Each year, our students, staff and alumni take a wide-range of shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate and promote these across our networks.
We’re hosting a Central Celebration in Edinburgh bringing our community together in celebration of this work at the Fringe, on Tuesday 15 August, from 5-7pm at Assembly George Square Studios’ Club Bar. If you’d like to join book now to reserve your place.
Check out this year’s Central at the Edinburgh Fringe Brochure to see a selection of the shows that will be there for you to enjoy, and you can find the full list below. If your show is not listed, please contact the Alumni Office with the details.
30 AND OUT
Prentice Productions with Kit Sinclair. Produced by Rebecca Prentice
Pleasance Courtyard – Baby Grand (Venue 33)
Aug 2-3, 5, 7-28, 12.45pm
Kit just left her boyfriend and the closet. While her friends marry and get mortgages, she is starting again in a whirlwind of drugs, clubs and heartbreak. Is it too late to be a lesbian? Join Kit in this hilarious, sexy and painful portrayal of drawing your own blueprint.
ADA CAMPE: NAVEL GAZING
Written, produced, and performed by Dr Naomi Paxton (Central’s Knowledge Exchange Fellow)
The Stand’s New Town Theatre - Studio (Venue 7)
Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-27, 2.55pm
Ahoy! Sail away with cabaret legend and variety artiste Ada Campe for an adventure on the high seas – and a show that puts the merry in maritime, the naughty in nautical and the oar in awesome! ‘Ada Campe made me laugh more than anyone on the circuit for years. Genius.’ (Sandi Toksvig). ‘Fabulous’ (ScotsGay). ‘Very funny’ (Guardian). ‘A real original and with irrepressible funny bones’ (Chortle.co.uk). ‘A marvellous teller of tall tales’ (Scotsman). ‘Totally bonkers, totally brilliant, totally booming unmissable’ (Basil Brush).
AFTER THE ACT (A SECTION 28 MUSICAL)
Breach Theatre co-produced by New Diorama, in association with Traverse. Including performance from Zachary Willis
Traverse Theatre – Traverse 1 (Venue 15)
Aug 3, 5-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-27, Times vary
“Queers in classrooms!” “Perverts panicking parents!” – a new musical about pride, protest… and abseiling lesbians. Section 28: the landmark legislation that silenced a generation and offered a global blueprint for LGBTQ+ oppression. Two decades after its repeal, theatre company, Breach Theatre sing and dance on the grave of this watershed moment in LGBTQ+ history.
ALAN TURING – GUILTY OF LOVE
David Kettle Productions Limited. Including performance from Rhys Anderson
Hill Street Theatre – Alba Theatre (Venue 41)
Aug 4-27, 2.10pm
Everyone knows about the code-breaking genius of Alan Turing, but behind the mathematical genius lay a man of great passion. With sublime melodies, this incredibly moving, uplifting and thought-provoking new musical delves into Turing’s youthful love of Christopher Morcom and how this shaped his life and work.
ARTIST/MUSE
WWWC. Written, directed and produced by Tegan Verheul, Diana Feng, Clarisse Zamba, with set and costume from Jacob Anderson, and intimacy direction from Kim Wright. Starring Caterina Grosoli, Sushant Shekhar, and Luke Oliver.
Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Five (Venue 17)
Aug 3-13, 15-20, 22-28, 12.25pm
LET Award finalist 2023. A life drawing class plunges you into the chaotic world of Paul and Olivia, two lost souls in NYC’s vibrant art scene circa 1992. Inspired by the story of Fernande Olivier, artist/model and muse to Picasso, this bold new play invites audiences to witness (or condone?) the evolution and dissolution of their relationship as the lines blur between creation/destruction, genius/collaboration, love/abuse.
AUSTENTATIOUS
Show And Tell. With performance from Rachel Parris
Underbelly, Bristo Square - McEwan Hall (Venue 302)
Aug 5-7, 9-13, 1.30pm
The smash-hit West End comedy, as heard on BBC Radio 4, celebrates its 10th glorious year at the Fringe! The all-star cast (featuring Rachel Parris, Graham Dickson, Cariad Lloyd and more) improvise a hilarious new Jane Austen novel every show, inspired entirely by a title from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment – it’s a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed. ‘Hilariously bold, wickedly funny’ ***** (Times). ‘One of the most enjoyable 60 minutes on the Fringe’ **** (Guardian).
