#CSSDEdinburgh
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Argonaut. Written by Rory Horne (MA Writing for the Stage and Broadcast Media 2018) and including performance from Jake Phillips Head (MA Acting 2017)
Pleasance Dome (Venue 23), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-25 @10:50
The final hour of 1999. Two bickering sisters flee a party. Two outcasts prepare for the apocalypse. When their paths cross, they are forced to make choices that will alter their futures far beyond midnight. A new show about optimism, fear and counting down to uncertainty from award-winning company Argonaut.
2 GIRLS, 1 CUP…OF COMEDY
Compilation, stand-up from Samantha Baines (MA Acting for Screen 2009)
Just the Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88), Aug 1-11, 13-25 @22:40
Award-winning comedian Samantha Baines (Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People) brings you a supersized cup of comedy with TV names, the very best new comedians and brilliant guest MCs. ‘The gift that’s keeps on giving’ (Huffington Post). ‘Hilarious’ (BroadwayBaby.com).
300 TO 1
Love and War Theatre, with Corin Rhys Jones (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2003)
Bar Bados Room 6 (Venue 32), Aug 3-12, 14-24 @15:00
15-year-old Elliott doesn’t want to do his war poetry homework, and instead re-enacts the movie 300 to the ghosts of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon.
THE ACCIDENT DID NOT TAKE PLACE
YESYESNONO in association with the Pleasance. Produced by Rhian Davies (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2009)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @13:00
Somewhere on the other side of the world a plane is falling from the sky. You can see it on your laptop. You can watch it happening on YouTube. You can watch it burning on repeat. From award-winning YESYESNONO comes a summoning of hyper-reality. A new guest performer each night. A frenzy of post-truth news.
‘YESYESNONO are the forefront of a wave of young work’ (WhatsOnStage.com)
‘Top Five Young Companies 2018’ (Guardian)
Total Theatre Award winners 2017
2019 Pleasance Edinburgh Associate Artist
ADA CAMPE AND THE PSYCHIC DUCK
Ada Campe / The Stand Comedy Club. Solo show written and performed by Naomi Paxton (Knowledge Exchange Fellow)
The Stand’s New Town Theatre (Venue 7), Aug 3-12, 14-25 @14:50
Sometimes it’s the most unexpected and delightful moments that shape your future. Join award-winning variety artiste Ada Campe and her Psychic Duck for a show about wonderful women, strange encounters and a fairground mystery. ‘Ada Campe made me laugh more than anyone on the circuit for years. Genius. (Sandi Toksvig). ‘Extravagantly mischievous persona… A real original’ (Chortle.co.uk). ‘Resembles an unhinged super-villain’ (DIVA). ‘Very very funny’ (Edinburgh Magic Circle). ‘Sorcery wrapped in the kind of storytelling that would make Scheherezade jealous’ (Kate Copstick).
ADRIAN TAUSS AND SACHA ELLEN: GET A ROOM
With Adrian Tauss (MA Acting for Screen 2012)
Laughing Horse @Cabaret Voltaire (Venue 338), Aug 1-13, 15-25 @16:10
Adrian Tauss and Sasha Ellen are stand-ups who have been inappropriately funny in public and have been told to get a room. He makes children cry at parties and she can’t stop talking about sex robots. She’s given up meat and now lives on cheese and he is from Switzerland, the original Brexit. A split bill stand-up show about love, modern life and the benefits of smoking. **** (TheMumble.net). ‘Always engaging’ (Chortle.co.uk). Material heard on BBC Radio 4.
ALICE AND THE LITTLE PRINCE
With performance from Toby Mitchell (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2001)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 7-8, 10-18 @13:30
A girl from Oxford meets a boy from Asteroid B-612. A chance encounter between two of the world’s favourite fictional characters – inspired by the fantastic books by Lewis Carroll and Saint-Exupéry… Curiouser and curiouser! Devised and performed by Toby Mitchell (co-director of Tall Stories Theatre Company) and Verity Clayton, for everyone aged five and up. ‘Toby Mitchell has the right balance of charm and enthusiasm, never patronising the kids’ (ThreeWeeks).
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Riverside Theatre Company, with involvement from Beth Dixon and Hannah Young (both incoming BA (Hons) Theatre Practice students)
Greenside @Nicholson Square (Venue 209), Aug 12-17 @18:40
Don’t be late for a very important date! We invite you to follow us down the rabbit hole to the weird and wonderful world of Wonderland, where things will get curiouser and curiouser. Join Alice as she meets a motley crew of memorable characters – a giggling caterpillar, crazy mad hatter and the fearsome Queen of Hearts! Nothing is ever as it seems in this classic children’s story. Colourful, physical and hilarious, Alice in Wonderland is brought to you by the team behind last year’s sell-out show The Jungle Book.
ALL OF ME
China Plate, with producer Samanta Fiorino (MA Creative Producing 2017), Cambridge Junction and The Yard Theatre
Summerhall (Venue 26), Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-18, 20-25 @15:10
China Plate, Cambridge Junction and The Yard Theatre present All of Me by Caroline Horton. ‘Hello, I thought I’d introduce myself properly. As is polite.’ An intimate and absurd exploration of wanting to live, wanting to die and what can happen if we sit together with the dark. Caroline reunites with director Alex Swift (Mess, How to Win Against History) to bring you the show that happens after the curtain call, when the lights have gone down but the mess remains. ‘Comes perilously close to genius’ **** (Time Out, on Mess).
ANGUIS
Avalon and BBC Arts. With design from Bex Kemp (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2012)
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14), Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-26 @15:00
Cleopatra’s death by asp is a common myth, largely scientifically disproven. Set in a broadcast recording centre, Anguis is an imagined conversation between the great pharaoh Cleopatra and a contemporary immunologist. Join us in the studio as we unpack Cleopatra’s story, exploring alternatives to the fetishised popular truth. A story exploring our responsibility to seek the truth in a post-truth era. This debut piece from Olivier Award winner Sheila Atim will feature original music. Commissioned by Avalon and BBC Arts.
ANYTHING WITH A PULSE
Wonky Donkey. Written by Eliana Ostro (incoming student)
Zoo Playground (Venue 186), Aug 2-16, 18-26 @15:00
Anything With a Pulse: a man and a woman meet in a club. Spotting each other from across the dance floor, they hit it off. Their story should be simple enough. But in a world where we hide behind games and personas, it doesn’t always play out like that. He desperately tries to fit in with his macho group of friends, who happen to be ‘some of the biggest dickheads to grace this planet’. And she is torn between feeling comfortable with the unexciting ‘nice guy’, or facing the games and pretences of modern dating.
