A new play about two remarkable women in the WW2 Special Operations Executive
Dates: 19-27 Aug at 11.30 am
Vera Atkins and Noor Inayat Khan were exceptional women who worked for the S.O.E (Special Operations Executive) tasked with espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance during World War Two.
As a wireless operator Noor’s life expectancy is six weeks. Under the codename ‘Madeline’ she is flown by moonlight to occupied France with a bicycle, briefcase and a pistol. But with the Gestapo on her trail, and the net closing in, her life is in great danger.
Atkins trained Madeline and sent her to her position as a wireless operator in France. But now the war is over she is haunted by what happened to the ‘Indian princess’ and intent on uncovering the truth.
Highlighting the sorely-neglected role that ethnic minorities played in the war effort S.O.E aims to right a wrong and celebrate the contribution of these incredibly brave individuals.
“Minorities such as Noor have been sponged out of history quite deliberately,” said the play’s writer, Deborah Clair. “We’ve got to reverse and challenge that and I believe it is our duty to remember them.”
As well as playing the role of Vera Atkins Deborah runs Clair Obscur – a female led-theatre company dedicated to placing inspiring women of the past centre-stage.
Their last play, “A Necessary Woman”, – based on the suffragette Emily Davison – drew sell-out crowds to venues across the country and received coverage on national TV and radio.
Venue: Assembly Rooms Front Room George Street, EH2 2LR
Time: 11:30 Running Time: eg: 60mins
Dates:19 – 27 August
Tickets: £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
A wild, high-tech, rock-smashing journey to the Neolithic origins of mining
Rocks, beats and geological time: this is a violent, fun, loud and lyrical experience, with projection design from award-winning Limbic Cinema. Copper mining has fuelled the growth of human civilisation for the last 10,000 years.
In Megalith a silent physical performer and digital sound artist explore the ever-growing trajectory of mining and technological development, and what it means in the 21st century.
Playfully duetting to Deep-Time techno, metamorphic soundscapes and the Internet of Things, performers Charles Sandford and Xavier Velastin journey deep down to the origins of mining. Harnessing Neolithic tools to smash up to 250kg of rocks, Herald Angel winners MECHANIMAL explore the mysterious activity of bashing stone and getting metals.
‘Beautiful, contemplative … a remarkable and urgent show’Guardian (Vigil 2019)
Every piece of technology we own has come from rock.
But copper (the first metal to be mined) has a vital role right now. In transitioning from fossil fuels, global copper production (concentrated in Chile) must sky-rocket to make the batteries and cables for electrification. But does more extraction continue a questionable trajectory of more manufacture, more stuff, more economic growth… and thereby more inequality and waste? What of alternatives such as ‘urban mining’ (recycling of metals from tech waste)?
Rather than being an info-heavy show, Megalith views these issues through metaphor, creating a simple theatrical poem. The Neolithic culture that started mining also created stoneworks consisting of a single line leading into concentric circles (eg Stonehenge).
Megalith explores thisline-into-circleform: how might it offer a timely metaphor, when the need to shift from an extractive, linear relationship with Earth’s resources is ever more urgent?
The show was developed in collaboration with researchers from Bristol University and The Natural History Museum and made through research journeys to Neolithic copper mines and stone circles across the UK. All rocks, technology and other materials used in Megalith will be effectively and responsibly recycled.
MECHANIMAL’s Director, Tom Bailey, said ‘Copper is a vital but little-known part of the present energy and ecological crises, and even the Russia-Ukraine war. We look to find creative and fascinating ways of engaging people with this.’
‘Memorable, a requiem against a clock counting down’‘★★★★ Scotsman (Vigil 2019)
MECHANIMAL won a Herald Angel in 2018 for Zugunruhe. Bristol-based, the company’s work explores life on a changing planet. It tours performances (created with a range of artists and researchers) both nationally and internationally.
‘Extraordinary … moving and enlightening’New Scientist (Zugunruhe 2018)
Back for its fifth year, with a new Chief of Engagement and a new Creative Director, Army @ The Fringe is poised to provoke public discussion through plays, art, poetry, and talks programmed to act as a foil to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, showing the Army in a different, unexpected light.
As the Fringe emerges from Covid, Army @ The Fringe is playing its part in recovery. None of its visiting artists pay rent to perform in the venue, which keeps ticket prices affordable and means over a quarter of shows are free or pay what you want.
