#CSSDEdinburgh
2ND COMING. AGAIN.
2nd Hand News Theatre. Including Gemma Wray (MA Acting for Screen) and Jack Westgate (BA (Hons) Acting 2017)
PQA Venues @Riddle’s Court (Venue 277), Aug 16-23 @21:00
Two people are led to believe they are the second coming. They (and you) need to work out who it is using evidence and stories told by people from their past in this (slightly) immersive party performance.
3 YEARS, 1 WEEK AND A LEMON DRIZZLE
Written and performed by Alexandra Donnachie (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2016)
Underbelly – Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 1-12, 14-27 @14:25
Explores Alexandra and her sister Kate’s relationship at a time when Alexandra was living with anorexia. When Alexandra (finally) asked Kate what ‘that time’ was like for her, she began cooking up ideas for this autobiographical show – before Kate agreed to be in it.
ADVENTURERS WANTED: REBELLION
Total Party Kill! in association with Sweet Productions. With resident stage management from Naomi Heathcote (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Education 2013)
Sweet Novotel – Novotel 1 (Venue 188), Aug 2-26 @10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30
Tabletop role-playing games meets live storytelling in an improvised epic brought to life over a whole month. Witness the legend unfold over 100 individual hour-long shows, or play yourself! Adventurers Wanted is designed to be open and accessible. The story that gets told is down to the players: there’s no way of knowing what will happen!
ALL THAT REMAINS
Molodyi Teatr London. Including Finlay Ross-Russell (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2018)
Greenside @Infirmary Street (Venue 236), Aug 21-25 @14:00
All That Remains is a moving reflection on loss and memory based on true stories from the ongoing war in Ukraine. A woman who has lost her brother to the war and is left with only a few of his belongings tries to make sense of what happened. Into her story, the show weaves the voices of her brother and others affected by the war. Using documentary theatre, music and storytelling the show explores what remains when someone dies in armed conflict. A touching and challenging story about trauma, bereavement and finding the strength to live on.
ACHILLES
Company of Wolves, with design from Ana Ines Jabares-Pita (MA Scenography 2012)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 3-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @16:15
Scotland’s acclaimed Company of Wolves reimagines the myth of Achilles in a heart-stopping solo performance. Fusing storytelling, movement and song, Achilles is the epic story of a man’s exorcism: a burning out of his grief, his rage and his humanity. Company of Wolves are a laboratory theatre company based in Glasgow. They make performance by experiment, using elements of theatre, dance, music and improvisation to craft unique and compelling pieces that speak directly to the times in which we live.
THE BACCHANALS
Mikra Theatricals, including Bess Roche, Katerina Ntroudi, Lauren Orrock, Alexandria Macleod, Phoebe Ladenburg (all MA Acting 2015), and Aamira Challenger (MA Acting 2016)
theSpace @Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53), Aug 13-18, 20-25 @20:25
Mikra Theatricals invite you to draw back the curtain and take a peek backstage into a world of paranoia, madness and drama. The Bacchanals is a dark comedy which toys with Classical traditions and texts whilst exploring the gender politics of theatre. A piece of new writing, inspired by Euripides’s Bacchae, which asks: what happens if you trap a chorus of actresses in a small room, throw in some Greek mythology for good measure and turn the pressure up?
BIG AFTERMATH OF A SMALL DISCLOSURE
Actors Touring Company; Translator Purni Morell, Director Alice Malin. With lighting design from Sam Waddington (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2016)
Aug 1-12, 14-19, 21-26 @14:50
By Magne van den Berg, UK premiere. Louise and Jon. Happy together. Except. Jon’s got something to say. A small disclosure with big consequences. Comedy and tragedy collide in a play about what happens when one person wants to go and the other wants them to stay. Big Aftermath of a Small Disclosure explores how lives can turn on a word and the allure of the self-destruct button. From ATC (The Events, Suppliant Women, Brothers Size).
BIG BITE-SIZE BREAKFAST SHOW
White Room Theatre, including performance from incoming student Imogen Miller Porter
Pleasance Dome (Venue 23), Aug 1-13, 15-20, 22-27 @10:30
Good morning, Edinburgh! Three funny, thought-provoking “menus” of ten-minute plays. Free coffee and tea, croissants, strawberries! Great UK and international writers. The perfect way to start your day. Stimulating, refreshing and engaging. Edinburgh Fringe Sell-Out Show 2017. Latest Award Best Theatre Performance winner. ‘Go see this gem!’ ***** (WhatsOnStage.com). ‘A sure-fire pick-me-up!’ ***** (Daily Record). ‘One of the most important shows you will see on the Fringe’ ***** (BritishTheatreGuide.info). For information on the 3 menus go to http://www.bite-size.org.uk/bite-size-edfringe-2017-playlist-breakfast-lunch-shows-announced/
BITE-SIZE PLAYS PRESENTS: NEVERWANT
White Room Theatre, including performance from incoming student Imogen Miller Porter
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 4-13, 15-20, 22-27 @14:15
Neverwant: the algorithm of life. A brand-new story about a passion that can’t breach the firewall. If everything you’ve ever yearned for is just a constant impending update, what’s left to want? Isn’t the definition of freedom a heart without desire? Neverwant explores a world where love is nothing more than a bug in the system.
BLACKTHORN BY CHARLEY MILES
InSite and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production, including movement from Natasha Harrison (MA Movement Studies 2016)
Roundabout @Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 1-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-26 @13:05
‘What you think’s a completely different plant on surface – it’s all from the same roots.’ The only two children born in a North Yorkshire village for a generation cannot imagine ever being apart, but as their lives shift, so too do the ties that bind them. Charley Miles’ outstanding debut play Blackthorn explores the changes and choices that pull us from the places and people we love. Blackthorn was a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn prize in 2017 and is presented as an InSite and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production.
BLOWING YOUR PARADISE AWAY
Lump’s Room Theatre Company, including performance from Kitty Douglas (MA Acting 2017)
The Biscuit Factory (173), Aug 6-12 @14:00
This show features two people and one crucifix. It was written in bad taste but will leave you in good spirits. It will make you anxious to ever wait for a bus again. It will make you reconsider Paradise and pornstars. There will be a bar. Amen.
BREXIT
The Spontaneity Shop, with performance from Hal Cruttenden (Stage 1994)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 1-12, 14-19, 21-26 @13:30
A new Tory PM must unite his party’s warring factions with his masterful plan for a final Brexit deal. Just… what was it again? Starring Timothy Bentinck (The Archers), Jo Caulfield, Hal Cruttenden, Pippa Evans and Mike McShane. A new satire by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky.
BUMPER BLYTON
Bumper Blyton: The Improvised Adventure, with performance from James Whittaker (MA Music Theatre 2011) and Jonah Fazel (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2013)
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 1-27 @16:10
The picnic hamper’s packed full of parody, ready for a riotous improvised spoof in the style of Enid Blyton. Come delight in lashings of ginger beer, grab a cheeky tongue sandwich or wrap your lips round a nice spotted dick! Each show is unique in this spontaneous adventure. A cast of some of the UK’s best-known improvisers spin an entirely new tale for grown-ups using hand-drawn audience suggestions and inspiration from the Blyton classics. Pick of the Fringe **** (Daily Record). ‘Delightfully silly’ **** (ThreeWeeks). ‘They’re phenomenal’ **** (RemoteGoat.com).
