CW: Gun violence, misogyny, photo of kinife and gun
Edinburgh Fringe Festival is back in 2023! and this marks its 76th year.
Shows like SIX & Fantastical Great Women Who Changed The World have been a
part of the Fringe before and have had massive success.
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival contains a wide range of mediums, from Comedy shows to Musicals and Physical Theatre. The Fringe runs throughout the month of August, in Scotland (UK), and here are some highlights giving you an insight to some of the shows that will be heading to this year's Festival...Enjoy
17 minutes
17 Minutes follows a community left in the wake of a tragedy, searching for someone to blame. This critically acclaimed drama by American playwright Scott Organ (What Comes Around, Toronto International Film Festival) takes an intimate look at how the unexpected consequences of gun violence reverberate through a community over time. It explores the repercussions of 17 minutes of action and inaction.
17 minutes heads to the Edinburgh Fringe following a successful off-Broadway run, and is presented by the Barrow Group, under the leadership of co-Artistic Directors Seth Barrish (The Old Man and the Pool, Broadway), Lee Brock (Remember Me) and Executive Director Robert Serrell, in conjunction with Marshall Cordell. 17 Minutes is directed by Barrish and stars Brock, Larry Mitchell (Paterno; We Own This City, HBO), Michael Giese (Nurse Jackie, Showtime), DeAnna Lenhart (The Thing with Feathers ,Off-Broadway), Shannon Patterson (The Heckler) and Brian Rojas (A Good Person ).
Important Show Info:
Performance days are Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 14th, 21st) at 14:15
LOCATION - Gilded Balloon Teviot (Wine Bar)
Age Rating - 12+ *triggering themes*
RUNNING TIME - 75 mins
Tickets starting at Preview: £8 Weekday: £12 Weekend: £14
*this show includes flashing lights*
Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story
Combining drag, multimedia, audience interaction, puppetry and queer joy, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is a unique celebration of the People’s Princess. Told by Diana from Heaven, the show highlights her ground-breaking stances on social and queer issues and allows her to speak her (un)truth in breaking free from the monarchy. Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story foregrounds her as the powerful, independent woman she wasn’t meant to be.
Writer and performer, Linus Karp will bring Diana to life as the only actor on stage, other members of the royal family will appear in videos, voiceovers, as dolls and cut-outs. Geri Allen (Operation Mincemeat, The Fortune Theatre) portrays The Queen, Joseph Martin (The Gunpowder Plot, Layered Reality) voices Prince Charles, and Zina Badran (Doctor Who, BBC) joins as God via interactive video clips.
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 15th, 16th, 21st), 16:30
LOCATION - Pleasance Dome (King Dome)
Age Rating - 18+ *strong language*
RUNNING TIME - 70 mins
Tickets starting at Weekday: £14 (£12) Weekend: £16 (£14)
Public - The Musical
Plunge into the pop-rock world of Public – The Musical, exploring identity, connection and compassion, all set to an electrifying new score. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund and VAULT Origins Award, this witty and sensitive new musical follows four unlikely strangers trapped in a gender-neutral public toilet. With an hour to kill until maintenance arrives, the group must stop themselves from going around the U-bend while navigating unexpected challenges, pungent opinions and some seriously sticky conversations.
Stroud and Notes is an original musical company conceived by queer singer-songwriter, Kyla Stroud (Winner of London’s Busk In London Competition), who dreams of building a network of kind, talented and diverse people to create meaningful work and great music. The team currently includes Hannah Sands (Associate director: Bloody Elle – a gig musical, WhatsOnStage nominee), Natalie Stroud (Choreographer: That Was Then This Is Now TV) and Olivia Zacharia (Resident Musical Director at Crazy Coqs).
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th , 21st), 18:30 Captioned: Thursday 17th August
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two)
Age Rating - 14+
RUNNING TIME - 1 hour
Tickets starting at Previews: £8 Weekday: £15 (£13.50) Weekend: £16 (£14.50)
Hello Kitty Must Die
Based on the gripping cult novel, from the producers of SIX and The Play That Goes Wrong, the world premiere of Hello Kitty Must Die is a darkly comedic musical mashup: it’s time to kill the Hello Kitty stereotype because women can be anything they aspire to be – even murderers. It’s an outrageously irreverent mash-up of Asian feminism which gets its claws into expectations of family, dating and that cartoon cat, to then tear them to shreds.