For the first time Army @ The Fringe has commissioned research and development works and play readings. Some are being performed by graduands from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland which sees their Fringe Debuts fully funded.
Lt. Col Hugo Clark MBE, who is responsible for Military Engagement across the whole of Scotland, is no stranger to Edinburgh and its festivals, having Commanded Edinburgh Garrison and the Military aspects of the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo for three years.
Lt. Col Clark said: “We’re trialing lots of initiatives to reach new audiences. For instance, we’re working with the University of Dundee to offer free tickets to humanities students from Scottish Secondary Schools up to 90 minutes from Edinburgh for productions and post show talks about history and international relations.
“We’re also collaborating with Scotland’s new Centre for Military Research, Education and Public Engagement at Edinburgh Napier University on a programme of post-show talks about veterans, spouses and mental health.
“In a year where the Fringe is on its way to recovery by having 80% of its 2019 programme, I’m pleased to support this by increasing our own capacity by 60% from last year through innovative programming and deploying a team who really have pulled out the stops to support this logistically.”
Leading the Creative Direction of Army at the Fringe is veteran producer, writer and artist Harry Ross who brings over two decades of experience to the artistic programme. He is also a serving Reservist, part of a new direction for Army @ The Fringe which will see soldiers start to play a more interactive role in creating work.
Interestingly, the venue in Hepburn House, an Army Reserve Centre on East Claremont Street, a fifteen-minute walk from Fringe Central, has some pedigree for artistic soldiers – two of Scotland’s well known modernist painters, Francis Caddell RSA and William Geissler enlisted into the Royal Scots at Hepburn House in the 20th Century.
Harry Ross said: “I rejoined the Army reserve as part of Artistic Research I am undertaking into the Hagiography of the Highland Warrior at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee.
“As part of the University’s ethical approval process, I had to explain what I was doing to my military superiors who have been exceptionally supportive of my research. When I was asked by HQ Army in Scotland to help Army @ The Fringe, I felt it was a way of returning that support.
“I’m no stranger to life in the British Army, my father commissioned half a century ago and retired in 2006. Today’s army is very different to the one I grew up next to, and I hope that my programme reflects the values of a contemporary, diverse, and moral organization that the British Army seeks to become, with plays that accentuate how the moral component is key to an army that needs its soldiers to be reflective on choices made during service and respectful of all communities.”
The arts have always been interwoven with the British Army and cultural influences are reflected in works of art and poetry that soldier artists have created on their return from operations overseas, and music that has been composed during and after conflict.
As part of Army @ The Fringe’s strategy to present more work outside central Edinburgh, the art of conflict will be in the spotlight at a special concert of chamber music composed by 20th and 21st century composers at war, and Edinburgh Napier University Music Students that will be presented by members of the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland at the War Poets Collection, Edinburgh Napier University, Craiglockhart Campus on 28th August.
Soldiers creating works of art and music is one element of how the army interacts with the arts, another important interaction is that all soldiers must understand how to protect cultural property. This is not just the physical works of art or architecture but also the intangible heritage of oral history, performing arts, the values, traditions, and identities of communities.
“The Baltic Countries have a UNESCO Protected Intangible Heritage in their music and dance festivals. The one in Estonia is known as Laupupidu”, said Lieutenant Colonel Wendy Faux, the lead for arts in the Army for the last three years.
“The Kings Royal Hussars Battlegroup formed a choir whilst deployed in Tapa. They had a Russian Musical Director and performed with local choirs from the region around Tapa – in old Estonian.
“For me this was the coming together of communities through a mutual respect of music. It was interesting that many in the crowd could not believe the soldiers were singing in an old Estonian dialect that many of them would not attempt.”
It was this event along with the links Ross has nurtured over the years that has inspired a programme that brings together different voices through Intangible Heritage, with a highlight of the Poetry and Plays of young playwrights from the Baltic nations and modern writers from the Visegrád Group.
Continuing with the cultural heritage theme there are workshops and readings that investigate Scotland’s own linguistic diveristy, with an event exploring exploring why so many British Army units celebrate the Scots poet Robert Burns with senior non-commissioned officers form the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and a workshop on Gaelic war poetry produced in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library and led by Outlander’s very own Bard – Gillebrìde MacMillan.