AUTO-ENGRAIN: A ONE WOMAN SHOW
We Are Bosstress, founded by Helena Collins O’Connor and Ella Faye Donley
Hill Street Theatre - Dunedin Theatre (Venue 41)
Aug 14-27, 10pm
Toxicity. Red flags. Masturbation. A blunt-speaking, twentysomething botanist, Kate decides it’s time she went back into therapy! Directed by Ella-Faye Donley, this tragicomedy is an outrageous tale of how one woman makes ‘a powerful statement’ (Guardian) and relays experiences from speed-dating to botany to romance to visceral details that would make even your therapist need therapy… This semi-autobiographical show written and performed by Helena Collins O’Connor is ‘a often funny but ultimately sobering reminder’ (TheReviewsHub.com) of how a toxic relationship can be engrained and embedded into the mind. No sugarcoating allowed.
BACON
Produced by HFH Productions, and written by Sophie Swithinbank
Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 3.30pm
Bacon. Sophie Swithinbank, directed by Matthew Iliffe, produced by HFH Productions. The return of the multi award-winning play, Bacon is an unflinching and unexpectedly humorous look at masculinity, sexuality and power, through the dizzying lens of youth. Winner of the Tony Craze Award and three Off-West End Awards for Best Director and Best Performance in a Play.
BEASTS (WHY GIRLS SHOULDN’T FEAR THE DARK)
Written by Mandi Chivasa. With set and costume design from Sophie Andrews, lighting design from Jennifer Cashman and sound design from Raffaela Pancucci
Zoo Theatre - Playground 2 (Venue 82)
Aug 4-27, 2.20pm
‘Beasts’ is a one-woman tour de force production about the experience of street harassment, the effect of intimidation, and how we are supposed to feel safe when those who are sworn to protect us admit that they can’t.
BANGERS
Samal Arts. Written and performed by Danusia Samal. Including Assistant General Manager, Rory Thomas-Howes for HD General Management
ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall - ROUNDABOUT (Venue 26)
Aug 2, 4-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-27, 6.50pm
It’s club night and the tracks are spinning. Two headliners crossfade between stories of love, sex, and losing their creative spark – set against a backdrop of precarious lives in urban London. Featuring original tracks inspired by early noughties and present-day R&B and garage, Bangers follows the highs and lows of two strangers struggling with their own pasts, while hurtling towards the future. All the while, the DJ continues to play, dropping words of wisdom and banger after banger. ‘A true masterpiece’ ***** (WhatsOnStage.com).
BLOWHOLE
DEM Productions, with Assistant General Manager, Rory Thomas-Howes for HD General Management
Pleasance Dome - AceDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-15, 17-28, 2.50pm
Meet Him. He’s gay, twenty-something, and aspiring to be Billie Piper circa 1999. For now though, he’s still single, still horny, and still perfecting the bum-hole selfie in the work toilets. Rock bottom’s never been so fabulous. Blowhole is a screengrab of the pitfalls of swipe-right culture, ‘an outrageously raw, brazenly queer new comedy depicting life and love in your twenties’ ***** (Bakchormeeboy.com). ‘Imaginative storytelling and magical – theatre does not come any better than this’ ***** (Boyz Magazine). ‘Side-splittingly hilarious, a celebration of bringing queer stories to the forefront’ (TheatreAndOtherThings, Instagram).
BOWJANGLES: DRACULA IN SPACE
Bowjangles / Something For The Weekend, where Kaeline Kine is Assistant Producer
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Downstairs (Venue 24)
Aug 2-27, 4.30pm
Forget everything you think you know about string quartets, Bowjangles are an irreverent, anarchic group of genre-spanners, bringing music, theatre and comedy together in a way you’ve never seen before. Now, the award-winning foursome are blasting into outer space to meet a mysterious benefactor whose proposition seems a little too good to be true…
BURNING DOWN THE HORSE
Fishing 4 Chips. Directed by Maya Shimmin and fight direction from Stephen Louis
Pleasance Courtyard – Beneath (Venue 33)
Aug 2-15, 17-27, 1.05pm
Burning Down The Horse, a brand-new immersive comedy set onboard the most iconic wooden animal in history - the Trojan Horse. You’ll be stuck wheeling towards (almost) certain doom, Be prepared to contend with heroic egos, class clashes, and sword supply issues. Oh, and for gods’ sakes - no naked flames!
CASTING THE RUNES
Box Tale Soup, led by Co-Artistic Director and Founder, Antonia Christophers
Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Above (Venue 33)
Aug 2-15, 17-27, 11.45am
You are invited to the edge of your seat, on a journey to the darkest corners of the night… Expert on the so-called supernatural, Edward Dunning, is a scholar and a sceptic. But when he crosses paths with the mysterious Mr. Karswell, Dunning’s life becomes a waking nightmare. A chilling new adaptation of MR James’ classic ghost stories.
CHARACTER FLAW
Written, produced and performed by Philippa Dawson, with voiceover from Samuel Wightman
Greenside @ Nicholson Square – Lime Studio (Venue 209)
Aug 4-12, 14-19, 21-26, 5.20pm
Pip’s bold and captivating solo performance following Pip as she intertwines humour and enlightenment through personal experiences with ADHD whilst exploring its impact on her sexuality. Through captivating storytelling and sketch, and a clever use of voiceovers and music, the show engages the audience whilst promoting acceptance of neurodiversity.