ASIAN ARTISTS GATHERING
Bhumi Collective, co-founded by Mohamad Shaifulbahri (Shai) (MA Creative Producing 2016)
Fringe Central (Venue 2), Aug 5 @16:30
Part of the Fringe Central Events Programme for Fringe participants. A teatime gathering for Asian artists participating in or attending the Fringe, as well as for those who have an interest in developing/touring work in Asia to come together. Hosted by Mohamad Shaifulbahri of Bhumi Collective, this is an opportunity to continue building upon the Asia @ the Fringe Network that started in 2016, learn more about the Asian shows on offer, create new collaborative opportunities and, most importantly, to make friends!
AUSTENTATIOUS
Austentatious and Underbelly Productions present, with performance from Rachel Parris (MA Acting for Screen 2007)
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 16-25 @13:00
After sell-out national tours, a West End run and Radio 4 special, Austentatious returns to the Fringe for its seventh glorious year! Every single day an all-star cast (including Cariad Lloyd, Andrew Hunter Murray, Rachel Parris and more) improvise a brand new Jane Austen novel based entirely on a single suggestion from the audience. Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, this is Austen as you’ve never seen her before: award-winning, riotous and unmissable. ‘Joyously performed’ ***** (Times). ‘One of the most enjoyable 60 minutes on the Fringe’ **** (Guardian).
BEACH BODY READY
Roaring Girls, Absolutely Cultured, Pleasance, York Theatre Royal, Hull Truck. Including Dramaturgy from Lydia Marchant (MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2018)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-26 @13:10
It’s the season of cutting carbs, hitting it hard at the gym, and shaving everything from the chin down. Summer has rocked up and the media has us thinking about how our bodies aren’t up to scratch and there are companies ready to capitalise on that. We’ve been shamed, dehumanised, and humiliated for how we look and we’ve had enough. Join The Roaring Girls for a defiantly feel-good show which sticks two fingers up at how the media says you should look. The Roaring Girls are getting Beach Body Ready. Are you?
THE BLUE BIRD
Asian Arts Global with Helen O’Grady Drama Academy (China), with costume design from current student Erin Guan and set design from QianEr Jin (both BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2019)
C venues - C south (Venue 58), Aug 3-5 @11:45
Follow Tytyl and Mytyl as they embark on an adventure in search of their grandparents and the Blue Bird of Happiness. A heart warming and dynamic new Broadway-style musical based on Maeterlinck’s classic story. Performed by a talented young cast and award-winning professionals from Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, China. Celebrates the power of love and the small things in life. With evocative visuals and powerful original compositions, the production is the perfect blend of East and West.
BOBBY & AMY
Produced by Emma Blackman (MA Acting 2010)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-26 @12:45
A new dark comedy about foot-and-mouth disease by Fringe First award winner Emily Jenkins. It’s the late 90s: Take That, Tamagotchis and Pog swaps. When Bobby and Amy meet, hundreds of cows dot across the fields and the sun always shines. But when the cows begin to burn, Bobby and Amy’s sleepy Cotswold town faces a catastrophe that will change their home forever. Bobby & Amy explores friendship and what happens when our way of life is threatened by those who don’t understand it. ***** (EdFringeReview.com). ***** (FringeGuru). **** (Scotsman) – reviews for previous Jenkins plays. Show of the Week - VAULT Festival (Bobby & Amy previews, March 2019).
BULLDOGS
Lil’ Sister Productions. Written and directed by Carly Hallman (MA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2018), Skye Hillgartner (MFA Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media 2019). With performance from Jordana Belaiche (MA Theatre Criticism and Dramaturgy 2018) and Katie Webster (MFA Voice Studies 2019)
Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29), Aug 3-9 @14:30
It’s the most pressing question of our time: what’s it like to be white and male in #MeToo America? Luckily for you, Kurt and Bradley have answers! A gender-bending comedy about toxic masculinity, ability and disability, and growing up.
BUMPER BLYTON
The Improvised Adventure. Produced and including performance from Jonah Fazel (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2013)
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302), Aug 2-25 @17:05
A riotous parody, chock full of innuendo and lashings of puns. The cast invent a hilarious improvised adventure live on the hoof. Performed in vintage costume with music and songs, the show offers an hilarious tongue-in-cheek homage. Return to a time when you could get a delicious tongue sandwich or wrap your lips around a nice spotted dick… Featuring a picnic basket of the UK’s best known improvisers from stage and screen, this show will grab you by the jolly hockey sticks and leave your sides aching! It’s Enid Blyton… for grown-ups! ***** (ThreeWeeks)
BURGERZ
Hackney Showroom. With co-lighting design from Lauren Woodhead (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2018) and Lee Curran.
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 1-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 @Times vary
Hurled words. Thrown objects. Dodged burgers. After someone threw a burger at them and shouted a transphobic slur, performance artist Travis Alabanza became obsessed with burgers. How they are made, how they feel and smell. How they travel through the air. How the mayonnaise feels on your skin. This is the climax of their obsession: exploring how trans bodies survive and how, by them reclaiming an act of violence, we can address our own complicity. Carving out a place for themselves as one of the UK’s prominent trans voices, Travis presents a performance that is timely, unsettling and powerful.
THE CASTLE
Old Dog Theatre. With movement direction from Ruth Phillips (MA Movement: Directing and Teaching 2018)
Greenside @Infirmary Street (Venue 236), Aug 2-3, 5-10, 12-17 @16:15
A dynamic adaptation of Kafka’s last, unfinished novel. Far from home, K. struggles to unlock the secrets of the castle. He wages a war of wits against the elusive official Klamm, certain that it is only by standing face to face with the divine authority of the castle that he will ever find his place within this strange society.
CATHERINE BOHART: LEMON
Chambers Touring. Solo stand-up show from Catherine Murphy (MA Acting for Screen 2013)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-25 @18:00
After 2018’s ‘funny, warm… perfectly structured debut’ **** (Times), Catherine’s back to smash stereotypes around sex, sexuality and relationships. As seen and heard on BBC Two’s The Mash Report, Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, ITV2’s The Stand Up Sketch Show and The Guilty Feminist
COMA
Darkfield, co-founded and directed by David Rosenberg (Tech 1998), with production from Andrea Salazar (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2006) and Victoria Eyton (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2014)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Jul 31, Aug 1-25 @Times Vary
The moment of waking up is actually the moment when your dream begins. Please remember when you leave to take your body with you. Coma takes place in a shipping container in absolute darkness, lasting 30 minutes. Created by Darkfield, the creators of sell out shows Séance & Flight.