Army @ The Fringe is also presenting two photographic exhibitions: – One is a remount of Alex Boyd’s acclaimed photographic exhibition at Stills Gallery – Tir An Airm (Land of the Army), that explores the largely unseen places in Scotland that are used to train our armed forces and those of our NATO allies.
The other is a retrospective of the work of prizewinning military photographer Bdr. Murray Kerr – To Spur a Running Horse, a collection of Portraits of veterans at rest and Officer Cadets in the field.
This year presents an opportunity for audiences and creatives to immerse themselves in a finely-honed programme of premières that bring the questions that really matter to light – what is our Army for; how do we train it; what are our values; how do we treat our veterans; who do we serve with and why; and what is our place in contemporary Scotland, the UK, and the wider world?
From womanhood to war, from class and punk to falling in and out of love to the beautiful game, ‘Fire is Not the Only Element’ is about our lives, our humanity, our foibles, foul-ups and frailties. Creating from real life experiences, Morna Burdon uses poetry to express the joy, sadness, humour, beauty and absurdity of life.
As a performer, writer, singer, director, Morna has toured Scotland and abroad telling stories through theatre and performance. With ‘Fire is Not the Only Element’, she turns her talents to poetry as she weaves a tapestry of poems, spoken word and song to shed light on people and situations that often remain hidden and unsung.
“During lockdown, I wrote a poem about having COVID (didn’t we all ??!!) and people really liked it, so I wrote on a different topic, then another and poems just kept coming until it became a show!”
Whether directing, performing or writing, Morna mines for stories and then finds ways of telling them that honour the integrity of the people on whose lives a light is being shone.
In her singing, her writing, her theatre, she is interested in the extraordinary in the so-called ‘ordinary’.
“I am delighted that this show- with its emphasis on poetry – is returning to the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Fringe after its sell-out premiere in April 2022. This is the place where I started my one woman shows. It is the storytelling aspect of poems that I enjoy in performance.
“I love that people can respond together in the same room to these glimpses of life, as you do with a film, or a photograph, or a good piece of theatre. A good poem should grab you in the same way these other art forms do.”
Morna is an Edinburgh-based theatre director, performer, singer and writer whose work has appeared throughout Scotland and abroad. She has toured extensively in Scotland and has directed and performed with a range of international artists from throughout Europe and Africa, also working professionally in Milan, Dublin, Hamburg and Denmark.
Previous work has included Fringe successes ‘Bonnie Fechters: Songs and Stories of Women of Courage’ and ‘Gie’s Peace’, about women peace activists. She has performed Shakespeare at Glastonbury and recently acted with English Theatre Milan on a Zoom production of the French farce “Box and Cox”.
She has also led many theatre workshops, including writing for stage with mentees having their work developed and shown in venues ranging from community centres to the Royal Court Upstairs.
Poetry and spoken word performances have included COP26, Hillhead Bookshop, Glasgow, Hunter S Thomson, Dundee. In June 2020 Morna won the Scottish Book Trust Fast Fiction Award.
Producer, Writers and Activists Programme, Edinburgh International Book Fringe
GIE’S PEACE
★★★★ Scots Gay Arts “Brilliantly dark humour”
RECOMMENDED “a clever, wistful look at the effects wars had on the world” Fringe Review
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LOCKDOWN ONLINE EVENTS
Fire is Not the Only Element
Edinburgh Performing Arts Development Zoom Platform Event
Audience Comments
Gorgeous use of language … wonderfully performative… Connects with the audience at various stages of life… It has biographical power… stunning… loved the voice and delivery … full of compassion and humanity – as well as womanhood ” and ” I don’t like poetry, but I liked that – let me know when you do it again ”
EnglishMilan TheatreInternational Zoom Production (Fringeat the Space)
Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton
“All three performers succeeded in representing the eccentricity of the protagonists with an astonishing sense of humour and irony”.
Gioia Angeletti, Specialist in Scottish Theatre and Literature, Parma University
“Delightful tongue-in-cheek Victorian farce in Zoom form offers a laugh a minute and a chance to enjoy the actors’ ability in adjusting to a new medium”.
