MORE than sixty artists will open their studios to visitors as Largo Arts Week kicks off on Saturday July 16 in Fife’s “Robinson Crusoe” village of Lower Largo.
The festival combines art, concerts, free gigs and talks with renowned crime novelists Sir Ian Rankin and Val McDermid each featuring in “an audience with” session.
The third annual Largo Arts Week – www.largoartsweek.com – runs from Saturday July 16 – Sunday July 24 and will also feature appearances by folk music legend Rab Noakes, Americana R&B guitarist Brooks Williams, international sculptor David Mach, singer and broadcaster Richard Jobson and children’s illustrator Jill Calder.
A total of 66 artists – nearly double the number who participated in the festival’s inaugural year in 2019 – will be exhibiting in 36 homes and studios, which will be open to the public throughout the week.
Lower Largo is famous as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the man who inspired the story of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.
Val McDermid and Ian Rankin will take part in “an audience with” events in the village’s Crusoe Hotel, being interviewed by Skids frontman and broadcaster Richard Jobson, who also hails from Fife.
The Crusoe Hotel will be the main ‘hub’ for the Festival with the Upper Largo Hotel and community café The Aurrie as other key venues.
Festival director Andrew Stenson said: “It’s shaping up to be a fantastic week of art and music and we hope there is something for everyone in the programme with the combination of internationally-known artists and writers along with local artistic talent.”
Key highlights of the festival include:
Scots folk music legend Rab Noakes, who is making his third appearance at the Arts Week, will join Georgia-born guitarist and Americana songwriter Brooks Williams in a gig at community venue, The Aurrie.
Internationally recognised opera singer, soprano Charlotte Whittle, will also give a recital at the community venue.
Award winning illustrator and calligrapher Jill Calder, whose work has featured in children’s picture books, huge hospital murals and global advertising campaigns, will be stage a Children’s Workshop at the Community Library.
Lower Largo’s harbour, next to its historic pier, will be the location for an open-air free concert for the community on Friday 22nd July, featuring a retro 80’s band.
Local bands Astral Suns, Longway, The Passing Stages and The Best Dressed Blues Band will be playing in a series of free gigs at the Upper Largo Hotel.
Edinburgh hip-hop artist, CTRL, highlights the racism experienced by his grandfather in 1960s Scotland in hotly anticipated single and EP release
Edinburgh hip-hop artist, CTRL, has announced the release of his latest single and hotly anticipated EP, the lyrics of which reveal a deeply honest insight into his backstory and personal life.
From the racism his grandfather endured after arriving in the UK from Sierra Leone, right through to his own present-day struggles – CTRL tackles tough topics and delivers them with finesse.
CTRL, 24, first made a name for himself in the Edinburgh rap and hip-hop scene as a regular DJ in the capital, before founding the record label, New Vision Records, with Paddy Do Rego in 2021.
Solo artist, Chris Thomas, also known as CTRL – a play on his initials and a reference to his determination to control his own future – speaks openly about his past on the single, See it Now, and the EP, Life and Times.
The subject matter covers the many tough decisions CTRL has made, addressing them in the unashamedly open and frank manner his fans have come to admire.
See it Now sees CTRL team up with Jock Begg, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. The single, produced by Leftmind, is a reflective, progressive track about CTRL conquering problems and becoming who he is today.
I plot the X on my map to grow the riches, Cross all these bridges ‘n’ ditches, which is nothing new, I been problem solvin’ Solve all the problems that I’m involved in (Taken from ‘See It Now’)
Staying true to himself is something that resonates throughout the entire EP, with CTRL’s backstory brought to the fore in the track, Hard to Love.
I unlock the scent of Mr Me Mr Confident I gotta vent, pain harder than it’s evident This relevant from my tone I’m tryna be grown Cos my roots lead back to Sierra Leone I’m the clover of the founder of the diamonds you own Grandad was black and 14 surviving all alone Prone to the racism. Taught that we don’t moan For a long time without a place that he could call home Thank you to the man that rescued his chance It’s eventually birthed CTRL to give you a glance The future I create it, the past is what has made it You can try and save it, maybe you phase it Best I hiatus, go and create this Future arena status Be patient
Commenting ahead of the single release, CTRL hinted that despite baring all in these tracks, there was still more to come, with an album set to be released in Autumn 2022.
‘I take inspiration from what I’ve been through, and as life continues to throw challenges my way, I’ll continue to flip those experiences into something positive and try to find the lesson in each one of them’ he said.
To celebrate American Independence Day, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has revealed further details about the debut of The United States Army Field Band, who will perform on the iconic Edinburgh Castle Esplanade this August.
The band, known worldwide as the Musical Ambassadors of the US Army, and 81 of these musicianswill bringa diverse and dynamic fusion of traditional and contemporary music to their much-anticipated performance for the 5th – 27th August run.
For their first ever performance at the Tattoo, members of the Concert Band, Soldiers’ Chorus, Jazz Ambassadors, and newly added rap artists will be performing.
Audiences will be treated to the best of Americana by the band with iconic music including classic pop and indie rock hits that will entertain Tattoo fans of all ages. Staff Sergeants, Lamar Riddick and Nicholas Feemster, will make their Field Band debuts with the Tattoo, bringing rap to the United States Department of Defence and the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade for the first time ever.
The Band was formed in 1946 as a way for America to connect to the Army and share their stories while honouring all of the brave soldiers and veterans. This year, the band’s female vocalists’ will pay tribute to original members of the band through their costumes which have been inspired by the iconic look and fashions of the Andrews Sisters – an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras.
Performers from The United States Army Field Band recently featured on “Soundtrack of the American Soldier,” whose production team won the Immersive Audio Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards held in March 2022.
Fellow American performers The United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team, who are the official ceremonial unit of the Air Force, will also return to the Esplanade with their dynamic display of precision and skill from one of America’s top display teams.
Michael Braithwaite, Creative Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “It’s always a delight to welcome performers to the Tattoo for the first time. And when it’s one of the finest US military bands in existence, direct from Washington DC, then I know our audiences are in for a real treat.
“The US Army Field Band have wowed audiences across the USA for many years and have now put together a brand-new performance just for Edinburgh. They are world renowned for their exceptional music and visual displays and we can’t wait to see them live on the Castle Esplanade.”
This year’s Tattoo performance is called Voices and will be a celebration of expression, giving a stage to performers and acts to share their voice. Voices draws inspiration from people across the globe who, despite physical separation, continue to connect and share their voices creatively through spoken word, song, music, and dance – languages common to all.
Sergeant Major Erica Russo, Director of Operations, of The United States Army Field Band, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to perform at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo this year. We are immensely proud and excited to be able to represent the United States of America on such a tremendous international stage.
“Our performance this year is truly presenting the very best of Americana. We’re playing a huge range of music from Leonard Bernstein to modern pop favorites, as well as the extremely exciting inaugural performance of the Department of Defence’s first dedicated rap artists.
“Everyone who attends the Tattoo this year will be able to connect with and enjoy one of the musical elements of our performance and we just cannot wait to get out there on the Esplanade!”
Almost 900 performers from across the globe will take part in in this year’s Tattoo, bringing with them extraordinary music, dance, and performance talents. There will be vivid and exciting acts from Mexico, The United States, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, along with homegrown talent from the UK. Military personnel will continue to play a central role in the performance, with the Army as the lead Service this year.
Audiences can expect to hear the skirl of the Massed Pipes and Drums that will echo around the Esplanade as part of Voices, supported by Tattoo Pipes and Drums, Tattoo Dance Company, Tattoo Fiddlers, and musicians from a number of UK Military Bands.
The Show will run from 5-27 August 2022. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone on 0131 225 1188.
They’ve played for Her Majesty the Queen as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations – and now fans can hear the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland on a national tour.
Scotland’s best-known military band has launched a series of concerts, “Celebrating our Heroes” to raise funds for Poppyscotland this autumn.