CHOKESLAM
WWWC. Written and performed by Tegan Verheul
Paradise in Augustines – The Snug (Venue 152)
Aug 5-12, 14-19, 21-27, 10.50pm
A knockout solo show about one woman’s love of pro wrestling. Part confessional, part exuberant oral history of sports entertainment’s greatest matches and most-loved characters. Acclaimed sketch comedian Tegan Verheul leaves no Stone (Cold) unturned in her unflinchingly raw autobiographical debut that grapples with heartbreak, friendship and the healing power of bloodsport. Riotously funny, unexpectedly touching, brilliantly human. You will leave a wrestling fan.
COLLAGE - MAGIC SHOW
Daan Ho / Yollin Lee. Produced by Kristy Xueming Wang
Greenside @ Riddles Court - Willow Studio (Venue 16)
Aug 21-26, 10.15pm
Definitely raise a shudder’ (BeyondPost.co.kr). This multi-award winning sell-out sensation magic show is landing at Edinburgh Fringe. ‘Are we all the same?’ ‘Are we unconsciously linked?’ Like a collage painting, humans live in a society with different races, thoughts, personalities and appearances. Collage is a magic show that humorously discusses questions about diversity through wonder. Daan Ho x Yollin Lee. Winning prizes worldwide, performed in over 13 countries, they will subvert your mind this August in Edinburgh.
THE COLLIE’S SHED
Island Life Productions. Produced by Fin Ross Russell
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Other Yin (Venue 24)
Aug 2-20, 1.15pm
Based in a Men’s Shed in East Lothian, The Collie’s Shed follows four retired miners as they discover how a review into the policing of the ’80s mining strikes and a potential Miners’ Pardon Bill by the Scottish Government suddenly affects them, their friendships and their relationships.
A COMEDY OF OPERAS
Yllana / Something For The Weekend, where Kaeline Kine
Pleasance at EICC – Pentland Theatre (Venue 150)
Aug 2-8, 10-15, 17-20, 22-23, 25-27, Times vary
Multi award-winning international sell-out show! Featuring the world’s favourite arias – including many that you didn’t realise you already knew! Five exceptional singers perform opera’s greatest hits mixed with rock, pop and their own signature style of physical comedy. This is opera for everyone. Highly original, sublimely talented, utterly hilarious.
COWBOYS AND LESBIANS
Spring Lamb. Including performance from Julia Pilkington
Pleasance Dome – 10Dome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-11, 13-15, 17-27, 1.35pm
Somewhere in the Deep South, sometime… A misunderstood teen girl is falling for a mysterious cowboy with a dark past. Meanwhile, in London… Nina and Noa are wasting their youth on flashcards and fantasies about their teachers. They’ve never done drugs, they’ve never been to a party. They’ve never even been kissed… And they’re absolutely never going to admit that they fancy each other.
DOKTOR KABOOM AND THE WHEEL OF EVEN MORE SCIENCE!
Doktor K Worldwide / Something For The Weekend, where Kaeline Kine is Assistant Producer
Pleasance Courtyard - Pleasance Beyond (Venue 33)
Aug 2-5, 7-17, 19-27, 12pm
The Doktor is back! With even more science! More laughs! More Kaboom! Spin the wheel and choose what happens next. Giant chemical reactions! Fly a homemade hovercraft! Shrink-wrap your teenager! Every show is different. With brand-new experiments for 2023, don’t miss this spectacular ‘must-see’ (Entertainment-Now.com) show for all ages.
DOUGH
Compagnie du Kaïros / Something For The Weekend, where Kaeline Kine is Assistant Producer
Pleasance Dome – KingDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-28, 1.30pm
A fast-paced darkly comic drama from internationally acclaimed Moliere award-winner, David Lescot. Exploring a lifetime through one person’s daily interactions with money, three actors portray forty characters, examining the transactions we engage in to build a life. ‘You can’t keep accumulating all the time, you see… You can’t always be gaining, earning, winning; you need to lose as well. We need loss.’
DRINK WHOLE NIGHT
100000Vodka. Written and directed by Xinyi Chen and produced by Xinyu Lu. With stage management from Qingyang Jiang, costume from Shumai Zhang and Sijia yu, and performance from Wanwei Zhong, Zihan Zhang, Wenjing Yao and Jingting Zhou
Frankenstein Pub - Bier Keller (Venue 304)
Aug 17-19, 10.30pm
‘Who do you think is a better drinker, the Chinese god or the foreign god?’ ‘Do gods talk about fatalism even when they drink too much?’ Combining installation art, theatre, photography and modern translation software to give you a night of alcohol overdose – also dreaming and becoming a god. This work was created by a group of young theatre workers from China struggling with alcohol dependency in their miserable lives in London.
