EDINBURGH FESTIVAL NEWS | PREVIEWS | INTERVIEWS ThreeWeeks EDINBURGH
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PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM
YOUR GUIDE TO THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL For all the latest festival news as it breaks STARTSwww.ThreeWeeks.co.uk/news HERE… Here we go again – another awe NEWS 04 inspiring Edinburgh Festival INTERVIEWS 06-16 This is our 21st year covering the Edinburgh Festival, and we’re more excited than ever about the three (and a bit) weeks of 06 07 theatre, comedy, dance, opera, music, musicals, physical theatre, spoken word, circus shows, cabaret, visual art and all round marvellous events that are coming up this August in Edinburgh.
As you probably know, the Edinburgh Festival is actually a number of different festivals all taking place at the same time in the Scottish Capital. In amongst 08 10 the madness you will find the International, Art, Book and Politics festivals, the Tattoo and the Mela, and – of course – the massive Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Every one of the 21 years that we have been covering this Festival, the programme always got bigger, and this year is no exception. Which can make it tricky working out quite how to navigate everything that is on offer. Which is where ThreeWeeks comes in. Did we mention we’ve been doing this for 21 11 12 years now? And we’re here to help you pick out the new, the exciting and the alternative shows that are well worth checking out. And it all starts here with this preview guide. Editor Caro Moses has worked her way through all of the festivals’ programmes and a flood of press releases, chatted to those in the know, and revisited both the ThreeWeeks online archive and the separate archive in her mind, to select an assortment of shows that are definite contenders for your personal must-see list. As always, we present 14 15 those tips to you here in the preview edition in helpful sets of three. There will be a new Three To See every day of the Festival too in our free TW Daily email – which you can sign up to at threeweeksedinburgh.com/signup. Caro has also been busy chatting to some of our favourite performers ahead of the Festival, and you can read those interviews in this magazine. Both she and co-Editor Chris Cooke will be chatting to lots more Festival people over 16 All our interviewees the coming month. To check all the interviews out, make sure you pick up each answer even more edition of the ThreeWeeks weekly magazine, which comes out each Wednesday questions online of the Festival. And get online at threeweeksedinburgh.com, where you will also PLUS new interviews be able to tune in to Chris’s podcast interviews. Talking of which, to celebrate our go live everyday 21st festival, we’ll be recording some podcasts live this year, all with former cover threeweeksedinburgh.com stars. Check out thisweektalks.com for full information and to book tickets. And then, of course, there are the all important reviews. We have a great review team ready to go, checking out hundreds of shows and reporting back to you via the magazine, the website and our daily email. Once again, to make sure you PREVIEWS 17-23 don’t miss a thing, get signed up for free at threeweeksedinburgh.com/signup.
Have a really great festival! VIEWS 24-26 EDINBURGH LONDON TW ThreeWeeksEdinburgh.com TW ThisWeekLondon.com Your guide to Edinburgh’s Festival| since 1996 Your guide to culture in London | all year round
PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PAGE 03 TW NEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL! Speedy updates from the Edinburgh Festival
Want to stay up to speed with all the goings on across the Edinburgh Festival? Look out for regular speedy updates from the ThreeWeeks news team in the TW Daily email. Sign up for free at threeweeks edinburgh.com/ signup. Meanwhile, here’s a batch to get you going…
• The Fringe Programme this year lists 3269 shows, which together involve performers from 48 new boss. Shona McCarthy joined continue year after year to Black Emperor, Young Fathers, Sam Wills, aka The Boy With Tape countries and take place in 294 as CEO earlier this year replacing come here to share their stories, Sigur Ros and Mogwai amongst On His Face, who will be delivering venues. Which is just silly numbers Kath Mainland, who’s bloody well hone their skills, create new the musicians due to appear this this year’s welcome address at really, isn’t it? And those were moved to Melbourne. McCarthy’s opportunities for themselves and year. Fringe Central, the space for the stats as the print programme prize for her new gig is me quoting their work, and celebrate the joy Fringe performers. He’ll give his (pictured below) was published what she said while launching this of live performance”. That was fun, • Though another innovation at speech on 5 Aug, presumably back in June. Some shows join the year’s Fringe Programme. wasn’t it? Linehan’s EIF is it bidding for the without any tape on his face. party after that date, plus some most controversial production Though who knows? Fringe shows don’t even bother • Launching this year’s Fringe • The newish Artistic Director of the month prize, usually listing in the Fringe Programme. Programme, Fringe Society CEO at the Edinburgh International something a Fringe show would • Did we mention that this is Which is super Fringe, I guess. Shona McCarthy said: “At its core Festival, Fergus Linehan, continues pitch for. Although Christophe ThreeWeeks’ 21st year covering the Fringe is an open access to evolve that side of Edinburgh’s Honoré’s version of ‘Così Fan Tutte’ the Edinburgh Festival? Can we • The Fringe Society, which festival, which welcomes anyone festival month. The contemporary (pictured above) was billed as a include our own news in here? I’m administrates the Fringe with a story to tell, and for that music programme he launched “provocative and sexually explicit never entirely sure why 21 years Festival and publishes that reason, amateur and professional last year probably remains the big take on Mozart’s opera” in the EIF’s is still considered a landmark of aforementioned programme, has a artists from around the world innovation, with Godspeed You! programme, since the production note, but I don’t write the rules. debuted in France ticket buyers To celebrate, we are staging a have been warned of other series of live recordings of our Photo from Edinburgh Fringe Society potentially controversial elements TW:Talks podcast at theSpace @ of the show, with the offer of a Symposium Hall in the second refund if they’d rather not attend. week of the Fringe, all featuring Shunning a bit of controversy former cover stars. Check out wouldn’t be in the “spirit of the thisweektalks.com for info and Fringe” though. Not that this is in tickets. the Fringe. Let’s all talk about the spirit of Edinburgh from now on. • Talking of theSpace @ Symposium Hall, ThreeWeeks co-Editor Chris • Talking of controversies, the Cooke will be staging his ‘Free Chilcot Report into the 2003 Speech’ there again this year, in invasion of Iraq caused a bit of a the third week of the Festival. Can furore, didn’t it? Despite having we include that here too? Even to compete in the news agenda though that’s another plug and with all that Brexit nonsense and involves me writing about myself the impending Age Of Trump. Not in the third person? It’s a free managed to read the whole 6000 speech about free speech! Check page report yet, though? Never out chriscookesfreespeech.com for fear, Bob Slayer is organising a info and free tickets. live reading of the whole thing, in a shed on South College Street. • That’s enough news for now. It’ll probably take two weeks to But sign up to the TW Daily for complete. Ticket monies are going regular updates on all that is to a charity supporting refugees. happening across the Festival City. You do the signing upping at • Giving a shorter speech will be threeweeksedinburgh.com/signup
TW PAGE 04 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION
INTERVIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL!