Renowned for their performances at Holyrood Palace and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the talented musicians will be touring venues in Livingston, Hamilton, Perthshire, Angus, and the Scottish Borders.
This year’s repertoire will include folk music inspired from across Scotland, featuring a collaboration with Hawick folk musician and songwriter, Alan Brydon.
The events follow similar successful tours in 2018 and 2019. All proceeds will go to help Poppyscotland deliver its life-changing support for members of the Armed Forces community across Scotland.
The first one will take place at Hamilton Town House on Friday 2nd September, followed by dates at Howden Park Centre, Livingston, Montrose Academy, and Bankfoot Church Centre, Perthshire. The final, festive concert will be on December 15th at Hawick Town Hall.
Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland after a two-year break due to the pandemic, and are very grateful for their continuing support. This is a fantastic chance to hear the internationally acclaimed band at local venues around Scotland.
“The concerts promise to be unforgettable evenings, featuring folk music inspired from across Scotland, from the Borders to the Western Isles, and guaranteed to get your feet tapping! They are always very popular, so we’d encourage music lovers to buy their tickets early before they sell out.
“All funds raised will help us continue our vital work, supporting current and former servicemen and women and their families, which is now needed more than ever.”
The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, based at Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh, is one of the 22 Regular Army bands, and is made up of musicians who are also serving soldiers. As well as supporting the Army and performing at ceremonial occasions across Scotland, they have also played around the world, traveling to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Switzerland and Canada in recent years.
Concert dates are:
Hamilton Town House – Friday 2nd September 2022
Howden Park Centre, Livingston – Friday 30th September 2022
Montrose Academy – Friday 21st October 2022
Bankfoot Church Centre, Perthshire – Friday 4th November 2022
Hawick Town Hall – Thursday 15th December 2022
Tickets cost £15 (£12 concessions) and are available via:
On Saturday 16 July, after a two-year absence, the Grassmarket will yet again become home to the biggest party in the capital with multiple stages, non-stop entertainment and a host of bands.
This year’s packed programmes includes After Hours, Brass Gumbo, Hamish McGregor, Awkward Family Portraits, Dope Sick Fly, Cow Cow Boogie and Al Hughes.
This free event runs from 1 – 4pm and the Grassmarket Market will also be in operation on the day.
Union United Methodist Church was established in 1857. For over 160 years it has been a hub for Christ-centered ministry in the Irmo, SC area.
Union is well-known in the community for its loving and welcoming congregation, outstanding facilities, many ministries, and excellent music. The Music and Worship Arts Ministry of Union UMC consists of the Chancel Choir, Unity Choir, Youth Choir, two Children’s Choirs, the Union Brass, Mary Bonnett Chancel Chimers (handbells), Leaps of Faith (liturgical dance, three ensembles, all ages), Orchestra (special events), and the ElevenTen Praise Band.
As the primary musical ensemble for “traditional” worship at Union, the Chancel Choir performs a weekly anthem and leads musical worship for the 9:00am Sunday Worship Service.
The Choir frequently collaborates with other Union ensembles for special performances incorporating soloists, liturgical dance and additional instrumentation.
Once a quarter, the Chancel Choir becomes the Unity Choir, inviting people of all ages to come experience singing with the group. In addition to weekly worship responsibilities, the various ensembles of the Ministry collaborate to produce two to three major worship events and/or concerts every year.
The Union Chancel Choir has performed on tour in Austria and Hungary with Dr. Larry Wyatt and the University of South Carolina Concert Choir (2006). They have also performed in massed choirs conducted by Dr. Alicia Walker at Carnegie Hall (World Premiere performance of World Without End by Daniel Elder, 2015) and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center (Mass in Blue by Will Todd, 2019). The Chancel Choir is thrilled to be going on tour to England and Scotland this summer (2022).
Donald Kirkindoll
Donald Kirkindoll, Director of Music Ministries at Union United Methodist Church in Irmo, South Carolina, earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Centenary College of Louisiana, and the Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of South Carolina, where he was a student of Dr. Larry Wyatt.
An experienced vocalist, Kirkindoll has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, as well as concerts in Germany, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, South Africa, and throughout the southeastern U.S.A., including two performances of Star Wars in Concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Anthony Daniels, and the World Premiere performance of Lux: The Dawn from On High by Dan Forrest with the Greenville Chorale and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
He performed as a baritone and soloist for the Greenville Chorale and the professional Herring Chamber Ensemble from 2014 through 2018 under the direction of Dr. Bingham Vick, Jr.
Kirkindoll has directed choirs of all ages in churches, schools, and community organizations for the last twenty-five years. He has served as the Director of Music Ministries at Union UMC in Irmo, SC, Advent UMC in Simpsonville, SC, and Ashland UMC in Columbia, SC. Previously, he served as the Choral Director at Blythewood High School and the Vocal Director of the Tri-District Arts Consortium.
Choirs under his direction have performed at Walt Disney World (solo concert at Epcot, 2011), Carnegie Hall (World Premiere performance of The Peacemakers by Karl Jenkins, 2012) and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center (Mass in Blue by Will Todd, 2019).
The Music Ministry of Union UMC continues to thrive and grow under Kirkindoll’s direction. In the summer of 2022, the Union Choir will perform on tour at Wesley’s Chapel (London, England), Canterbury Cathedral (Canterbury, England), St. Helen’s Church – Stonegate (York, England), and Canongate Kirk (Edinburgh, Scotland).
He lives in Chapin, SC with his wife and best friend, Kriss, and their daughter, Nat.
Clifford Leaman
Critics have hailed Clifford Leaman as “an artist of the first order…intuitive, exciting, and enthralling.” (Paul Wagner, The Saxophone Journal) Leaman reveals himself to be {an} artist of technical brilliance and emotional commitment.” “The range of colors is impressive…” (Jack Sullivan, American Record Guide)
Associate Dean, Director of Graduate Studies, and Professor of Saxophone at the University of South Carolina, Leaman is in great demand as a soloist and clinician and has performed and taught throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, and China.
Leaman has recorded four compact discs with piano, and two discs with percussionist Scott Herring as the RoseWind Duo. In addition to his work with piano and marimba, Leaman has performed as a concerto soloist with numerous Wind Ensembles and Orchestras and has recorded concerti by Brant, Bassett, and Dahl.
He has given masterclasses at major schools of music and conservatories across the globe, including the Northwestern, Eastman, Michigan, North Texas, Florida State, Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, Strasbourg, Aragón, Escola Catalunya, Beijing Central, Shanghai, and the Sichuan Conservatories, among many others.
An avid supporter of contemporary music, Leaman has commissioned and given the world premiere performances of over 35 works, including concerti by William Bolcom, Leslie Bassett, Frank Ticheli, Stacy Garrop, and Michael Colgrass. Leaman is an artist-clinician for D’Addario and the Conn-Selmer Company, Inc. and performs exclusively on Selmer saxophones and D’Addario Reserve reeds.
An enormous six-meter-high sculpture of three elephant tusks made entirely of upcycled pianos goes on display as part of a new exhibition marking the official launch of The Wee Hub at Ocean Terminal this Sunday (19 June 2022).
The sculpture, ‘The Elephant in the Room’, is a tripod of elephant tusks topped with more than 50 ‘ivories’ and is one of ten that can be seen in and around the Wee Hub’s community space, which has taken over the former Debenhams store at the waterfront centre in Leith.
Also on display is ‘Half of a Piano Cube’, a pyramid of three playable pianos, ‘Power to the People’, two grand pianos each boasting a large gramophone-like pentagonal horn made from lids and soundboards and ‘Piano Meant-A-Lot’, an allotment shed made entirely from old pianos and piano parts which houses a beautiful old playable upright piano.
Legless grand piano planter boxes will be filled with vegetables and flowers to complete the bucolic idyll of this particular exhibit.
Each interactive sculpture, conceived and created in Leith by the Pianodrome Community Interest Company, uses locally sourced pianos and the exhibition is their first appearance in Scotland.