Patricia Anne Kennan, Adjunct Professor at Bicocca University, Milan “A special mention to Morna Burdon as Mrs Bouncer, who conveyed so much with the merest twitch of an eyebrow and/or lip.” Wilma G Stark, Translator,Writer, Storyteller
‘Cool Poems’ (Patti Smith). Rock n roll poetry at its visceral, inventive best
Fresh from wowing huge crowds when opening for The Libertines and John Cooper Clarke, Luke Wright serves up banger after banger at one of the hottest, most poetic, late-night shows in town. This is rock n roll poetry at its visceral, inventive best. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You might even pull.
Luke Wright’s Late Night Dance Floor Fillers (poems) is an hour of (mostly) new poems from the man dubbed ‘The Bard of Lockdown’ by The Daily Telegraph. His deliciously funny poems are set against a backdrop of pandemic politics, ageing parents, and an endless, droning, culture war.
Wright throws a squat party in his ‘poor old heart’ (bring a bottle!). He even finds a home for a couple of crowd-pleasing favourites, including an update on the riotous Essex Lion.
‘His performances rumble with rage, passion and humour.’ Guardian
Luke said ‘I never stopped performing in lockdown. Every night I connected with audiences via the internet. In some ways we formed a sort of support group and got each other through it.
“I’ve never felt so connected to my audiences as I do now. I’ve never performed so well. I can’t wait to be back in Edinburgh, it’s my 15th full run! We are going to have such fun.”
https://youtu.be/19pAd_UjthQ
Luke is one of the greats. A poetic pugilist. Beguiling and hypnotic.’ Carl Barat The Libertines
Flamboyant, political and riotously funny, Luke has an international reputation as a leader of the spoken word scene and as one of the UK’s most riveting spoken word performers. His poems are delivered with dynamism, intensity and charisma.
Keenly personal but always inflected with irreverent humour, his poetry is always based on his life and observations – as a poet, a father and a son. He is acknowledged as one of our top poets and one of the principle architects of the now thriving UK spoken word scene.
He is the winner of a Fringe First, a Stage Award for acting excellence and three Saboteur Awards, including Best Performer 2021.
If you like your late-night entertainment with a twist, and intelligence with your laughs, this is the show for you.
Luke is a very entertaining, witty, eloquent and erudite interviewee. Contact Steve Forster as above for availabilities, review tickets and images. Images can also be downloaded from www.sfppr.co.uk/downloads/
Luke also performs The Remains of Logan Dankworth, the third in his trilogy of verse plays, at Pleasance Above 3- 29 Aug (not 15/16/17) at 15.45.
Hope Mill Theatre in association with HER Productions (UK) presents
Classic!
Hold onto your hats as a cast of 6 romp through all those classic novels you never had time to read
Manchester’s Award-winning Hope Mill Theatre makes its Fringe debut with new comic play, racing through a multitude of classic novels in 60 minutes. At lightning speed and utilising multiple costume changes, Classic! races you from Black Beauty to Wuthering Heights via Moby Dick and many, many more …
Don’t worry – no previous literary experience is required! A thrilling script by Coronation St and Emmerdale writers Lindsay Williams and Peter Kerry combined with direction from actor and director Joyce Branagh (recently seen in Oscar winning film Belfast directed by her brother Kenneth) results in a brilliantly funny show for everyone.
Classic! is set around a group of actors coming together to break a record for the most novels ever shared on stage. In doing that, they share the stories in extremely unexpected ways: Moby Dick becomes a sea shanty, Jane Eyre is a silent movie, Oliver Twist is a film noir and Black Beauty a pantomime… and that’s just scratching the surface!
Joyce Branagh said: ‘I’m so excited to finally get CLASSIC! on stage – we first did a chunk of this in Manchester years ago and to now have a full show in 2022 is brilliant – definitely worth the wait!
“The script is hilarious – really snappy – and we’ve got a great bunch of experienced comedy actors, so the whole thing is going to be very VERY silly. Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens et al will be disco-dancing in their graves!’
Peter Kerry and Lindsay Williams have written many scripts for TV including long term involvement in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, The Archers and more. Lindsay is currently story producer on Waterloo Road.
The show has music by Louis Ashton Butler and musical direction from Joe Clayton and features a brilliant cast comprising of Louis Blair, Althea Burey, Amy Drake, Amy Gavin, Robin Simpson and Gareth Tempest.
Joseph Houston, Artistic Director of award-winning producing house Hope Mill Theatre, said:‘Hailing from Scotland, the Edinburgh Festival has played a big part in my life and I have many happy memories of seeing variety of shows.