Amée Smith is a Ball-Zee: Gobsmacking the Fringe proper actress: she trained at Rose BZ: One of the things I’ve had to work very hard at for the show is making Bruford College sure I can beatbox in different styles Of Theatre And so what I do complements rather than distracts from the music we’re making Performance and As in life, sometimes the loudest voice is the most dissonant, so for this show you might have seen it’s all about the whole rather than the individual. As I say, we all have our her performing in a time to shine in the show, but for the number of shows at rest of the time it’s about blending, tuning, complementing your other the Edinburgh Fringe, performers…whether that’s singing or beatboxing. including ‘Acts Of Redemption’ and CM: When did you start beatboxing? Was it something ‘Knightmare Live’. you always wanted to do? How did you develop your own style? This summer, BZ: I started when I was about however, she is fifteen when I saw some videos of the New York hip hop scene and heading up to heard beatboxing for the first time. That was just amazing to me and I Edinburgh with knew I wanted to do something like her very own solo that. It took me about eight or nine years to work my way up to being show in the comedy UK and international champion, and developing my own style was certainly programme, which a big help in that. Beatboxers all draws on her past Lots of a capella shows come to the Edinburgh Festival each year, approach beatboxing from a different angle… some are very aggressive with experiences of and to be fair, most of them are pretty excellent. Yet ‘Gobsmacked!’ their beats and rhythms, some try to be very musical, some try to have a being in a doomed goes a step beyond, really, offering up a slick and theatrical show that huge variation of sounds. My approach relationship with a tells a story as well as incorporating all sorts of vocal styling, from the is to make sure every single beat is as clean and crisp as it possibly can be comedian… we caught traditional to the cutting edge. so you have an strong consistency of sound. up with Amée, to find One of the members of the seven-strong cast is internationally CM: How long did it take you out more about ‘Relax, renowned beatboxing champion Ball-Zee and, because we are fans of to get good at it? What advice It’s Not About You’. a capella and big fans of beatboxing too, we spoke to him ahead of the would you give to someone wanting to learn how to do it? latest Edinburgh run, to find out more about the upcoming show and BZ: I’m still learning myself! I watch CM: The show is listed in the videos of myself from last year and comedy section, but it sounds as his career to date. think that it’s rubbish so I’m constantly though you have an involved tale trying to improve. If you want to to tell us – would you describe start beatboxing there are loads and this show as storytelling, or do CM: First of all, give us an idea of are very different, but together make a before we started performing together loads of YouTube videos out there you regard it as stand up? what to expect from the show. great team. in ‘Gobsmacked!’ That being said, they from which you can learn. What I’d AS: While I’m not claiming to have What format does it take? already feel like my family. Doing a suggest is start by finding one or two honed the skills of a stand-up since show as intense as this means you BZ: ‘Gobsmacked!’ is the ultimate CM: How expansive is the show beatboxers you really like and see challenging myself to write a show, get to know people really well really modern a cappella show. Expect in terms of the genres it covers? if you can develop your sounds like deciding to put it in the comedy section quickly. theirs… eventually your own style will amazing singers, a great looking BZ: We do everything from David rather than the theatre section has emerge. young cast, song that’ll make you Guetta to Mumford & Sons to Prince to definitely changed the direction the CM: What attracted you to the want to get up and dance, and the Queen. There’s a bit of everything! It’s show was growing in. It has come beatboxing is not bad too! The show a real challenge switching genres so show in the first place? CM: Where is your career going from a theatrical place, but I’ve had to uses songs that most of the audience often between songs, but it’s great to BZ: Working with great musicians and from here? Where do you see balance that with people’s expectations will know to tell a series of stories. be covering so many different styles. creating something theatrical that was yourself headed? Do you have of a comedy show. Or at least through more than a concert or gig. It’s great any unfulfilled ambitions? the filter of my expectations of people’s CM: Is everything you do a team CM: Tell us a bit about your to expand the appeal of beatboxing BZ: Well ‘Gobsmacked!’ is touring in expectations of a comedy show. I think effort or do you each have solo fellow-performers in the show. past club gigs. Working in the theatre 2016 and 2017 so I’ll be doing that the format of the show will be familiar has also informed my approach to to a stand-up audience, no one will moments? How were you all brought for a while. In terms of things outside beatboxing – I definitely use that feel I’ve plunged them into ‘Hamlet’, BZ: A cappella singing is inherently a together for this? ‘Gobsmacked!’, I’ll be performing a lot experience to better my own club or with The Beatbox Collective and doing but I hope that it also has the feeling team sport: you’ve got to be constantly BZ: There are seven people in the cast gig shows. solo shows. I’d love to also develop my of a complete story that you get from listening and harmonising with your and we’re from all over the world. We own Fringe show… maybe look out for theatre. fellow cast members or else it’ll sound have people from Boston, Brisbane, bad. That being said, everyone gets CM: Yes, as you say, you’re the me in 2017. Sao Paolo, London, and of course the beatboxer, which is somewhat CM: Tell us a bit about that story. their moment to shine, and you get a greatest city of all – Huddersfield! different than your standard a AS: I had my heart broken by a real sense of everyone’s personality Yeah, that’s my home town. Over seven comedian and ultimately that’s where and what they bring to the group. The hundred people auditioned to be in the cappella singing. How do the ‘Gobsmacked!’ is on at Underbelly George the story of the show starts. I spent characters – and the cast themselves – show and we hadn’t met each other different styles fit together? Square, from 3-28 Aug. five years listening to him talk about
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TW PAGE 06 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION INTERVIEWS GET MORE INTERVIEWS BY EMAIL: THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM/SIGNUP Amée Smith: It’s All About Her the show he was going to write and take to the Fringe and that experience photo by seemed to sum up my frustrations Jody Kingzett with our relationship, that after years of working my life around his schedule, he didn’t take a show to Fringe while we were together, and I’d had my life on hold for nothing. After chatting with friends I realised that all that energy didn’t have to be wasted! All those talks about making a show could still count for something, it would just be mine rather than his. On top of that, I could set myself other challenges that would build me up again, things that would have me working towards being the me I wanted to be rather than have a focus on him or how he’d made me feel. Some of those challenges came from things he could do that I’d admired and missed when we broke up, but if he could do them, so could I. It’s all about me and my feelings, my journey of getting past a stumbling block, but I think it’s something we can all relate to.
CM: How much of your material here is based on the actual truth? AS: All of it. There are places with names changed so I’m not over- sharing friends’ personal info, but that’s about it. If I can laugh at my life, hopefully others can too and in a Then I started working on this show CM: Do you think your show positive way. and forgot about it for ages. The next perhaps has the potential to time I said it, I found it was totally true. help other people who are in CM: Is it hard to perform a show Getting past a tough time happens, a nightmare relationship (but and it happens while your focus is that’s so personal? Do you ever possibly don’t realise it yet…?) have difficulty sharing your elsewhere. Not ignoring the hurt but not letting it be something that AS: I hope that people leave the show experiences? Or is it actually feeling uplifted regardless of their cathartic? defines you. I think every experience you have, be it good or bad, changes situations. Nightmare relationships AS: There’s nothing in the show that you; changes your outlook or your aren’t the only things that bring us hasn’t already been shared with my approach to life. Sometimes that’s down, aren’t the only situations where friends and family, so although it’s small – you learn a lesson and move we let someone else’s opinion of us personal, it’s not raw. That’s made it on – but sometimes it’s life changing. become what we think of ourselves. A easier to work with the material. The The break up made me really cautious mean boss, a faltering friendship, even hardest thing has been the fear of about new relationships, and I didn’t just a flippant comment from someone doing this show in a sphere where so want to let new people into my life we never see again can weigh heavy. many people I know and admire excel, so new people couldn’t hurt me. That Reminding yourself that you get to be this is what they do every year if not would make life safe, perhaps, but your own judge and have the control every day, and I’ve had to fight the rather dull. Now I’m letting loads of to change your fate is empowering and feeling of being a pretender. But if I’m new people in to share a bit of my life positive. I’ve not achieved a miracle, challenging myself I might as well do it every day for 26 days! I don’t know we can all do it. big, the bigger the risks the bigger they what effect that’s going to have on my pay off. I’m expecting the end of Fringe ThreeWeeks Editor future but I’m excited to find out. CM: You’re very well used to to be the best Artaudian Theatre Of being at the Fringe – do you have delivers a Cruelty style catharsis I could give any tips for first time visitors? Chris Cooke myself. CM: Does He know about this show? What are the chances of AS: A few months ago I and another free speech about alumnus were sitting in on a class at CM: It sounds as though you had him coming to see it? free speech AS: I don’t know what he knows. I’ve my old theatre school that is taught a pretty difficult time – do you by one of our friends and, when we think you’ve moved on from it not kept the show a secret – that would make ticket sales hard! – and we were asked about Fringe, the best now? Do you think it’s had an have mutual friends, so he probably piece of advice he had was “Don’t do book at chriscookesfreespeech.com effect on your personality, or an does. He will be at Fringe this year, it”. That’s the best advice I’ve heard for effect on where your future will because he’s finally doing a show, but performers. You either accept it and go from here? I’ve checked and it clashes so I doubt don’t go, or see it as a challenge and JUST FIVE PERFORMANCES AS: I am over it. Totally over it. I went he’ll be at mine. Though if he were to prove them wrong by putting your all through a phase of saying those be there, the show wouldn’t change. into it. free shows at theSpace @ Symposium Hall exact words to myself whenever a It’s not about him. And I don’t mention Tue 23 - Sat 27 Aug | 10.30am - 11.30am thought of him popped into my mind. him by name, he doesn’t get any free I told myself that the more I said it, publicity out of me! ‘Relax, It’s Not About You’ is on at Underbelly the closer I would get to it being true. Med Quad from 3 – 29 Aug.
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PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PAGE 07 TW INTERVIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL! Sarah Hehir: Zeroing in on zero hours contracts
There are always shows at the Edinburgh Festival that draw on topical issues and social ills, and ‘Zero Down’ – whilst not taking a heavy-handed approach – does just that, exploring the uncertainty and difficulties faced by those on so called zero hour contracts. The play is a three hander focusing on three women working in a care home, and has been written by up and coming playwright Sarah Hehir. I spoke to Sarah to find out more about the piece.