As part of The Wee Hub’s official launch, which includes a parade around the centre, circus performances and a series of free events, Tim Vincent -Smith, the artist who designed the sculptures, and Matthew Wright, the Pianodrome producer, will be there from 3pm – 4pm along with Danny McGeever, Edinburgh-based singer songwriter, and Nikki Hill of Dripping Tap Theatre, to give a tour of the sculptures, animating them with music and movement.
Expect music, clowning and a rendition of Sunshine on Leith from Danny.Sean Logan of Full Spectrum, will be there playing the sculptures all day.
Miles Tubb of the Living Memory Association which with the support of Ocean Terminal’s owners created The Wee Hub as a free collaborative space for local community groups in the heart of Leith, said: “Pianodrome’s sculptures are simply fantastic and opening their exhibition as part of our official launch day hits the perfect note.
“They are a community-led organisation, just as all the groups here at The Wee Hub, bringing people together to enjoy the arts, music and our heritage. The day will be a colourful and lively display of local people’s creativity and talents from dance through to circus performance.”
Tim Vincent-Smith and Matthew Wright who are also both musicians from the band S!nk set up Pianodrome in 2017 to build the world’s first amphitheatre made entirely from upcycled pianos. Tim said:
“The sculptures were commissioned by the Leeds International Piano Competition and formed a piano trail around the city which was enjoyed by tens of thousands of people – many made the journey specifically to see them. Having set up in Leith and collecting and working with old pianos from the area, however, exhibiting our sculptures at Ocean Terminal could not be more perfect – it is a bit of a homecoming.
“Working with The Wee Hub also presents us with many opportunities for further collaborations. Here we are at the heart of a lively and creative community and with the likes of Tinderbox, who are also based at OT, we hope to bring piano-inspired workshops and events in the months ahead.”
The Wee Hub Launch also includes a laser sculpture workshop with the artist Jonathon Elder, a fencing demonstration from Salle Holyrood Fencing, Circus workshops from Think Circus, music workshops from Tinderbox, a model railway exhibit, and heritage exhibitions.
There is also a dance programme beginning at 11am with a children’s disco, jazz, a parade and a show from the International Dancers of the Edinburgh Festival Carnival.
The Wee Hub Launch Day Programme:
11am Children’s disco
1pm – Nouvelle Jukebox. Edinburgh based duo. Jazzy vocals and swinging guitar.
2pm – Cutting of ribbon and parade round the Centre
2.30 – International Dancers from Edinburgh Festival Carnival
Over 3,000 shows now available to browse online in the lead up to the Fringe’s 75th anniversary this August
Today, Thursday 09 June, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is delighted to announce that tickets for a further 1,047 Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows are now available to browse and book atedfringe.com.
This is the fourth set of tickets to be released for 2022, with the first 283 shows revealed in March, 796 in April and 1,281 in May.
In total, there are 3,131 shows now available.The official programme launch will take place on Thursday 07 July.
The 75th anniversary of the Fringe takes place from 05 – 29 August 2022 and will feature an exciting range of shows, with theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus, musicals, variety, cabaret, events and more all featured in the programme so far.
Below is a small representative sample of shows available to book from today. The full list of shows released so far can be found at edfringe.com.
Theatre
At Pleasance, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is “the Fringe premiere of new kickass-pirational pop musical from one of the producers of hit SIX”, celebrating the lives of Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Emmeline Pankhurst and many more. Brown Boys Swim – also at Pleasance – “examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in this exhilarating new play about fitting in and striking out”, while DARKFIELD revive two of their immersive, pitch-black experiences: Flight and Séance.
David Greig and Wils Wilson revisit The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart at the University of Edinburgh Playfair Library, “a wild session of anarchic theatre, haunting, authentic folk music and strange goings-on”.
At Wee Red Bar, This Is Memorial Device is based on David Keenan’s novel of the same name. It offers a “fictional history of 1980s Airdrie’s mysterious, post-punk legends” and features original music by Stephen McRobbie from Glasgow band, The Pastels.
Art27 Scotland presents several productions at ZOO, among them From the Heart of the Incident – the story of Dr Issam Bassalat Hijjawi, “a highly respected and much-loved Edinburgh medical doctor and Palestinian activist held in a Northern Irish prison for nearly 16 months”. At the same venue, Ontroerend Goed return to the Fringe with Every Word Was Once an Animal, which takes a meta look at performing a show, and Marriage in Progress features Lauren Katz (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Joey Slotnick (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The Good Wife) who “explore marriage as an improvisation and improvisation as a marriage”. Online, via ZOOTV, Tuesday Night Sleeping Club is “an immersive live-streamed audio experience at your home”.
At Assembly, Brian Cox presents She/Her, a multimedia performance of “a diverse group of women speaking their truth”. Assembly also hosts August Wilson‘s How I Learned What I Learned, the UK / European premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright’s solo show chronicling his life as a Black artist in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
Fishamble theatre company returns to the Fringe with Kingby Pat Kinevane: A Work-In-Progress. Hosted by Dance Base, “King tells the story of Luther, a man born on the day MLK was assassinated, who only leaves his apartment to perform as an Elvis impersonator”.
Directed by Guy Masterson, Pip Utton is Adolf is at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, exploring “what made Adolf Hitler so compulsive” and how any “cultured person could follow him to destruction, desolation and genocide”.
Just an Ordinary Lawyer is available online with C ARTS, the story of how “Nigerian Tunji Sowande quietly breaks through multiple barriers to become Britain’s first Black judge”. Also available online, Dickin’ Around asks “what does it take to satiate a heartbroken 20-something homosexual with a penchant for deep-diving into the sensory stimuli he finds along the way?”
ThickSkin’s Blood Harmony features music from The Staves combines with “bold new writing and dynamic physicality in this uplifting and powerful new play with songs about love, loss and legacy”. It’s at the Traverse Theatre, as is Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb, “a joyful queer rom-com where Millennial meets Gen Z and change is all around”.
Bastion, Beacon or Bridge? features full readings of three plays from Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian playwrights, with post-reading discussions from the authors. It’s at Army @ The Fringe, as is For Queen and Country, the story of WW2 Major Denis Rake MC, who entertained Nazi officers as a drag queen in a Parisian nightclub.
Buzzing Anonymous, based on an ADHD support group, is at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre. The play “watches unlikely relationships form through the chaos and natural dramatic comedy that occurs when neurodivergent people try to navigate through day-to-day life”.
For Example Theatre present: Boat! at BlundaBus, “a tragicomedy combining clowning and physical theatre” following “two friends at sea as they navigate companionship, solitude and altering states of reality”.
Motor Court 103 at Central Hall joins a group of strangers stranded at a motel during a Kansas snowstorm – an “eerie, timeless pocket of Americana”. Also at Central Hall, We Are the Kingdum of Lear uses puppetry, masks and magic to stage “an experimental reimagining of Shakespeare’s great play”.
Dynamic Earth is hosting a series of Planetarium Lates this Fringe, including Under Pressure: The Ocean Show, which takes a deep dive beneath the waves, and You Are Here, “a dramatic journey to the very edge of our solar system and back”.
Hart follows “a transgender doctor in early 20th-century America” who is outed in the newspapers by his best friend, while The Severing Sword is an adaptation of a popular wuxia novel following “men hungry for the legendary Kun Wu sword and its ultimate power”. Both are available to watch online.
At Gilded Balloon, Bluewater is set in London in 2008 and joins a 17-year-old girl “as she attempts to navigate her way from Bluewater shopping centre with the girls to the weekly party happenings on a Saturday night”. At the same venue, Fear of Heights examines the American experience through the lens of Kevin Flynn’s Irish immigrant family.
The Virgin Travels is “a challenging, powerful and often funny piece, using music and movement to explore the tension between queerness and a restrictive Catholic upbringing”. It’s at Gladstone’s Land.