A COMPLICATED MAN
The Big Mammal Project. Written and directed by Evan Silver with production design from Nicola Farr (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2016)
Bedlam Theatre (Venue 49), Aug 16-20 @15:30
An odd king sails the waves of the wine dark sea in a bathtub. Featuring whales and post-human drag, big mammal reimagines the Odyssey as a queer epic of becoming. This new work by Emma Henry and Evan Silver refigures the Homeric text to explore the fluidity of identity.
CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF
Cambridge Mask Collective. Produced by Jay Benedict (Stage 1972)
C venues – C cubed – Main Space (Venue 50), Aug 1-17 @19:50
Inspired by Lecoq and Commedia dell’arte, and set during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, the play uses mask and physical theatre to explore Nicholas/Nikki’s struggle to come to terms with being transgender. Best friend, Gino, throws a party to lighten the mood, but the guests turn out to be demons of the mind.
DALLOWAY
Dyad Productions, with costume designer and maker, Kate Flanaghan (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2007)
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139), Aug 2-4, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 @11:30
1923: The War is over. While Clarissa Dalloway prepares a party in Westminster, Septimus Smith is diagnosed with shell shock; their memories and dreams intertwining with those of 15 other disparate souls, this hot blue day in June. Conjuring the hopes and regrets of post-war London, Dyad Productions’ acclaimed adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s celebrated map of hearts and minds offers a magical, powerful, and compellingly feminist response to the aftermath of the First World War. Written and directed by Elton Townend-Jones. Performed by Rebecca Vaughan. From award-winning creators of Orlando, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Austen’s Women, and I, Elizabeth.
DAUGHTERHOOD
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd, with sound design from Dominic Kennedy (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013)
ROUNDABOUT @Summerhall (Venue 26), Jul 31 Aug 1-3, 5, 7-9, 11-12, 14-19, 21-23, 25 @Times vary
One sister stayed at home to care for Dad. The other set out to “make a difference”. Reunited under their childhood roof, they unearth more than the 10 years between them. It’s a huge gap. Almost insurmountable. And each is determined to let the other know exactly who has done things right. A beautiful, ferocious play about the bonds that tie us and how we sometimes need to break them. Written by Charley Miles, whose heartbreakingly tender debut Blackthorn explored ‘lost love and the fragility and power of nature in… fifty minutes that passed like a dream’ (i Newspaper).
DEFICIT
Deficit Theatre, with Madeleine Flint (incoming student)
Wee Bar Red (Venue 506), Aug 9-13, 15-20, 22-23 @14:00
Deficit, the debut work of new collective Deficit Theatre, is an incredible new piece of devised theatre that exposes the magical realism of our everyday lives. We follow five vibrant characters, Selkie, Kelpie, Wulver, Beira and Poltergeist, as they explore the many facets of the human condition. Through playful and intimate movement and dance, we watch them deconstruct their own metaphors. Incorporating original short film and groovy sound, join us as we push the boundaries of traditional physical theatre with profound self awareness and accessibility. Don’t worry, you’re allowed to laugh.
DEXTER AND WINTER’S DETECTIVE AGENCY
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd, with sound design from Dominic Kennedy (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013)
ROUNDABOUT @Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 @11:20
When Dexter’s mum is sent to jail for getting mixed up in a jewellery robbery, it’s up to Dexter and his best friend Winter to get her out. On their journey to uncover the truth and free mum, their detective work leads to some surprising discoveries. A madcap adventure story for all the family.
DIE OR RUN
Glen Neath and Hannah Ringham (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 1998), including producer Emma Blackman (MA Acting 2010)
Greenside @Nicolson Square (Venue 209), Aug 19-24 @22:05
The 1980s. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has pronounced that ‘there is no such thing as society’. Die or Run is about society and politics, self-help and anxiety, big hair and 80s disco, and looks at how our mental health has been influenced by political ideology.
DON’T BE TERRIBLE
Standard Man Productions. Stand-up from Daniel Cech-Lucas (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2013)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-26 @23:00
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.
DO YOU EVER GET SCARED?
Open Barn Productions, written by Minna Davies (incoming student)
theSpaceTriplex (Venue 38), Aug 2, 3, 5-10 @ 17:05, and theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39), Aug 12–17 @13:05
Six actors. Six parts and the roll of a dice. How can an accusation change a life? Do You Ever Get Scared? Explores justice and retribution in this six-hander, asking questions about our own and our society’s perceptions of abuse.
E8
The North Wall in association with The Pleasance, written by Marika Mckennell (incoming student)
Pleasance Dome (Venue 23), Jul 31 Aug 1-13, 15-25 @16:10
‘When you see a scar you know someone’s had pain, but if you can’t see it how would you know?’ In a school for excluded pupils in Hackney, Bailey waits for a decision that could change her life, whilst her headteacher prepares to leave it all behind. Full of humour and heart, Marika Mckennell’s timely new play gives voice to those who have fallen through the cracks in mainstream education. Directed by Fringe First Award winner Ria Parry.
ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS
Showdown Productions, with performance from Jake Ibelo (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2021) and Olu Kayode (BA (Hons) Acting 2022)
theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36), Aug 5-10 @21:40
A musical song cycle with a blues, jazz and rock score inspired by the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. A series of dramatic, powerful and heart-rending monologues celebrating the lives lost from AIDS and also uplifting and poignant songs representing the feelings of the loved-ones left behind. The show focuses on 30 individuals who died as a result of contracting AIDS from a wide variety of sources. Each coming from very different walks of life, every character has their own unique story to share.
ENOUGH
Traverse Theatre Company, with performance from Amanda Wright (BA (Hons) Acting 2003)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 1-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 @Times vary
Jane and Toni are immaculate, iconic, accommodating flight attendants. Or so you think. But 30,000 feet below them their seemingly perfect lives are rapidly unravelling. Beneath them they feel the ground shake. Something is rising up, something which cannot be ignored. And it’s calling out for them.
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH
The Listening Hare. Solo show featuring Colin Campbell (MA Drama and Movement Therapy 2014)
theSpace @Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Aug 20-24 @9:55
One actor (in 45 mins) performs the first story ever written down: an epic Babylonian poem based on the mythical adventures of the King of Uruk who lived and ruled around 2750 BC. It charts Gilgamesh’s journey from tyranny to friendship, from love to loss, from despair to wisdom.
FATTY FAT FAT
With lighting design from Lauren Woodhead (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2018)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @15:15
Ever feel like your body takes up too much space in a world that doesn’t want to make any room? Katie is fat. Pretty much always been fat, and will be fat forever. Join her in the Cha Cha Slide, munch on some crisps, and have a listen to what it’s like to live in a body that people can’t help have an opinion on. Fatty Fat Fat is a funny, frank and provocative solo show about living in a body the world tells you to hate. Leave your diet books at the door. ***** (LGBTQArts.com).