financially, what might you become CM: Is there a message in the about bad health. Again, it came back I didn’t think I was precious about CM: Can you start by giving us a capable of? It’s about people without play? Does it seek to inform, to to choices or a lack of them. Feeling my scripts but now I wonder if I am! rough idea of what ‘Zero Down’ power, options or agency and how make a statement, as well as to powerless and entirely in someone Originally, Katie wasn’t sure about is all about – what’s the story you precarious employment devalues entertain? else’s control knocks confidence and saying “ladders right up to my twat” are telling? work and the people who do it. It’s also self-esteem. Some people mentioned and I surprised myself how fiercely I SH: I’d hate to think it makes a SH: ‘Zero Down’ is the story of three about judgement – the judgements we the lack of value that was put on them reacted: forceful in my insistence that it statement. I want the audience to women and the events that take place make as an audience and as soundbite as workers if they could be so easily stayed. I craft the language carefully so be entertained, laugh, cringe, feel in one night in the basement of a run- consumers of news through social replaced. I need to understand where a change uncomfortable and be moved enough down care home. It gets pretty dark in networking sites. is coming from before I just agree. I do to leave thinking about the characters. places but there is a warmth to their often agree though and the script is If, through these characters and their CM: As the playwright, what relationships and a relentless kind of better for it. CM: What inspired you to write struggles, there emerges some kind of is your relationship with the energy – almost optimism – that carries about these themes? The focus message, I hope it would be something production in rehearsal and the audience along. And carrying on ‘precarious employment’ about the snap judgements we make. once it’s up and running – do you CM: You’ve achieved quite a the audience along was one of my leads us to the issues that And the strange kind of society we live step back or do you continue to degree of success with your intentions when starting to write this surround ‘zero hour’ contracts. in right now. make a contribution? work, winning awards and a play. I wanted to see whether I could place on the BBC TV Drama create a character that we dislike. Is that something you feel SH: I have been very lucky – or careful! Writers’ Programme. There We might have sympathy for her strongly about? CM: You did quite a bit of – to work with people who are open to situation but she says fairly despicable SH: I work in prisons, schools and pupil research into the impact zero the writer being a part of the process. are always loads of aspiring things. I then make her do something referral units where I meet people hour contracts can have on [Producer] Katie [Hurley] organised playwrights at the Fringe – what unforgivable, but with the aim of who feel they don’t have control over people. What did you discover various readings during my early drafts advice would you give them? having the audience root for her – or at their lives. I’m interested in how this about how they affect people? so we have always been comfortable SH: Write lots. Keep writing new stuff. discussing language, themes and least feel less morally sure – by the end affects behaviour. It’s very often young SH: Most often people spoke of hating Write what keeps you awake at night characters. And [director] Sophie of the play. people, women with children and the unknown: they couldn’t plan ahead and write honestly. Then come back [Boyce] encouraged me to be at early those without formal qualifications as they couldn’t rely on a wage coming and rewrite it. Then send it out into the stage rehearsals where the cast ask CM: What specific themes are who end up relying on temporary and in. I spoke to people who felt that if world – open mic nights, ten minute questions, clarify ideas and language you exploring with this piece? zero hours contracts. I’ve worked some they were critical of work practices – or festivals, open calls, submission strange and unpleasant jobs but I’ve and make suggestions. Though I’ve SH: It’s about how people behave when even expressed an opinion – that they windows. And be reasonably thick always known I can get out if I have to. also learned that stepping away from under pressure; when life isn’t going risked losing hours. In this precarious skinned or able to grow skin back ‘Zero Down’ is about people who can’t the rehearsal process to some extent smoothly. It’s easy to behave well environment, they worried about pretty quickly. – people whose choices are extremely will allow for the piece to become when things are going your way, but potentially losing their home, having to limited. richer – I like seeing what comes of a ‘Zero Down’ is on at Pleasance Courtyard if you’re vulnerable emotionally and take out loans from money lenders and different approach or interpretation. from 3-29 Aug
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TW PAGE 08 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION
INTERVIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL!
over the last few years there has been Lucy a real growth in relaxed performance, Matt but they still do not have the sensory elements our audience need to allow Garland: them to access theatre. Relaxed Winning: performances take away parts of the production to make it more friendly Making to audiences, specifically with autism. Space in For our audience they may need some other things taken out – though a path strobe is the only thing I can really the future think of – but more importantly, what they really need is elements added to If you’ve seen Matt through the performance. Creating theatre for audiences with PMLD is about creating Winning performing the forest a more enriching and encompassing theatrical experience rather than a one of his comedy stripped away version. shows, you’ll know It’s an important fact CM: I think this is the first time a up of stories and it is important for us CM: How do you go about he’s really rather good show like this has been on at the that we work with story in our theatre. creating a show like this? Is it at it, which makes it worth remembering Edinburgh Fringe? What made Both Amber and I love theatre that has ‘devised’ rather than ‘written’? you decide to create this kind a strong story-line running through What is your working process? all the more amazing that not all theatre it. We cannot know how much of our of piece and then bring it to the LG: As a company we create devised story our audience understands or that as well as all this is accessible to Festival? work. As artists this is our background doesn’t, but verbal language – which and is the type of work we find most LG: Yes, as far as we are aware this performance lark, we back up with visual communication interesting to see and also create. everyone, and that is the first time that a show made methods – and the rhythm and Using devising techniques means that specifically for audiences with PMLD he’s also a working there are ways in cadences in it provide an audible we can build our work around our has visited the Edinburgh Fringe. We landscape if nothing else. We also use sensory ideas. We always start with the social scientist who which performances wanted to bring ‘The Forest’ to the a lot of repetition which is proven to needs of our audience. What do they Festival because we wanted to address be an important tool for people with need to be able to access our work? doesn’t want to leave can be created for the issue that at the world’s largest PMLD. Repetition can help reiterate the Usually we start with an environment. international arts festival there was no his day-job. His show people whose needs story and stimulate memory. We like to choose environments work that our audience could access. that have scope for lots of sensory this year is a set with go beyond the norm. So ‘The Forest’ does have a beautiful interaction. In ‘The Forest’ we wanted For starters, the Edinburgh Fringe is universal story of loss and love. It is to create a dark abstract forest, this a narrative that’s in ‘The Forest’, which notoriously bad for physical access. I the tale of Thea and Robin who both gave us lots of sensory ideas to play think over the past few years venues some way inspired by is in Edinburgh for a crave an escape from their everyday with. have really started to address this, but routines. One day they are drawn there needs to be more than this for the work he does, and short run this August, into a dark and mysterious forest CM: It’s the first time for a show audiences with PMLD to be able to and find themselves on a journey of of this kind, but is this also your it sounds fascinating is the work of Frozen access the Fringe. self-discovery filled with surprising first time in Edinburgh? Light, a company encounters and experiences that as well as funny. We We knew if we were going to bring change their lives forever. Ivy, the LG: Yes, this is Frozen Light’s first time put some questions which works with work for this audience to the caretaker of the forest, weaves a path bringing a show to Edinburgh and we Edinburgh Fringe then we would have with the hope that eventually Thea are really excited about it. Though to Matt ahead of his a very specific aim to find the right partner venue. We and Robin will find each other and the we came to the Edinburgh Fringe last in mind – to stage did a lot of research into this and had escape from their everyday routines year to research if there was scope Edinburgh run. many meetings, and in the end the that they so desperately seek. for us to bring a show there. We had Pleasance showed a real passion for several meetings and this proved to be theatre for those CM: Can you start by telling us our work. CM: It’s interesting to hear the invaluable. I am so pleased we spent a year researching the possibilities to a bit about the new show? It’s with severe learning differing opinions on what a They understood that due to the ensure we and our audience get the listed in comedy, but it’s clearly disabilities. We spoke nature of our project and the needs show of this kind should be like. most out of our visit to the Fringe. We got a proper narrative and to Lucy Garland, of our audience we didn’t fit into a What other elements do you see definitely plan on seeing other shows sounds pretty theatrical – what’s traditional Edinburgh Fringe model as being important to make the whilst up in Edinburgh and want to the story? who founded the and they have been flexible in order experience truly work for your support other companies who create MW: I don’t want to give too much away to ensure that they reach audiences audience? inclusive work, for example Hijinx with as I think it has some nice surprises in company with with profound and multiple learning LG: People with PMLD access the ‘Meet Fred’, and companies from the it, but it’s about a future relative of mine Amber Onat Gregory. disabilities. world on a sensory level so this means Eastern region where we are based. who must journey through space to a that for theatre to be able to reach distant star. It’s all comedy, but I’d say CM: What happens in the show? them it needs to be multi-sensory. It CM: What’s next? Do you have half is stand-up and half is a play. I may CM: Your show is for a very Does it tell a story? also needs to be performed at close anything else in development? make a cameo appearance as myself. specific type of audience. Tell us LG: It is really interesting that you proximity to the audience so they LG: Yes, we are currently in a little more about the project. should ask if there is any story. can explore each moment in detail. development with our third show CM: What’s the origin of the title LG: ‘The Forest’ is for an audience of Sometimes theatre for people with This therefore means that we have to ‘Home’. In fact, we are about to head ‘Ragnarok’? perform to small audiences, six people