Greenside is home to Silent Gutter’s Playtime, in which “a birthday wish plunges the world into a hellish playground of 90s nostalgia”. At the same venue, Sugar? explores “real life stories of homelessness through a blend of verbatim theatre, physical storytelling and live and recorded sound”.
Conflict in Court, at Hill Street Theatre, is “an immersive courtroom experience where you decide the case’s outcome”. Also at Hill Street Theatre, Independence “looks at the Scottish independence debate with wit and humour as two families decide how to vote”.
Ladies Day is on at Inverleith St Serf’s Church Centre; set at a racecourse, it’s an “exuberant, poignant comedy about female friendship and what fortune really means”.
At Just the Tonic, Theatre Paradok presents “a fresh, LGBTQIA+ take” on Constellations by Nick Payne, a multiversal view of a burgeoning relationship with infinite possibilities. Also at Just the Tonic, Cassie Workman: Aberdeen is a “part eulogy, part fantasy, part biography” about Kurt Cobain.
Boy: Looking for Friends is at Laughing Horse, offering a family-friendly solo show from Polish clown, Piotr Sikora. “Boy is happy living in his suitcase until he is forced to journey to the end of the world in the greatest adventure he has ever known.”
At Mayfield Salisbury Church, The Deil’s Awa! is “a roistering tale of smugglers in the East Neuk of Fife”.
Jonathan Price’s Alternate Endings is an “American cautionary tale, told in 10 vignettes, delving into the woes of the modern world as we ponder why we are here.” It’s available via Online@theSpaceUK, as is Call Mr Robeson, which tackles the life of world-famous actor, singer and civil rights campaigner Paul Robeson.
Carnegie at Panmure House explores the life of Andrew Carnegie, one-time richest man in the world and famous philanthropist.
An Evil Thing is a “dark, contemporary one-act play” about bullying set in Tyneside during WW2. It’s at Paradise in Augustines, where you’ll also find The One TEEN Show, “a Sri Lankan teenager’s quest to stage a live theatre show amidst post-AL angst, a pandemic and a country in crisis”.
At PBH’s Free Fringe, in Boys Who Punch Holes in Walls, “two young men explore what it means to be a ‘man’ in the modern world of social media, sexuality and toxic masculinity”, while The Azure Sky in Oz, Yellow and Special is a “powerful, funny and unflinching drama following two women whose lives are profoundly changed by their immersion in the world of the other-abled”.
Kathputli Colony: A Tale of Art and Resistance is at Pianodrome at the Old Royal High, shining a light on India’s biggest community of traditional artists through “Indian folk songs, traditional puppetry, musical instruments and explosive Dhol drumming”. Also at Pianodrome, Playing Beethoven lets you “feed your inner Beethoven with period and contemporary live music, costumes and ideas in an amphitheatre made entirely out of upcycled pianos”.
Sweater Worthy is “a one-woman performance about knitting through grief, heartache and depression”. It’s at Pins and Needles, and “knitting or crocheting is encouraged”!
Mara Menzies’s Blood and Gold returns to the Fringe at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, combining “ancient mythology and modern storytelling” to explore “the legacy of colonialism and slavery”. Also at the Lyceum, Tim Crouch: Truth’s A Dog Must to Kennel is the world premiere of a new solo work by the experimental playwright, in which “King Lear meets stand-up meets the metaverse”.
Cat is “a razor-sharp, subversive exploration of life at its darkest” by Connie Harris; it’s on at RSE Theatre.
At the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Miss Lindsay’s Secret sees a museum curator finding hidden letters binding Glenesk to Canada’s Klondike gold rush – “a true tale of sewing and 1900s sexting”. At the same venue, Mohan: A Partition Story “is a piece of oral storytelling which retells renowned storyteller Niall Moorjani’s Grampa’s experiences” during Partition in India.
At Shout – Scottish Music Centre @ 111 Holyrood Road, The Woman He Lived With tells the story of the wife of William Burke, of infamous graverobbing murderers Burke and Hare.
Marrano, a Tale from the Inquisition is at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St – “a historical play performed in contemporary storytelling fashion”.
At The Royal Scots Club, High Five is “an explosive, high energy, physical theatre production that explores the drug crisis with young people in Scotland”.
At theSpace, Floodgate joins three siblings in 2061 as they clear out their grandma’s belongings in a deserted coastal town, where “they find a diary left behind that will change everything”. Long Nights in Paradise, also at theSpace, is the story of a loving relationship “set in the context of the Grenfell Tower tragedy”.
Surfing the Holyland at Underbelly is a fish-out-of-water tale set in Tel Aviv, blending “bighearted comedy, electrifying storytelling and bold physicality”, while The Endling “explores the interconnectedness of human existence with the lives and deaths of other species”.
Comedy
The Pub Landlord returns with Al Murray: Gig for Victory at Assembly, where Frank Skinner also brings his “highly anticipated” new show 30 Years of Dirt.
At Monkey Barrel Comedy, triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Josie Long presents her new show Re-Enchantment, and from the “award-winning comedy collective CHUNKS” comes Chris Thorburn’s Monday Mash-Up Meltdown,“an hour of ill-advised mash-ups and remixes”.
Stephen Robinson brings his award-winning show DeafMimoto Deaf Action, a “storytelling event performed through mime” which is suitable for deaf and hearing audiences of all ages.
“Poet Laureate of Punk” Dr John Cooper Clarke and special guests come to the Edinburgh Playhouse with a “roller coaster of poetry, spoken word, off the wall chat, riffs and wicked stories” in I Wanna Be Yours.
Host of Netflix’s 100 Humans, Sammy Obeid comes to Gilded Balloon with his stand-up show So Comedy, and the “comedy phenomenon” The Guilty Feminist returns with “excitement, confessions, activism and inspiration”.
PBH’s Free Fringe hosts We Are Not In the Least Afraid of Ruins; We Carry a New World in Our Hearts from “non-binary whirlwind” Andrew O’Neill, as well as Clandestina Queer Comedy Triple Bill, “a queer women, trans and non-binary-led comedy show” from Charlie George and Victoria Olsina plus a new “wildcard” act every night.
Jerry Sadowitz returns with his show Not for Anyone (Pleasance at EICC), including “impressions of Greta Thunberg, Frankie Boyle and deep vein thrombosis”, while Pleasance Courtyard is the setting for Catherine Cohen’s double-bill, including her award-winning The Twist…? She’s Gorgeous, as well as a new cabaret show.
Troy Kinne Live marks the return of the comedian from a “sell-out tour” of Australia, NZ and London at 4042.
At the Acoustic Music Centre @UCC, Katya Kan Metaverse 4/20 “recounts the story of an Eton-schooled cannabis dealer” against a “lockdown backdrop”.
At BlundaBus, Amrita Dhaliwal presents “provocative physical comedy” in her show Driving Around, and “frivolity, shock and redemption” can be found in Riss Obolensky’s Healing King Herod.
Online, A Place Like Thisis hosted by Nicole Kidman as she shares “some of cinema’s greatest moments”, Plymouth Presents Theatre Company performs “hilarious comedy” Bartholomew’s Strip, and “the point of view of a tortoise” is front and centre in Daffodil Tramples the Fringe.
At Greenside, Brayden Kerr’s Tales of an Altered Consciousness Within a Comical Lunatic mingles realism and nonsense in a “comedy con carne”, while in Ann Chun: Asian Divorce, the NYC-based comedian takes on the “dissolution of her parents’ marriage in Thailand” while living in America.
Award-winning musical comedian David Hoare “combines wit and flare with precise delivery” in his 100 Songs in an Hour at Hill Street Theatre.
Just the Tonic hosts The Local Tourist, the “hilarious and emotional tale of a local immigrant who gets labelled as a tourist across five countries” from the mind of Ram Adithya Arangi, and Vlad and Kuan-wen: The Wee Aliens provide “fantastic observations about life in Britain” from Vlad Ilich and Kuan-wen Huang.
