Amy Hanson - Page 6

Based on a true story, Parade is the tale of Leo Frank, a New York Jewish industrialist in the American South where the legacy of the Civil War is never too far away. Frank is accused of the murder of a young girl in his factory and swiftly finds himself the victim of various agendas that see him behind bars and facing death.

A Stirling lad turned city trader returns home from London on the death of his father and embarks on a voyage of personal discovery in this new Scottish musical.

Ever imagined yourself in a zombie movie? Now's your chance to play it out for real. The Generation of Z is a fantastic immersive and interactive show, set after a zombie apocalypse.

In the Scottish independence referendum debate, the No campaign famously published 500 questions they felt had not been answered about independence, causing a twitter backlash as those favouring Yes suggested more than a few facetious questions of their own. But there was one question neither side tried to raise - what would the consequences of independence be on the fairies and mythological creatures of Scotland?

Japanese duo Gamarjobat return to the Fringe this year to celebrate a decade since their Edinburgh breakthrough with Boxer.

Kids' TV presenters Dane and Shavid are just having a little technical problem, and it's totally not your fault kids. Actually, those audience members don't look too much like kids....That's probably for the best as we descend into the murky yet hilarious world of dodgy dock-side dealers of performance art, a reversed bad language filter and an 18-rated, gore-filled version of The Brady Bunch in the comic duo's quest to get through their kids show in one piece and entertain their older than expected live audience.

Comedy rockers The Axis of Awesome make their return as a trio to the Fringe after a couple of years away, much to the delight of a packed out and highly vocal audience at the Gilded Balloon

Dr Austin, expert on the undead and head of the Zombie Institute for Theoretical Studies is offering his expertise to Fringe-goers in two shows this August. An investigation into the brains of those who eat brains, Zombie Science: Brain of the Dead is about the neuroscience of the pop culture favourites, mixing the theory with plenty of comedy.

The Scottish Enlightenment Project, playing for only three nights at Summerhall, is a performance of a work in progress created by the National Theatre of Scotland and Brooklyn-based the TEAM. A meditation on Scottish national identity, particularly in contrast with that of America, it is centred around the story of two old friends from Glasgow, one recently returned from London and one still living with his mother, who reunite and head out on a road trip with an American woman they meet in a bar. Their story is interwoven with scenes demonstrating the influence on their ideas of national identity by the main thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment, particularly James Macpherson (of Ossian fame), Adam Smith and Walter Scott.

A far right protest in the Scottish town of Dumfries inspires this tale of a young man caught up in a world of skin heads and racist violence. Presented by Electric Theatre Workshop, Blood Orange is an often confrontational piece of theatre, utilising the aesthetics of clubbing to create an hour that barely gives its audience or performers time to breathe as it hurtles along.

Set in the near future, Eden Gate takes place at the entrance to a sanctuary from a deadly virus that has reduced the population to a few hundred thousand people. You, the audience member, are a key part of the story as you have survived the apocalypse so far, and made your way to Edinburgh, where Eden Gate, a closed community free of the virus, is starting to rebuild civilisation.

What sets Morgan and West apart from other magicians gracing the Fringe this year? According to the men themselves, "Better waistcoats, better facial hair....and time travel!" As seen on ITV's Penn and Teller: Fool Us, the eponymous double act are Victorian gentleman magicians, evoking not just a sense of awe for their tricks, but also their keen comedy, as they bring a sense of a more civilised age to a modern audience.

Argentina's Geronimo Rauch is the latest performer to don the famous white mask, playing the title role in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera. He spoke to BWW's Amy Hanson about playing the Phantom and about his experience of performing some of musical theatre's biggest roles around the world.

Best known as one third of Australian musical comedy group Axis of Awesome, performers of the famous "Four Chords Song", Benny Davis takes to the Fringe this year in a solo outing. Combining a sarcastic wit with excellent musicianship, "The Human Jukebox" centres around Davis' ability to pick up on musical patterns, with examples from every area of music strung together in amusingly odd combinations.

A magic show with a twist, "Morgan And West: A Grand Adventure" features a duo of Victorian magicians on an epic quest in an era of hot air balloons, gentleman thieves and fantastic facial hair. Morgan and West make an endearing double act, adding plenty of personality to even the most classic of tricks, and it is their personalities that drive the story around which the show is structured.

An exciting and engaging piece of political theatre, 'How To Occupy An Oil Rig' is a show that leads its audience from fun interaction with plasticine to serious advice on the most dangerous protest situations, through strong performances and a largely effective script.

"Brendon Burns and Colt Cabana Sit in a Fifty-Seater Around Midnight and Provide the Commentary to Bad Wrestling Matches" may be the longest show title on the Fringe this year, but it certainly ensures that you know what you are getting with your ticket. Brendon Burns, Australian stand-up comic and Fringe veteran, has formed a comedy tag-team of sorts with Colt Cabana, one of the best-known independent professional wrestlers in the world. Together, they are spending an hour each night mocking some of the very worst clips of pro-wrestling, as shown on a big screen in The Stand 2.

Tom Paine - a famous political author, a source of inspiration during the American War of Independence, the supporter and later prisoner of the French Revolution, and now the subject of a new one-man show. In "The Bridge That Tom Built", Dominic Allen portrays Paine from his youth in Thetford through to his death, as well as the influential figures that crossed his path, including Benjamin Franklin and Georges Jacques Danton.

This political comedy is the story of a student Revolution Society, an extracurricular group annoyed at the system and wanting to change things, only without a concrete idea of what they want to change and how to go about it. From complaints about the shrinking size of Snickers bars and the cliches of being student revolutionaries, through to debate on what should be done with the stock market, 'Revolution Society' follows a group of young people who move from drafting polite letters to the Prime Minister, to setting up their own country.

Comedy duo Steve McNeil and Sam Pamphilon have put together an eclectic video games themed show for a short run at this year's Fringe. Featuring a number of comedy guests, 'McNeil and Pamphilon Go 8-Bit!' is a mixture of sketches based on games and spectator gaming, complete with painful forfeits for the losing players.