people with profound and multiple PMLD doesn’t incorporate a story into two weeks of technical and dress MW: It’s the Norse mythology word for with PMLD and their companions and learning disabilities, or PMLD. as it is seen as unnecessary. There rehearsals. We are really excited about the end of the world. I’m a big fan of families. And it is specifically designed for are questions about what someone the new show as it is very different those vikings. And given that the show teenagers and adults with PMLD. with PMLD would gain from a story to the work we have done before. is about climate change and has other Traditional modes of theatre are People with profound and multiple and some say it would therefore be It is for adult audiences with PMLD references to the end of humanity I incredibly difficult for our audience learning disabilities have more than better to just focus on the sensory and incorporates lots of new sensory was searching for one-word titles and to access: the stage is often quite one disability, the most significant of experience. moments alongside an original score instantly thought it was pretty apt. I far away, no one interacts with them which is a profound learning disability. and lots of one to one interactions. think there’s a Thor film coming out directly, and it isn’t multi-sensory. Our They usually have great difficulty This is a valid view and the theatre soon with the same title so lucky I got audience may also find it difficult to sit communicating, and may also created under this model is incredible there first. have additional sensory or physical and the experience for the person with still and be quiet and this automatically excludes them from mainstream disabilities, complex health needs, or PMLD is wonderful. For us, though, ‘The Forest’ is on at Pleasance Courtyard theatre. It is great that in Edinburgh CM: Where did the idea for this mental health difficulties. story is really important. Life is built from 22-25 Aug. show come from? /theatre
TW PAGE 10 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION INTERVIEWS GET MORE INTERVIEWS BY EMAIL: THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM/SIGNUP
MW: I wanted to try a show that had to make it more of a personal involved me interacting with a live journey as all stories tend to be. It’s robot on stage – we’d previously quite a good metaphor, really, for how done something similar in the Bearpit difficult climate change is as a political Podcast and it was great fun. Also, I had problem. You have to engage people an idea for an epic story which could on a personal level and how it affects also involve stand-up. The combination them, otherwise nobody cares. allows me to talk about things I want to discuss but find it difficult to do in a CM: Climate change remains direct manner as a stand-up comedian something of a hot topic, if because my on-stage persona is very you’ll excuse the pun. Obviously, silly and doesn’t talk about his own life. there remain some high profile sceptics. But is it something CM: When you are creating a we should actually all be really show like this, how do you go concerned about? about it, given that it seems to MW: Some people are sceptical but be something of a cross between almost all scientists agree that it is theatre and stand up? Do you happening. The disagreement is really sit down and write it in a formal about how much we should do about way? it and what specifically we should be MW: It’s the first time I’ve ever done doing. But yes, we should be scared. anything that isn’t straight stand-up so it’s taken me a lot longer than I hoped. The aim is to reduce global emissions Mostly because it’s quite daunting and to a level which will give us a decent also because, unlike stand-up, you probability of staying below a two can’t just go and test it out in clubs. So degree celsius global temperature I’ve had to wait quite a while to start increase. To avoid dangerous climate previewing the show. Yes there has change we need to stabilise and then been a lot of sitting down. Mostly it’s reduce atmospheric concentrations of been writing out the story and then greenhouse gas and other non-GHGs going back to make it funnier. And then rapidly over the coming decades. We going back to change the story again. probably have about fifteen years to Ad infinitum start making dramatic reductions in emissions otherwise we’ll end up with CM: There is real science in the a global average temperature probably show, isn’t there? Because you somewhere between three and four are an actual scientist, aren’t degrees celsius higher than pre- you? Presumably it’s easy industrial levels. stuff that us lay-people can We have no idea what that will involve. understand? To give you an indication, we reached MW: Yes there is, and yes I am. I’m a one degree above this year, so multiply social scientist, though, as my PhD is the current climate issues by three in climate economics. Any scientific or four and add in a bunch of non- references in the show are fairly linearities and feedback effects such simple bar one or two that are just as the ice-caps and sea-level rises. for me really. To be honest, it’s more Basically, we have no idea what that a show about how difficult it is to future looks like. write a show about climate change. I started with grand ambitions to be Matt Winning performs ‘Ragnarok’ at Opium more science-based, but in the end from 6-27 Aug
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PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PAGE 11 TW INTERVIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL! Helen Duff: Just go with her
fudge people recognise your You may be aware of Helen Duff’s previous work at the Festival, face. because she’s garnered quite a lot of acclaim with past shows CM: You are now fairly ‘Smasher’ and ‘Vanity Bites Back’, the latter achieving a Fringe First Fringe-seasoned. What nomination. Her new set will no doubt be of the same high advice would you give to others who are taking a quality as previous outings, so I thought it was about time first step? we had a good chat, even though the subject matter HD: Never flyer on the Royal Mile. People can’t see you in of the new show made me blush a bit – because I’m the sea of faces covered with blood / ejaculate / carrot cake easily embarrassed, see. Good thing she isn’t. and it wastes valuable fudge tasting time.
CM: You’re a trained CM: You’re an actress and a women were sharing their experiences actress, of course. Do you comedian, but how would you with me in the pub afterwards, totally prefer your solo comedy describe your show? What sort unprompted. It’s been a beautifully shows to more straight eye-opening show. of genre or sub-genre does it fit acting? into? CM: Interesting – have other HD: My solo stuff allows me HD: Clowning with a capital K. I have a a freedom to cross genres, people’s experiences informed structure and a script, but I lurch off- talk to audiences, kick piste, into many an audience member’s the show? through taboos, tackle stuff lap, as soon as the opportunity arises. HD: Yes. I posted an anonymous personally and do all the best Or even if it doesn’t. No rising required. survey online asking seven lines from ‘Pretty Woman’ Especially if there’s lap-landing questions all about sex. The answers while pretending to be Jabba involved. Do many Laplanders read were amazing, especially to the The Hut in a jump suit. When ThreeWeeks? I’m thinking my style question ‘what does it feel like you put your trust in comedy might be right up their street! I would to orgasm?’. The climax of the audiences, they’re willing to have said up their laps, but I’m sure show recreates some of the best go on wild, hour long, wonder they get really sick of lap-schtick. descriptions – but definitely not in chases with you. the way you’d expect. There are CM: What happens in the show? eight mangoes and a unicorn ride CM: What are your What’s the concept? involved for a start. ambitions for the show HD: I dress as a sperm in my quest beyond the Fringe? CM: Are you unflinching to have my first ever orgasm. The HD: Right now I’m really just in your approach? Do you audience try their best to help me. I focusing on trying to have my thought post-Brexit it would be good think the show has the first orgasm during the four week to build up a real community vibe. It’s potential to make your come run at Pleasance. Some people about my quest for ultimate pleasure audience feel uncomfortable? true think it might sabotage the show. and all the pressures and pitfalls HD: There’d be a risk involved if I comedy- Honestly, if that is the trade off, involved in trying to come like a train. felt ashamed of what I was saying. wise. I’m I’m prepared for the show to take Or Hillary Clinton. Or the latest fully It’s uncomfortable if someone’s excited for the hit. empowered, 21st Century Lady Boss, apologising on stage, or asking for my audience who I might be beating myself up for approval. I know that my material to come into CM: What other shows will not beating one out like that morning. is funny first, absurd second – did I ‘Come With Me’ you be seeing at the Festival? mention my mum made my vagina feeling relatively Do you have lots of tickets CM: What made you decide to costume? She and my step dad have safe and comedy booked? attack this particular – and some seen the show twice, and loved it – savvy, and then find HD: Booked? Do you know and totally truthful. If people come might say rather personal – themselves being how stressful just making an in feeling uncomfortable, I hope they topic? pleasured at the anatomically inaccurate ejaculate leave feeling a lot more free. HD: When talking about something Pleasance in a way outfit has been? I’m looking forward scares me, I try to find the tipping point they never expected. to catching my clown mates Tessa CM: Do you ever feel between terror and terrific release, Waters, John-Luke Roberts and then play around that edge. So far it uncomfortable delivering CM: What keeps you The Establishment in action, plus seems to be paying off. In a comedic this material, or are you un- coming back to the straighter stand-up from David sense that is. I still haven’t had my embarrass-able? Edinburgh Fringe? Quirk and Bridget Christie – who, massive “who let Martin Clunes in HD: With clowning, that’s all part of the What’s your favourite actually, I just booked for while here?!” moment. fun. You don’t have to cover up your thing about it? Is there thinking of my answer for this failures or fears because they’re an anything you don’t like question! You got me FOMO’d by CM: The show’s described as essential part of the act. It’s liberating my own interview, ThreeWeeks! about it? your “quest to achieve ultimate for everyone when a performer takes It’s like we’re swimming in some HD: First, I’m a sucker for pleasure”. Is it really about you ownership of what might otherwise kind of mad hypno FOMO punishment. I’m seeing or is it about everyone? undermine their confidence on and off Jacuzzi! And I’ve not even got stage. someone really lovely my sperm outfit on! HD: It is all about me. It is 100% for a change and I cannot honest. Why would I make this stuff CM: This is the first time you’ve comprehend what’s happening. up? Weirdly, the honesty has made So Edinburgh will put me back in appeared at a ‘paying’ Fringe it all the more universal. Audiences my place. Second, Arthur’s Seat can smell a political fembot faking up venue, isn’t it? What made you before you wake up, Portobello Helen Duff performs ‘Come With Me’ at real life stories a mile off. I did an early decide to make the move from before you go to sleep. And third, the Pleasance Courtyard from 3-29 Aug. scratch showing at Derby Theatre and doing a free show? it’s much harder to get free tasters Photo by Sophie Ansell right from the beginning, men and HD: Playing at Pleasance is a dream more than once a day when the
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TW PAGE 12 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION
INTERVIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL!