ELVIS DIED OF BURGERS
BLINK Dance Theatre. With stage and communications management from Zoe Dowler, and co-direction from Francis Majekodunmi and performance and production assistance from Laura Day
Summerhall – Red Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
Aug 2-6, 9-13, 11.45am
ELVIS DIED OF BURGERS is an expression of the BLINK directors’ love of food - dancing, rapping and rhyming about it. This non-linear, semi-improvised performance takes audiences on a journey through the cast’s own memories and deep dives into the culinary conundrum surrounding the end of Elvis’ life.
EULOGY
DARKFIELD, led by Artistic Director, David Rosenberg, Executive Director Andrea Salazar, Senior Creative Producer Victoria Eyton, with Assistant Producer Karo Chrzanowska
Pleasance Dome – Potterrow Plaza – Container 1 (Venue 23)
Aug 2-28, Times vary
EULOGY is a surreal, otherworldly journey through a dreamlike, labyrinthine hotel that exists entirely in your mind. How you arrived is a mystery and why you are there remains unclear. Just make sure you read the pamphlet.
FLAT & THE CURVES: DIVADOM
Lee Martin for Gag Reflex. Written and performed by Katy Baker
Pleasance Dome – QueenDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-27, 9.50pm
The four fabulous frontwomen explore modern-day feminism through self-penned songs about sex, scandal and sisterhood. Drawing influence from the divas that came before them; from 90’s girl groups to classical prima donnas.
FOOL’S PARADISE
Britt Plummer. Directed by, and including dramaturgy from, Paul Westbrook
Summerhall – Old Lab (Venue 26)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 5.50pm
Have you ever fallen in love with someone across the globe only to be held captive in your own country? From award-winning artist Britt Plummer comes a painfully relatable and heartbreakingly hilarious autobiographical new work. An adventurer, dreamer and professional problem-solver, Britt sets out on an emotionally charged quest of romantic revelation and raw resilience to defy bureaucracy, hurdling the intricacies of modern relationships whilst attempting to maintain what remains of her sanity.
FRIEND (THE ONE WITH GUNTHER)
Brendan Murphy’s Worldwide Comedy Award Winner presented by James Seabright. Produced by Andrei Cotocu, with social media management from Mark Ludmon
Gilded Balloon at the Museum – Auditorium (Venue 64)
Aug 2-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-27, 4pm
One barista, 10 seasons, 70 minutes! All 236 episodes of Friends retold through the eyes of Gunther, Central Perk’s very own “seventh friend”. Discover the true insider story of what happened from the character who kept everyone caffeinated!
THE FRUITY PRINCE
The Pesky Players. With performance from Katie Driver
Paradise in the Vault – The Vault (Venue 29)
Aug 5-12, 14-19, 21-27, 11.05pm
The Virgin Queen? I don’t think so! Lizzy I has got a son and he might just be a little bit fruity. Henry IX has been lost in the mists of hetero history for too long. Finally, he’s here to claim what is rightfully his (only took him 500 years!). Join us for a sizzling Tudor romp through seduction and scandal.
GENTRIF*CKED
Backbone TFC. Written and performed by Kate-Lois Elliott
Just the Tonic at The Grassmarket Centre – The Little Kirk (Venue 27)
Aug 15-27, 6pm
British Writers’ Guild Award-nominee Kate-Lois Elliott tells stories that are self-deprecating and (according to a drunk man at the Fringe) unexpectedly profound. Gentrif*cked is an award winning debut standup show about village life, thirty-something existential crises, and finding purpose without joining a cult… (specifically not like Kate’s grandma did). As seen on BBC, Netflix, and London’s West End.
GLASS CEILING BENEATH THE STARS
Bric à Brac Theatre, Grace Dickson Productions, with Assistant Producer, Rory Thomas-Howes
Pleasance Dome - QueenDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-8, 10-14, 16-21, 23-27, 2pm
1992. Hurricanes in Hawaii, riots in LA, the longest-running game of tennis at the US Open and NASA launches the Endeavour STS-47. Onboard are two women set to change history. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to go to space, and Jan Davis, the first woman to go to space with her husband. Back on Earth everyone had one question: did the couple have sex in space? Five performers and three cameras investigate sexism at NASA, racial politics in the US and our fascination with the sex lives of others.
