Amy Hanson

Every drama teacher, youth theatre director or community arts worker knows the value of a good drama game.  Luckily, a new book from Glyn Trefor-Jones,  'Drama Menu At A Distance', published by Nick Hern Books, sets out to help those trying to keep lessons and rehearsals both active and safe in the era of social distancing.

Described as 'a multimedia clown show', beep boop is a comic examination of technology's place in our lives.   Taking aim at phone addiction, the performative nature of social media and the perils of online dating, it asks, in a world where technology has brought us closer together, why do we still feel so lonely?

Welcome to the monthly meeting of the Chicken Appreciation Society.   Over the course of the next fifty minutes, ardent poultry fans like yourself will enjoy chicken impressions, informative lectures, beauty pageants and even interpretive dance; all in celebration of our feathered friends. 

Zaltzman, best known for current events comedy podcast The Bugle, takes topic suggestions, either by email or from early birds at the front of the queue, and satirises them, with the aim of making audiences feel better about the state of the world.

In a selfless act of public service, Anglo-Iranian comedian Darius will show you how easy it is to beat the system and avoid media manipulation in our agenda-driven, technology-obsessed, modern society.

Australian company Out Cast Theatre return to the Fringe with another outrageous deconstruction of a theatre classic, in the same vein as their The Importance Of Being Earnest As Performed by 3 F**king Queens & A Duck.  

Through the planned anarchy, Field considers the unicorn phenomenon as appropriation of queer culture, and persuasively traces the evolution through the centuries of both unicorns and sugar back to the idea of purity, with each of these elements being shown to be symbolic of power.

Coming to Edinburgh with awards from both Brighton and Manchester Fringes, Standard:Elite from Hidden Track Theatre Company is an interactive piece of political theatre on the theme of social class. 

Douglas Adams, beloved writer of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, was notoriously terrible at sticking to deadlines.  Perennially quotable, he claimed to love 'the whooshing sound they make as they go by'.  The premise of Room 5064's short play, We Apologise For The Inconvenience, imagines Adams, late once again in submitting a manuscript, locked in a hotel room by his publisher until he finishes the series' fourth outing; the book that would be released as So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish.

Before the Revolution is a short piece from Egypt's Temple Independent Theatre Company, making their Fringe debut at Summerhall this year.  It aims to explore the varied elements that sparked the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, portraying the political upheaval as the inevitable result of two decades of build up.

Pro Helvetia conceived 8:8 as a piece in response to Swiss law on mandatory deportation for foreigners who have committed crimes, putting forward the idea that the more you know about someone, the harder it is to condemn them.  

Swallow the Sea Caravan Theatre, as the name would suggest, hold performances in a vehicle converted into a tiny four-seater performance space.  This August, they are offering up a rota of different bitesize plays at various times through the day, with a run time of around twenty minutes.

Tom Crosbie has a very particular set of skills; skills he has acquired over a very long time as a proud nerd.  In Nerd World Problems, he showcases just what is  possible with enough time, practice and a desire to impress.

A woman returns to her childhood home to clear out family belongings found by the new owners in an air raid shelter long buried under the flower beds.  As the play continues, it becomes clear each of the three characters have buried things of their own that they have to deal with.

In Werewolf: Live, Jon Gracey leads a team of comedians through several rounds of mystery and intrigue with hilarious results.

In Shakespeare! The Panto, the Bard of Avon and his sidekick Bottom have noticed the popularity of pantomime, and despite the playwright's creative objections, see it as a way to overcome his writer's block.  With some of the best known characters in theatre popping up as they attempt to get their show on the road, hilarity ensues, or so the intention runs.

In Jekyll vs Hyde, a free musical comedy now playing at the Voodoo Rooms, Laurence is a serious composer, working on a one-man musical adaptation of Stevenson's classic work.  It's high art he believes, much elevated by the noble tradition of sock puppetry enabling him to play all of the parts.  His wife and disgruntled stage hand, Lindsay thinks it's all a bit boring, especially compared to the cheesy, bells-and-whistles, Broadway-bound adaptation they had crafted together once upon a time.

The kings of light opera, Gilbert and Sullivan look down from heaven at the musicals of the modern age and set a wager on whether or not every musical could work as a Savoy Opera. The focus of their challenge? The world's longest running musical.

Questing Time is one of a number of Fringe shows turning geeky interests into live performances.  Based around the format of a Dungeons & Dragons game, each show features a rotating trio of Fringe comedians attempting to muddle their way through a fantasy adventure role-playing game.

In Character Building Experience, Sasha Ellen serves as game master, compering the show with a light touch and leading a trio of players and an audience through a flexible fantasy story.