EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CHEVALIER: HOBBYHORSE CIRCUSAugust 13, 2023An irresistibly charming homage to the magnificent circus horses and the silent movie era. Inspired by the history of traditional horse circuses, the skilful ringmaster performs acrobatics, juggling and balancing with an amazing cast of hobby horses. As the horses take centre stage, part of the story is told in short silent movies. The artist's innovative and playful work with the hobby horses brings the magic of circus alive!
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: POLKO, SummerhallAugust 13, 2023As teenagers, Emma, Joe and Polko thought they’d never grow apart. Then time passed. When Emma returns to the suburb of their childhood 10 years later she discovers nothing, and everything, has changed. Joe is stuck, living with his mum while working part-time in a hotel; and Polko has vanished, leaving a cloud of stories and misremembered nights in his wake. Set in the front seats of a parked car, Polko is a modern memory play about the places we call home, and the people we leave behind.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: GAIL PORTER: HUNG, DRAWN AND PORTERED, AssemblyAugust 13, 2023Gail can laugh at her life now she's won a BAFTA for 'being mental' (Being Gail Porter, 2020). She's been famous, homeless and sectioned with two guys both claiming to be Jesus. She's even lost her hair, but no need for sympathy, she gets so many travel upgrades as people assume she's dying. By sharing the stories of her mental life and mental mind she hopes to show how, with love and kindness, we can all thrive. She's a wee Scottish ninja back in her home town – it's time to go Gail force.
EDINBURGH 2023: John Hastings Q&AAugust 11, 2023BWW caught up with John Hastings to chat about bringing The Times They Are A John Hastings to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: EIGG THE MUSICAL, GreensideAugust 11, 2023Situated in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, the Isle of Eigg has a fascinating history of sovereignty. Not long ago, the inhabitants on Eigg faced a different type of invader; a celebrity Laird looking to create a Gaelic island utopia. Will the citizens support his vision? Can they put up with his antics? Can he accept that a medieval landlord mentality no longer works on Eigg? The transfer to community ownership hatched on Eigg is arguably the most captivating example of Scottish land reform. Come celebrate this small island tale at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August!
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: GARRETT MILLERICK: NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD, Monkey BarrelAugust 10, 2023I’m sick of everyone moaning all the time, so I’ve written a show about how bloody great everything is. I haven’t actually written it at the time of going to print and in previous years I’ve made all sorts of promises in the blurb. Not going to fall into that trap again! But look, I’m going to put a real shift in for you guys, you’ll get value for money. I’m very good at stand-up, I’m actually one of the best at it. Seriously, Google me. I’ve been on telly in America.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: MIDNIGHT BUILDING, GreensideAugust 12, 2023Following an NYC preview run, Midnight Building is a contemporary drama that is guaranteed to spark debate and make you question your morals. Watch as a selfish hero and a heartless lover battle for the ethical high ground.Think you're a good person? Think again.
EDINBURGH 2023: AWAKE AND NARCOLEPTIC Q&AAugust 10, 2023Wake up to the World Premiere of this raw, funny, and poignant solo show from narcoleptic comedian Sarah Albritton, host of the podcast Sleeping with Sarah. Called 'vulnerable and honest' by the Chicago Tribune, Sarah sheds light on the challenges of living with a misunderstood disorder. Directed by Josh Sobel, this show explores diagnosis, medication side effects, and misconceptions of invisible disabilities. Sarah's personal journey of self-discovery is interwoven with humorous anecdotes from relationship fails to hypnagogic hallucinations to sleep paralysis, and, of course, falling asleep at the worst moments. Don't sleep on this!
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: AFTER THE ACT, Traverse TheatreAugust 11, 2023'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.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: FIONA ALLEN: ON THE RUN, Pleasance CourtyardAugust 10, 2023Double Emmy Award winner and star of Smack The Pony is doing her first ever show. Like most working mums, since her children were born she didn't have a moment for herself. Now free, she has tried new hobbies, new places, even attempting to get fit. Difficult when your spirit animal is a sloth. With nowhere left to turn she went on the road as a stand-up. A show about family, marriage, and things that truly annoy her. It's a show for everyone, even those passive-aggressive school mums.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: MY DAD WEARS A DRESS, UnderbellyAugust 9, 2023A one-woman show about growing up with a trans female parent, written and performed by Maria Telnikoff. Filled with hilarious tales from her school days, it shows the difficulties of fitting in as a young person and the fears we feel about being labelled as 'outside the box'. Brimming with life and sincerity, the play challenges a world of heteronormative values.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: NO LOVE SONGS, Traverse TheatreAugust 9, 2023A new gig-theatre show featuring songs by Kyle Falconer of The View. Inspired by real-life experiences of Kyle and Laura, the story follows two new parents grappling with the challenges of parenthood and weight of postnatal depression. Through a powerful blend of music, tears, and laughter, the audience is taken on a heartfelt journey as they navigate the ups and downs of their new life.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CONCERNED OTHERS, SummerhallAugust 9, 2023Scotland has the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe. In communities across the country, families, loved ones, and clinicians support people suffering with substance addiction. Multi-award winners Tortoise in a Nutshell present Concerned Others, an intimate tabletop performance that shares the stories of critically underheard voices. Accounts that paint us as a nation struggling to recognise a deadly culture of shame, ignorance and misunderstanding surrounding addiction and drug-related death. Immersive soundscapes, shoebox installations, turntables, micro-projection and 32mm figures combine to create a multi-textured piece exploring a defining crisis.
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: AN INTERROGATION, SummerhallAugust 8, 2023A young detective works against the clock as she questions a suspect who looks like the least likely person to be linked to a murder. He's a devoted son, a successful businessman and a respectable member of society. But as the minutes tick away, the detective starts to suspect that all is not what it seems... Inspired by real events, the debut play from the Tony Award-nominated co-director of SIX: The Musical is a gripping interrogation drama about power, deception, and our perspectives on the truth.