As soon as I heard Amelia Ryan: With love to Lady Liberty about ‘One Day Moko’ I was intrigued by the Amelia Ryan first stormed the Fringe last destroy my liver). On my final day CM: Do you think it’s actually sound of it. It’s a one there, I took a ferry trip down the possible for a woman to “have it year with her Edinburgh debut ‘Storm In A Hudson River and saw the original all”? What about men? person interactive Lady Liberty – the statue herself. She AR: I think women can “have it all”. We became my muse; a symbol of hope D Cup’, and the good news is that she is back just need to get really specific about multimedia show, and empowerment. That sounds kinda what “having it all” actually means. for another bash at Festival success. She’s naff, but it’s true! The show traverses with the character of Not to everyone else, not for societal my quest to become said ‘Lady known for having a slightly feminist edge, and expectations… but to ourselves. a homeless person Liberty’, complete with a Seven Step We need to let each woman define Guide. Think Eat, Pray, Shove. admits to covering some material that might what it means for herself, without centre stage. It’s been be described as ‘issue-led’, but ultimately the incessant self-editing and fear quite a few years CM: What ‘issues’ do you of judgement. And that means not – as you’ll find out – her shows are light, address in the show? Are they judging others in return. I do believe, in development serious ones? Presumably you however, that if wanting it all means entertaining and accessible to all who can make them hilarious anyway? having both copious amounts of time already in the hands cope with a little bit of naughtiness. I put some AR: I tackle issues like body-image, plus loads of cash, a killer career plus of its talented creator, slut-shaming, obsessive health and 3.5 perfect children, to have raging questions to Amelia to find out more about wellness pursuits, binge-drinking benders but get up at 6am for hot New Zealand-based (conversely) and marriage equality yoga... then you’ll end up falling short her new show, the themes it covers, and why (which is STILL not a thing in Australia somewhere. Something’s gotta give, performer and she chose to call it ‘Lady Liberty’. because we seem to be stuck in 1788. and it’ll most likely be your sanity. Or Edinburgh first timer Are they serious? Well in the scheme of dignity. Or both. But once you define things, probably not. There’s far more what matters to YOU, you’re set! Tim Carlsen, so it’s pressing issues in the world today, one CM: So, first up, tell us about to menages a trois. It’s a party: need only trawl through the news to I believe men are a little better at probably reasonable this year’s show. What type of champagne is popped, games are find them. When creating the show, compartmentalising, so I think they to expect pretty performance can audiences played, costumes are worn (the Little I did think about ‘going there’ with have a primitive advantage when it expect? Mermaid makes an appearance) and deeper issues; women who truly need comes to defining what they want good things. With you can hear smashing songs from liberation – asylum seekers, abuse and going for it with conviction. Men AR: This year’s show is FUN! It’s a the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Whitney victims etc. But I made a decision that operate in black and white, everything candid, comedic look at the quest that in mind, we Houston and Pharrell Williams… it’s just not that kind of show. There is is (relatively) clear cut when it comes for happiness / self-improvement / however they’ve all got my own lyrical pathos, sure. But I made a conscious to goals and ambition. Where as orchestrated a quick ‘insert your personal ideal’ here. For spin on them. choice to keep it light and personally women operate in the grey, we do me, this is liberty. Liberty is freedom… chat. relatable. I’m all for shining a light on want it all and generally at the same a kind of nirvana where we let go of the truly pressing issues in society, time. Plus women, in my experience, all the BS that wears us down. Using CM: Why is it called ‘Lady but for me, this show wasn’t the forum get plagued by self-doubt. Most men CM: ‘One Day Moko’ is a one a combination of my own personal Liberty’? for it. There’s enough in the world to I know have seemingly infallible stories and sassy social observations, AR: The title ‘Lady Liberty’ actually person show, isn’t it? Can you tell depress us, I want people to leave confidence. In addition, there’s the I look at the many ways we try to came from a solo adventure I took to us about the character you play? my show feeling lighter and – the child-birth thing which can – if women achieve it… from love to labiaplasty NYC. I’d just come out of a long-term Do you play any other characters money word – liberated. And your make a choice to go down that path (hey, works for some), green-juicing relationship and was back home living apart from Moko? presumption is quite right… it’s all – put a handbrake on career for a to champagne-guzzling, monogamy my Mother (thrilling!), so I whisked TC: Yes, ‘One Day Moko’ is a solo show TOTALLY HILARIOUS. #modesty period of time. Of course, I’m making myself away to clear my head (and that follows our protagonist Moko. SWEEPING generalisations, and all of He is a man who lives on the city this is up for epic debate. Sliding scales CM: As an entertainer, you are streets. He’s a contemporary sage, a etc. regarded as having a distinctly storyteller, a thinker, a showman and feminist edge. Does that mean a self described ‘urban cowboy’. The CM: What’s your favourite part you are making entertainment city is Moko’s turf. Moko plays some of for feminists or are you trying to of the new show? Is there a the other characters he observes day- convert the unconverted? particular song or section you’re to-day, however it’s always done from especially proud of? AR: I’d say it’s entertainment for his perspective, we never experience everyone – men, women and anyone AR: I have two favourite parts. One a total transformation from one who’s on the fence – but with a is a parody of Robin Thicke/ Pharrell character to the other. feminine-empowered slant to it. I Williams ‘Blurred Lines’ that I’ve actually didn’t intend to create feminist rewritten about society’s ever present CM: What’s the story of the content, it just kind of happened. obsession with the ‘thigh-gap’. It’s a show? Does it have a clear I’m pretty passionate about having hoedown version that culminates in narrative or is this more of a a positive and inclusive world view, celebrating the female body in all its character study piece? forms, and it’s a tonne of fun to sing. be it about racial equality, marriage TC: The story of the show is based on My other favourite part is the nightly equality, gender equality. But my Moko’s day-to-day observations, from (and naughty) game of ‘Never Have material isn’t a ‘women against men’ his experiences at the drop-in centre, I Ever’. Three audience members are thing, it’s about women not being to the office worker who’s glued to called to the stage to confess their against themselves… or each other! their phone. It’s through these stories scintillating sexual history over a glass Yes, there are many socially and we’re able to piece together how Moko (or more, for some) of champagne. culturally constructed barriers against connects to the world around him It’s a hoot, as it’s different every night, the femmes, but many of the barriers and ultimately discover his own story. and always elicits shrieks of laughter we create are self-imposed; the uber I would say that the show is more of from the crowd. Surprisingly, people nasty ones that live in our heads. I aim a ‘character study piece’ that offers are always obliging to dish the dirt. I to break those barriers down for the an insight into his world. I’ve avoided suppose the free bubbles help. sake of personal and mental freedom. trying to overtly explain Moko’s Being a woman, most of the things I background, why he’s ended up on the discuss are relative, and relevant, to Amelia Ryan performs ‘Lady Liberty’ at streets and how he survives. I’ve left Assembly George Square Theatre from 4-28 women. But there’s plenty of juicy stuff this for the audience to piece together Aug. in there for the fellas too. through the way he observes and connects to his surroundings.
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TW PAGE 14 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION INTERVIEWS GET MORE INTERVIEWS BY EMAIL: THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM/SIGNUP Tim Carlsen: Discovering and evolving Moko
to make this a one person Making and performing this show solo performance in 2009 at drama school. show, rather than having other has, at times, been a lonely experience The current director, Leo Gene Peters, characters played by other which I think supports the show’s was someone I’d met through drama actors? themes. Towards the end of 2009 I did school. workshop the show to include three TC: As I mentioned, I started to develop other actors but it seemed to detract We discovered we had similar values the concept of ‘One Day Moko’ during from Moko’s isolation. around making work and what we my final year of actor training at Toi like to see on stage. Leo Gene and I Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School spent a lot of time brainstorming and back in 2009. This was part of a CM: The show is described as a conversing around our own personal project where students had to create devised piece – how did you go experiences of relationships, what it is a 20 minute solo performance that about creating it? Do you work to be bold, fearful and volatile. would be presented to small public with a director? audiences. This project incentive TC: The show’s development has been kick-started the work into being a solo supported by a number of theatre ‘One Day Moko’ is on at Gilded Balloon Teviot from 3-29 Aug. show from the beginning. practitioners since its first draft