BUSKING IT
Coin Drop in association with HighTide and Shoreditch Town Hall. Written by Danusia Samal (BA (Hons) Acting 2012)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 15-27 @12:45
‘If I don’t know you and you don’t know me, then you’re free in your anonymity.’ Cities are full of stories – it’s amazing what you hear if you stop and listen. Drawing on her decade of singing on the tube, Danusia Samal’s Busking It is a journey through the tunnels of the London Underground. A fun, moving and vibrant piece of gig-theatre giving voice to the passers-by, blending chance encounters with original live music. Written and performed by Danusia Samal (RSC, Royal Court, Soho Theatre), with music by Adam Cross and Joe Archer.
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST
Tall Stories, co-directed by Toby Miller (MA Voice Studies 1996)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 @14:45
For your delight and delectation, we present Oscar Wilde’s gruesomest ghost story, as reimagined by a charismatic compere and his extraordinary company: an illusionist, a comedian and a psychic… When the Otis family move into Canterville Hall, they’re warned about the fearsome ghost that stalks its corridors. But the Otis family are a thoroughly modern bunch. Has anyone warned the Canterville Ghost about them? A darkly comic and marvellously musical show from award-winning theatre company Tall Stories – definitely not suitable for under 12s…
CATHERINE BOHART: IMMACULATE
Chambers Touring. Solo show by Catherine Bohart (MA Acting for Screen 2013)
Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two (Venue 33), Aug 1-13, 15-26 @16:15
Catherine Bohart is the bisexual, OCD daughter of an Irish Catholic Deacon and she’s got a hell of a lot to say about it. BBC New Comedy Award Finalist 2016. BBC New Talent Hotlist 2017. ‘Pretty much the perfect comedy package’ (Beyond The Joke).
THE CAT’S MOTHER
Wildcard and Reid Productions, with lighting design from Roma Brown (MA Applied Theatre 2015)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 2-12, 14-26 @13:30
Sinead arrives at her sister, Ciara’s, flat in London with a major surprise in store. Over the long weekend, they are forced to make a decision that will affect both their lives forever. Seeking guidance from a variety of weird and wonderful characters along the way, the sisters are pushed into exploring how far they are willing to go for their own family. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of the family cat… The Cat’s Mother is a new dark Irish comedy that will make you laugh, cry and then laugh again.
THE CHORE OF ENCHANTMENT
Vincent Gambini (with Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts). Including lighting design from incoming student Jack Harris
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 1-12, 14-19, 21-27 @17:45
The world is in turmoil. Can magic provide the much-needed solace for these difficult times? Vincent Gambini is not so sure. Disillusioned by global news events, struggling with “magician’s block”, Gambini unveils the hidden difficulties of being a conjurer. Combining deadpan reflections with jaw-dropping sleight-of-hand magic, this new show plays expertly with our understandings of deception, artifice and theatrical make-believe. ‘Thoughtful, playful and multi-layered… will make you question how we watch and what we see’ **** (Guardian). ‘Takes apart the clockwork mechanics of wonder in ingenious style’ **** (Fest Mag).
CREAM TEA AND INCEST
Benjamin Alborough. Including performance from Will Beynon and Eoin McAndrew (both MA Acting 2017)
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Aug 3-11, 13-18, 20-25 @19:05
Romance! Adventure! Murder! Aristocrat Eddie Spangler and valet Jeffrey must learn the meaning of these words and more in this new anarchic comedy set in Edwardian England. Delight in their capers, mix-ups and the dead bodies left in their wake. Meet Eddie Spangler, an incompetent but optimistic Englishman and his loyal valet, Jeffrey, as a simple matchmaking quest quickly deteriorates into a race against time when the Machiavellian forces of the aristocracy move to wreak their vengeance. **** (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Highly recommended show’ (FringeReview.co.uk). Sell-out show Edinburgh Fringe 2017. Transfer from The Hope Theatre in Islington.
CRIMINAL
Produced by Ralph Jones and Joel Gatehouse (MA Actor Training and Coaching 2016)
Pleasance Dome (Venue 23), Aug 4-5, 8-12 @21:40
Welcome to Criminal, an anarchic improv night in which four comedians have an hour to solve a grisly murder. With a different line-up every night, one detective and three suspects will investigate a mysterious case armed only with the power of improvisation. Who’s innocent? Who’s guilty? What’s really happened? How can you kill a man with a rocking horse? At least some of these questions will be answered in front of your very eyes. A podcast and monthly gig in London, Criminal has hosted a wealth of performers including Marcus Brigstocke, Josie Lawrence, Deborah Frances-White and Miles Jupp.
CSI: CRIME SCENE IMPROVISATION
The Chanderliers, including Alexandria Macleod (MA Acting 2015)
Underbelly, Bristo Square – Ermintrude (Venue 302), Aug 1-26 @15:35
No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast! The improvised comedy murder mystery is back! Following a sold out Edinburgh 2017 run, CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation returns to Edinburgh creating a 100% brand-new whodunnit every show to solve an outlandish murder invented by the audience. Someone’s kicked the bucket. But who, what and how? The choice is yours, the problem is theirs.
DANGEROUS GIANT ANIMALS
Written and performed by Christina Murdock (MA Acting 2016) and produced by Hannah Johnson (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Education 2013)
Underbelly (Venue 61 & 302), throughout Aug @Various dates/times
A kick. A scream. A tantrum. When it comes to disability, what’s allowed? What’s forbidden? This is a middle-child story of the extraordinary range of experience that comes from growing up too soon alongside a sister who will never grow up. A provocative new solo show, Dangerous Giant Animals, is a darkly comedic game of hide-and-seek with our true nature.
DI & VIV & ROSE (IN AN HOUR)
Handmade Theatre, co-founded by Georgie Oulton (BA (Hons) Acting 2017)
C Venues – C Cubed (Venue 50), Aug 2-14 @17:55
‘Have you just got exactly what you wanted by working hard and wanting it?’ A courageous look at the enduring bond of friendship. Together three women rollercoaster their way through life, encountering sex, loss and all kinds of love. Following a sell-out run in London, Handmade Theatre’s new condensed version of Amelia Bullmore’s Di and Viv and Rose (in an hour) is their Edinburgh debut.
DICK BARTON: THE TANGO OF TERROR
The Television Workshop Salford. Including performance from incoming student Matthew Allen
theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36), Aug 3-4, 6-11 @18:20
Evil foreigners are at large, British Dick and his trusty working-class sidekicks face a ticking time bomb to foil a ruthless Latin love thug’s plot before he steals every pearl necklace in London. Will they defeat the forces of evil or suffer a foreign teabag?! BAFTA award-winning, The Television Workshop hits the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a hilarious live BBC Radio Drama from the iconic 1940s secret agent Dick Barton. Theatre/comedy, directed by MEN award-winning Rachel Brogan. Starring Matthew Allen, Lizzy Lomas, Matthew Thomasson, Max Evans, Sarah Sweeney, Natasha Burgess and Bella Band.