Hello Kitty Must Die is a story by an Asian American woman, about an Asian American woman, to be performed by Asian American women. It’s an outrageously irreverent mash-up of Asian feminism which gets its claws into expectations of family, dating and that cartoon cat, to then tear them to shreds. Author Kate Karmen,
formerly Angela S. Choi, comments "With Hello Kitty Must Die, I wanted to rip into the stereotype that Chinese women were quiet, submissive, subservient. I just wanted to present a fresh, different, albeit psycho voice that said: See!? Even little yellow girls can be sick, twisted, and dark".
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 27th August 2023 (not 8th, 15th , 22nd ), 16:50
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two)
Age Rating - 16+
RUNNING TIME - 1 hour
Tickets starting at Previews: £8 Weekday: £14 (£11.50) Weekend: £16 (£14.50)
Sound Clash - Death in the Arena
Conceived by Levi Roots, the reggae musician, chef and entrepreneur, Sound Clash: Death in the Arena is a contemporary street musical about star-crossed lovers. This world premiere is written by the award-winning novelist and playwright, Alex Wheatle MBE, produced by Adrian Grant (Thriller - Live), choreographed by Jade Hackett (Hex, National Theatre; Get Up, Stand Up), and directed by renowned director and actor Ray Shell (the originator of Nomax in Five Guys Named Moe and Rusty in Starlight Express). It tells a story of young love, betrayal, and murder in the dancehall.
This dynamic production uses fan-favourite tunes alongside modern hits and drama to tell an iconic love story that has, at its heart, a clarion call for tolerance and equality. Sound Clash: Death in the Arena is a thrilling new event production, set to bring the pounding bass of battle to Edinburgh.
"Levi Roots comments, Jamaican sound system culture plays one of the most important roles in the evolution of Reggae, Ska, Dancehall, Hip Hop, Grime, Jungle, Drum & Bass, Afrobeats and many more forms of music we enjoy today. I wanted to shine a light on this unsung phenomena by putting it on stage for the first time and to bring it to a new audience in the theatres"
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 8th), 16:10
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance One)
Age Rating - 12+
RUNNING TIME - 70 mins
Tickets starting at Previews: £10 Weekday: £18 (£16) Weekend: £20 (£18)
Pitch
Pitch is a bold and joyful exploration of the relationship between football and the queer community. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, it will dig under the surface of the world’s most popular sport to celebrate the connectivity it can bring while giving a voice to those who still can’t be proud of their identity when in a stadium. In the wake of the Qatar World Cup, Pitch imagines a future in which queer representation in football is more than just a debate over a rainbow armband.
Drawing inspiration from dance, drag and lip sync and combining this with research and interviews, Pitch blends documentary storytelling and devised theatre to investigate what it means to watch, play and love the beautiful game.
Nell Bailey comments, "Pitch was inspired by the joy of making a queer group of friends while watching the Women’s Euros. It’s a show about community, made by our community, with a collaborative process at its core. Any football fan can tell you that the feeling of being in the stands, crammed with thousands of other people, is an incredible experience. But for those of us who haven’t always found our place comfortably in a stadium, we want to explore why. In a sport that has the capacity to silence as well as champion queer identities, we are interested in giving a voice to any and all whose sexuality has affected their relationship to the game."
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 16th , 23rd), 15:45 Captioned: Monday 13th and Monday 21st August
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Above)
Age Rating - 14+
RUNNING TIME - 1 hour
Tickets starting at Previews: £8 Weekday: £15 (£13.50) Weekend: £16 (£14.50)
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical
Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical is a laugh-out-loud original parody musical inspired by *NSYNC, featuring 12 original songs and plenty of 90s nostalgia. Created by Valen Shore, a songwriter/artist whose work has been featured on Riverdale, Lucifer, and Pretty Little Liars, and award-winning writer, actor and filmmaker Alison Zatta, this punchy piece includes music direction by Taylor J Williams (Hamilton; Moulin Rouge!) and sound design by Josh Millican (SIX The Musical; The Band’s Visit).
Chriskirkpatrickmas isn’t simply just an energetic escapism, full of catchy tunes about the rise and fall of one of the most successful boy bands of all time, but also about looking back on your decisions, and wondering if you made the right choices. This is a musical for everyone who has questioned if they held onto the wrong dream, and who they would be if they let go of that thing that shapes their identity. It engages with the feeling of being too old to not have it all figured out yet.