THE GRAND OLD OPERA HOUSE HOTEL
Traverse Theatre Company with Dundee Rep Theatre. With design from Ana Inés Jabares-Pita
Traverse Theatre - Traverse 1 (Venue 15)
Aug 10-13, 15-20, 22-27, Times vary
When shy Aaron joins the hotel’s ramshackle team, he encounters volatile guests, inept management and even rumours of singing ghosts stalking the corridors. But through the madness, one voice rings out clear, capturing both his ears and heart – and Aaron chooses to go into battle with the hotel’s magical chaos in order to find the person who owns it. This heart-filling ensemble comedy from Olivier Award-winner Isobel McArthur (Pride and Prejudice* sort of), directed by Gareth Nicholls (Ulster American), explores the power of art and beauty in seemingly hopeless circumstances.
HAL CRUTTENDEN: IT’S BEST YOU HEAR IT FROM ME
Blue Book Artist Management. Written and performed by Hal Cruttenden
Pleasance Courtyard - Cabaret Bar (Venue 33)
Aug 17-27, 5.40pm
Last year’s critically acclaimed show is back for a limited run. A year on after his wife left, there’s still so much more to laugh about and resolve. Who got the house, the dogs, the car? What did the kids say? And what’s the dating scene like in your 50s? A repair shop for broken hearts. From Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You and Would I Lie To You. ‘Reminded me how much I love stand-up’ **** (Times). ‘Had the audience in stitches’ ***** (Daily Record).
THE HALF MOON
Alice Malseed and Emily Foran, Lyric Belfast, Pleasance. One-woman show performed by Ruby Campbell
Pleasance Dome – JackDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-28, 2.35pm
The Half Moon is a ferociously optimistic story of home and hope, as we meet four generations of women from one Belfast family, all struggling with their sense of feeling trapped in their small community of Tiger’s Bay. A gritty, warm, truly Belfast story - amplifying the voices of women who historically haven’t been heard.
HELP YOURSELF
Jess Brodie, Emma Ruse Productions and written and performed by Victoria Bianchi
Summerhall – Demonstration Room (Venue 26)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 4pm
Have you ever felt like you didn’t have the words? Have you ever felt like you wanted to say the exact right thing, but couldn’t? Have you ever wanted to make someone stop crying and just shut up? Then our Help Yourself seminar is for you! Help Yourself is a new piece of contemporary theatre exploring self-care, grief, and friendship.
HIVE
Mushmoss Collective. Written by Ariella Como Stoian and directed by Susie MacDonald
Assembly Roxy – Downstairs (Venue 139)
Aug 2-15, 4.35pm
Hive. An uncanny adventure with friendly cryptids. Set at a demolition site. A queer, weird fiction, new play about memory, displacement and corporate development. Using lyrical language to explore lost homes, new storms and eldritch infestations.
THE ICE HOLE: A CARDBOARD COMEDY
Compagnie le Fils du Grand Réseau / Something For The Weekend, where Kaeline Kine is Assistant Producer
Pleasance Courtyard - The Grand (Venue 33)
Aug 2-28, Times vary
A great actor recounts an epic journey from the fjords of Iceland to the dust of the Spanish desert. Cursed by the mermaid he once accidentally caught, he is aided by one fellow performer, a language no-one quite understands and a thousand pieces of cardboard. In the spirit of Monty Python with a twist of Laurel and Hardy, the theatrical acrobatics from these virtuoso performers will make you howl with laughter.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING… EARNEST?
Say It Again, Sorry? With performance from Tom Bulpett
Pleasance Courtyard - Pleasance Beyond (Venue 33)
Aug 2-27, 4.40pm
‘A masterclass in comedic theatre’ ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk). When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play gets underway, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan… that is, until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue. You might think you know this chaotic story of love, mistaken identity and double lives, but you have never seen it like this before. Filled with wicked Wildean wit and bursting with bunburying, join us for a hilarious and unpredictable twist on the world’s favourite comedy classic. ***** (Skinny).
I LOVE YOU, NOW WHAT?
Sophie Craig / The REcreate Agency. Produced by Maria Cuervo, with performance from Sean McLevy
Pleasance Courtyard – Beside (Venue 33)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-28, 3.35pm
Can love survive when someone dies? ‘No bastard ever warned me that your love life goes down the shitter when someone dies.’ This brilliantly funny, heart-warming and raw debut play by actor and comedian Sophie Craig, examines a beautifully ugly story about grief and love’s place within it.
IT’S A MOTHERF**KING PLEASURE
FlawBored, co-founded by Samuel Brewer, Aarian Mehrabani and Chloe Palmer
Underbelly, Bristo Square – Friesian (Venue 302)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 2.20pm
Usually disabled people want to do the right thing. But what if they don’t? What if they were out to make as much money as possible from the guilt of non-disabled, anxious people (like you)? Multi award-winning, disability-led theatre company FlawBored present a scathing satire on the monetisation of identity politics that spares no one.