DON’T BE TERRIBLE
Ellen Waddell and Oliver Milburn / Free Fringe, with performance from Daniel Cech-Lucas (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2013)
Laughing Horse @ City Cafe (Venue 85), Aug 2-13, 15-26 @15:00
Can stand-up save your love life? Self-confessed nice guy Steve thinks so. That’s why he’s asked Alice, an up-and-coming stand-up, how to make people laugh. It’s his last-ditch attempt to distract his girlfriend from the funny guy at work. Unfortunately, misanthrope Alice believes in comedy much more than she believes in love and may not be quite the guru he was expecting. A comedy about comedy, that asks whether nice is ever funny, and whether sexy is ever nice.
DRACULA
Let Them Call It Mischief, for which Danny Wainwright (MA Acting 2010) is Artistic Director
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 1-12, 14-27 @14:20
We all know the Dracula story… or do we? Join the first Romanian immigrant as he strikes fear into the male establishment with some surprising consequences. Five actors take on lots of characters in this funny, fast-paced retelling of the classic Gothic tale. From the company described as ‘laugh out loud’ (WhatsOnStage.com) and ‘annoyingly talented’ (TheatreBubble.com) and ‘a genuine treat’ (Stage). Following sell-out runs in Edinburgh, Brighton and London, this ‘side-splittingly funny’ ***** (Theatre-News.com) ‘show to die for’ ***** (TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk) returns to the Fringe! ‘Bram Stoker would be spinning in his grave!’ (TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk).
DRIP
Boundless Theatre and Script Club. Boundless Theatre is led by Artistic Director Rob Drummer (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2010), and includes Producer Roxan Kamali (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2006)
Roundabout @Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 20, 22-26 @18:55
A one-man musical comedy by award-winning duo Tom Wells (words) and Matthew Robins (music) fresh from a sell-out tour. Liam is 15 and he’s just signed up for Bev Road Baths’ first ever synchronised swimming team. It’s for his best mate Caz really. She needs to get a team together to win the annual Project Prize at school. She tries every year. She always loses. But Liam’s an optimist, he’s determined to help. There’s just one problem. Liam can’t swim.
THE EXTENSION
Electrik Village, including Benjamin Grant and Carly McCann (both MFA Advanced Theatre Practice students)
Aug 16-18
How important is your legacy? The piece explores the concept of digital presence after death. Is what remains more important than the precious time spent with our loved ones? With the audience acting as the key piece to the puzzle, they are transported to the heart of an enigmatic story, heightened by sensory elements within a virtual landscape. Two scientists, an undisclosed location and a secret to tell, they are in desperate need for your help. Are you the answer they’re looking for?
Electrick Village is a full-sensorial theatre company comprised of Carly McCann and Ben Grant. They blend virtual reality technology with sensation-stimulating storytelling to create completely immersive experiences. We strive to question and explore the effects of technology on the world, and defy the limitations of modern reality.
THE EXTROADINARY TIME-TRAVELLING ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN
Oh So Funny Comedy / The Stand Comedy Club, with appearance from Jonah Fazel (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2013)
The Stand’s New Town Theatre (Venue 7), Aug 2-13, 15-26 @12:10
Amazing tales, elegantly told. Top award-winning comedians and improvisers tell extravagant stories, all based on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. There will be swords, duels, elephants, castles built of cheese and all of it completely and irrefutably true! Discover how the Baron invented morris dancing, how his actions saved the Isle of Skye from sinking beneath the waves, why every fourth child in Bruges is named after him and other fantastically delightful stories. This show will delight adults and children with its wonderful joie de vivre and other pretentious words!
FALKLAND – THE WAR THE WORLD FORGOT
Tasty Monster Productions, with Co Artistic-Direction from Luke Tudball (MA Musical Theatre 2004)
Greenside – Nicolson Square – Emerald Theatre (Venue 209), Aug 13-18, 20-25 @13:50
Two unlikely friends find a camaraderie against a backdrop of bitter conflict, questionable politics and moral debate waged overseas. Inspired by real events, this is the extraordinary story of the ordinary people of a tiny island at the bottom of the world, the 10-and-a-half week war the world forgot and the inhabitants whose lives were forever changed by the decisions of political leaders a world away. A traumatic but necessary journey through the lives of two men, their families and the many twists and turns on the road to redemption.
FALLOUT
Loquitur Theatre in association with TALQ. Solo show by Katie Richardson (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Education 2011 and Theatre Practice 1987)
Laughing Horse @The Phoenix (Venue 146), Aug 2-26 @14:45
It’s not the end of the world! Join the last survivors of the global catastrophe in Lotta Quizeen’s boutique bunker. With endurance skills and strategies for planet repopulation, Lotta is in control. Or is she? She’s under a lot of strain: being locked underground may not be the sanest idea…
THE FAMOUS FIVE
Gobbledigook Theatre present the Official Enid Blyton Stage Adaptation. Including performance from Michal Ish-Horowicz (MA Music Theatre 2016)
C Venues - C (Venue 34), Aug 13-27 @14:30
Join Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy for lashings of ginger beer and some of the most memorable moments of Enid Blyton’s beloved stories. The only official Famous Five at Edinburgh Fringe. From the fields and forests of North Yorkshire, Gobbledigook Theatre bring you some of the most cherished stories of all time. ‘Delightfully nostalgic but not dated… Reminds you how wonderful it is to think like a child and to never forget what that felt like’ (York Press).
FLIGHT
Darkfield, co-founded by David Rosenberg (Tech 1998). The company also includes Victoria Eyton (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Education 2014) as Assistant Producer, Cecily Rabey (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013) as Technical Manager and Andrea Salazar (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2006)
Summerhall – The Terrace (Venue 26), Aug 1- 26 @ Times Vary
In the unlikely event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure next of kin and an extra pillow will be provided. We’re not responsible for your final destination. Flight takes place in a shipping container in absolute darkness, lasting 30 minutes. Created by Darkfield, the creators of Séance.
FOOTLIGHT’S AMERICAN IDIOT
Including performance from Eleanor Crowe (incoming MA Music Theatre student)
C venues (Venue 34), Aug 12-18 @13:45
Edinburgh University Footlights are proud to present Green Day’s award winning musical American Idiot. This show takes the most electrifying of Green Day’s music and brings it to life in a non-stop assault on the senses. We follow Johnny, the self-proclaimed Jesus of Suburbia, and his equally disaffected friends Will and Tunny as they struggle to find meaning in their lives. They are trapped between rage and love, a concept that defines and drives their generation. Johnny heads for the city and enters into a tumultuous relationship with a wild and unpredictable woman and an even more passionate affair with hard drugs. Tunny seemingly finds purpose in joining the military but is emotionally and physically broken in the line of duty. Will who decides to stay home with his pregnant girlfriend, slips further and further into a state of disillusion and hopelessness. Visceral and explosive, this show will have you humming guitar solos for weeks.
