With the Edinburgh Festival Fringe due to kick-off on August 4, we’ve taken a look at some of the best theatre shows to see in the Capital as part of the world’s largest arts festival.
Performers from all over the world will be putting on thought-provoking and sometimes shocking shows in Edinburgh next month. We’ve picked shows of all genres to interest everyone, from hardened theatre-goers to those who have never visited a theatre before.
9. Without Sin
Reclaiming the rite of confession as a non-judgmental exercise in healing and reflection, Without Sin is an interactive art experience by Dublin-based collective Unqualified Design Studio. The performance brings two participants into bespoke-crafted timber booths, recalling the typology of the traditional confession box. The booth uses state-of-the-art technology to create an audio-visual feedback loop that responds to participants' voices. Linked via headphones, participants are guided into conversation using a deck of cards to create a story together. The experience invites audiences to consider how our relationships have evolved in recent years - what's been lost, what we've found, and what it means to live together after being forced to live apart. A contemporary confessional for the modern sinner,Without Sin cultivates space for intimate conversation among friends and strangers. Summerhall, Courtyard, 2 - 27 August (not 7, 14 & 21), every 20 mins from 12pm-8pm. Photo: Ste Murray
10. Joe Leather: Wasteman
Based on writer Joe Leather's real-life experiences working as a Refuse Loader during lockdown, this one-person comedic play is a love letter to both hard-working Northerners and gender euphoria through monologue, music, and drag. During the pandemic, Joe applied for every job available; when the jewellers he was supposed to work at closed on the day he was meant to start, he realised that what would not be halted due to lockdown was refuse collection. Around the same time, he turned his experience as a performer into a drag persona to amuse his friends on Zoom. And so, his journey from bin man to drag queen began. Leather's unique blend of sharp-wit, physical comedy, and hard-hitting social commentary led to a sold-out and Offie nominated run at VAULT Festival. Assembly Underground, George Square Studios, 4- 28 August (not 17), 6pm. Photo: Corrine Cumming
11. Salty Irina
Shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize 2019, Eve Leigh’s play is a queer coming-of-age love story inspired by true events. Anna and Eireni are in the throes of young love while studying at university. But following a series of racist murders in their town, they decide to turn detectives and infiltrate a far-right festival to find the culprits. But when the true nature of their relationship is uncovered, their safety is under threat and when events take a turn for the worse, they are shocked by what they find. Directed by Hannan (pictured) Salty Irina examines fascism, fear and the power of collective action. Roundabout @ Summerhall, 2 – 27 August (not 8,15 & 22), 2.30pm. Photo: Annabelle Mastin-Lee (Mobius London)
12. Tomorrow's Child
In the imagined retro-future of 1988, new parents Polly and Peter confront the reality that their baby has been born as a blue six armed pyramid in an immersive audio experience for a blindfolded audience. Their son has accidentally been born in another dimension, and from our dimension can only be seen in his strange form. Canadian company Ghost River Theatre has adapted Ray Bradbury’s sci-fi short story as a multi-layer sonic adventure, steering the audience into an unknown space where they hear the voices, including a 50 strong choir, from all over the room. Tomorrow’s Child is an examination of how we perceive, and our ability to accept those that are different, ‘other’ or beyond our own understanding. Assembly, Checkpoint, 3 – 28 August (not 15), 11.40am. Photo: Submitted