KATHY AND STELLA SOLVE A MURDER
Francesca Moody Productions, Kater Gordon, Wessex Grove, Fiery Angel, Underbelly. With performance from Rebekah Hinds
Underbelly, George Square - Udderbelly (Venue 300)
Aug 2-8, 10-13, 15-20, 22-27, 7.30pm
BFFs Kathy and Stella are Hull’s least successful true crime podcasters. When their favourite author is killed, they are thrust into a thrilling whodunnit of their own! Can they crack the case (and become global podcast superstars) before the killer strikes again…? The hilarious musical from the Olivier Award-winners behind Fleabag, Baby Reindeer and A Super Happy Story returns!
LADY DEALER
Written by Martha Watson Allpress. Grace Dickson Productions, with Assistant Producer, Rory Thomas-Howes
ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall – ROUNDABOUT (Venue 26)
Aug 2-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-27, 4pm
Charly is unshowered, fresh from a break-up & avoiding her Mum like the plague. But that’s irrelevant. All you need to know right now is that Charly is a drug dealer. And she’s really good at her job. Lady Dealer is a mile-a-minute poem play by Martha Watson Allpress.
LIZ GUTERBOCK: GERIATRIC MILLENIAL
Written and performed by Liz Guterbock
Pleasance Courtyard – The Cellar (Venue 33)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 4.15pm
Dual national. Bisexual. Halfway to death? In her debut show, California native Liz Guterbock (2022 Union JACK Radio Ones to Watch) explores belonging and whether we can stay in love with life as we grow old(er).
LOCOMOTIVE FOR MURDER: THE IMPROVISED WHODUNNIT
Pinch Punch. Co-created and improvised by Emma Lundegaard, Sam Martin, Eoin McAndrews, Will Beynon, and Peter Rugman
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Other Yin (Venue 24)
Aug 2-12, 14-27, 5.45pm
Pinch Punch welcome you aboard Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit, a totally improvised, totally outrageous murder mystery, where killing the cast and cracking the case is in your hands. Expect dubious accents and shaky alibis, along with thrills, spills, and good old-fashioned kills.
NOBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
Written and performed by Jamie Finn
Underbelly, Cowgate – Iron Belly (Venue 61)
Aug 3-13, 15-27, 3.40pm
After Jamie’s dumped, spin instructor Lily takes him in and he spends five years learning how to move forward, on a bike that doesn’t move. But what do you do when a friend breaks up with you? Jamie Finn blends storytelling, comedy and original music as he explores the chaotic wilderness of platonic love and searches for someone who will finally talk about Jamie!
AN OAK TREE
Francesca Moody Productions. Written by Tim Crouch
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh – The Lyceum Theatre (Venue 593)
Aug 4-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-27, 8.30pm
‘When I say sleep, you’re free again’. A rare chance to see the play that shaped a theatre landscape. When it opened in 2005 Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree changed the rules of the game, bringing into the centre of its action an actor who has neither seen nor read the play.
PAVED WITH GOLD AND ASHES
Threedumb Theatre. With performance from Olivia Gaidry
Greenside @ Infirmary Street – Olive Studio (Venue 236)
Aug 14-19, 21-26, 6.40pm
Based on a true event in New York City, 1911. With immigrants arriving from all over Europe, for many the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is one of the most coveted places to work. But as five young women battle poverty, capitalism, unfair working conditions, and one of the deadliest workplace disasters in US history, their dreams soon turn to ashes…
PLAYING LATINX
MarianaMalena Theatre and Guido Garcia Lueches. Directed by Mariana Aristizabal
Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 6.55pm
Do you have what it takes to be a successful Latinx? Half stand-up, half Latinx grab bag of stereotypes, this fun, politically incorrect seminar will coach the audience on how to be a good immigrant. This one-human show merges spoken word poetry, comedy and music to explore both what the Latinx label means in the UK and, on a more personal level, the lengths we all go to to fit in.
PLEADING STUPIDITY
Maybe You Like It. Produced by Jake Morry, with performance from James Akka
Pleasance Dome - AceDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-14, 16-28, 7pm
Aussies Chad and Brad are Pleading Stupidity. They robbed a bank… whilst still wearing their name tags from work. They took selfies with the stolen cash. And their crime was solved in just eight minutes. But who were the bank tellers behind the desk that day? What’s their story? Will anyone listen to another version of events? Pleading Stupidity tells this true story with high-energy, physical comedy, frenetic action, and verbatim speech. Featuring a multi-rolling cast playing a whole host of wacky characters, this is ‘a fast-paced blast of comic theatre’ (Chortle.co.uk).
PLEASE LEAVE (A MESSAGE)
ClusterFlux Collective. Performed and devised by Trevor White, Jack Hilton, Linda van Egmond, Miray Sidhom, Chris Whyte, and operated and devised by Dana McMillan
Underbelly, Cowgate – Big Belly (Venue 61)
Aug 3-13, 15-24, 11am
In hazmat suits, enclosed within a white polythene box and confronted with a rising fourth wall, ClusterFlux address the impending climate crisis through karaoke and personal memories, encapsulating their complex relationship to the past, the joy of living in the moment and fears for an uncertain future.