“Being able to now be a part of the festival with a Hope Mill production, in what will be a very special year and its triumphant return, is a dream come true. From the minute we read CLASSIC! we knew this was a show destined for Edinburgh, with its fast paced, funny humour and a top-notch group of actors, you will never need to read another classic novel again!’
Hope Mill Theatre was founded in Manchester by Joseph Houston and William Whelton in 2015. Since then it has firmly placed itself on the northern map for its ambitious in-house productions including UK, European and World premieres, many of which have transferred to London and toured.
Their 2021 revival of RENT received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and won the What’s On Stage Award for Best Regional Production.
Listings information:
Classic!
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance One (Venue 33)
Dates: 3-28 Aug (not 8, 15, 22) First review date 3 Aug
“The 39 Steps” meets “An Inspector Calls” via Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Midsomer Murders. A cast of six brings a comic flurry of suspects and characters together to discover who done what, and why …
Except, well … four of the cast are stuck by the side of the road in the van, and only those two knights of the Theatre – Sir Gavin of Robertson and Sir Nicholas of Collett have managed to get to the venue… but ‘the show must go on’…
Comic clichés from the Detective genre abound in this genre-busting comedy from the masters of inventive silliness! That’s if the two of them can get through the play at all without losing the plot. Literally.
It’s not a new idea – it’s been DONE TO DEATH, BY JOVE – but not like this! Promise.
From touring in USA, Australia and beyond, they’re now at the The Space!
After two years of inaction while covid killed off live performance, investigating a murder seemed appropriate!
But how? With no income and no production funds in the bank, what to produce and how?
Nicholas Collett & Gavin Robertson found a solution – produce a show for six actors but manage with two! With almost no budget and a dearth of necessary actors this was a case of writing a Whodunnit, rehearsing the ACTUAL storyline – then working out how to sabotage themselves at every turn!
The result is this show – a storyline complete with bickering, audience on-the-spot interaction, and laughs a-plenty. And many hats!
Gavin and Nicholas now have 9 shows as a partnership, with Gavin best known for his West End hIt, THUNDERBIRDS F.A.B. (first seen at Edinburgh in 1987!) and Nicholas in the award-winning ‘Black & White Tea Room’ in 2019.
From Vogue magazine to putting Piers Morgan in his place and zombifying politician’s on Question Time. Come and join Edinburgh-born Supermodel Eunice Olumide for this hilarious exploration into the crazy and complicated world of modern-day political narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths running the planet we live on today.
Beyonce says ‘Who runs the world… Girls?’ Is this true or is it just Karen? From the catwalk to hard talk, sit back as she fashions a lyrical and hysterical debrief covering themes of home, family, politics and where we find ourselves in 2022.
Booking and performing at the well respected ‘The Stand’ comedy venue at the Fringe is no small feat for Eunice’s first show.
She says “Comedy is where my heart is, but since I’m not known as a comedian I’ve had to put myself on the line and push back against all those telling me to ‘stay in my lane’. I really just want to make people laugh and have a good time in many ways I never had the chance to just be myself before”
BIO
Born in Edinburgh, Scottish Supermodel MBE career spans continents across the globe.
Eunice Olumide is a force to be reckoned with, a Scottish supermodel, actress, and art gallerist, she has never shied away from controversy and speaks with authority on subjects she is passionate about. It is fair to say that everything Eunice touches turns to gold, but not by luck, through sheer dedication and hard work.
She landed a major role with urban music mogul ‘Stormzy’ in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses’ adding to previous achievements playing live at the Apollo NYC, and a five-star review for her solo production Metamorph at The Traverse Theater and cameo appearances in Ab Fab The Movie, Star Wars Rogue One, and The Last Jedi.
A passionate activist and campaigner Eunice has worked with the Center for Social Justice and spoken at the House of Parliament influencing the first ever inquiry into the impact of fast fashion on the environment. She is currently the Ambassador for FAD, Best Beginnings, Graduate Fashion Week, AAI, Zero Waste Scotland, and Fashion Targets, joining the ranks of Kate Moss, Edith Bowman, Twiggy, Alan Carr, and Sharon & Kelly Osborne.