FEAST
Clout Theatre / Performance Infinity, with performance from Sacha Plaige (MA Movement: Directing and Teaching 2018)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 7-11, 13-18 @Times vary
A show about food. From primitive struggle, through the baroque excess to technological perversion, how has our relationship with nourishment changed throughout history? This one-woman show employs physical theatre, clowning and multimedia to delve into consumerism’s excesses and extremes. With cascades of milk, splashes of raw meat, and a dash of live feed webcams, Feast is an hour of Dionysian anarchy the like of which you won’t have tasted before. ‘[Hieronymous] Bosch would applaud… brilliantly disturbing, not least because of the belly laughs that it serves up’ **** (Herald, praise for Feast 2015). Part of FeastFest.
FIX US
BareFace, with Zara Jayne, Kirsty Adams and Lee Philips (Performance Making Diploma)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 1-11, 13-25 @12:20
‘Be strong. Keep your head up. Knock ‘em dead.’ Lee has autism, Zara has CHARGE syndrome and Kirsty has Cerebral Palsy. They eat rules, boxes and labels for breakfast. Just wait til you meet their alter egos. Access All Areas-supported artists The BareFace Collective present Fix Us: a funny, defiant new show about three wild, wicked and wonderful individuals – and their equally outrageous stage personas. Cheeky, sexy and full of charm… BareFace show you who they really are.
FOX
Becky Barber-Sharp and Something for the Weekend. Solo show by Katie Guicciardi (PGCE Drama 2005)
Pleasance Courtyard – Baby Grand (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @11:30
‘I couldn’t imagine having a child. Not even when I was sat in my Primark bikini in a plastic hot tub at Homerton Hospital, sucking the shit out of the gas and air… There’s a man sitting on the wall outside the flat. He just sat down the other day and never left.’ Inspired by true events, Katie Guicciardi explores our complex relationship with “help”.
FOX-TOT!
A Scottish Opera and Royal & Derngate Theatres co-commission, directed by Roxana Haines (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2014)
The Edinburgh Academy (Venue 70), Aug 2-4, 6-11, 13-16 @10:00, 11:30
Following the success of 2017’s BambinO, composer Lliam Paterson is back with a brand new opera for 12 to 24-month-olds. Fox-tot! is full of imagination – a magical journey of discovery for those taking their first small steps into the big wide world. Set in a woodland world where anything can happen, this engaging mix of music and puppetry is an interactive experience for toddlers and adults to enjoy together. Paterson’s inventive score draws on everything from French Baroque to contemporary opera – all cleverly reimagined for an audience at the very start of their musical lives.
FRESHLY SQUEEZED COMEDY
Free Festival. Split-bill stand-up show with Alexandria Macleod (MA Acting 2015)
Laughing Horse @City Cafe (Venue 85), Aug 1-25 @10:20
Your first stand-up show of the day, serendipitously happening within the best breakfast joint in Edinburgh! Grab a coffee and join a rotating cast of BBC New Comedian of the year 2018 finalist Isa Bonachera, 2019 Max Turner semi-finalist Miztli Rose, ‘bitingly funny’ (LondonPubTheatres.com) Alexandria Macleod and Abigail Weinstock. Wake up with a shot of the day’s funniest headlines and a healthy portion of their very best material. It’s a Buzzfeed quiz/Vice doc/Guardian editorial sort of a show complete with zeitgeist cultural references and factually incorrect observations.
FRIENDSICAL: A PARODY MUSICAL ABOUT FRIENDS
Birdbrooke Entertainment Ltd. Produced by Ester Balint (MA Creative Producing 2017)
Assembly Rooms – Music Hall (Venue 20), Aug 1-6, 8-11, 13-18, 20-25 @13:00
FRIENDSICAL is an original and unique new parody musical inspired by the gang in Friends.
With original new songs such as ‘(He’s her) Lobster!’, ‘We Were On A Break’ and ‘Richard’s Moustache’, the gang take the stage in Edinburgh this Fringe Festival!
GETHIN ALDERMAN IS: SUBLIME
Solo show by Gethin Alderman (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2012)
Just the Tonic at The Charteris Centre (Venue 393), Aug 1-11, 13-25 @12:00
Daft and silly in equal measure, this anarchic mash-up of clown and character comedy will leave you unable to look at a limes the same way again. A relentlessly energetic and playful debut from this exciting emerging comic. Channel 4 Random Acts, ITV and BBC Three. ‘Impeccable comic timing’ (CampaignLive.co.uk/Thinkbox).
GETTING TO KNOW ASIA
Bhumi Collective, co-founded by Mohamad Shaifulbahri (Shai) (MA Creative Producing 2016)
Fringe Central (Venue 2), Aug 8 @13:30
Part of the Fringe Central Events Programme for Fringe participants. Have you been curious about the funding opportunities that exist for projects in Asia to tour and present work at places like the Fringe? Have you thought about touring your work to different parts of Asia? Come meet and hear from producers from Asia @ the Fringe Network who will share some of these information, representing Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and India.
GLITTER BUSINESS
Produced and performed by Louise Bastock and Liz Guterbock (MA Acting For Screen 2011)
Just the Tonic at The Charteris Centre (Venue 393), Aug 1-11, 13-19, 21-25 @15:20
In their second split-hour of stand-up comedy, Louise Bastock and Liz Guterbock (BBC Radio 4 New Comedy Award nominee) unpack the big data around sex, power and identity.
GREAT GRIMM TALES
Box Tale Soup, co-founded and including performance from Antonia Christophers (MA Acting 2008)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 1-25 @11:00
“Three nights to save a soul… or the Devil gets his way.”
A remarkable new adaptation from the creators of 2018 Fringe Sell-Out Turn of the Screw. Join us for the weird and wicked, horrible and hilarious…behind the wildest stories, hide the darkest truths.
GUT BUDDIES
Bacterial Factory, including Matteo Carpi (Acting Diploma 2016)
Sweet Novotel (Venue 188), Aug 2-13, 15-25 @18:20
Come and join Brian and Karl in the intestines for a ridiculous physical comedy. Pick your side between the white blood cell and the parasitic worm, in their cartoonish fight for their habitat. ‘IYAF Best of Brighton Fringe 2019 Winner’.