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 16th , 23rd), 15:10
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two)
Age Rating - 12+
RUNNING TIME - 1 hour
Tickets starting at Previews: £8 Weekday: £13.50 (£12) Weekend: £15 (£13.50)
Santi & Naz
Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, Santi & Naz captures how ordinary life must continue even as world-shaking events shift everything. Award-winning company The Thelmas return to the Pleasance following their critically acclaimed production Ladykiller, with a vibrant production that explores queer love, identity and loyalty, set against the backdrop of pre-partition India. This complex, lyrical show is a touching and honest story of female friendship.
Santi & Naz remains playful and light-hearted, even as it explores history that is rarely represented on our stages. This complex, lyrical show is a touching and honest story of female friendship. It speaks to anyone that’s ever felt like they have no control over what’s happening to them in the world. It’s for friends and lovers, families and history buffs, and for those who know nothing about the Partition of India, but would like to.
afshan d’souza-lodhi comments, "This show is deeply personal. As someone who has parents from both India and Pakistan, it feels important to tell intimate stories of friendship and love that were affected by the Partition. While the stories of partition often centre men, Santi & Naz purposefully forefronts the experience of young women. Through playful humour, silliness, and a little music we give permission to audiences to fall in love with these characters and live with them through an important moment within history. I want audiences to question the narratives they are told about colonisation and Empire and have fun while doing it".
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th , 23rd), 13:30 Captioned: Tuesday 15th and Saturday 19th August
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Two)
Age Rating - 12+
RUNNING TIME - 70 mins
Tickets starting at Previews: £8 Weekday: £13.50 (£12) Weekend: £15 (£13.50)
Bowjangles: Dracula in Space
An epic horror and sci-fi caper, string quartet Bowjangles present their original musical comedy Dracula in Space. This anarchic examination of creativity versus capitalism asks the all-important question: would you sell your soul in order to sell your art? Forget everything you think you know about string quartets: the Bowjangles company are irreverent genre-spanners that bring music, theatre and comedy together in a truly unique way.
Dracula in Space is a love letter to classic horror films and their iconic scores, but at its heart, is camaraderie. This affectionate and hilarious production explores artistic ambition within the constraints of group dynamics. This deals with the roots of conflict and how we are affected by elitism, misogyny and class disparity, alongside navigating friendships and professional relationships – while trying to pay the bills.
Ezme Gaze comments, "Bowjangles started in 2008 as a busking group, then our movements got a bit more choreographed, and over the years we also started singing and acting. We never set out to be funny, but we do seem to make people laugh. We’re marking our anniversary with an out-of-this-world production which brings to life an intergalactic horror".
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – S unday 27th August 2023, 16:30
LOCATION - Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Doonstairs)
Age Rating - 12+
RUNNING TIME - 1 hour
Tickets starting at Preview: £9 Weekday: £14 (£12.50) Weekend: £15 (£13.50)
The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose
The creators of smash hit The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much return with an explosive new show, The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose. This electrifying thriller by award-winning physical theatre company, Voloz Collective, explores the universal themes of ambition, failure, revenge, and high-risk equity trading. With virtuosic acrobatics, live music, and physical theatre, this madcap tragicomedy unnerves and astounds in a genre-defying cinematic adventure.
The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose asks whether it is possible, or useful, to scale our own suffering against the woes of the world. Set within the context of the 2008 financial crash, it plays with the inherent contradictions of individual actions having global repercussions, and individuals being largely immune to global events. Flitting between tragedy and comedy, emotional realism and fantastical imagery, this show is an interrogation of theatrical and narrative forms. It pushes the boundaries of physical theatre and plays with genre, drawing on Tarantino’s historical revisionism, Kwan and Scheinert’s unrelenting speed, Wes Anderson’s quirky whimsicality, and the emotionally motivated absurdity of films like Mr. Nobody, Fight Club, and The Matrix.
Important Show Info:
Performance Days: Wednesday 2nd – Monday 28th August 2023 (not 9th, 16th , 23rd), 14:25
LOCATION - Pleasance Courtyard (Above)
Age Rating - 12+
RUNNING TIME - 1 hour
Tickets starting at Previews: £9 Weekday: £15 (£13.50) Weekend: £16.50 (£15)
The Fringe Festival will open on the 4th of August till the 28th, with not only shows you can book, street performers perform down the Royal Mile, it's been something I've wanted to do for years and hope one year i can go and watch the amazing talent that the fringe has I've been to Edinburgh at the time of the Fringe but never watched shows it's a great atmosphere.
not all the billed shows have been announced yet but will be announced in due course.
you can take a full look of the currently billed show's info here https://www.edfringe.com/
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