back Edinburgh Fringe. We missed you.’

Garry Hynes, Druid’s Artistic Director: ‘I am so thrilled for Sonya, for everyone in The Last Return company, and my colleagues in Druid. It’s an honour for us to share Sonya’s work with audiences at home and abroad.

“I’m also very grateful to our Edinburgh hosts, Traverse Theatre, and to our funders and supporters, including our core funder, the Arts Council of Ireland, and Culture Ireland, who made our Edinburgh run possible.’

theSpaceUK celebrates the opening of 2022 programme

theSpaceUK kicks off their 27th year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in style

It was a night to remember as theSpaceUK kicked off their 27th year at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a powerhouse performance packed launch at theSpace Triplex.

Artists from a wide variety of genres came together to wow audiences with a small flavour of the 400+ shows available in this year’s programme. Featuring eleven fantastic acts, the launch was a showcase of music, comedy, theatre and packed with plenty of action, to give a taste of the talent on show at theSpaceUK this year.

theSpaceUK pioneered the return of grass roots performance to the festival last year and continues to offer the most established programme for new and original writing as well as established work offering that unique and special experience that can only be found in Edinburgh during August.

Highlights from theSpaceUK Press Launch


Kicking off proceedings was the Hip Hop Orchestra Experience direct from California which seamlessly fused hip-hop and classical music. Upcoming theatre company koi collective premiered a new comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe, Crossing the Void, with a swirl of intrigue and emotion.

A multimedia hybrid, part live stand-up, part film, Apartness featured Sylvester McCoy, Linda Marlowe in a tale of two isolated souls and their devilish comedian saviour. Prejudice & Pride was new folk musical comedy that reimagines Jane Austen’s classic novel in modern America with gender-swapped characters.

How do predators justify what they have done? Why do some victims survive and others perish? Brother’s Keeper is about courageous survival. Merrill gets diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and tries to make sense of her life and chaotic childhood in Merrill Means Well.

The Mistake is a compelling new play by Michael Mears that explores the events surrounding the catastrophic “mistake” that launched our nuclear age.

UK Underdog is a solo show based on true events in a London, Jewish boy’s life told with humour and plenty of chutzpah.

A modern tale of the gay scene which can be harsh and lonely, Soho Boy is packed with glamour, sex and songs.

One-liners and light-hearted jokes from the UK Pun Championships winner 2022 and Scottish Comedian of the Year runner-up 2021, Richard Pulsford had the audience in stitches.

Puppet Pansori Sugungga is an untraditional staging of classical Korean themes using the traditional puppetry of pansori and live music. All hosted by the freshest comedian at the Fringe, It’s Fraser Brown.

About theSpaceUK

Established in 1995, theSpaceUK hosts the largest and most diverse programme at the fringe. Companies, both professional & amateur, are given an affordable, supportive and professional platform to showcase their work. 

About the venue

theSpaceUK operates 19 venues across 7 sites including: theSpace@Surgeon’sHall, theSpace@SymposiumHall, theSpace on North Bridge, theSpace on the Mile, theSpaceTriplex, the Space@Venue45. Further details will be revealed in the coming months.

Follow us

www.thespaceuk.com
@thespaceuk
facebook.com/thespaceuk

Fringe Street Events Taster stages bring 650 performances to New Town

As the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe gets underway, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society are delighted to announce a full programme of activity for the new Taster Stages in St Andrew Square and Cathedral Square in St James Quarter.

Following an announcement about the extension of the traditional Street Events programme to new sites across the city centre, the Fringe Society team have been excited by the level of support shown by artists for the new spaces.

Scheduled daily from 11:00 – 18:00, the new stages will bring a taster of the Fringe to the New Town, with performers from 170 shows participating in 650 performances across both stages.

From music to magic, dance to comedy, and theatre to circus, there will be something for everyone visiting the spaces this August.  In St Andrew Square the TikTok team will be in residence and will live stream on various dates throughout August.  In the St James Quarter, the Taster Stage in Cathedral Square will be the first event to take place in this new space.

Audiences are encouraged to make repeat visits to the two stages, with performers changing throughout the day.  The tasters have been designed to allow visitors to the area the opportunity to get to know work by the artists, before booking a ticket to see their full show.

Shona McCarthy, CEO at The Edinburgh Fringe Society said: “This summer we’re delighted to be able to expand the Street Events programme to these new spaces in the New Town. 

“It’s been fantastic to see the volume of artists who have engaged with these opportunities and we encourage anyone visiting these areas to stop by to get a taste of the Fringe Festival. 

“We are grateful to our sponsors and partners in supporting our expansion of Street Events and look forward to watching performance in both the live experience, and digitally on TikTok.”

James Stafford, Head of Community & partnerships, TikTok UK, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Festival Fringe Society this year as the Official Virtual Stage.

“We will be livestreaming from the TikTok Taster Stage in St Andrews Square throughout the festival, so whether you are lucky enough to be in Edinburgh or want to tune in from afar on TikTok, the magic of the Fringe will be more accessible than ever before.’

Cllr Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a very special year for the Fringe, not only does it see the return of an amazing programme of artists and performers from around the world, it also marks 75 years of this extraordinary festival.  

“This exciting addition of new sites offering taster performances from the Fringe’s jam-packed programme brings a wider opportunity for current and potential Fringe fans to sample some of the 650 acts who will be entertaining audiences this month.”

Paul Bush, VisitScotland Director of events, said: “EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the return of the Fringe Street Events at this year’s Festival as they extend to new locations across the city centre.

“Our atmospheric crowds, iconic venues and picture-perfect backdrops make Scotland the perfect stage for events and after the challenges of the last two years now is the time to get out and enjoy all these free events have to offer.”

Nick Peel, St James Quarter said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the Taster Stage in Cathedral Square kicking off a fantastic summer of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe at the Quarter.

“The Fringe is such an integral part of the city, the partnership supports our ambition of offering guests new experiences every time they visit. We can’t wait to see the incredible talent from across the globe descend on Cathedral Square, giving us a taste of what’s on offer across the City this August.”

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Fringe Society and St James Quarter to bring free Fringe activity to St Andrew Square Garden and Cathedral Square.

“I encourage everyone to stop by and get a real feel for the fantastic artists and shows on offer. With the addition of the free Fringe stages, there is now significant Fringe presence throughout the New Town, complementing the traditional Old Town offering and ensuring we have a thriving and vibrant area during August, welcoming residents and visitors to our wonderful city centre.”