HAL CRUTTENDEN: CHUBSTER
CKP and InterTalent Group present solo show by Hal Cruttenden (Stage 1994)
Gilded Balloon Teviot – Debating Hall (Venue 14), Jul 31, Aug 2-14 @19:30
Last year’s smash hit show is back (and slightly updated) by popular demand. Hal has filled our screens on such shows as Have I Got News For You, Live At The Apollo and The Apprentice: You’re Fired. His daughters chose the title of the show and he’s still on a diet… Limited run.
HEARTY
Written, produced and performed by Emma Frankland (MA Acting 2005)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Aug 13-18, 20-24 @21:10
‘We must bury our knowledge until the apocalypse passes’. Bearing wings made of sharp knives and shooting fireballs into the air, Hearty tackles the current fascination with trans lives and interrogates the controversial bio-technology of HRT. It’s messy, it’s on fire and it’s politically charged. A double Fringe First award-winner Emma Frankland returns to Summerhall following her sell-out Don Quijote – British Council Showcase 2013 (‘Cheerfully anarchic’ (Guardian), ‘Joyous’ **** (Time Out)) and Rituals for Change at Forest Fringe 2015. ‘A near-perfect twinning of content and form’ ***** (Stage). ‘Tender, brave and brilliant’ **** (WhatsOnStage).
HONEY
Tove Appelgren, ACE-Production in association with From Start to Finnish. With performance from Sarah McCardie (PG Dip Acting Musical 2003)
ZOO Playground (Venue 186), Aug 5-11, 13-18, 20-25 @16:30
Honey, a freelance journalist and single mother of four (and a half) seeks control, agency, confirmation and solvency from her rebellious daughter, disappointed mother, skeptical friends and imperfect men. Three (or four) therapists have so far failed to help her, so it’s time to try a different kind of talking cure. Honey must tell her story to find out how it ends and where it begins. Will she find what she’s looking for, whatever that is? Honey is a comedic one-woman show from Finland featuring Scottish actress Sarah McCardie embodying eleven triumphantly dysfunctional characters in one hour, precisely.
HOW NOT TO DROWN
ThickSkin, Traverse Theatre production with Tron Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre, including lighting design from Zoe Spurr (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2012)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Jul 30 Aug 3-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 @Times vary
A painful yet uplifting true story of a child asylum-seeker arriving in the UK. At 11 years old, Dritan is sent on the notoriously perilous journey across the Adriatic to a new life in Europe, only to continue his fight for survival in the British care system.
IDEOLOGY AND HAIR GEL
Waspish Theatre Company, and written by Lizzie Corscaden (Acting Diploma 2015)
Paradise in Augustines (Venue 152), Aug 19-25 @14:45
1983, a boarding school in the German Democratic Republic. Elvi, abandoned by her parents, finds comfort in her relationship with her teacher, Thomas. But how can she care for her younger brother when all he wants is to run away? What will happen if her best friend’s illegal activities are discovered? And who are the mysterious figures that visit Thomas at night? With live music, shadow puppetry, raving punks and enigmatic figures lurking in every corner, Ideology and Hair Gel looks at what it is to be young and free where freedom isn’t an option.
IF THIS IS NORMAL
Chatback Theatre, with performance from Zarima McDermott (MA Acting 2017)
Zoo Playground (Venue 186), Aug 2-13, 15-26 @14:00
‘You’re trying to make this black and white. It’s not.’ ‘Yeah, it’s not – because he’s your brother.’ Siblings Madani and Maryam – and their best friend Alex – have grown up bombarded by podcasts, porn and politics. They’re bona fide experts on the rules of sex… that is, until their pre-packaged principles are actually put to the test in the real world. A new play from the team behind last year’s critically acclaimed show Lost in Thought **** (Scotsman).
I’LL TAKE YOU TO MRS COLES
A Complicité and Polka Theatre Co-Production. Adapted and directed by Catherine Alexander (BA (Hons) Acting CDT Course Leader), assistant direction from Luyanda Unati Lewis Nyawo (CDT 18), music composition and sound design from Ben Grant () and performance from Mae Munuo (CDT 19) and Barry Fitzgerald (Visiting Lecturer).
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-11, 13-26 @13:45
The 1980s! Ska music pulses and young Ashley creates havoc by getting lost in a wild, imaginative world. When Jedi battles and forest adventures go too far, will their hard-working mum resort to the scariest threat of all? Accompanied by an original ska soundtrack and stunning video animation. Directed by Complicité Associate Catherine Alexander.
I’M NON-TYPICAL, TYPICAL
Bedazzle Inclusive Theatre, with management from Anna Tuck (nee.Geoge) (BEd (Hons) Speech and Drama 1996)
Greenside @Nicolson Square (Venue 209), Aug 3-10 @18:40
An impactful piece of theatre incorporating monologues, dance and film sequence to highlight the personal stories and experiences of people living with disability, autism and mental health issues co created by the cast.
IMPROMPTU SHAKESPEARE
Impromptu Shakespeare, with company members; Charlie Sturgeon (MA Acting 2018) and James Whittaker (MA Music Theatre 2011)
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @13:30
An entirely improvised Shakespeare play based on audience suggestions, to delight Shakespeare nerds and newbies alike. ‘Side-splittingly hilarious’ ★★★★★ (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘It’s intelligent, it’s funny, it’s all of the adjectives for brilliant.’ ★★★★★ (PockeSizeTheatre.com). ‘Ingenious’ (Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor).
THE INCIDENT ROOM
New Diorama Theatre in co-production with Pleasance and Greenwich Theatre, including performance from Ben Eagle (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2014)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @16:30
It’s 1975. In Leeds, the Millgarth Incident Room is the epicentre of the biggest manhunt in British police history. We follow Sergeant Megan Winterburn as she joins hundreds of officers working around the clock to find the man known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
I WISH MY LIFE WERE LIKE A MUSICAL
Alexander S. Bermange, with performance from James Hume (BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2011) and Felix Mosse (MA Music Theatre 2013)
Underbelly, Bristo Square – The Diary Room (Venue 302), Jul 31, Aug 1-26 @20:45
Covering the journey from wide-eyed drama student to brattish diva, or past-it chorus member, or bitter has-been (or never-was), this show lifts the lid on awful auditions, debilitating dance routines, mid-performance mishaps, and backstage backstabbing – plus those magical moments that make it all worthwhile.
JOYCE
Turtle Company, and produced by Yoona Park (MA Creative Producing 2018)
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139), Jul 31, Aug 1-26 @11:25
In this heart-warming tale, a father and pet hamster venture into bizarre lands inside a storybook, meeting zany characters along the way. With puppetry, music and magic from an international team, this imaginative play will dazzle the whole family!