Sharon Wanjohi and Abbie Edwards can be found at Laughing Horse with their “sell-out show” Not Too Shabby, which covers “everything from babies being racist to Brad Bird’s 2007 masterpiece Ratatouille”; also at Laughing Horse, you’ll find an hour of Stand Up At Seven With Ella Al-Shamahi and Suse Steed.
100% Cotton: In a Spin pits Liz Cotton and two small villages against “the might of a huge sewer company” at Paradise in the Vault, and the same venue hosts Popstar Hair Show, Christina FanMail’s “comedy stream of consciousness”.
Ray Bradshaw: Bald Ginger comes to the Scottish Comedy Festival, along with The Many Faces of Horatio Gould, a “bold hour of high-octane stand-up”.
At Smoke & Mirrors, American stand-up comedian Leah Renee hosts the free showcase, Star-Spangled Stand Up.
For two nights only, Fred MacAulay – What(ever) Next? is on at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, as well as John Lloyd: Do You Know Who I Am?, from the producer of QI, Blackadder, Spitting Image and other British TV favourites.
theSpace hosts Menopause Party, from Essex pub landlady Dolly Slatemen (alias of real-life Essex pub landlady Debbie Baisden), a “taboo-smashing show with character comedy, sing songs, spoken word and the unveiling of Dolly’s arty expressions.” Also at theSpace, How to Be a Girl (In Three Easy Steps) by Gara Lonning is a “love letter to adolescence” on growing up as “a closeted Trans person in the middle-of-nowhere, Iowa.”
“Britain’s funniest, friendliest blind theoretical physicist turned award-winning broadcast journalist and stand-up comedian” Richard Wheatley brings his show Blindingly Obvious to C venues, while online, Nathan Mosher is Injured tackles the comedian’s “failed relationship, bipolar diagnosis, and a year-long breakdown and recovery” through stand-up, music and poetry.
From Soho Theatre, ALOK comes to Traverse Theatre with their new comedy and poetry show, exploring “themes of trauma, belonging and the human condition.” At the same venue, Liz Kingsman presents her One-Woman Show for a limited run.
BC:AD – Before Children: After Diapers is “one mad, brown mommy’s take on how the definitions of words change before and during motherhood” (Underbelly), and Thom Tuck and Tim FitzHigham: Macbeth appears for a limited run, with a different guest director daily.
At ZOO, Aidan Goatley: Tenacious “guides us through a tale that leads to dreams coming true”, and Naughty by Anna Marie Simonsen “confronts the disturbing image of innocence and youth as sexy.”
At the RSE Theatre is Shaun Patrick Flynn RN: Healthcare Anti-Hero, a new comedy about “caring for critically ill Covid-19 patients” described as “dark, dry and full of surprises”, and Emmy-nominated comedian Mike Glazer and Julian Stern present Absolute Friendship!
Music
Rage Against the Machine play “their first Scottish headline show in 14 years” at the Royal Highland Centre ahead of Connect Music Festival this August, where audiences can also catch The National, IDLES, The Chemical Brothers, Little Simz and more.
Singer-songwriter John Otway returns to the Fringe with PBH’s Free Fringe, along with his “surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona”.
At The Liquid Room, First Edition – Helena Hauff provides a “thrilling sonic experience”from the techno DJ, and there’s an appearance from Fife singer-songwriter King Creosote and Band.
At the Acoustic Music Centre @UCC, Iona Fyfe: Scots Sang and Mair provides an “intimate performance” from the award-winning Scottish folk musician, and Ross White: Provenance explores “what is lost and gained when music, and anything else, goes through a filtering process” in a blend of genres.
Argyle Cellar Bar presents Julie London Calling, an exploration of the life of the songwriter of Cry Me a River and Fly Me to the Moon, while The Memphis Music Story takes the listener through the music of “veteran singer / songwriter / keyboardist” Charlie Wood.
Looking Forward, Looking Back features “both compositions by musicians who served in the armed forces, and new work composed in response to the works of these civilian-soldier-musicians”, hosted by the Army @ The Fringe.
Flute Recital: From Darkness to Light is an evening recital of “lyrical and rousing works for flute and piano” by duo Leila Marshall and Ailsa Aitkenhead, and wind quintet Festivo Winds from Manchester present an evening of French music, Poulenc: Sextet, both at artSpace@StMarks.
Assembly hosts Folksville at the Fringe, “Edinburgh’s favourite folk music night returns, packed with outstanding singer-songwriters, acoustic musicians and poets”, and InChorus: Still Standing, a “large, contemporary choir from Peebles” whose programme includes “rock, opera, stage and popular favourites”.
Away Vain Warld: The Music and Poetry of Elizabeth Melville is on at Canongate Kirk, presenting how “traditional Scottish music increasingly became an influence on Scottish nobility” in the court of James VI. At the same venue, Influencing Mozart: An Exploration by Opera dei Lumi examines the “key figures from Mozart’s rich musical life”, with Michelle Dierx (violin) and Edward Keenan (viola) as soloists.
Deaf Action presents Deaf Rave, “the ultimate daytime rave in a unique location”, providing “an amazing clubbing experience with visual performances”.
Inspired by the music of Pink Floyd, Planetarium Lates – Dark Side of the Moon takes place at Dynamic Earth “in explosive surround sound”, including “spellbinding abstract projections on the dome”.
The French Institute in Scotland hosts Jesse Rae: Vive Funk, “a new live, immersive music performance wi’ the spirits o’ Parliament-Funkadelic founding member Bernie Worrell and Zapp founder Roger Troutman”.
A Journey Within: An Artistic Blend of Sufi Music and the Motions of Sama is “a journey of sound and motion through a modern artistic portrayal of this 1,400 year-old spiritual practice”, available online.
The Other Guys return with their “award-winning moves, beatboxing, and side-splitting parodies” to Gilded Balloon.
“Fairy tales and ghosts, loneliness and grit, electric guitar and classical orchestra” come together in Ninotchka at Greenside.
At Greyfriars Kirk, violinist Anna-Liise Bezrodny makes a return to the Fringe with the Orchestra of the Canongait and conductor Robert Dick to play Beethoven – Violin Concerto and Fifth Symphony, while Spirit – Barnsley Youth Choir is “an hour of wonderful entertainment and high quality music making” from the international award-winning choir.
Amy PapiranskyandEllyn Oliver come to Hope City with “a feast of live blues-pop music”, and the Jon Green Quintet deliver live contemporary jazz at the same venue.
The Bunker at Just the Tonic “is a late night of music, mayhem and madness” in the Fringe’s “most infamous late-night venue”.
At C venues is Midnight Wine, where singer / songwriter Chris Milner “shares songs, wine and stories from 50 years on the folk scene, touring UK and Europe”. Also at C venues, Kuniko Plays Reich: Counterpoint and Kuniko Plays Reich: Drumming exhibit the Japanese percussionist’s “flawless technique” and the work of Steve Reich.
The Laughing Horse’s Free Fringe Musicof many genres can be found at range of venues throughout the city, including Ghillie Dhu and The Grand Café.
Marchmont Music at Marchmont St Giles Church is “a free afternoon concert from quality performers for your delight lasting approximately an hour.”
S!nk – Return to the Source is at Pianodrome at the Old Royal High and has “Edinburgh’s acoustic innovators” present their “improvised, experimental new music”, along with Sing Sistah Sing! Tales of Transatlantic Freedom, which traces “threads of power, resistance, migration and emancipation in story and song” as part of Andrea Baker’s series.
Pleasance hosts Countess of Fife, “insurgent alt country outfit led by The Rezillos’ Fay Fife”, and Samba Sene and Diwan, a “fusion of funky mbalax / Afrobeat rhythms with undercurrents of ska, rock, Senegalese soul” from a “diverse international collection of musicians”.
RSE Theatre hosts the Jive Aces, a “mixture of swing, hot jazz and rhythm ‘n’ blues”.