FRONTING
Yellowbird Theatre. Including performance from incoming student Morgan Noll
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 1-13, 15-27 @12:45
Following its award-winning run at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival in 2017, Yellowbird Theatre are excited to present Fronting as their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut. David is a young man, recently diagnosed with HIV, and anger and rage seem destined to consume him. However the arrival of Will in David’s life could change everything for the better. If David lets it.
THE FUN CLUB PRESENTS…
The Fun Club. Produced by Alex Lui (MA Creative Producing 2017), and including Alastair McPhail, Sara Page and Franny Rafferty (all MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2017)
ZOO Southside – Studio (Venue 82), Aug 16-27 @20:50
Three performers sitting in a theatre waiting to begin. Something is different, somehow… an audience. The Fun Club are attempting to stage a show that is original: part autobiography, part improv, all new writing.
GINGZILLA: GLAMONSTER VS THE WORLD
Ginzilla. Produced by Alex Lui (MA Creative Producing 2017)
Assembly George Square Theatre – The Bubble (Venue 8), Aug 1-7, 9-13, 15-20, 22-26 @20:00
The multi award-winning Gingzilla is on a mission to conquer the world! Gingzilla: Glamonster vs the World presents gender equality and femininity from the 1950s to now.
GIRLS LIKE THAT
Raiser Theatre, including Tim Hyam (PGCE Drama)
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39), Aug 3-7 @14:10
A naked photo goes viral. Smartphones spread rumours like wildfire. Unity is shattered. But why isn’t it the same for the boys? Raiser Theatre return to the Fringe after their sell-out double bill in 2017 with this explosive play about gender and the digital generation with an extraordinary, young, all-female cast. ‘Intimate and evocative’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Skilled actors and astutely directed’ (BritishTheatreGuide.info).
GOODBYE ROSETTA
Hungry Wolf VYT. Written by Katherine Manners (BA (Hons) Acting 2002)
theSpace @Niddry Street (Venue 9), Aug 15-19 @09:55
Hungry Wolf VYT return to Edinburgh Fringe with another original piece of cutting-edge theatre. Goodbye Rosetta is a fast-paced and warm-hearted tale of a group of teens coming of age. Keisha and Mo are foster sisters, they are also the misfits. When Mo’s depression makes the ground give way from under her, Keisha struggles to understand the illness that seems to be devastating the lives of the people she loves. They are forced to navigate their new reality and find their way with the guidance of the stars.
GRACE NOTES
Written and performed by Becky Williams (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2017)
TheSpace on the Mile (Venue 39), Aug 3-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 @15:05
Meet Grace Miller. Gobby, brash and a talented pianist. Just out of prison, she is determined to get her broken life back together. A convicted killer, Gracie still has old wounds to heal and bitter scores to settle. A powerful and gripping one-woman show. Book online or at the venue.
THE GREATEST PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
Tara Finney Productions in association with Royal Exchange Theatre. Including lighting design from Jack Knowles (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2008)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 2-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @Times vary
A love story, set on Preston Road, and also in space and time. Starring Julie Hesmondhalgh, The Greatest Play…is squashed full of exquisite observation and heartbreaking beauty.
THE GRIMM TRUTH
B-Rack Theatre Company. Directed by Sam Munday-Webb (BA (Hons) Drama and Education 2008)
theSpace @Niddry Street – Upper Theatre (Venue 9), Aug 13-18 @13:15
The Grimm Tales are wildly reimagined in this exciting retelling using themes from modern Britain. From child sexual exploitation to mental health and everything in between, these are fairytales for the new age. Using song, text, puppetry and theatrical play, this is a story from hundreds and hundreds of years ago told as a story for our time.
HAL CRUTTENDEN: CHUBSTER
CKP and InterTalent Group. Solo show written and performed by Hal Cruttenden (Stage 1994)
Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance One (Venue 33), Aug 1-14, 16-26 @21:00
Hal’s literally filled our screens in the last few years on such shows as Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice: You’re Fired and The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice. He’s also recorded two series of his sitcom Hal for BBC Radio 4. Now he’s back at Edinburgh with a brand-new show, the title of which, Chubster, was chosen by his charming daughters. Hal is now on a diet.
HELEN LEDERER ASKS WHY THE FUSS?
So Comedy and Broken Robot Productions, featuring Helen Lederer (Adv Cert Speech and Drama 1981)
Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree (Venue 257), Aug 21-25 @14:45
Following a sell-out residency at London’s St James’ Theatre, Helen brings her chat format to the Fringe for the first time. Helen’s previous guests include Joe Lycett, Jeremy Hardy, Kimberley Walsh and Michael Crick.
HELEN LEDERER: I MIGHT AS WELL SAY IT
So Comedy and Broken Robot Productions, featuring Helen Lederer (Adv Cert Speech and Drama 1981)
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 2-12, 14-25 @17:05
The Naked Video and Absolutely Fabulous star feels it’s time to spill, before she forgets and gets taken off the patches altogether. What went on in the Big Brother house? Can she be honest about stand-up comedy, being fat, wheezy and other secrets? Probably not. She might lie. ‘A miracle of comic compression and control’ (Times). ‘Divinely witty’ (Guardian). ‘Cleverly insane’ (Observer).
HENRY
Blind Summit Theatre, co-founder and Artistic Director Mark Down (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 1996)
Pleasance Dome – KingDome (Venue 23), Aug 11-26 @15:30
‘You go into a hospital with a father and you come out with a bin bag, and no father’. Haunted by the recent death of his father, the celebrated actor Henry Chessel, master puppeteer Mark Down considers the difference between acting and puppetry.
THE HIT
Strangeface, which includes Bethan Tomlinson (Stage 1995) as Producer.
Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 14-19, 21-26 @13:20
A very black comedy – Mikey is a hitman exposed to parts of the brain he never thought he would see. After an accidental death, some nagging last words, and a chance encounter in a steam bath he’s trying to straighten things out. Bizarre events play out on the Mexico border, on a trampoline, via the aisles of Toys R Us. ‘Part Beckett, part Scorsese… a satisfying blend!’ (TotalTheatre.org.uk). With creative team members from War Horse, The Hit is something different. Breaking Bad meets Team America in show designed to blow your mind.
HOW TO SPOT AN ALIEN
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd. Written by Georgia Christou (BA (Hons) Acting 2008) with sound design from Dominic Kennedy (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013)
Roundabout @Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26 @11.30
Why isn’t anyone allowed in the attic? Jelly and Jonjo are suspicious. Maybe Aunt Leina has something to hide. A fantastical search for alien life in a quest full of fun, friendship and flying saucers.
I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING
Written and performed by Victoria Bianchi and produced by Ilayda Arden (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2012)
Assembly George Square Studios, four (Venue 17), Aug 2-12, 14-19, 21-27 @12:15
Victoria and Jess LOVE. THEIR. LIVES. Honestly. They just want a bit of what the other has. That doesn’t mean they’re unhappy, right? This darkly funny, deeply moving and brutally honest devised performance explores contemporary womanhood and asks why every decision we make can feel like the wrong one.