JUST THESE PLEASE: SUITABLE
Just These Please, with company members; Philippa Carson (MA Acting for Screen 2014), William Sebag-Montefiore (MA Acting 2014) and Jack Mosedale (MA Acting 2016)
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14), Jul 31, Aug 1-11, 13-26 @12:15
You may be one of the 22 million people who watched their viral online sketch When You Order Coffee With an Irish Name or perhaps you caught their five-star Fringe debut in 2018. Just These Please are back with 25 fresh new sketches, and will knock your socks off. Then neatly fold them.
LOVE (WATCHING MADNESS)
SpeakUp Theatre in association with The Actors Centre. Directed by Ruth Phillips (MA Movement: Directing and Teaching 2018)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31, Aug 1-17, 19-26 @11:35
‘My mum threw a trifle at my best friend and that’s when I first thought something was probably wrong.’ A mother. A daughter. An hour. A bond. Questions. Answers. Trifle. Tides. Refresh. Restore. Release. Critically acclaimed SpeakUp Theatre present a searingly honest and personal one-woman show investigating the complexities of loving someone with mental illness.
THE MANNEQUIN
Das Stück in collaboration with the Kings Player’s, including Alan Hall (incoming student)
theSpace @Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Aug 19-24 @22:35
From the streets of Soho to the drag bars of Montmartre, the frantic lives of these artists all revolve around The Mannequin. Models, designers, lovers, and writers all desire attention and validation in lives, only to be left feeling inadequate and alone. Throughout the course of two evenings they find solace in each other and their work leading to closure. In this multimedia production, a piece of new writing with original film and costume, relationships to the queer body and relationships within the arts industry are explored in a burst of film projection and sensory immersion.
MERVYN STUTTER’S PICK OF THE FRINGE
Mervyn Stutter, with show scout Eleanor Rose (MA Acting 2013)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Aug 3-14, 16-21, 23-25 @13:30
‘It’s like the Royal Variety Show of the Fringe’. Mervyn and his team carefully research the Fringe and bring you live extracts from seven top shows in a packed 90 minute lunchtime extravaganza. Every day there is a different selection. Pick the ones you like and then go and see them. Simple! Brilliant! There’s comedy, theatre, cabaret, music, dance, the indefinable. Daily line-ups at mervspotfringe.com. ‘A vibrant, stimulating showcase of talent’ (Scotsman). ‘Excellent, really, really good!’ (Observer). 28th year!
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Quirky Bird Theatre, with artistic direction from Anna Friend (PGCE Drama 2004)
Greenside @Infirmary Street (Venue 236), Aug 12-17 @11:30
Six actors, neon tutus and the unmistakable lyrics of Agadoo… It’s Shakespeare, folks, but not as you know it… Come on down for our bonkers bard-tastic take on this classic story of magical fun. Great for kids and adults alike and a fantastic introduction to Shakespeare for future theatre lovers of all ages. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry (well maybe just because you are laughing too much), and spend an hour grinning from ear-to-ear as this award-winning company tear around the stage giving this well-loved tale a very fresh coat of paint…
MOTHER
MOTHER Comedy, with performance from Jack Mosedale (MA Acting 2017)
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14), Jul 31 Aug 1-13, 15-26 @22:15
Low-brow, high-camp sketch comedy duo MOTHER make their Fringe debut with an unapologetically hilarious hour of trashy treasure. From tactless HR Managers to the high glamour of Jane McDonald, get yourself some pink fizz and settle down for a night in with Mother. Go on. You deserve it. An ‘inspired slice of sketch comedy’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘A force to be reckoned with’ **** (WithinHerWords.co.uk). ‘Future stars’ (ToDoList.org.uk).
MOUTHPIECE
Traverse Theatre Company. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2000)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 1-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 @Times vary
After a critically acclaimed London run, this hit about class, culture and appropriation returns. Salisbury Crags. Twilight. A woman takes a step forward into the air. A teenage boy pulls her back. Two lives are changed forever. Mouthpiece asks whether it’s possible to tell someone else’s story without exploiting them along the way.
MY MUM’S A TWAT
Showroom. Solo show by Anoushka Warden (MA Acting for Screen 2006)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Jul 31, Aug 2-11, 13-18, 20-25 @17:30
‘My mum wasn’t always a twat. But sometime after I turned 10, everything changed. She stopped taking me shopping. She regularly forgot my birthday. And she thought she could heal people.’ After a sold-out run at the Royal Court Theatre, Anoushka Warden performs her funny and honest account of losing her mum to a cult.
NIGHTS AT THE CIRCUS
Spare Tyre, with performance from Jasmine Lee (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2017)
Zoo Playground (Venue 186), Aug 13-17, 19-24 @15:15
Part mythical, part real, four characters emerge from darkness defining their own sense of sexuality and identity. Combining mythological with grotesque, funny with provocative, Nights at the Circus is a provocative performance created by award-winning learning disabled and non-disabled artists which enthrals and disrupts and tests the limits.
NOSER: THE STARTUP MUSICAL
Noser Inc, with performance from Beth Organ (BA (Hons) Acting Musical Theatre 2013)
Greenside @Royal Terrace (Venue 231), Aug 16-17, 19-24 @13:50
Smelling: there’s an app for that. A satirical musical comedy about the world’s first app that sends smells… not emojis. London startup Noser recruits expert perfumer Mélodie from Grasse, France, to help them develop their app. The goal? To win investment from tech giant, Boogle. But when Mélodie falls in love with software engineer Blue, it sends her sense of smell spiralling out of control. Will they win the Boogle pitch? Will Mélodie ever smell again? Take a deep dive into this riotous multi-sensory experience as Noser attempts to give every phone a nose.
NOT QUITE
Thick ‘n’ Fast. Written and performed by Georgina Thomas and Cassie Symes (both MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2016)
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @13:30
A fast-paced comedy exploring the interview process and the struggle to prove one’s worth. Eager to impress, two naïve young hopefuls are intent on making a good first impression. Not Quite follows their trials and tribulations through the dreaded interview and the seemingly impossible feat of cracking the job market.
OH YES OH NO
Solo show by Louise Orwin (MA Performance Practices and Research 2011)
Summerhall (Venue 26), Jul 31, Aug 2-11, 13-18, 20-25 @19:20
This is about having sexual fantasies that don’t align with your politics. About understanding what you want and wondering how to ask for it. Award-winning performance artist Louise Orwin asks the difficult questions, taking you on a surreal joyride through female sexuality and violence.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE’RE HAPPY
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd, with sound design from Dominic Kennedy (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2013)
ROUNDABOUT @Summerhall (Venue 26), Jul 31 Aug 1-2, 4-5, 7-10, 12, 14-16, 18-19, 21-24 @Times vary
A single Dad meets his adopted daughter for the first time. Then he agrees to meet her birth mother. When their two worlds collide, will what they have in common outweigh their differences? Three lives will be changed forever in this tender, funny, hopeful play about being a mum when your name is Dad.