Eunice starred in / produced the UK’s first ever award-winning podcast dedicated to women of color on BBC Radio 5 Live called the ‘Sista Collective’. Interviewing world heavyweights in film, fashion, and television including Amma Asante.
In November 2020 she worked with Simon Fredricks on the life of Stephen Lawrence and founded the ADBSF Fund primarily focused on supporting Afro-Caribbean businesses in a daunting Coivd-19 climate.
Taking a prime position in Simon’s 2021 ‘The Outsiders’ In 2019 she created ‘Next Generation Regeneration’ curating exhibitions, talks, and events at Tate Modern and The V & A, becoming the first ever Scottish Model to call into account the UK Government and highlight the Windrush Scandal.
She has appeared in every publication imaginable including ELLE, Glamour Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Collectible DRY, WAD, ID Magazine, Dazed & Confused, Oyster, Paper Cut, New York Magazine, Vogue, Italian Vogue, Bahrain Confidential, and Tatler.
This summer, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe returns bigger than ever, in this its 75th year, and Edinburgh University Students’ Association is set to re-open iconic venues across the city, in conjunction with its Festival partners, as well as a brand-new spot for 2022: Potterrow Plaza.
New for 2022, Edinburgh University Students’ Association in collaboration with Pleasance London will create a space in front of the Pleasance Dome with food, drink and immersive show experiences. As well as this brand-new spot, classic Fringe venues the Pleasance Courtyard, and Gilded Balloon at are set to return with a number of local favourite food and drink suppliers.
At the Potterrow Plaza, guests will get the chance to experience a séance or a take flight, in two new interactive simulation performances installed by the Pleasance Theatre Trust. Mint Falafel will be in residence with a delicious selection of flatbread wraps suitable for everyone from meat-eaters to vegans. The area will have plenty of seating and a bar and will be a great spot to take in the atmosphere right at the heart of the fringe.
The Pleasance Courtyard will be back at its best for 2022, with city favourites such as the Beach House, Pizza Geeks and Babu Kitchen (rebranded as Total Meltdown with delicious cheese toasties) to name a few.
Barnacles & Bones will be coming with a delicious pasta menu, CEC Catering, the team behind The Garden Bistro in Saughton, will be taking over the indoor cafe and Luxford Burgers, which is run by an Edinburgh University student, will also be at the venue, making sure visitors will never go hungry pre or post show!
The delicious food offering at The Pleasance will sit under the iconic canopy of umbrellas and stretch tents in the series of cobbled courtyards, which makes it the perfect spot to enjoy the festival atmosphere come rain or shine.
Pizza Geeks, much-loved amongst Edinburgh locals, will have an outlet inside the PleasanceDome. Their pizzas – inspired by beloved sci-fi and video game characters – can be enjoyed day and night in the Dome; ideal in the event there is August rain! The Pleasance Dome houses several fringe venues and has a dfun, unique atmosphere day and night. The spacious area also gives visitors a good chance of finding a seat to enjoy drinks for a quick break between shows.
The Gilded Balloon atTeviot venueis the perfect spot, day and night. From coffee to start the day, to a pre-show drink, to a DJ backed late-night in the Garden, the venue is in the heart of the fringe, from morning until the wee small hours throughout the month of August.
Linton&Co speciality coffee will be on site for festival caffeination, and food will be available from the team behind the ever-popular Down the Hatch. Drinks will be served from three bars in the Garden. The entire garden is sheltered, and guests can even cosy up in one of the colourful beach huts (which seat 6) if the weather takes a turn.
Inside Teviot, there will be several Grab & Go bars for show-goers to the many Gilded Balloon venues inside. The iconic Library Bar will be serving a wide selection of drinks and a diverse menu day and night.
Along Charles Street, outside the Gilded Balloon at Teviot venue, there will also be a row of food trucks that will take seat for the month, with Bross Bagels and Mac Love serving the best bagels and macaroni cheese in Edinburgh. Screaming Peacock will please meat lovers and veggies with a mouth-watering selection of burgers, and Crema Caravan will satisfy any sweet tooth with delightful artisan desserts.
Drinks will be flowing across all three venues, with Molson Coors products featuring across all locations. Coors, Prahva, Carling, Staropramen, Guinness, Rekorderlig ciders, Johnnie Walker, Gordon’s Gin, Fever Tree softs and much more will all be on offer, so there really is something for everyone.