IMPROMPTU SHAKESPEARE
Impromptu Shakespeare, with performance from James Whittaker (MA Music Theatre 2011)
Just the Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88), Aug 2-12, 14-26 @13:30
Bursting with love, poetry, comedy, tragedy, mistaken identity and everything in-between, Impromptu Shakespeare brings you an entirely new and unique Shakespeare play inspired by audience suggestions to delight Shakespeare nerds and newbies alike. Featuring a cast of leading theatrical and comedic improvisers, they’ve performed four critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and two years at the Bristol Shakespeare Festival. ‘Sublime… side-splittingly hilarious’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Chaotic, riotous fun’ ***** (PlaysToSee.com). ‘Impressive’ **** (ThreeWeeks). ‘Ingenious and very funny’ (Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor).
THE IMPROVISED PANTO!
Very Serious People, including Gaël van den Bossche (MFA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2016), David Clayton (MA Acting 2015) and Peter Rugman (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2016)
Paradise in the Vault – The Annexe (Venue 29), Aug 13-18, 20-26 @21:40
The panto that you control! Very Serious People use your suggestions to improvise a brand-new musical pantomime every single night. It’s a raucous night of fun and fantasy you’ll never forget. Boo villains, cheer heroes and beware the dame as you help your characters get their happily ever after!
IN ADDITION
Orange Skies Theatre, with core members Rachel Coleman and (Performance Arts student), and company stage management from Olivia Boyd (Stage Management student)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 2-12, 14-26 @10:50
Set in a near-future Britain where healthcare is privatised, a young couple’s relationship is quietly pulled apart by an aggressive lack of sleep. A piece of physical theatre with score by YouTuber Christopher ‘Bing’ Bingham, In Addition realises the spiralling of minute problems in a life without the NHS.
[INSERT SLOGAN HERE]
YESYESNONO. Produced by Rhian Davies (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Education 2009)
ZOO Charteris – Sanctuary (Venue 124), Aug 3-19 @18:10
In 2016, Volvo launched their Human Made marketing campaign. New adverts focused on individual human lives. School children. Explorers. Factory workers. Global sales increased by 20%. This is an attempt to do the same. With live music and video artistry, award-winning YESYESNONO return with [insert slogan here]: a fevered excavation of adverts, objects, memory and identity.
ISLAND TOWN
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd, with sound design from Dominic Kennedy (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013)
Roundabout @Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 1-4, 6, 8-10, 12-13, 15-18, 20, 22-24, 26 @Times vary
Kate, Sam and Pete live in a dead-end town. But who cares when they’ve got cheap cider and their whole lives ahead of them? A play about friendship and dreams of escape by Simon Longman.
IT’S NOT CUTE ANYMORE
Mum Brigade. Written by Bel Knight (MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2015)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 2-12, 14-26 @13:20
Giving up on your dreams isn’t always the worst thing in the world…This fresh and vulgar comedy follows two deluded girls who face the indignities of reaching for the stars and fears of waning potential.
JUST THESE, PLEASE
Just These, Please. Produced by Hannah Johnson (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Education 2013) with performance from William Sebag-Montefiore (MA Acting 2014), Michael Mahony and Philippa Carson (both MA Acting for Screen 2014)
Gilded Balloon Teviot - Balcony (Venue 14), Aug 1-19, 21-27 @12:15
Charming new sketch group seek friendly audience for their Edinburgh debut. Looking to share one hour of passion followed by a lifetime of mutual appreciation. 25 cleverly crafted sketches in 55 minutes from an ensemble with chemistry that would impress your old A-Level teacher. What do you want from comedy? Just These, Please (the best things in suits since you got with Alan from accounts at the Christmas party).
JUST WILLIAM’S LUCK
Shedload Theatre, with performance from Davey Lias (MA Acting 2017)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 2-12, 14-26 @12:10
The invincible William Brown considers he is ‘jolly well equal’ to solving most of life’s trickier problems, although devising a plan to get the elder brothers of the Outlaws married off might be a considerable challenge… Shedload Theatre present a love letter to Richmal Crompton’s classic characters in a fresh and dynamic adaptation. Fusing imaginative physical storytelling, screaming and screaming, music, knights of the square table, Foley sound effects, the Outlaws trademark gusto, and all the best intentions.
KILL THE BEAST: DIRECTOR’S CUT
Kill the Beast, with scenic design from Clement Garrity (MA Scenography 2011)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 21-27 @18:30
Welcome to the worst film never made. Thankfully there’s only one scene left to shoot. As heard on BBC Radio 3, critically acclaimed comedy troupe Kill the Beast return with a new tale of haunted Hollywood hilarity: Singin’ in the Rain meets The Exorcist, Carrie meets Noises Off. The fires have been contained, the wigs have been sterilised, and the star has been replaced after the accident. Surely, nothing else can be waiting in the dark? Praise for Kill the Beast: Edinburgh Stage Award 2016 winners. ‘Electric genius’ (Stage). ‘Masters of comedy horror’ (Time Out).
LADYKILLER
The Thelmas, co-founded by Madelaine Moore (MA Applied Theatre 2011)
Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker One (Venue 33), Aug 1-12, 15-27 @13:00
A chambermaid, a hotel room and a dead woman. It’s not what it looks like, really it’s not. It was self-defence….Ladykiller is a blood-soaked tale about social responsibility, zero-hours contracts, and ‘victimhood’; a jet-black comedy in a gig economy.
LATE NIGHT LIP SERVICE
Gilded Balloon and Ginzilla Present…Produced by Alex Lui (MA Creative Producing 2017)
Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre – Main Theatre (Venue 76), Aug 3-5, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 @00:00
Ferocious queens and fierce divas of the world, rejoice! Gingzilla, the giant, ginger, award-winning Glamonster, returns to host Late Night Lip Service, featuring the Fringe’s wildest acts, lip-sync battles, debauched drag and midnight madness.
LET’S INHERIT THE EARTH
Dogstar Theatre Company (Scotland) and Profilteatern (Sweden), with performance from Sarah McCardie (PG Dip Acting Musical Theatre 2003)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 10-12, 14-19, 21-26 @12:20
World premiere. Global warming, environmental destruction, mass extinction – this is the life! Morna Pearson’s punky new climate change comedy with songs, directed by Ben Harrison, design by Ulla Karlsson, and music by Jonny Hardie. Award-winning Dogstar (The Sky is Safe, Mungo Park, The Tailor of Inverness) teams up with Sweden’s Profilteatern, creating eighty minutes of absurd theatrical mayhem on the greatest existential threat outside The White House. A new Nordic comedy by a true original. ‘One of the freshest, most fearless and taboo-busting voices to be heard anywhere right now’ (Herald). ‘Superb wit’ (Scotsman).
LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE
Emmy Fyles (BA (Hons) Acting 2006)
Laughing Horse @ The Hanover Tap (Venue 259), Aug 2-18 @13:15
According to WikiHow, you can Live Your Best Life in just 14 steps (with pictures) but can it really be that easy? Emmy Fyles (Comedy Central, BBC Three) sets off on a journey to follow the best, worst and weirdest advice the internet has to offer; from money saving tips such as replacing bronzer with hot chocolate powder, to experiencing the healing powers of virtual dolphin therapy. Join Emmy to find out how you too can learn to #liveyourbestlife.