PIZZA SHOP HEROES
Phosphoros Theatre, with Co-Artistic Director Kate Scarlett Duffy (Current PhD candidate & BA Drama, Applied Theatre and Education 2013) and Associate Director, Pavlos Christodoulou (MA Actor Training and Coaching 2018)
Summerhall – Tech Cube 0 (Venue 26), Aug 3-11 @17:40
Dynamic, political theatre starring four refugee young men who came to the UK on their own as children from Afghanistan, Eritrea and Albania. Having told their stories repeatedly in the asylum system they are now reclaiming them. A unique exploration of masculinity and forced migration. Powerful, funny, resistant, revealing.
RICKY RIDDLEGANG AND THE RIDDLE GANG
Peracals Productions, co-directed by Olivia Rose-Dean (MA Musical Theatre 2019) and co-directed by Sophia Priolo (MA Music Theatre 2018), with performance from Will Beynon (MA Acting 2017)
Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre (Venue 76), Jul 31, Aug 1-14, 16-25 @15:15
Join hip teen detective Ricky Riddlegang and his trusty Riddle Gang as they solve the mystery of the haunted manor and put the perpetrator to death. Spectres, suspects and shenanigans abound as the Gang delve into an enigma that threatens to devour them all…
But which previously introduced character could the culprit actually be?
R’n’J: THE UNTOLD STORY OF SHAKESPEARE’S ROZ AND JULES
Stolen Cactus. Written, produced and performed by Carmina Bernhardt (MA Acting for Screen 2014) and directed by Leon Trayman (BA (Hons) Acting 2006) & MFA Voice Studies 2018)
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24), Jul 31, Aug 1-12, 14-26 @12:45
Juliet is double pregnant, Rosaline decides she does indeed want Romeo dick, but Romeo is definitely dead. Join Roz and Jules on an epic Thelma and Louise-style multimedia tragicomedy adventure in clearing their good names, healing age-old family strife and safely delivering those babies!
ROUGE
Highwire Entertainment, including host, dancer and aerialist, Paul Westbrook (MA Acting 2012)
Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows (Venue 360), Aug 3-6, 8-13, 15-20, 22-24 @Times Vary
A decadent blend of sensational acrobatics, operatic cabaret and tongue in cheek burlesque, Rouge is circus for grown ups. A non-stop celebration of the astonishing, surprising, subversive and the supremely sexy – Award-winning Australian circus sensation Rouge is heading to Edinburgh with its outrageous brand of adult circus.
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING
The Television Workshop Salford, with performance from Matthew Allen (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2021)
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39), Aug 2-3, 5-10 @18:45
‘Don’t let the bastards grind you down – I know whose faces I’ve got in my sights, the bastards that put the gun in my hands. I don’t think anybody in the world’s worth murdering, unless it’s for fun!’ Meet Arthur Seaton: factory worker, smart talker and ladies’ man bursting with a toxic mix of humour, drama and sex that is set to cause an explosion! BAFTA award-winning The Television Workshop hits the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Matthew Dunster’s punchy adaptation of the Alan Sillitoe classic! Directed by MEN award winner Rachel Brogan.
SHIVER
Written and performed by Polly Waldron (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2017)
TheSpace on the Mile (Venue 39), Aug 12-17, 19-24 @14:00
Set in late Edwardian London, this action-packed one-woman monologue sees ambitiously independent Alice forced into domestic service. Her employers have strange habits and even stranger friends. As war explodes across the sea, rebels rise, and Alice’s ambitions are thrown off course. With everything spiralling out of control the strength of her will is put to the test…
SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL
The Showstoppers / Something for the Weekend, with performance from Justin Brett (Stage 1995)
Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33), Jul 31 Aug 1-12, 14-25 @Times vary
The Edinburgh must-see, Olivier Award-winning (Best Entertainment and Family Show) West End hit returns for its 12th consecutive year! A brand-new musical comedy is created from scratch at every performance of this multi award-winning show. Each night audience suggestions are transformed into all-singing, all-dancing productions with hilarious results. A Fringe favourite and a phenomenon; your Edinburgh is simply incomplete without it. ‘The top musical improvisers in the business… Compulsory Fringe viewing… Just book in time’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ‘Had me weeping with laughter’ ***** (Mail on Sunday). ‘Achingly funny… Worth seeing again and again’ ***** (Time Out).
SMOKE
Bound By Theatre, with assistant director, Harriet Taylor (MFA Creative Producing)
ZOO Playground (Venue 186), Aug 2-26 @13:35
John meets Julie at a kink-play party in New York City. She’s an aspiring college dropout living in the shadow of her famous artist parents; he’s her father’s intern. The two instantly connect and, with sex an open question, tensions run high as Julie and John teeter between pain and play.
SOCIALLY AWKWARD PENGUIN
Solo show by Emmy Fyles (BA (Hons) Acting 2006)
Laughing Horse @ Dropkick Murphys (Venue 289), Aug 1-18, 20-25 @14:45
Do you need help navigating awkward social situations? Ever wished there was a guide to help you navigate your way through life’s trickier interactions? Do you want a penguin? This show guarantees at least one of these things. Clever, original writing. One to watch!’ **** - Funny Women
STATUS
Chris Thorpe, Rachel Chavkin, Staatstheater Mainz and China Plate, with producer Samanta Fiorino (MA Creative Producer 2017)
Assembly George Square (Venue 8), Aug 17-24 @10:25
We all have a nationality. Or almost all of us. Status is a Fringe First-winning show about someone who doesn’t want his any more. About running away from the national story you’re given. About who’s responsible for that story and what might happen to it if you try to give it up. ‘The words are eloquent, the music essential and powerful, and the performance full of brilliant, prowling precision’ **** (Scotsman). **** (Guardian). **** (Time Out). **** (Stage). Part of the British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2019.
SUPERSTAR
Nicola Wren (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2014) and Something for the Weekend. With Associate Sound Design from Beth Dukes (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice student) and Design from Cara Evans (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice student)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 1-11, 13-25 @17:30
The hilarious true story of Nicola’s journey from incessantly seeking her siblings’ approval, to searching for ways to hide that her eldest brother is mega-famous, to never quite finding her place in the world. Until now. An autobiographical comedy, written and performed by Nicola Wren. ‘Sparkling writing’ ★★★★ Scotsman.