Cocktails on draught will also be available in all sites so guests don’t have to wait long to be served, and can even grab a cocktail in a can whilst queuing for performances!
Niamh Roberts, Students’ Association President, said: “After lockdowns, the Fringe is back, and it is set to be one of the biggest ever. We want to make sure our guests have the best time, enjoying an amazing food and drinks offering across our sites.
“We hope everyone gets to experience as much as possible of what makes the Fringe so special.”
All three main venues are open ‘til late so visitors can enjoy the very best food and drink Edinburgh has to offer – whether they’re catching a show or catching up with friends.
The New-York based fund was designed to encourage new writing and live performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to announce the winners of the Carol Tambor Incentive Award, chosen by the Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation, based in New York.
The £10,000 ($13,000 US) fund was divided between a number of shows selected by the Foundation, which were registered in the theatre category for live, in-person performance at the Fringe in 2022. To be eligible for the annual fund, the work needed to be new, not previously performed at the Fringe or in New York, and featured a cast of at least two performers. Children’s work and monologues were not eligible.
The winners are as follows:
Burn – Ottawa Little Theatre
“Three longtime friends have had little contact since the death of the fourth member of their close-knit group, a best-selling horror writer. Now his estranged daughter has brought them all together again – but why?”
Ghosts of the Near Future – emma + pj
“In Vegas, a magician performs a final disappearing act. The end of the world is a magic trick – are you watching closely? Ghosts of the Near Future is a cowboy-noir fever dream about extinction.”
Hotel Elsinore – PLANT[UNLTD] / Susanna Hamnett
“Denmark. 2am. A hotel room. Three weary travellers, an unexpected will and a production of Hamlet to rehearse before morning. Tragedy and humour blend in this new play about the challenges of family, forgiveness and Shakespeare.”
LIGHTHOUSE – Early Doors Productions
“Off the coast of Angus in the North Sea is Caillte Lighthouse. Set just after WWI, the story follows two keepers and their training of a third before strange things start to occur that question their loyalty, honour, friendship and ultimately – their existence.”
Sandcastles – Brite Theater
“Sandcastles by Steve McMahon moves back and forth in time and memory to depict the tumultuous lifelong friendship of millennials Hannah and Beth. Beth is moving to New York. Hannah should be happy for her. When Beth goes missing Hannah can’t reconcile how she reacted with the fact that Beth might be gone.”
Swell – Tom Foreman Productions
“In 2014, residents of Fairbourne were watching their local news when they found out they were to be Britain’s first climate refugees, with their town set to be decommissioned and depopulated by 2054. Housing prices dropped over night, insurance disappeared and life savings were lost in the chaos.”
The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much – Voloz Collective
“Wes Anderson meets Hitchcock meets spaghetti western in this multi award-winning, intercontinental, inter-genre, cinematic caper of accusations, accidents and accents.”
The Mistake – Michael Mears’ Essential Theatre
“1942. On an abandoned squash court, a dazzling scientific experiment takes place that three years later will destroy a city and change the world forever… Told through the lives of a brilliant Hungarian scientist, a daring American pilot and a devoted Japanese daughter.”
The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness – Moon Rabbit
“It’s 1939 and Philomena McGuinness, a reluctant nurse, is on her way from Dublin to London. Newly recruited for the British war effort, she finds herself facing the challenge of a lifetime.”
Ultimatum – Treehouse
“Two strangers have one hour to split £1m. Sounds easy, but what happens when one of them refuses to play fair? What is fair? Who deserves money? Why?”
Carol Tambor said: “I had greatly anticipated coming back to Fringe 2022 after two impossibly long years away. As ever, I wanted to see well-developed work, suitable for transfer to New York and elsewhere. Because the two-year hiatus was so dispiriting, I wanted to provide an extra incentive for companies to present their plays, postponed and postponed again. All these works promise to be the excellent, polished pieces I’d want to see. I hope the Incentive Awards provided the extra funds to make them even better. Break a leg!”
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society,said: “I am delighted to announce the winners of the 2022 Carol Tambor Incentive Award, which champions live performance and supports new theatre at the Fringe. After the ups and downs of the last two years, generous funds such as this are vital in supporting artists both financially and creatively. We are massively grateful for the generosity of The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation in recognising these artists and supporting them in taking new work to Edinburgh’s stages this August.”