POLKO
RJG Productions. With performance from John Macneill
ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall – ROUNDABOUT (Venue 26)
Aug 2-7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-27, 11.50pm
As teenagers, Emma, Joe and Polko thought they’d never grow apart. When Emma returns to the suburb of their childhood ten years later she discovers nothing, and everything, has changed. Polko is a modern memory play about the places we call home, and the people we leave behind.
A PORTRAIT OF LUDMILLA AS NINA SIMONE
Ludmilla Dabo / David Lescot / Cie du Kaïros / Something For The Weekend, where Kaeline Kine is Assistant Producer
French Institute in Scotland (Venue 168)
Aug 4-14, 8pm
Ludmilla Dabo, accompanied by Moliere award-winning writer, director and musician David Lescot, sings a moving, intimate and dazzling portrait of the iconic ‘High Priestess of Soul’, Nina Simone. Through the legendary singer’s music and life story, intertwined with personal stories from Dabo’s own life, Dabo charts Simone’s journey from young musical prodigy to her role as a major figure in the civil rights movement.
RACHEL PARRIS: WORK IN PROGRESS
Show And Tell in association with Sophie Chapman Talent. Written and performed by Rachel Parris
Pleasance Courtyard - Cabaret Bar (Venue 33)
Aug 9-13, 5.40pm
The BAFTA-nominated comedian, The Mash Report (BBC2) star, Live at the Apollo (BBC1) star and viral sensation, presents a work-in-progress hour of her signature blend of stand-up and songs. ‘This is classy, clever comedy – uproarious’ (Scotsman). ‘Venomously witty’ (Evening Standard). ‘Beguiling… Her songs really score… a gifted performer’ (Times).
SANTI & NAZ
The Thelmas, led by Artistic Director, Madelaine Moore
Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Two (Venue 33)
Aug 2-8, 10-22, 24-28, 1.30pm
Best friends Santi and Naz live in pre-partition India. One Sikh, one Muslim, they have little understanding of how religion will divide them. As the political situation in their country worsens and the threat of separation looms large on the horizon, they decide to take drastic action. Award-winning company The Thelmas explore queer love, identity and loyalty, set against the backdrop of a country soon to be changed forever.
SÉANCE
DARKFIELD, led by Artistic Director, David Rosenberg, Executive Director Andrea Salazar, Senior Creative Producer Victoria Eyton, with Assistant Producer Karo Chrzanowska
Pleasance Dome – Potterrow Plaza – Container 2 (Venue 23)
Aug 2-28, Times vary
SÉANCE, the first DARKFIELD shipping container experience, transforms the interior of a 24ft container into a Victorian séance room. Over 20 minutes it explores the psychology of a group of people, and asks that they believe, not only in what seems to be happening inside the container but also in what might be conjured up into the room with them.
SELF-RAISING
Graeae Theatre Company, in association with Theatr Iolo, Soho Theatre. Written and performed by Vice-President Jenny Sealey OBE
Pleasance Dome – QueenDome (Venue 23)
Aug 2-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-27, 12.30pm
‘It starts with a secret. It’s a real secret and I had to keep it for a long time…’ Self-Raising is a true life story about growing up Deaf in a family that has a secret. Award-winning Artistic Director of disabled-led theatre company, Graeae, Jenny Sealey has spent a lifetime championing stories by Deaf and disabled artists. In Self-Raising she takes to the stage to tell her own…
SHOWSTOPPER! THE MUSICAL
The Showstoppers / Something for the Weekend. With assistant production from Kaeline Kine, and performance from Justin Brett
Pleasance Courtyard – The Grand (Venue 33)
Aug 2-14, 16-27, 9.10pm
The must-see, Olivier Award-winning West End hit is back! Watch the masters of musical improv create a brand-new musical comedy from scratch at every single performance of this multi award-winning show. Audience suggestions are transformed on the spot into an all-singing, all-dancing show with hilarious results.
SIAPA YANG BAWA MELAYU AKU PERGI? (WHO TOOK MY MALAY AWAY?)
Faizal Abdullah. Produced by Khai Ramli
Summerhall – TechCube 0 (Venue 26)
Aug 2-13, 4.20pm
A lecture-performance that investigates Faizal’s Muslim-Malay-Singaporean identity and his relationship with each noun, especially the latter two. A love letter to Singapore, it addresses themes of colonisation, identity, indigenous displacement, and the loss of culture, heritage and language. As he teaches the audience about himself and the country that he still considers home, he explores what it truly means to be ‘Singaporean’ and ‘Malay’.