CM: What are the aims of him posing with his dog and clarinet - this show? Is there a political grinning from ear to ear. I was playing agenda? the trumpet at the time so the musical side of Moko really resonated with me. TC: We want our audience to open their eyes when they leave the theatre. I’ve always been curious about those To realise that being human can often who live on the fringes of society. be hard, awkward, joyful, painful, The common question asked by so pleasurable, confusing; the problem many is, “does someone choose to is I don’t think we often get to tell live this way?” I wanted to really put ourselves that it’s “okay” to go through this question to the test and see how these multitudes of emotions without well informed and educated that feeling like we want to give up. The ‘choice’ really is. Further questions themes of the show revolve around started to unfold, specifically around living boldly, survival, loneliness and homelessness “How does this our desire to connect. community see the world around them? Do they have a daily routine? Homelessness is a world-wide And more importantly, how do they problem, and I believe there is a ‘Moko’ survive?” in every city, someone who is often overlooked and ignored by society With a mind full of questions, a and those who govern it. When I newspaper article buried into my started making this show, it wasn’t my brain and some very ‘green’ ideas of intention to make a ‘political’ piece of homelessness I started to develop ‘One work. Though the fact that the show Day Moko’ the following year as part humanises a man who lives on the of my final year of actor training at Toi streets, when so often the homeless Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School are viewed as the ‘other,’ makes this in 2009. show relevant to current politics and the apathy that our leaders can have towards this social issue. CM: I know it’s listed in theatre, but there are also songs and CM: What inspired the character some audience participation. and story of Moko? Can you tell us more about what TC: It all started back in 2008. My mum type of performance we can sent me a newspaper article that she expect? thought I’d be interested in, and it was TC: The entire performance is operated accompanied by a small note that and stage managed by Moko, it’s a solo read, “Hope you’re having a lovely day. show in it’s purest form! The show also Here’s something that made my heart utilises six portable stereos that create swell”. music and various sounds to aid the story telling. The audience is involved It was a story about a homeless man, throughout the show being the other Moko, who would travel into Auckland essential ‘character’. This relationship in New Zealand everyday by pushbike is built through improvised and and spend all day busking on his scripted ‘games’, from audience clarinet. He built a custom made bike members playing other characters carrier for his dog Mana to travel with that Moko meets, to holding props, to him for company. He would do this operating lights for him. every day, rain, hail or shine. The photo that accompanied the article had CM: What made you decide
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PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PAGE 15 TW INTERVIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL! Kid Carpet: Building castles on the Fringe
artists. In our show we refer to all of all over the place. I had some songs on that the songs were from theatre Kid Carpet hasn’t been to the Fringe before, these people who decide to create the already written that were a great fit for shows and tried to treat it as a regular but we have been fans of his for years, bizarre and unique as ‘Castle Builders’, the show, but also created some brand music release, as I think the music as a kind of collective term for outsider new music specifically for it. press get confused with crossover having tracked his work as a musician and artists who make large-scale work. art-forms. We kicked ideas around together in entertainer outside of this here Edinburgh CM: So the show is basically short bursts over a long time and CM: You’ve mentioned the bubble. So as soon as we heard he was celebrating all these Castle performed at about five work-in- children’s shows you’ve done in Builders? progress events. About half way the past. How do those shows through the project’s development headed to Summerhall this summer, we KC: Yes. The show talks about the compare to your gigs and other stage we were booked to perform urge to create, finding inspiration projects? knew we had to set aside the time to see his in Bristol at a scratch night, but we and enlightenment through making had no time to rehearse together. We KC: I fell into making work for children show, a theatrical collaboration with fellow something. It’s about what drives decided that for this show we’d take it and families by accident. Since our people to dedicate their whole lives to in turns, I’d perform a song and then first child was born we’ve always creative Vic Llewellyn. It’s a really interesting- making enormous monuments. The Vic would do a talky bit, song, talky bit, shared childcare. After a year or so I show is both joyful and quite moving sounding project, so we also decided to set song, talky bit and thus we’d be able to was having the “where is your career in its portrayal of some of the artists concentrate on presenting something going?” conversation with myself we’ve discovered. aside the time for a chat to get to the bottom of that didn’t seem too under-rehearsed. and discovered that I had about two hundred little ditty phone recordings what ‘The Castle Builder’ is all about. CM: How did the collaboration The format worked surprisingly well made while looking after our son. with Vic come about? that night and we’ve sort of stuck to it, KC: Vic and I worked together on with a bit of overlapping, performing I thought maybe I should make an album for kids. Then I saw a call-out for wonderfully strange truth and fiction a children’s show called ‘The Lost and talking together as things CM: So let’s start at the start, theatre ideas, which offered support of the stories Vic was told about that Present’ three or four years ago. progress. what is the show all about? in developing those ideas into fully castle on the cliffs near Kristiansand. We found ourselves discussing the KC: ‘The Castle Builder’ tells the story developed pieces. I applied with Kid That was the initial starting point, a possibility of making another a show CM: Is the music you have made of a castle that Vic saw, on the clifftops Carpet & The Noisy Animals and signpost, if you like, for what we might together. Vic then told me that he was for this typical of your output or outside Kristiansand in Norway, while writing a book about this castle in eventually my first theatre show was make a show about. is it a departure? he was on a boat trip. The performance Norway, and told me the vague story made; it’s now toured three times. then develops with stories of various KC: This project has been a bit of a CM: Who is ‘The Castle Builder’? behind it. As I hadn’t come up with any outsider artists around the world who, good ideas of my own, I managed to departure in that I’m writing songs My theatre shows are very similar KC: Well, the castle in our story was for different reasons, have decided persuade Vic that we could make his based on other people’s stories, which in approach to my live music gigs, either built by Haakor The Bad, a to make massive, monstrous and castle story into a show. are drawn from an emotional response just as casual in performance style beautiful structures, usually – but not Viking warlord, or by an inmate at to those people and their work. I’ve with the addition of a bit of story a local psychiatric institution. They always – on land that they own, and CM: What do you each bring to been using a similar musical set up and and a designed set. It’s amazing to generally without much previous were originally going to be our Castle writing style as I would for any other the projects you have created collaborate with other people on those building experience. The show is part Builders. But then we discovered Jim of my own songs – perhaps a little together and how does your shows and to allow others to use their documentary lecture, part theatrical Bishop. Jim actually calls himself The less digital – but there are some great expertise to help me make something process work? drama and part rock gig. Castle Builder and has built Bishop songs in there that I’m proud of. I’ve special. Castle in Colorado all by himself. KC: We both have a fairly casual found the whole thing really inspiring. CM: So it was that castle that Finding inspiration in him, our research performance manner, but Vic’s a far The drive to continue making work for inspired the piece? led us to many more maverick better actor than me and has written CM: You’re known for your children has partly come from being personalities, incredible makers and an amazing script, which jumps about KC: Yes, or more specifically, the playful style of electronic music outraged by the dross that is often and use of unusual instruments served up as media for kids. The music, – what set you on this path? Did telly and theatre that I’ve witnessed you play ‘normal’ instruments to has compelled me to make punk rock begin with? to help fight the twee and bright pink horrors from the shops. KC: I’ve always played musical instruments at home and in school from a young age but never stuck at CM: This is your first Fringe, anything for long enough to get really right? What do you expect from good. I got into playing drums and it? then singing in bands and have been KC: That’s right, I’ve never been to involved in loads of projects over the the Edinburgh Fringe before. At the years. I started getting into sampling moment I see it as an expensive and sequencing, and found a sound gamble and a month away from my when a love of cheesy keyboards and family while the kids are on their plastic sound toys developed into Kid summer holidays. People tell us we’re Carpet gigs. at one of the cool venues, Summerhall, and that there’s often a vibrant scene CM: You’ve just released your around the place. With any luck it can eighth album, haven’t you? be the springboard for successful touring over the next couple of years. KC: Yes, it’s called ‘Dogmeat’. It’s We really believe in this show and want more of an EP or mini album and to perform it as much as we can both features three songs from ‘The Castle in the UK and internationally. Hopefully Builder’ along with songs from ‘Noisy I’ll get to see some great work by Neighbours’, one of my family shows. others and be inspired to make BBC6 Music have supported and exciting new shows in the future. played out ‘Fire Breathing Dragon’ about twelve times as well as ‘Kids Make Some Noise’ and ‘Turn It Up’ from ‘The Castle Builder’ is on at Summerhall from ‘Neighbours’. I was careful not to let 3-28 Aug
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TW PAGE 16 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION PREVIEWS GET MORE THREES TO SEE BY EMAIL: THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM/SIGNUP Three To See: Recommended shows at this year’s Edinburgh Festival
Navigate Malcolm Harvey the massive Edinburgh Festival with the help of ThreeWeeks Editor Caro Moses who recommends top shows to see in handy batches of three
ARTS AND EVENTS Aarathi Prasad | Charlotte it’s a pretty interesting subject Square Gardens | 26 Aug anytime, right? I mean, who are these Aarathi Prasad is the author of ‘In The speechwriters who put words into the THREE BOOKY EVENTS Bonesetter’s Waiting Room – Travels mouths of other people? How do they Leila Al-Shami and Robin Through Indian Medicine’. It’s a unique master this art? Luckily for you, here’s Yassin-Kassab | Charlotte Square survey of Indian medicine which takes an event at the Festival Of Politics that will shed light on it all. Join Michael Gardens | 18 Aug in a wide range of subject matter – Russell MSP and former speechwriter There are eight million (OK, slight Barton Swaim, author of a book on the exaggeration) brilliant events subject. happening as part of this year’s