Heal and Harrow comes to the Scottish Storytelling Centre as a “humanising tribute to the victims of the Scottish Witch Trials”, based on commissioned stories by Mairi Kidd with accompanying visuals by Alison Piper. At the same venue, the Poosie Nansie Burns Club presents Robert Burns: A Life in Songs and Poetry to explore both “his familiar and lesser-known works”.
Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha in Concert is a British and European premiere of the South African soprano in this song recital at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St, where you can also see Cameron Shahbazi (counter-tenor) and Ashok Gupta (piano) in Shahbazi – Handel en Edimbourg.
At St Cecilia’s Hall, the Shackleton Concert uses instruments from the University of Edinburgh’s Musical Instrument Collection and presents works by Gordon Jacob, Arthur Bliss, Ralph Vaughan Williams and James MacMillan. Spinning the Works sees Lucia Capellaro, László Rózsa and David Gerrard explore the music of Bach and Telemann.
Bach Cello Suites, by a returning London-based cellist, and Back to the Fringe, by “Scotland’s Premier Barbershop Chorus”, can both be found at St Cuthbert’s Church.
St Giles’ Cathedral hosts the National Youth Choir of Scotland, on a four-concert tour across the country this summer, to perform Duruflé Requiem by Candlelight.
At St Mary’s Cathedral, Calum Huggan is an award-winning Scottish marimbist and percussionist who will perform works by Séjourné and Debussy, and Maximiliano Martin, Principal Clarinettist of the SCO, presents a “memorable evening” of works by Poulenc, Saint-Saens, Gaubert, Pierne and Chausson.
The Absolute Jam comes to the A Club at the Merchants Hall with the “uncanny sound and vibrancy of The Jam while playing a full range of songs from the band’s back catalogue”.
Bird ‘n’ Diz – The Music of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie offers the “rare chance to hear the music of two of jazz’s great innovators”, while Brass Gumbo Plays the Music of The Beatles takes a “musical tour through The Beatles’ back catalogue using only horns and drums” – both at The Jazz Bar.
At theSpace,Korean Yeonhee Concert comprises of “four pieces of yeonhee music and dance, with rhythmic, powerful and ritual interpretations of ancient traditions”. At the same venue, in The B-aca-chelorette,The Rolling Tones take on a “journey to find love” through the “power of gorgeous harmonies”.
Climb is at Underbelly, where Jamaican-Canadian singer-songwriter Duane Forrest “shares his stories and songs gleaned from his travels around the world”. Also at Underbelly, a capella “super-group” The Magnets present “the ultimate soundtrack of your life”.
Graeme Leak, of Spaghetti Western Orchestra fame, presents Saved at ZOO, a “retro-mechanical music show built around rescued 70s home organs”.
Cabaret and variety
Dream at artSpace@StMarks is “a new show packed full of drama and musical theatre song and dance”, performed by students from The Performance Academy, Scotland.
At Assembly, Jinkx Monsoon proves She’s Still Got It! with “bawdy stories, unique covers and original music” in her Edinburgh Fringe debut, fresh from RuPaul’s Drag Race all-winners season. Also at Assembly, publicity stunt specialist Mark Borkowski shares his stories in False Teeth in a Pork Pie: How to Unleash Your Inner Crazy.
El Dizzy Beast is “a show about a queer, autistic, Latinx caterpillar”, Andrea Spisto. It’s on at BlundaBus, as is Dark Mother, an “unquantifiably maternal, darkly ceremonial experience by everybody’s favourite shadow-shaman-clown-priestess,” Lucy Hopkins.
Hopkins also performs her Ceremony of Golden Truth at Pianodrome at the Old Royal High – a “ceremonial mess-about, interactive choral laughter bath and collective act of golden manifestation”. At the same venue, Phil Kay and Stacey Clare launch the inaugural Book Festival Fringe – “the funniest, wildest, most happening book festival / book launch-launch ever”.
Blazin’ Hot Summer promises “costume changes, choreography and general fabulosity” from Drag queen Blaze and her team of dancers at Brewhemia.
Paradise Palms is offering an “infamous buffet of raucous cabaret and queer performance alongside comedy, spoken word and the ridiculous” in Late-Night Tropical Cabaret. It’s also staging Paradise Palms Out Eastthis August: a weekend of family-friendly music, cabaret, drag, spoken word, comedy, storytelling, wellness, dance and more at Dalkeith Country Park.
At Deaf Action, theatre company Solar Bear presents “a rude, riotous celebration of Scottish deaf talent” in Spill Your Drink: A Deaf Cabaret.
Forth on the Fringe returns to the Edinburgh Playhouse with “some of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment”.
At Gilded Balloon, Biddy O’Loughlin “weaves her story through dark, dry stand-up and sweet, sad songs” in Funny Girl, Sad Songs.
William Roby stars as a centenarian cabaret artist in An Evening With Mr Noel Howard at Greenside, sharing stories and songs from his long career, while “self-described musical genius James Love and his sequin-clad showgirl wife Stephanie” perform their cabaret show Live, Laugh, Love.
The Burlesque Show at Hill Street Theatre gives Fringe audiences the chance to help choose the winner of the Fringe 2022 dance competition. At the same venue, The Gin Show returns to the Fringe for its third year, “with comedians, dancers, musicians and entertainers interwoven” between gin tastings.
TA DA – The Ramblings of a Magician is “an existential show about one magician’s relationship with his magic”. It’s at Laughing Horse, as is Hot Boys Bathhouse, a “debaucherous extravaganza of devilishly good comedy” written and performed by a trio of international clowns.
Kiki Mellék brings her show Wonder Woman to PBH’s Free Fringe, promising a “new, all dancing, all lip-syncing, all revealing tribute to fierce femmes. Also at PBH’s Free Fringe, Canadian performer Daniel Zindler charts his career as a busker and street juggler in Daniel Zindler Drops.
At Pleasance, Ki and Dee – On the Sesh follows the “two housemates and best friends who went viral during lockdown by singing silly little songs about their silly little lives (mainly their sexual frustrations, hideous dating histories, pulling all-nighters in their 30s and Jack Grealish’s thighs).”
Former Makar (aka National Poet of Scotland) Liz Lochhead rejoins with saxophonist Steve Kettley for Back in the Saddle at The Stand’s New Town Theatre, performing everything “from in-character monologues to heartfelt true confessions”.
Veteran musical theatre performer Peter Straker performs his Adventures of Straker at theSpace, which is also where you’ll find Abby Rose Morris exploring body standards in the entertainment industry in cabaret show More Than Tracy Turnblad.
Mr Brake Down: The Headmaster Will See You Now is a “St Trinian-esque” school assembly hosted by a drag king headmaster at C venues. Online, Chansons: Songs and Stories from Piaf, Brel and Me is a cabaret performance by singer Stefanie Rummel, accompanied by Vignir ór Stefánsson on piano.
At Underbelly, The Bleeding Obvious asks “What happens when you tumble out of the big pink closet and across the LGBTQ+ spectrum in a sprawling queer heap?”
Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus
Ballet Freedom at Pleasance features a “world renowned ballet company journey from Kyiv” with 14 dancers in an “intimate, sensual ballet”.
Beyond Signs: International Deaf Narratives takes place in Deaf Action for Edinburgh’s first International Deaf Fringe: it’s “a daring triple-bill show performed by a Deaf-curated International cast of Deaf performers”.
Angel-Monster at Assembly explores “sex, consent, violence and empowerment” through contemporary dance from “one of Australia’s most prolific dance-theatre artists”, while 360 ALLSTARS fuses “BMX, basketball, breakdancing, beatboxing, acrobatics, drumming and more” in a “phenomenal physical performance”.
Across an Irish Indian Sea combines Irish folk dance with the classical North Indian dance style Kathak at the Acoustic Music Centre @ UCC, a show which “highlights the beauty of the two dance styles and live music”.
House of Jack presents Rock What You Got at ATIK, where top dancers will battle it out for cash prizes, with “some of the best physical performance acts from the Fringe”.