TALK
Parrot Theatre Company, with artistic direction from Roanna Bond (MA Drama and Movement Therapy 2013)
C venues - C cubed (Venue 50), Aug 11-17 @14:30
Bethlem Royal Hospital, 1854. The criminal wing for the insane. Two doctors set out to reform patient treatment. They prefer conversation over punishment; they offer care, rather than restraint. But the Commission for Lunacy has other ideas. Two patients get caught in the crossfire as their radical plans unravel. Based on the life of Richard Dadd, this thought-provoking and stylish performance asks whether talk can provide a cure? Following a sell-out run at Marlowe Theatre, Parrot Theatre Company brings you an accessible production, captioned for those with hearing loss.
TEA?…(WITH MILK)
Everybody’s Story, co-founded by Elisha-Grace Lawrence (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2017)
theSpace @Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Aug 12-17, 19-24 @15:25
Are you part of the 51% that is told to change every part of your body? Laser off all your hair? Cover yourself in expensive products because you’re worthless! Tea?…(With Milk) is a fast paced, fun, dark piece of theatre, commenting on what it’s like to be a woman today. Growing up with shaming adverts that criticise and weaponise their bodies, two women have to decide if they want conform to society’s expectations. They’ve got dissertations to write, unpaid internships to take and don’t forget the parties. Stressed? Put the kettle on, everything’s easier after a cuppa!
TESS
Ondervinden, founded by Elske Waite (MFA Actor Training and Coaching 2018) and Lucy Morris (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2018). Including design from Khadija Raza (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2017), and performance from Polly Waldron (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2017), Emily Windham (BA (Hons) Acting CDT 2018), and Colette McNulty (BA (Hons) Acting CDT student)
theSpace@Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Aug 2-10, 12-17 @22:40
Told by an all-female cast and a live folk band, old West Country traditions meet a jolt of contemporary feminism in a production that breaks the bounds of Hardy’s original text. This new production turns its eyes on both 2019 and 1890 with equal scrutiny, asking how far we have truly come.
THERE WILL BE CAKE
Chambers Touring, with performance from Rachel Parris (MA Acting for Screen 2007)
Gilded Balloon at the Museum (Venue 64), Aug 19-22 @21:00
An all-star improv show from award-winning improvisers Marcus Brigstocke (Live at the Apollo, BBC Two), Rachel Parris (The Mash Report, BBC Two), Pippa Evans (Tonight At The Palladium, ITV) and Paul Foxcroft (Cariad & Paul). There Will Be Cake brings together four of the best improvisers in the country to play with your ideas. Each evening will be a brilliant, one-off, never-to-be-repeated, dazzling, hilarious, silly, exciting, dangerous, innovative show featuring real fire (candles). And there will be cake. Actual cake.
TOKYO ROSE
Burnt Lemon Theatre / Untapped by Underbelly and New Diorama, with costume design from current student Erin Guan (BA (Hons) Theatre Practice 2019)
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61), Aug 1-11, 13-25 @18:55
Turn back the dial to 1949. Iva d’Aquino stands accused of treason in one of the most controversial trials in American history. Faced with accusations of peddling Axis propaganda, Iva becomes known as the notorious Tokyo Rose – but was she the villain she was made out to be? Five female wartime disc jockeys spit piercing verse in a rap-packed musical broadcast going live in 5, 4, 3… From the team behind The Half Moon Shania: ‘Best Musical Award 2018’ ***** (MusicalTheatreReview.com). **** (Stage). **** (BroadwayBaby.com). New Diorama Theatre and Underbelly Untapped Award 2019.
TRYING IT ON
Warwick Arts Centre and China Plate, including producer Samanta Fiorino (MA Creative Producing 2017), and directed by Christopher Haydon (BA (Hons) Acting 2005)
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15), Aug 3-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 @Times vary
Its 1968, the height of the worldwide student revolt. David is 20. The Vietnam War rages. Martin Luther King is assassinated. These events will define David’s politics, his writing and his life. 50 years on, in his professional performing debut, David is confronted by his 20-year-old self. Do they still share the same beliefs? Is it the world that’s changed, or him? Has he sold in or sold out? And why did his generation vote for Brexit?
VICTOR
With performance from Emma Reade-Davies (BA (Hons) Acting 2004)
PQA Venues @Riddle’s Court (Venue 277), Aug 2-15 @14:30
All Victor wants is a trophy wife and to start a family. All Caitlin wants is a baby and a rich husband. All Fiona wants is to get back with Victor. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
WANNABE: THE SPICE GIRLS SHOW
Red Entertainment, with Marketing Associate, Jennie Eyres (nee. Roberts) (PGCE Media Studies 2006)
Assembly Rooms (Venue 20), Aug 1-11, 13-18, 20-25 @22:35
STOP right now!
It’s time to Spice Up Your Life and party like its 1996.
Relive the 90s through the hits of the Spice Girls on this Spice World journey; all you have to do is Say You’ll Be There.
WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF
Raw Material and Traverse Theatre in association with Regular Music. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2000) and including design from Ana Inés Jabares-Pita (MA Scenography 2012)
Assembly Hall (Venue 35), Aug 1-6, 8-11, 13-18, 20-25 @14:30
The true story of Cora Bissett’s journey from 90s indie-kid to wised-up woman. Touring with Radiohead, partying with Blur; she was living the dream. Until she wasn’t… Performing 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.
WHO DID I THINK SHE WAS?
Written and performed by Peter Henderson (MA Advanced Theatre Practice 2006)
Laughing Horse @Cabaret Voltaire (Venue 338), Aug 1-25 @19:55
In this new show, directed by Dan Ayling, we follow Peter as he travels from stuttering schoolboy to bald old git via weekend hippy, bingo caller, punk and speed freak in his increasingly desperate search for love. Accompanied by the enigmatic Shirley, Peter struggles through the perils of adolescent backstreet fumbles, cross-dressing and addiction, to face the awful horror of growing up. Who Did I Think She Was? strikingly contrasts Peter’s experiences growing up with today’s attitudes towards relationships, masculinity, sexual identity, the pursuit of love and the overpowering attraction of women’s underwear.
List your shows / events here
If you are a current student, graduate or member of staff, and your show has not been listed here, then contact alumni@cssd.ac.uk with the details.
Central party in Edinburgh
We’ll be hosting our annual Central Party in Edinburgh on Tuesday 13 August. If you’re a Central student, graduate or member of staff in Edinburgh for the Fringe, we’d be delighted if you could join us!
Image: © Chris Scott