SUMMER CAMP FOR BROKEN PEOPLE
The REcreate Agency and Grace Dickson Productions, with Assistant Producer, Rory Thomas-Howes
Summerhall - Anatomy Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 1.30pm
A bold, brave manifesto about losing your mind, and finding yourself. Emily’s life has fallen apart. She thinks her therapist is a dick. She takes Xanax with whisky. She’s navigating life as she moves between home, where she’s a single mum to her 8-year-old daughter, and her time as a day patient at a psychiatric hospital. But she is trying to piece herself back together. She is taking back control. This autobiographical one-woman show is an empowering memoir about how mental illness infects our lives and what it takes to fix a shattered spirit.
TANA
Tana Project. Co-written and directed by Isabella Londoño, co-written and performed by Felicia Jiang, with creative associate, Mariia Tiunova
C ARTS | C Venues | C aquila – studio (Venue 21)
Aug 2-20, 12pm
Experience “Tana,” a captivating play breaking boundaries of friendship, self-discovery, and identity. In a London lockdown, this spellbinding performance blends spoken word, physical theatre, and cabaret. Follow F and T’s cross-dressing journey, where Tana blurs their friendship. Explore queer-Asian complexities, celebrate authenticity, and redefine liberation.
THIS IS A CHAIR
Cup and Dagger Productions. Directed by Sam Munday-Webb
theSpace @ Niddry St – Upper Theatre (Thrust) (Venue 9)
Aug 7-12, 3.50pm
The world is in an even more precarious place than it was when this play was originally written. Caryl Churchill’s 1999 masterpiece is brought up to date in a new staging for 2023. This is a Chair, or is it? Churchill’s revolutionary play blurs the lines and asks us if we should take everything or anything at face value.
WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF
Raw Material / Traverse. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin, with design from Ana Inés Jabares-Pita
Assembly Rooms - Music Hall (Venue 20)
Aug 10-13, 15-20, 22-27, 1pm
The smash-hit, gig-theatre show returns, charting the true story of Cora Bissett’s rollercoaster journey from 90s indie-kid to wised-up woman. Touring with Radiohead, partying with Blur, she was living the dream. Until she wasn’t. With a live band, Cora celebrates life’s euphoric highs and epic lows, asking what wisdom we should pass to the next generation, and which glorious mistakes we should let them make. A Raw Material / Traverse co-production, directed by Orla O’Loughlin.
WHAT IF
Withitheatre. Directed and including performance from Sofia Barysevich, with performance from Anastasia Aush
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall – Grand Theatre (Venue 53)
Aug 14-19, 21-26, Times vary
A heart-wrenching collision between illusion and reality, a touching story of a young couple in love as they embark on a turbulent journey of loss, immigration, frailty, and hope. It poses the question, can true love survive everything, even death, or is there no place for love at time of war? An honest and authentic performance from Ukrainian and Russian actors, united on one stage.
WHEN WE DIED
Written and performed by Alexandra Donnachie, with movement and intimacy co-ordination from Christina Fulcher
Summerhall – Anatomy Lecture Theate (Venue 26)
Aug 2, 4-13, 15-20, 22-27, 7.40pm
He’s dead, and it’s her job to prepare and present his body for his family’s final goodbye. She often imagines what each person’s life was like. But today she doesn’t have to imagine who he is. She knows this man.
WILD ONION
Orange Skies Theatre, led by Rachel Coleman and Daisy Minto
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Downstairs (Venue 24)
Aug 2-13, 15-20, 22-27, 3pm
This is the onion-smashing, cyr-wheeling, tear-jerking tale of friendship. Styled like a cabaret, told like a story, join three besties and 100 onions in this punk delight where growth gets messy. Meet Daisy, Jaide and Rachel, real life best friends, the day before the memorial service of their fourth bestie.
WITH THE DEVIL’S ASSISTANCE
Written and created by Shona Cowie and Neil Sutcliffe
Scottish Storytelling Centre – Netherbow Theatre (Venue 30)
Aug 14-17, 19, 2.15pm
Sit down, I’ll tell you a story. Maggie Osborne made a deal with the devil to bring prosperity to the high street and built a business in just one night with Auld Horny himself. The deal was cracker and the town boomed, so they burnt Maggie alive. The deal broke though and whilst I’m not saying any of this is true… just look at the state of Scotland’s high streets now.
Student and alumni roles at The Fringe
Our students and graduates undertake a variety of different roles in Edinburgh to support the efficient and smooth running of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with many working with one, or more, of the hundred venues across the city, as well as affiliated organisations and partners that are working on a range of activities during the festival. Among them are:
- Nathan Friend, working as Venue Technician for the Front Room at Assembly Festival
- Rad Konieczny is working as a draughtsperson at Underbelly
- Paul Westbrook offering videography and photography services for artists and shows with Late Cut Media