At Dance Base, 71BODIES 1DANCE is an “interdisciplinary and choreographic initiative” from Daniel Mariblanca, “inspired by 71 personal experiences and testimonies from transgender individuals living in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Spain”. At the same venue, Sung Im Her examines “how her three identities of woman, performer and migrant intersect” in Nutcrusher, part of the Horizon Showcase.
Rhythms of India by Dr Radha Krishnan, Arabhi Krishnan and students is online, combining “storytelling using complex footwork set to rhythmic music along with facial expressions.” Also online is When the Body Breaks, “a true-life multi-faceted story of sudden ill health, and kindness”, and Young China Shines, featuring recorded performances from schools in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
Greenside hosts Decision – An Irish Dance Play, where “two very different sisters have a devastating decision to make” with original music from TV and film composer Chris Tolley, and In/Out of Bounds, “a Covid-inspired, thought-provoking and cross-cultural dance show co-curated by Hong Kong and Edinburgh artists”.
From the Erin Fowler Movement, EGG and FEMME are two solo works from the Australian performer exploring “fertility, motherhood and big life decisions”, and “female sexuality, gender roles and female identity”. Both at House of Oz.
At Just the Tonic, Mother Tree is “a solo show about motherhood, the forest and the universe”, combining theatre, aerial silk and spoken word.
Part of C venues’ online programme, I/O (volume 4) is a series of performances from calligrapher and choreographer Chiharu Kuronuma and juggler Teruki Okamoto. Also online at C venues, Tokyo Fugue is “a mesmerising piece of physical theatre, set in the maze-like train system of Tokyo”.
Paradise in Augustines hosts Crying of Four Seasons, created by Chinese dancer / choreographer Zhibo Zhao and using “creative, critical contemporary dance adapted from ancient Chinese poems”. Meanwhile, Pan Gu is a “50-minute physical dance play based on a Chinese mythic story in the Classic of Mountain and Seas”, with “modern interactive techniques” to engage audiences.
Shoes at PBH’s Free Fringe dissects “defining yourself when you feel undefinable” with interdisciplinary dance artist, Kristen Helen Poppe and including tap, Irish, flat-footing, ballet and modern dance.
Pianodrome at the Old Royal High presents Pamoja, “an extraordinary collaboration between dancers from Kibera and Kariobangi, two informal settlements in Nairobi”. This African contemporary dance show features performances and stories from women in Kenya “to challenge our perceptions and normalise the discussion around periods and menstruation in Africa”. Also at this venue is The Music Box, a “quirky and touching comedy show” about a ballerina.
St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St is host to Flamenco in Scotland, “full of bravery, heart, spirit and plenty of home-grown performers”.
At theSpace, The Ticking Clock impresses the “urgency of climate change” in a South Asian contemporary-classical dance performance.
Scene Africa is at Underbelly, and combines original music, dance routines and physical theatre to celebrate “African contributions to world culture” in “the ultimate South African experience”.
At ZOO, Heroes explores the “mind of a severely injured person undergoing a surgery after a serious car crash”, and stars award-winning mime Radim Vizváry. The award-winning contemporary circus company Cirk La Putyka presents the UK-debut of Runners, “featuring a giant treadmill, four performers and two musicians mix dance, running, cyr-wheel acrobatics and original live music, while running almost a whole marathon.”
Spoken word
The Stand’s New Town Theatre hosts the return of the Cabinet of Dangerous Ideas, with top academics discussing provocative subjects including Can the Police Be Feminist?, How Much Do Apps Know About You? and My Neighbour Hacked My Toothbrush!The Stand’s New Town Theatre is also where you’ll find the Fair Pley series of on-stage interviews, with guests including Jeremy Corbyn, David Hayman, Ian Rankin and Elaine C Smith.
The poetry of Robert Burns continues to inspire in I’ll Mak You Be Fain To Follow Me, at Army @ The Fringe, including performances from service persons. Bàrdachd Cogaidh – War Poetry looks at the Gaelic poetry around armed conflict, to help learners and fluent speakers “understand the contribution of Gaelic speakers to the history of the armed forces”.
In Alison Jackson’s Celebrity Fake Takes, join the “BAFTA-winning mischief maker” as she reveals the secrets behind creating “hyper-realistic fake stories” at Assembly. In the same venue, menkind LIVE tackles the topic of masculinity, as well as “straight-vs-gay badinage. Queerness. Profundity. Occasional filth. Sometimes, all of this at once.”
On at Pleasance, award-winning LBC broadcaster Iain Dale hosts a series of interviews with guests Owen Jones, Ash Sakar, Tim Rice and Rory Bremner to discuss current affairs.
At the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre is Mystic Poetry, with “mystical, magical words simple and straightforward” presenting a variety of tales in verse, from company Highland Mystic with Bill Macneil.
MindTravels: Reflections, Meditations and Attentions takes place at artSpace@StMarks, where Unitarian minister and poet Mark Hutchinson and Irish musician and composer Josh Johnston share “musical reflections and meditations”.
Kaye Adams – How to Be 60: Live! comes to Gilded Balloon to meet the approaching age of 60 head-on, with her “filter-free friend Karen, some well-known guests and most importantly, you”.
Anne Harper – Stop the Bus! at Greenside allows life coach Ann to “help you explore your journey in life” in a “light-hearted, entertaining and, maybe, even life changing” show.
At C venues, KC Finn: Free Agent delivers a “high-energy exploration of modern LGTBQIA+ life” and tackles “the tricky business of gender identity”.
“A rare insight into a special art form that will make you look at street arts in a whole new light”, Pavementology takes place at the Meeting Point at East Princes Street Gardens, Corner of Market Street and Waverley Bridge, and tracks “story of street performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.”
At Panmure House, How Heavy? Is “a brief history of weights and measures and how they have defined civilisation, by comedian / financial writer Dominic Frisby.” At the same venue, The Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker and Merryn Somerset Webb discusses the economy with “well-known economics, politics and finance gurus”.
Solving problems is a choice in The Biggest Problem in the World: Our Problem With Problems and Why Truth Matters at Paradise in Augustines, while Scotland’s Oldest Poem – The Gododdin delivers a “modern English rendition in free verse” of this “bloody and poignant” dark-age poem at Paradise in The Vault.
At PBH’s Free Fringe, Around the World in 80 Events: The Journey is a “lyrical adventure”, exploring “80 events, 26 countries, 8 months and 2 weeks”, while Door-to-Door Poetry: Nationwide sees Rowan McCabe develop a project where he “knocks on stranger’s doors and writes poems for them, for free, on any subject of their choosing”.
At RSE Theatre, Sport on the Fringe is a new chat show “with leading sports figures from across the UK”.
Fire Is Not the Only Element comes to the Scottish Storytelling Centre bringing “pithy observations” on topics “from womanhood to war, from class and punk to love, and the beautiful game”. Also at this venue, Traditional Tales of Scotland offers “storytelling session with some of Scotland’s best storytellers as they share the wonderful, and sometimes wild, traditional tales that have shaped the myths and legends of this country”.
Children’s shows
Chores is a comedy-circus show from Australia, following “the story of a brother and sister who have to clean up their messy room so they can ride their bicycles”. It’s on at Assembly, as is Sean Choolburra: Didj and Dance!, “an exciting kids’ show from an Aboriginal comedy star” blending traditional dance, didgeridoo, storytelling and humour.
Central Hall is home to two twists on traditional bedtime stories. Bedtime Stories (As Told by Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up) is about an absent-minded dad trying to settle his three kids into bed but getting fuzzy on story details, while The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig is a musical adaptation of the musical based on the popular children’s book by Eugene Trivizas.
Edinburgh’s underground walking tours have a couple of family-friendly adaptations this August: the Children’s Underground Ghost Show (City of Edinburgh Tours) is led by Minging Annie, a guide who has “been trapped beneath the city streets for 400 years”, while the Children’s Underground Vaults Tour (Auld Reekie Tours) explores the haunts of “criminals, body snatchers and witches alike!”