Edinburgh International Book Festival, and I can only recommend a few, Malcolm Harvey and Michael which is sad. This was the first to catch Keating | Charlotte Square my eye, though, as the above named Gardens | 23 Aug pair – co-authors of ‘Burning Country’, This is a Book Festival event with a TALKS a look at the Syrian opposition political theme that’s surely on many movement – take on the topic of ‘How minds at the moment, the renewed We’re Failing Syria’. It’s an issue that’s debate over the possibility of Scottish been on my mind of late, and no doubt Independence, particularly since many other minds too. English and Welsh voters pushed the the podcast from UK into Brexit, despite the European The Write To Read – Discussing Referendum results in Scotland going ThreeWeeks Edinburgh Dyslexia | Charlotte Square the other way. Malcolm Harvey and from Bollywood plastic surgeons to Michael Keating, co-authors of ‘Small TWwe talk to our favourite Gardens | 19 Aug neuroscience in Delhi to a mental Nations In A Big World’, take a look at It’s always worth remembering, as health initiative in a Mumbai slum. what lessons the country can learn performers, writers and directors a lover of books, that some people’s This discussion should make for a from the experience of Nordic and tune in at thisweektalks.com relationship with the written word fascinating event. Baltic states. can be a strained one, but that that is something that can be addressed. I Could Do That! – Art In Appearing at this event about how THREE POLITICAL The Public Space | Scottish JOIN US FOR FIVE LIVE RECORDINGS to get younger readers reading is EVENTS Vivian French, who overcame reading Parliament | 20 Aug free shows at theSpace @ Symposium Hall difficulties and became a successful Barton Swaim – The Political There are loads of art exhibitions on Tue 16 - Sat 20 Aug | 10.30am - 11.30am writer, and who will discuss writing Speechwriter | Scottish in Edinburgh this month, of course, dyslexia-friendly books for young Parliament | 19 Aug but they don’t always attract huge people. She’s joined by one of my Speech-writing’s been in the news audiences, no matter how much we favourite children’s authors, Cornelia of late, what with that there Melania plug them. Art that’s out in the public Funke, and Barrington Stoke MD Mairi Trump being accused of plagiarising space is another thing, however, Kidd. the words of Michelle Obama. But viewed by anyone, and owned by
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everyone. This panel debate takes a these are some world-class stone look at what we should try to achieve sculptures, brought to you by the with public art, and what makes a good Vhukutiwa gallery of Zimbabwe. space in which to place it, as discussed by two artists, an art teacher, and an Facing The World - Self Portraits art writer. From Rembrandt To Ai Weiwei | Scottish National Portrait THREE ARTY THINGS Gallery | 16 Jul-16 Oct If, on the other hand, you are a more Art Late | various venues | 4, 11, wide-ranging sort of fringe-goer, 18 + 25 Aug Edinburgh Art Festival offers a large range of events and exhibitions, but we can’t recommend everything, so don’t forget to have a look in their programme or on their website to view the full extent of what’s on offer this year. But here’s something to start you off. This specially programmed series of events comprising late openings, gallery tours, artist talks and performances through a number of venues sound fantastic, with each one a brilliant way to spend an evening at a very reasonable price. who takes in all the excellent venues Zimbabwe Sculptures | outwith that central bubble, then this won’t be out of the way. The Scottish Assembly George Square National Portrait Gallery is worth a visit Theatre | 3-29 Aug any time of the year, but this exhibition If you are a die-hard Fringe central of self portraits looks extra special, type who spends their Festival days featuring over 150 portraits from more heading from Pleasance to Underbelly, than one hundred artists, whose work over to Gilded Balloon and then back spans six centuries. Proof that selfies to Assembly, here’s an exhibition you aren’t just a modern phenomenon. can take in on the way, because it’s at the George Square Theatre, no need to head out to the (almost, alright, Get Three To See daily not at all) countryside of the (totally threeweeksedinburgh.com marvellous) Scottish National Gallery Laura London Of Modern Art. As the title suggests, GEORGE THE POET photo by James Millar
CABARET Die Magik Kunst | La Belle Asher Treleaven and Gypsy Wood play Angele | 6-28 Aug “Australia’s most deluded dancing
Now, to be fair, this isn’t really a real magicians”. Go on, they had you at THREE WITH magic show, but a parody of a magic “deluded dancing magicians”, didn’t MARVELLOUS MAGIC show, a comedy homage to that overly they? I’d book your tickets quickly to theatrical Vegas style of magic. In their beat the rush. Laura London – Cheat | Voodoo heyday, Grainger And Hans were stars Rooms | 6-28 Aug of The Strip, but haven’t performed Tomas Ford’s Craptacular | Sweet From what I have been told, Laura since their show closed in 1973. Now Grassmarket | 4-28 Aug London is pretty much the only female in their eighties, they are back for one One of TW’s long term favourite sleight of hand card magician working last performance... which ounds like a cabaret types Tomas Ford returns today, and that’s interesting enough recipe for lots of ageing make-up and with a show with a marvellous title, all by itself, but she’s also performing a physical comedy. which will feature a set of the “worst show with a fascinating subject. ‘Cheat’ songs ever”. He’s a veteran of cabaret, tells the story of Geraldine Hartmann, THREE TOP a Fringe regular, an award winner, and a card cheat from the 1920s, exploring a provoker of five star write-ups from her love affair with poker and the CABARET SHOWS our reviewers. If you haven’t seen him
cheating techniques she used to part perform yet, then frankly, it’s about the unwitting from their cash. It also Peter And Bambi Heaven – The time you did. helpfully informs you how you too can Magic Inside | Assembly George Square Gardens | 4-28 Aug cheat at cards. Roulston & Young – Songs I’m reliably informed that this show For Lovers (And Other Idiots) is both funny and fabulous, which is Dave Alnwick – The Cult Of Dave | Laughing Horse @ The Free | Voodoo Rooms | 6-28 Aug no great surprise given the award- winning/nominated team behind it. Sisters | 4-28 Aug When our ThreeWeeks reviewer saw If you want funny and clever songs this man’s show back at Edinburgh from a talented and proven duo, then Festival 2011, we gave him full marks, this pair are an entirely safe and super a five star review, or five-out-of-five as bet. Michael Roulston and Sarah- it’s known around these parts, and our Louise Young are both completely reviewer described at least one of his brilliant and have won lots of acclaim tricks as “jaw-dropping”. I’m trusting and awards. Apparently The Stage on the general assumption that the have described them as “A Flanders last five years have been kind to Dave And Swann for the 21st Century”, and I Alnwick, and that his super-powers of think I would probably agree with that. trickery have therefore only increased. Don’t miss this, or the other show they Oh, and the fact reviewers elsewhere are responsible for, ‘Cabaret Whore continue to talk about what a brilliantly Presents... La Poule Plombee’. entertaining, unconventional and charismatic performer he is.
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companies in the world ever, they without even asking) so I absolutely dark (read the title) but conversational CHILDREN’S SHOWS come back year after year with really demand that you go and see some and anecdotal and full of real life good quality plays that our reviewers actually Scottish comedians instead of infused with hilarity. “’Life After THREE NON-FRINGE write glowing words about. I don’t just watching acts you’ve already seen Death’ is a story of fear, love, life and understand why the whole world isn’t down in London. Though to be fair, you Blackpool”, runs the blurb. Sounds TREATS FOR CHILDREN talking about how great they are. But might actually have seen these acts in promising, no? You can’t go wrong Raw | Edinburgh International there you go. This is their latest, and I London too. But never mind. First up, with Blackpool. Conference Centre | 27-28 Aug have every confidence in them. Chris Forbes of ‘Scot Squad’ fame with a show about wondering and worrying The International Festival isn’t Scott Agnew – I’ve Snapped My about what people think of you. Which normally the place I would be looking Morgan And West’s Utterly Banjo String, Let’s Just Talk | sounds kind of serious, but I promise for a family show, but things have been Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show Gilded Balloon at The Counting you, he is funny. a changing around those parts, and For Kids (And Childish Grown House | 3-29 Aug this year they offer up this dynamic Ups!) | Underbelly Med Quad | The final Scot is also actually called dance theatre show suitable for 3-29 Aug Scott Gibson – Life After Death | Scott. What are the chances of that viewing by adults and older children. Morgan And West are another outfit Gilded Balloon Teviot | 3-29 Aug happening? Well, realistically quite a brilliant storyteller, and in this follow It’s made by young people for young that I have utter faith in, and I already The next Scot is actually called Scott. high, I imagine, it’s probably quite a up to 2012’s ‘Tales Of The Sauna’ he people and deals in themes young saw this show and can testify to its Scott is from Glasgow and has been popular name here in Scotland. But I holds forth on the subject of working people can relate to, and comes utter brilliance. It’s a fabulous event praised by Frankie Boyle, so that’s a digress. Scott Agnew, former Scottish class gay life, sexual health, and mental to Edinburgh with Belgian dance for your older kids, but if you are a good start. His brand of comedy is Comedian Of The Year, is regarded as health. company Kabinet K. Sounds like single adult, don’t feel you can’t go on powerful and entertaining stuff. your own. No-one will notice you are a single adult, they will all be too busy Jo Cotterill | Charlotte Square Gardens | 14-15 Aug For many years there’s been an excellent programme of children’s events at the very marvellous Edinburgh International Book Festival, and every year I find it hard to select a representative session from all the excellent choices available to me. So please do have a look at the whole programme. But for children – girls especially – in the 9-14 age bracket, Jo
staring at what’s going on on-stage, because this time-travelling Victorian duo are always completely compelling. Do not miss, under any circumstances.
Braveheart | Spotlites | 2-28 Aug I’ve picked one of Spotlites’ shows for older children this time, and that’s probably because my own child is getting older, but do take a look at the stuff they have on for younger children Cotterill, appearing at two different too, because they are all interactive events, is top of my list. This prize- and age-appropriate and yet totally winning author will discuss two of not-intimidating – “theatre for kids who her most recent works, ‘A Library Of don’t just want to sit still and watch”. Lemons’ and ‘Electrigirl’, both of which This one tackles a rather familiar and have won much critical acclaim. local theme, which is great.
Art Early | Fruitmarket Gallery | 13 Aug COMEDY This is an early-in-the-day version of the Edinburgh Art Festival’s ‘Art Late’ THREE SCOTTISH programme, but it’s for children and families instead of adults, and of course COMEDIANS the content reflects that. I can’t help Chris Forbes – Tall Needy Mutant thinking that this morning of themed | Gilded Balloon Teviot | 3-29 Aug gallery tours and activities will be a fab So, you’re in Edinburgh for the Festival introduction to fine art for those little (sorry if you’re reading this and you absorbing minds, and rather good fun live here and the Fringe came to you for their parents too.