LOST IN THOUGHT
Chatback Theatre and Comedy, including Kerry Fitzgerald (MA Acting 2013)
Underbelly Cowgate – Delhi Belly (Venue 61), Aug 2-12, 14-26 @18:40
Felicity’s on a fantastic date… except she’s stuck in the restaurant toilet, trapped by nothing but her own alarming thoughts. If living in her brain is this difficult, how is she ever going to live a normal adult life? A new play from Lucy Danser – **** (WhatsOnStage.com) – about invisible illness, stigma and motherly love.
LOVE SONG TO LAVENDER MENACE
James Ley. Directed by Ros Philips (MA Movement Studies 2008)
Summerhall - TechCube 0 (Venue 26), Aug 1-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @12:55
After a sell-out run at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Scotland’s 80s gay romantic comedy hit is back! So are nostalgic bookseller Lewis and party-boy Glen, in this funny, celebratory play about Scotland’s radical, lesbian, gay and feminist bookshop that began in the cloakroom of Scotland’s first gay nightclub and became the beating heart of Edinburgh’s LGBT+ community.
MADE IN DAGENHAM
The Latymer Theatre Company, with set design from Constance Villemot (current MA Scenography student)
C venues (Venue 34), Aug 19-26 @11:00
Could there be a more relevant show for our society? A shocking 50 years after the workers’ strike at the Ford Dagenham plant, women are still fighting for equal pay and conditions. This uplifting musical version of the famous film tells the story of Rita O’Grady and her fellow workers who took on and beat their bosses. A funny and heart-warming show that makes an unassailable case for justice and human rights.
THE MARILYN CONSPIRACY
Guy Masterson – TTI, including performance from Sally Mortemore (MA Voice Studies 2006)
Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17), Aug 2-12, 14-27 @13:45
August 5, 1962. Marilyn Monroe is found dead! Official verdict: probable suicide. Seven people are present from 22:30 before police are finally called at 04:30. What do they discuss? In the style of 12 Angry Men, all the known facts are brought together, lies exposed, myths debunked. Was it suicide? Was it the Mafia… the CIA? Or was it Bobby Kennedy? With so many unanswered questions, this is the first time the probable truth has been exposed on stage. Revealing! Shocking! Brutal! Unmissable! Co-writers: Vicki McKellar and Guy Masterson, who also directs.
MEEK
Headlong in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Including composition and sound design from Melanie Wilson (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2001) and performance from Amanda Wright (BA (Hons) Acting 2003)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Jul 31 Aug 4-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26
When private lives become political, Irene must make a brutal decision. The exhilarating Headlong (People, Places and Things) presents Penelope Skinner’s haunting vision of ruthless state control and one woman’s determination not to be broken.
MESS
Roar Toast Productions, co-founded by Michael Dahl Rasmussen and Imogen Halsey (both MA Music Theatre 2017), and directed by Benjamin Edward Victor (MA Music Theatre 2014)
Greenside @ Nicholson Square - Lime Studio (Venue 209), Aug 3-11, 13-18 @ 17.15
“Rachel’s life is a MESS, and her best friend Adam always seems to have his life together. Following an unexpected turn of events, she turns up at his flat in the early hours of the morning, but is she really the only one who is struggling?”
METAMORPHOSIS
Raiser Theatre, including Tim Hyam (PGCE Drama)
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39), Aug 3-7 @13:15
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. Franz Kafka’s powerful absurdist tale is both hilarious and horrific in this thrilling retelling by an extraordinary cast. Raiser Theatre return to the Fringe after their sell-out double bill in 2017. ‘Intimate and evocative’ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Skilled actors and astutely directed’ (BritishTheatreGuide.info).
NEITHER: IDENTITY CRISIS!
A Powell’s World Production Featuring Matt Powell as Neither. Written by Matt Powell (current BA (Hons) Performance Arts student) and including stage management from Charley Walker and technical management from Daniel Steward (both current BA (Hons) Theatre Practice students)
Fireside - The Last Arch Theatre (Venue 75), Aug 2-4, 6-11, 13-16 @20:45
Being – what is it to be a me. For me is a being that be in a place. A confusion. A conundrum. A difficult lost face. What makes us an us. What makes me a me. What makes me exist. In my lost identity.
Identity is a maze. So Neither is trying to work it out. In their Fringe debut, Neither explores their life, queerness and the unknown in a camp cabaret of comedy, music and love.
NELE NEEDS A HOLIDAY: THE MUSICAL
Compagnie Cornelius, Big in Belgium, Richard Jordan Productions, TRP, RBC. Directed by Annemiek Van Elst (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2014)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 1, 3-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @22:15
A Belgian popstar moves to London to steal the job of British popstars. Luckily, austerity is there to stop her. Nele Needs A Holiday: The Musical is a satirical pop opera about a girl who turns her life into an international mess because she wants be famous on the other side of the Channel. It’s a rags-to-more-rags story showing the magnificent relieve of grandiose failure in love, life, and a so-called career.
NEWSREVUE
Canal Café Theatre/Emma Taylor. Directed by Samuel Hopkins (MA Advanced Theatre Practice, 2016), with performances from Jack Mosedale (MA Classical Acting, 2016) and Philippa Carson (MA Acting for Screen, 2014)
Underbelly, George Square (Venue 300), Aug 2-14, 16-27 @17:45
Nobody is safe. Politicians and celebrities alike come under fire in a turbo-charged barrage of bladder-threateningly funny material. NewsRevue is a Guinness World Record-breaking, news-based song and sketch show, flawlessly delivered by outstanding performers at lightning speed.
NIGEL SLATER’S TOAST
PW Productions presents The Lowry production, including performance from Sam Netwon (MA Acting 2016)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 15-19, 21-26 @Times vary
Nigel Slater’s Toast is a new play based on his award-winning autobiography. Vividly recreating suburban England in the 1960s, Nigel Slater’s childhood is told through the tastes and smells he grew up with. From making the perfect sherry trifle and waging war over cakes through to the playground politics of sweets and the rigid rules of restaurant dining, this is a moving and evocative tale of love, loss and… toast.
NOMAD
Stacey Devonport. With performance from Hannah Sharkey (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2011)
theSpace @Surgeon’s Hall (Venue 53), Aug 15-18, 20-25 @18:15
The flat is empty. Everyone had moved out. Except for Laura and her ancient dog named Roy. Tonight she is staring down the lens of her 30th birthday. Come and celebrate one woman’s intimate and darkly comic coming-of-age story, a biological kick off the edge of the cliff into the face of her hopes, desires and hot yoga.
NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU
This Noise. Written by Nathan Ellis (MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2017), designed by Khadija Raza and Alice Simonato, with sound design by Callum Wyles (all BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2017)
Pleasance Courtyard – Bunker Two (Venue 33), Aug 1-27 @12:30
An insomniac watching TV in a language he doesn’t understand; a woman stood in a garden stretching her arms to the sky. Breaking Out winner and Charlie Hartill Award Finalist, new play No One Is Coming to Save You is the hypnotic story of what we’re waiting for and why we’re waiting.