Mark Thompson’s Spectacular Science Show at Gilded Balloon is an interactive “hour-long show of explosions, chemical reactions and even a toilet roll”. At the same venue, Funbox Present… Funky Farm!, a farm-themed singing and dancing performance where dress-up is encouraged.
Greenside boasts at least two family-friendly adaptations in its programme: Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids, following the “man cub” Mowgli as he grows up in the jungle, and a production of The Grimm Tales as retold by Philip Pullman, featuring Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel.
Reach for the Stars at Hill Street Theatre is a “funny and light-hearted show” featuring four talentless directors and their long-suffering child actors.
Camille Saint-Saëns’ musical suite Carnival of the Animals is brought to life by circus acrobats Circa at House of Oz this August, while at the same venue, Australia’s “kidult comedy duo” The Listies present their irreverent Shakespeare adaptation, Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark.
Shakespeare for Kids: This Rough Magic is a family-friendly introduction to The Tempest at C venues, while online, One Day in Wonderland joins Lewis Carroll’s intrepid heroine Alice as she explores a strange world.
Pianist Will Pickvance plays the First Piano on the Moon at the Pianodrome at the Old Royal High, while spinning a yarn about performing at Mozart’s birthday celebrations.
Pleasance is host to a live adaptation of Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, “a lively and engaging first theatre experience for young children aged 3+”. It’s also where you’ll find two versions of the music-and-sensory performance Moon Dragon – one for babies and one for kids aged five and under.
Storyteller Shona Cowie presents Beware the Beasts at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, delving into Scotland’s mythic past for tales of “bog goblins, dragons, naughty fairies, brownies, bony-backed horsemen” and more. At the same venue, Niall Moorjani and Minnie Wilkinson perform The Girl and the Dragon, in which “our hero Toral… swims uncrossable rivers, braves impassable forests and scales unclimbable mountains, all to fight a great and terrible dragon”.
FlamenKids at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St features eight flamenco artists performing and interacting with the wee ones.
At The Royal Scots Club, Count On Me: A Girl and Her Dog is “a heart-warming story performed live by Haley Grace and her dog Nickel, imparting life lessons and social-emotional learning through storytelling to give hope to young children”.
At theSpace, we join a young hero on the search for a magpie feather in Papageno’s Quest, with songs, dancing and different languages, while School’s Out Comedy Club is a “hilariously silly children’s joke show where the kids are the stars.”
At Underbelly, “top award-winning comedians and improvisors tell extravagant stories all based on” The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Musicals and opera
Underbelly hosts Making a Murderer: The Musical this August, with the legal troubles of true-crime subject Steven Avery adapted for the stage.
Dots and Dashes: A Bletchley Park Musical is being staged at Army @ The Fringe this August, “telling the untold story of six women working at Bletchley Park during World War Two”.
Assembly has two musical adaptations from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland among its programme: Godspell, Stephen Schwartz’s “acclaimed gospel musical”, and the American Civil War-set Little Women.
Good Enough at Central Hall follows Chelsea, a strong-willed but reserved girl, and Steve, a brilliant underachiever. “What happens when the two are forced to work together for the state science fair project?”
At Gilded Balloon, Gigglemug Theatre present The Bean Spillers: The Improvised Musical, “based on scandalous stories from the audience”.
The Princess Pyunggang at Greenside “exemplifies Korean traditional culture and history through the story of a fool, Ondal, and the Princess Pyunggang. Performed in English, it combines Korean music, puppets, and dance.” Greenside is also hosting X: 1969, which uses the discography of Fleetwood Mac to tell the story of the women of the Manson cult.
Hill Street Theatre is home to the Edinburgh Little Theatre company’s staging of popular puppet musical Avenue Q.
At Paradise in Augustines, the University of St Andrews Gilbert and Sullivan Society is presents Iolanthe, a story of “young lovers, immortal fairies and some very lost politicians”, while the Kingdom Theatre Company premieres their adaptation of Highlander: A New Scottish Musical.
Haggis, Neeps and Burns is a “warm, moving and funny look at the life of Scotland’s greatest bard, Robert Burns”, staged at RSE Theatre. At the same venue, Happy Sad Productions stage their version of the William Finn-scored The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
At C venues, My (unauthorized) Hallmark Movie Musical “discovers a writer who dreams herself awake and rediscovers romance in a non-conventional way”, and Re:ACTION: Inspired by the Album How We React and How We Recover by Jason Robert Brown tackles “the American high school experience of the past few tumultuous years”.
Join the Bohemians at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, George St for A Bohemian Broadway, “an eclectic selection of their favourite Broadway songs”. At the same venue, Edinburgh Music Theatre present two anthemic shows: Anthems – 40 Years of Edinburgh Music Theatre and Anthems – Movie Musicals.
Ordinary Days at The Royal Scots Club follows “the lives of four ordinary New Yorkers… as they all desperately search for the same impossible thing – happiness”.
American Performing Arts International presents Best of the Songs That Made Usat theSpace, “an intimate, cabaret-style concert celebrating music and storytelling”. theSpace is also where you’ll find Edinburgh Youth Theatre’s production of Into The Woods Jr, as adapted from “Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s cockeyed fairy-tale”.
At ZOO, GOYA Theatre Company present Don’t Say Macbeth, a meta-musical set behind the scenes of a troubled Macbeth-themed production.
Mexican military band, Banda Monumental de Mexico, will be taking over the iconic Edinburgh Castle Esplanade when they return with another show-stopping performance ‘Mexico Celebrates Life’ to this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in August.
To mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, part of the performance will be dedicated to Her Majesty and Duke of Edinburgh with a special Monarch butterfly wing costume created in her honour.
Julieta Huerta Aviles, one of the youngest dancers in Banda Monumental de Mexico, was the driving force behind the idea to include the beautiful butterfly wing costumes in this year’s showcase.
Her inspiration is a famous photograph taken of the late Duke of Edinburgh watching the Monarch Butterfly’s migration on a trip to Mexico in 1988 – part of a trip he attended to support a Mexican conservation group whose aim was to protect the Monarch Butterfly from serious threats to the species’ survival.
Julieta Huerta Aviles, performer with Banda Monumental de Mexico said: “The opportunity to share our country’s music and culture with so many people at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a real privilege.
“The photograph of Prince Philip with the Monarch butterflies is incredibly beautiful and with it being The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year, it felt only right that part of our performance and costume honoured both of them in a special way. I am so excited to perform at the Tattoo and I can’t wait to see the costumes take centre stage.”
In 2010, the Tattoo was presented with the official Royal Commemoration by Her Majesty to mark the organisations 60th anniversary and has since been known as The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. As part of the Jubilee celebrations, over 50 Tattoo Dancers performed at ‘A Gallop Through History’ which took place at Windsor Castle.
Michael Braithwaite, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Creative Director, said: “It’s such a thrill to have the dynamic and exciting Banda Monumental de Mexico return to the Tattoo this year. Our audience can expect an even bigger spectacle than before, and we can’t wait.
“With the country celebrating The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year it’s wonderful to see the performers from Banda Monumental de Mexico pay tribute to both Her Majesty The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in such a poignant way, connecting back to their Mexican roots and culture. We’re excited to see the costumes dazzle in all their glory on the Esplanade.”
All performers from Banda Monumental de Mexico reside from Tehuacán, a town in the state of Puebla which is famously known as the birthplace of many of the greatest musicians in Mexico.
The military band is made up of 120 members between the ages of 12 and 53. The band was formed exclusively for the 2018 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo by the Organizacion Cultural de Intercambios Internacionales México and saw more than 100 performers brought together proudly to share traditional Mariachi music.
This year’s Tattoo theme is ‘Voices’ and the Show will represent the collective power and connection of voice through a spectacular combination of music, dance and military precision from some of the world’s leading armed forces and cultural performers as it returns with a bang this August 5 – 27.
The Show will run from 5 – 27 August 2022. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone on 0131 225 1188.
