Van Gogh inspired performer gather at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh

Three Edinburgh Fringe artists, all portraying aspects of Vincent van Gogh’s story gathered at the spot in Scotland’s capital the famous painter’s works are displayed to celebrate his legacy. The three shows, which are amongst five at the Fringe this year spanning comedy to serious theatre, have struck a chord with audiences and put the Dutch maestro firmly in the spotlight.

L-R, Joe Coffey, Donna Oblongata and Murray Andrews pose outside the National Galleries of Scotland | Submitted

The performers from the United States and England came together at the National Galleries of Scotland, close to the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to raise a sunflower to the painter whose work has inspired a rich variety of shows ranging from a raucous immersive comedy that reimagines van Gogh as a food courier, through to a solo play set in the coal mines of Southern Belgium and a theatrical exploration of a fictional meeting between John Lennon and Vincent van Gogh.

Among them is Philadelphia-based performer Donna Oblongata, whose The Van Gogh Shogh turns the painter’s legacy into a chaotic blend of sip ‘n’ paint, karaoke, and Sotheby’s with a deranged solo show in which four audience members are tasked with reproducing one of Vincent’s most famous works. The show runs at Front Room, Assembly St Andrew Square, until August 30.

L-R Joe Coffey, Donna Oblongata and Murray Andrews with sunflowers | Submitted

Also from the United States, Joe Coffey takes audiences back to van Gogh’s earlier years in Paint, Vincent, Paint, set in the coal mines of southern Belgium. Coffey explores the artist’s childhood in Zundert, the influence of Les Misérables, his ministry work among miners, his mental struggles and the decision that would lead him towards painting. The production is at Greenside, George Street, until August 29.

Murray Andrews, who is based in Cheltenham, England performs in the two hander When Vincent Met John which imagines an encounter between van Gogh and John Lennon. Both men died from gunshot wounds, van Gogh in 1890 and Lennon in 1980, and the fictional meeting is set five years before their deaths, using the imagined conversation to explore the forces that shaped them. The play runs at C ARTS, C venues, until August 30.

The National Galleries of Scotland houses three works by Vincent van Gogh, Head of a Peasant Woman, Olive Trees, and The Bretons at Pont-Aven. In July 2022, the gallery made an extraordinary discovery when an X-ray of Head of a Peasant Woman revealed a previously unknown self-portrait hidden beneath layers of glue and cardboard on the reverse of the canvas.

As the number of Fringe performances dedicated to van Gogh shows, his legacy continues to fascinate and inspire differing interpretations.