ONCE SEEN ON BLUE PETER
Cahoots Theatre Company, with lighting design from David Howe (Tech 1993) and performance from Janet Ellis (Stage 1977)
Assembly Ballroom (Venue 20), Aug 4-12, 14-26 @14:50
Makes, Bakes and Outtakes. On October 16th, 1958, Blue Peter sailed onto our TV screens. 60 years and over 5,000 episodes later, an elite group of ex-presenters gather to receive an award celebrating this extraordinary anniversary. A blisteringly funny and poignant tribute to the world’s longest-running children’s TV programme.
ON THE EXHALE
China Plate and Audible with New Theatre Royal Portsmouth. Directed by Christopher Haydon (BA (Hons) Acting 2005) and including sound design from Donato Wharton (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2009)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 2-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26
A devastating school shooting changes one woman’s life forever. Double Fringe First Award winner Christopher Haydon directs the UK premiere of Martin Zimmerman’s ‘startlingly original’ (New York Times) examination of American gun violence.
ORLANDO
Dyad Productions, including costume design from Kate Flanaghan
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139), Aug 2-7, 9-13, 15-20, 22-27 @11:30
Orlando: Who is she? Who is he? Who are we? In their 10th consecutive year of acclaimed theatre at Assembly, performer Rebecca Vaughan and writer/director Elton Townend-Jones present the comedic tale of an immortal poet, whose gender cannot be pinned down, whose spirit cannot be caged and whose irreverent, romantic adventures across British history provide a life-affirming, magical realist exploration of human identity; personal, sexual and national. Based on the satirical 1928 novel by Virginia Woolf. Previous shows: Austen’s Women, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, I, Elizabeth, Female Gothic, The Time Machine, The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe and Dalloway.
THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF SMACK AND CRACK
Most Wanted, Offstage Theatre, Soho Theatre, W14 Productions, Alastair Michael. Directed by Cressida Brown (BA (Hons) Acting 2006) with movement direction from Kate Sagovsky (MA Movement Studies 2007) and sound design from Jon McLeod (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2009)
Roundabout @ Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 3-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-26 @17:30
‘The history of England jumps off its axis. 2am, 8th July, 1981, 20 cities across England burn.’ The night of the Manchester uprising. That night should change everything. Drawing on his own personal experience, Ed Edwards’ script crackles with anger, humour and authenticity as he chronicles the fallout for communities crushed by the heroin epidemic at the height of Thatcherism. Shot through with home truths about the road to recovery this is an epic love song to a lost generation.
PYG
FramBag, produced by Dorothy Englert (Adv Cert Speech and Drama 1989)
Greenside @Nicholson Square (Venue 209), Aug 13-18 @12:40
A twist on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. Cross-dressed cast explore Shaw’s explosive use of language and the impact of dress on gender.
RACHEL PARRIS’ MUSICAL COMEDY CLUB
Live Nation in association with Troika. Stand up show written and performed by Rachel Parris (MA Acting for Screen 2007)
Pleasance Dome – QueenDome (Venue 23), Aug 14, 21, 23 @Times vary
Award-winning musical comedian and star of The Mash Report, Rachel Parris, presents a late-night jamboree of tunes, including some of her own comic anthems plus a selection of guests from the comedy and cabaret circuit.
THE RED SHOES
Young Pleasance. With performance from Evangelina Burton (incoming student)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 3-18 @15:30
A reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, the ‘superbly talented’ (List) Young Pleasance bring the glitz, glamour, and seedy underworld of interwar Berlin to life with characteristic high production values, ‘sheer professionalism and talent’ (EdinburghGuide.com). Follow Lotta as her Red Shoes lead her on a rags-to-riches journey from the steps of the orphanage through the hedonism of its dance halls, and finally as an actress on the silver screen as Germany teeters on the brink of disaster. Vivaciously light with disturbingly dark undertones.
SHIT-FACED SHAKESPEARE: HAMLET
Magnificent Bastard Productions Ltd, with performance from James Murfitt (MA Acting 2013)
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 1-27 @22:50
The legendary Fringe hit is back again with their biggest shit-faced show to date: Hamlet. This hilarious, sell-out, award-winning, smash-hit show has already sold over 250,000 tickets worldwide and is back once more to help you “enjoy Shakespeare responsibly”. Featuring a cast of professional Shakespearian actors and a single, randomly selected drunk performer every night, no two shows are ever the same. Warning, this show may contain swearing, nudity, simulated acts of a sexual nature, terrible singing, actual acts of a sexual nature, moist moments and – possibly – some actual Shakespeare. What could possibly go wrong?
SHOT IN THE DARK
Godfrey and West. Co-written and directed by incoming student Ella Godfrey
Just the Tonic at La Belle Angele (Venue 301), Aug 17-21, 24-26 @15:30
Blimey! It’s 1958, the Cold War is heating up, and Her Majesty’s finest assassins have gathered to celebrate topping off their prime target. There’s just a small spot of bother: she’s not actually dead. ‘I may not have killed her,’ says Kenneth, ‘but I got jolly close.’ Et voila! You are served a scrumptious platter of messed-up murders, accompanied by oodles of intrigue and lashings of LOLs. All based on genuinely fictional events; it’s going to be absolutely capital. ‘A joy to watch’ ****½ (Varsity.co.uk). ‘Very slick’ **** (Cambridge Student).
SKIN A CAT
Rive Productions Ltd, including Libby Rodliffe (MA Music Theatre 2015)
Assembly Rooms – The Blue Room (Venue 20), Aug 2-12, 14-25 @16:10
Follow Alana’s awkward sexual odyssey with a kaleidoscope of off-kilter characters: from her first period freaking out her frantic mother, to bad porn with her best friend’s boyfriend, to a painful examination by a cheery gynaecologist – all in pursuit of losing her virginity and becoming a woman. Whatever that means…
THE SQUIRREL PLAYS
Part of the Main, including Bee Scott (MA Music Theatre 2016) and Anne Mulleners (MA Theatre Criticism and Dramaturgy 2017)
C Venues – C Cubed (Venue 50), Aug 2-12, 14-27 @19:10
Newlyweds Tom and Sarah are definitely not squirrel people. So when they discover a critter in their attic, they’re faced with a marriage-testing decision: to exterminate, or not to exterminate? Using absurdist humour and emotional truth, award-winning playwright Mia McCullough explores how different women approach reproductive choice.
SOCIAL MEDIA SUICIDE
Written and performed by Clare McCall (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2017), directed by Callie Nestleroth (current MFA Advanced Theatre Practice) and produced by Talia Meyerowitz-Katz (current MA Creative Producing)
Laughing Horse @The Free Sisters - The Wee Room (Venue 272), Aug 3-11 @21:00
@izzybaby1991: You’re invited to a very special 27th birthday party. One I promise you won’t forget!’ Social Media Suicide is a darkly comic one-woman show about the lengths a girl will go for online fame. Clare McCall’s debut show explores the legacy of the infamous 27 Club alongside the millennial struggle with social media addiction. Oh, and there’ll be cake!
