Edinburgh Festival

Derry Girls meets Spring Awakening in this absolute triumph of new musical theatre writing. Performed by a talented young cast, this is a show that deserves a very long life. We’ll Have Nun Of It follows a year in the life of four close friends at an Irish Catholic boarding school in the 1960s. Each of the girls has their own backstory and personality, very quickly distinctive, and the dynamics between each of them are fun to watch play out.

Presented by Alex Edelman, Soho Theatre and Pleasance, tickets are now on sale for a special one-off benefit performance of Alex Edelman's award-winning JUST FOR US on Saturday 26 August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in honour of the show's director Adam Brace (Liz Kingsman's One Woman Show, Leo Reich's Literally Who Cares). All profits will go to an Award that will be set up in Adam Brace's name which supports talent in the way Adam did, with details to follow.

What do “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus and the Taliban have in common? According to Horatio Gould, it's more than you might think.

Have you ever used Marketplace to buy something? Have you ever been scammed by someone on there? Have you ever befriended the man who has scammed you, changing the course of your life for the next year? Michelle Brasier has, and she’s ready to talk (and sing!) about it.

Have you ever been sitting in a theatre as an audience member, watching a show, thinking, “I could do better than that!” If you have, The Importance of Being . . . Earnest? might be the show that you have been looking for.

Gail 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.

Early Morning Productions bring Alan Turing’s story to life in this piece written by Joan Greening with music by Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne. From his visionary work in computing to his appalling treatment by the authorities for being gay, it explores Turing’s experiences and legacy. 

Freya Parker's latest show may get laughs but very rarely more than a chuckle. In spite of this, her brand of humour may very well find an audience at this years Fringe.

Situated 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!

Exceptionally convivial and inclusive, the performances are relaxed and explained ahead by Brigitte herself. It’s loud, and dark, and blindingly bright. But earplugs are provided and leaving or taking a break are completely appropriate reactions. Audiences are encouraged to be understanding.

Italian performer Greta Zamparini takes extracts from Concita De Gregorio and creates a complex solo show about the commodification of the female body. A series of women open up and explain why they do what they do. From a high-end escort to a trafficked woman who’s finally back home, Temporarily Yours provides a very wise and rational take to the subject with an eloquent script that keeps crossing the lines of empowerment and exploitation.

Innumerable sounds of all kinds create a 360-degree retro journey to the future. While the blindfold doesn’t completely plunge the individual into the darkness, it evokes an air of mystery and immerses them in a world of weird delivery methods and pyramidal children. It’s an engrossing adventure that showcases a remarkable use of sound design.

The Parker & Schnell Youth Company showcase the immense talent of young people through their performance of ‘DNA’.

The glam queen showcases her knack for storytelling, comedy and operatic vocals (that RANGE though) in an anecdote-filled, fabulous performance extravaganza.

Faizal Abdullah launches an engaging, thought-provoking, unique and deeply personal exploration of Malay identity in Singapore through his performative lecture Siapa Yang Bawa Melayu Aku Pergi? (Who Took My Malay Away?)

Comedian Sofie Hagen brings Banglord to Monkey Barrel.

A new hour of stand-up by the wee guy with the glasses from Glasgow. Featuring routines and jokes on such topics as Edinburgh Zoo, going for a walk, and the collapse of the British state.

Tones: A Hip-Hop Opera marks fifty years of Hip Hop wonderfully by sticking to the roots of the music all the while showing just how far it has come.

Comedy drag group Alphabet Soup have opted to stay in a nuclear bunker in Edinburgh, rather than pay eye-watering accomodation costs.

A queer immersive nightclub musical based on the life of Oscar Wilde? In theory, this sounds incredible. In practice, I’m not completely convinced. Did I have fun? Yes. Did I know what was going on? Questionable.

Though it comes off as the only reason for the play to exist, the campaign remains an important subject. Cotter weaves religious homophobia and bereavement into this story of sudden homelessness and penance. It would make it an exciting, multi-faceted project to program, but it still has a long way to go.

What ties down the project is the one-woman aspect of it. Wilkinson Wright is a tremendous actress, but this direction gives her a staged personality disorder. The framing of the play throws it straight into the action; the performer modulates her voice to shape the different women, but the result is messy and unconvincing, especially if one isn’t familiar with this part of history. It’s not exactly the most streamlined solo show at the Fringe, but it’s among the most compelling subjects for sure.

Directed by Elizabeth Kaye Sortun, while it offers a look at the complexities of toxic dynamics, coercion, consent, and control, it doesn’t truly achieve its goal. Verlo’s past is colourful and intriguing, but this isn’t the production that makes it shine. It lacks the aplomb that inspires reflection and change, settling on underwhelming attempts at cheap laughs.

Lily Wolff directs with gorgeous brushstrokes. Smooth, creative changes of pace come with gradual shifts in the lighting and sound designs, revealing Mary’s interiority and explaining her history. Leeanne Hutchinson’s First Lady is a complex, hurt mother who can’t seem to overcome the pain in her life. She’s matched in performance by Christopher Kelly, who plays Brady as well as a collection of his peculiar subjects. There’s a tense chemistry between them. The minimalism of the visuals engages the imagination of the audience, putting the actors on a blank canvas.

It’s a tale of resilience, resentment, and regret told with instinctive storytelling and a dash of friendly advice. Photos of her relatives and snapshots of her life accompany her narrative, giving a visual reference to her stories. It’s a delicate, lovely play from a woman whose strength could never be ignored.