STELLA
Less is MORE Productions. Including performance from Victoria Holtom (MA Music Theatre 2007)
PQA Venues @ Riddle’s Court (Venue 277), Aug 3-16 @16:00
Greetings from The Giant’s Causeway, Spring 1967… it’s the annual social club trip for a group of knicker factory workers from industrial Middlesbrough, busy enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Northern Ireland. This trip is different though, it’s more of a journey… Surrounded by the sounds of the sea and the spray, stories and secrets are stumbled upon. This is a reconnecting, to the earth and each other – perhaps Stella, Jean and Doreen have much more in common than just knicker elastic?
STICKS AND STONES
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd. Written by Vinay Patel (MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2011) and sound design by Dominic Kennedy (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013)
Roundabout @Summerhall – Roundabout (Venue 26), Aug 1-3, 5-6, 8-11, 13, 15-17, 19-20, 22-25 @Times vary
Sometimes we can’t find the right words. Sometimes the wrong word just slips out. Sometimes the right words become the wrong words. Sometimes that ruins everything. A razor-sharp satire about the search for a sure footing in an uncertain world from BAFTA-nominated Vinay Patel.
TAMAR BROADBENT: BEST LIFE
Jimmy Jewell Ltd. Solo show with Tamar Broadbent (MA Music Theatre 2012)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 3-12, 14-26 @14:20
‘Is it too much to ask for everything?!’ she shouted drunkenly at a bin. This was the plan: 1) Find dream job. 2) Change the world. 3) Go for brunch. Now she’s broke, overwhelmed by options and in a complicated relationship with Netflix. Award-winning musical comedy about ambition, anxiety and avocados that asks, how do you know if you are living your best life? ‘A genuine triple threat’ **** (Fest).‘Brings the house down’ **** (Skinny). Writer for Sketchtopia and The Now Show (BBC Radio 4). As seen on Comedy Central Online’s Ones To Watch.
TOURING SOUTH KOREA WITH MID - SMALL PRODUCTIONS
Event (Seminar/Talk) at Fringe Central hosted by Yoona Park (MA Creative Producing student)
Fringe Central - Workshop Room (Venue 2), Aug 15 @14:30
Part of the Fringe Central Events Programme, for Fringe participants. Did you know you should not write a name using red ink in Korea? This session will offer a frank and informative discussion about touring in South Korea, one of the major markets for international work. It will introduce South Korean theatre industry, culture and taboos to companies considering touring in the thriving Korean theatre landscape. Following the presentation, there will be Q&A and 1:1 consultation with Korean producers and international touring experts.
A TRILOGY OF HORRORS
TumbleDry Theatre. Including Emma Kemp (MA Applied Theatre 2010)
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30), Aug 2-12 @19:30
TumbeDry Theatre present three classic horror stories from three guest writers – Dickens’ haunting The Signal Man, Shelley’s tragic The Mortal Immortal and Poe’s chilling The Tell-Tale Heart.
TRUMP’D
Two Thirds Comedy, including performance from Leigh Stevenson (Acting 1995)
C Venues (Venue 31), Aug 1-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-27 @19:15
Featured in TIME Magazine, BBC News, The Scotsman and The Times; the sell-out parody musical returns. The year is 2030. Supreme dictator Donald Trump has brought society to the brink. As resistance grows, a reckoning must come. Will the Mexican Resistance find their way home? Will the last remnants of ISIS finally have their revenge? Is Arnold Schwarzenegger really a robot, or just that good an actor? Find out on an all-singing, all-dancing, parody musical journey through the desolate wasteland of future America.
THE UNBINDING
Wrong Shoes Theatre Company, directed by Luke Marquez (Directing Text 2014)
C Venues – C Cubed (Venue 50), Aug 2-11 @16:35
Four women accused of witchcraft are locked together awaiting their sentence in the shadows. Scared and hungry, they don’t know who they can trust or who will survive… Wrong Shoes Theatre Company invites you into a dark and spellbinding world, where those who dare to stand out from the crowd are treated with hatred and suspicion.
USER NOT FOUND
DanteOrDie, co-founded by Daphna Attias and Terry O’Donovan (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2004)
Traverse at Jeelie Piece café (Venue 526), Aug 3-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @20:00
Would you delete your online legacy at the moment of your death? USER NOT FOUND is a pioneering and intimate new play performed through smartphones and headphones in Jeelie Piece cafe. You become a fly-on-the-wall of one man faced with keeping or deleting in this powerful and intimate new production.
WAITING FOR OFSTED
Westcliff Boys Theatre. Including direction from Ben Jeffreys (Intro to Directing 2016) and lighting design from Sam Thomas (current BA (Hons) Theatre Practice student)
theSpace @Niddry St (Venue 9), Aug 13-18 @12:05
Responding to Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, this newly written play explores the absurdity that is a life in education. It considers the tensions found in education between preparing for the big events that define the educational process and valuing the small moments of everyday life that truly are perhaps the richest part of the whole process. Are these too often forgotten? Should all life be focused on exams and inspection? Whether you are a student, teacher or pupil, are you simply spending too much time Waiting for Ofsted?
WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF
Traverse Theatre Company, Raw Material in association with Regular Music. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2000) and including design from Ana Ines Jabares-Pita (MA Scenography 2012)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 3-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @Times vary
1992. A Schoolgirl becomes an indie music star, touring with Radiohead. Performed with a live band, this is the true story of Cora Bissett’s rollercoaster journey to become the woman she wanted to be.
WHILST WE WERE THERE
Ensemble Estate, with music and lyrics written by Curtis Medley (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2017)
Paradise in the Vault (Venue 29), Aug 20-26 @16:30
An up and coming acoustic duo in their prime unexpectedly split up. After some time out, lead singer Curtis Dunn embarks on a promotional tour of his new solo album. Set in the context of an interview with two music styles at war, “whilst we were there” mixes live music with contemporary musical theatre to tell the story of how one of Britain’s newest and most hopeful duos became one man struggling with integrity and a musical identity that has been newly thrust upon him.
WILDE CREATURES
Tall Stories, written and directed by Toby Miller (MA Voice Studies 1996) and production management from Sebastian Cannings (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2016)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 26 @14:50
A motley crew of storytelling musicians bring Oscar Wilde’s classic fairy tales to life in Tall Stories’ magical new show, direct from London’s West End. Characters from The Happy Prince and other stories spring to life as the pompous mayor, the petulant princess and the love-sick student compete to become the new town statue. Hauntingly beautiful tales for everyone aged 5-105 told with live music and a generous dash of comedy. ‘Lively and entertaining’ ***** (List). ‘One of the most charming hours I have spent in a theatre’ **** (Standard). ‘As warming as it is ingenious’ **** (Times).
List your shows / events here
If you are a current student, graduate or staff member of Central, and your show has not been listed here, then contact alumni@cssd.ac.uk with the details. Please include the show title, venue, dates and times, as well as the names of the alumni or students involved in the production.
Central Party in Edinburgh
We’ll be hosting our annual Central Party in Edinburgh on Wednesday 15 August. If you’re a Central student or alumni in Edinburgh for the Fringe, we’d be delighted if you could join us!
Image: © Chris Scott