THREE FROM THE FRINGE FOR CHILDREN Fairies And Dragons Of The Desolate Plain | Quaker Meeting House | 8-13 Aug It’s very probably the case that I recommend pretty much any show that Newbury Youth Theatre brings to Edinburgh, but it’s because they must be one of the best theatrical youth
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THREE US COMEDY her physical health, mental illness in her family, dating, traveling through Brendon Burns IMPORTS Europe alone and coming to grips photo by Jody Kingzett Ever Mainard - Let Me Be Your with getting older and being an adult – joking about being an anxiety ridden Main Man | Gilded Balloon Teviot American and trying to make sense | 4-28 Aug of life. The great thing about going to see American comedians is that they’ve usually been honing their act for Chris Gethard - Career Suicide | years over in the States, completely Pleasance Dome | 3-29 Aug unknown to most of us over here, Depressing title, but cheerful subject which means they are all really good matter. Oh, hang on, no, he’s talking by the time they make it to Edinburgh. about suicide, depression and I am expecting this to be the case for alcoholism. But it will be very funny, Ever Mainard, who brings her debut honest and raw, and let’s face it, this show to the Festival, and tackles guy has been in ‘Broad City’, ‘The gender identity, modern feminism, and Office’, ‘Parks And Recreation’ and his mad stories from her youth growing own cult hit ‘The Chris Gethard Show’, up in Texas. so with a CV like that, I feel pretty confident that he will deliver. Liz Miele – Mind Over Melee | Underbelly Cowgate | 4-28 Aug I have heard lots of things about this THREE ANNIVERSARY particular young comedian, and it’s CELEBRATORS all good. She’s exploring the darker side of her own life – struggles with Phil Nichol – 20 | Assembly Checkpoint | 3-28 Aug None of the next three really need me to sell them to you, because they are all Fringe doyens that you know and love. I just thought I’d draw some attention to the fact that they are all celebrating pretty significant milestones with this year’s appearances. Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Phil Nichol has been performing here for twenty years (you might be able to tell that from his entry in the programme) and in this show pulls out some “greatest hits”. Hurrah.
Brendon Burns – Dumb White topic for comedy. I mean, I am not proving himself on the live circuit so I Guy | Liquid Room Annexe | 6-28 saying for a moment that comedians reckon he is one to watch. Aug don’t have integrity. What’s unlikely about this show is that John Hastings On to another Edinburgh Comedy Life And Death (But Mainly will be covering, amongst other things, Award winner. Brendon Burns’ show Death) | theSpace @Symposium the murder of his godmother, and yet, may not actually be all about his Hall | 5-27 Aug this is a comedy show. But I have every twenty-year anniversary – he’s not Actual NHS doctor Phil Hammond has faith that he can be very, very funny, even mentioning it in his blurb – but been a bit of a fixture for years and even against those odds. it is also his twentieth Fringe. They’ve years now in the world of comedy TV both been there almost as long as and radio, and it’s not his first time in ThreeWeeks have, which is why we Paul McMullan – Alcopop | Edinburgh of course. He’s back this allow them the title ‘Fringe Legend’. Pleasance Courtyard | 3-28 Aug year for a full festival run of a show This show is about being a “dumb This sounds like a pretty grim story. about – obviously – life and death, in white guy” apparently, but the subject Paul McMullan talks about his which he ruminates on the death of his barely matters, you know he will be alcoholism, how he lost his job and his forbears, and his own death, asking the good. wife, and how he ended up homeless question of whether it’s possible not to with three young children. Yet, not kill yourself before your time, yet die Simon Munnery – Standing Still | really surprisingly, this accomplished gently when your time comes? The Stand | 4-29 Aug raconteur tells his fascinating story of coming up after hitting rock bottom Of course, the previous two are with hilarious candour. This is his THREE SHOWS WITH just whippersnappers, really, when debut hour, and he’s not been doing FUNNY FACTS compared to the excellent Simon stand-up for that long, but he’s already Munnery, who has been coming to the Night At The Museum | Gilded Edinburgh Fringe for thirty years. Yes, Balloon At The Museum | 4-27 really. Thirty whole years of brilliance Aug and innovation. And as well as this, his We like entertainment that serves a latest set, he’s doing a one off special dual purpose, and love it when we get over at Spiegeltent later in the month, to learn something as well as having to celebrate his three decade stint. fun, and this, well, almost falls into that category: comedians come up THREE UNLIKELY with improvised sets prompted by genuine objects from the Museum Of TOPICS FOR COMEDY Scotland archive. It’s possible you’ll John Hastings – Integrity | learn nothing, but it will feel like you Pleasance Courtyard | 3-29 Aug are learning something, plus, what’s not to love about going to the museum Just to be clear, it’s not the integrity at night? Super. element that I’m claiming is an unlikely
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1 Woman, A Dwarf Planet And 2 NEHH - Withered Hand and Chris The Snow Child | Paradise In understand the language of opera Cox | Pleasance Courtyard | 3-29 T-T | Summerhall | 27 Aug Augustines | 22-26 Aug anyway? It’s based on scenes from Aug And so to the second of our NEHH This new chamber opera from young ‘Four Dreams Of Linchuan’ by China’s most celebrated playwright, Tang Okay, so that first one might not choices, and this time it’s Withered composer Owain Park is an adaptation Xianzu, and is performed by the very have worked out too well genuine- Hand, aka Scottish indie-folk-rock of Angela Carter’s (very) short story well established Jiangxi Ganju Opera facts-wise, but this one definitely will, local Dan Willson. His story is quite an of the same name, so you know you Troupe, who’ve been around since I guarantee it. You will absolutely interesting one – he didn’t begin to can expect something pretty dark 1953. definitely learn something from create music until he was thirty, when and tragic, but that’s rather par for this show (unless you are already a he did so in response to a crisis in his the course with opera, isn’t it? The scientist who knows lots of things life, yet his first album was released to music for this has been praised for THREE NEW MUSICALS about space) from up and coming much acclaim – but, you know, that’s successfully evoking the sense of a award-winning comedian Samantha just an aside. He’s not just interesting. frozen, barren landscape, so it looks as Confessions Of A Justified Song Baines, who isn’t just a comedian – He is also good. As, by the way, is Chris though Park might be one to watch. Writer | Assembly Checkpoint | she’s been on the telly, in ‘Call The T-T, so basically a double win here. 4-28 Aug Midwife, no less. you can expect something pretty A Medley Of Four Dreams Of When it comes to musicals at the THREE CONCERTS A special with this, opera fans. A great Linchuan | New Town Theatre | Fringe, we are always most interested The Simpsons Taught Me cast, headed by the renowned and 11-16 Aug in the newly developed or still sought-after Cecilia Bartoli, perform Everything I Know | Voodoo BIT MORE CLASSICAL The listing for this warns that it is developing ones, so here’s the first this powerful tale of love and betrayal. Rooms | 6-28 Aug OR TRADITIONAL performed in mandarin with English of three you can experience in 2016. Yes, this one is full of facts, and yes, subtitles, but how often can you This first one sounds a bit meta, really, Tenenbrae | The Queen’s Hall | 17 they might be mainly about ‘The Simpsons’, but think how hot you Aug will be on Simpsons questions next Renowned chamber choir Tenenbrae offer up a performance of pieces taking in work from a wide geographical spread and time frame, from Renaissance Spain and Italy, to Mexico, to 19th-century Germany. They are regarded as one of the world’s greatest vocal groups, so if you can pick up a ticket, don’t miss this chance to hear them in action.
Scottish Saxophone Ensemble | St Andrew’s And St George’s West | 21 Aug I am completely in love with the saxophone, but it isn’t a sound I would time they come up in a pub quiz after generally associate with the classical or you’ve been to this. Plus, you love traditional side of music; and yet, look ‘The Simpsons’, and you are going to at this, a quintet of players offering up love Yianni Agisilaou, the brilliant and “haunting psalms and whirling reels delightful comedian who performs this by contemporary Irish and Scottish show. composers”. It’s as though a beautiful dream that I didn’t know I’d had has just come true, and it’s courtesy of
MUSIC some highly talented international performers. Excellent. THREE GIGS OF A CONTEMPORARY KIND Missing Pieces - Celebrating Anohni – Hopelessness | Women Of Note | Stockbridge Edinburgh Playhouse | 17 Aug Church and St Andrew’s and St ‘Hopelessness’, described as “a scream George’s West | 14+16 Aug of fury against the evils of today’s I’m not the first to note what a shame world”, is the newest album from it is that, historically speaking, too Anohni, formerly Antony Hegarty many great female artists have been of award-winning Antony And The overlooked. So often they achieved Johnsons Fame; the live version of it, great things, and yet were ignored, or which features film, dance, electronic denied credit for their work. Which is music and Anohni’s vocals, threatens why I am glad to see this musical event to be visually stunning and emotionally featuring compositions by the likes provocative, and generally worth of Clara Schumann, Rebecca Clarke, seeing if you can get a ticket. Amy Beach and Lili Boulanger. Great composers who should be household names, like the men. NEHH - Awesome Tapes From Africa | Summerhall | 25 Aug Yes, I will come clean, because you MUSICALS will find out anyway, we have chosen two contemporary music events from Summerhall’s Nothing Ever Happens THREE OPERAS Here strand and it’s because there Norma | Festival Theatre | 5-9 is so much good stuff there was no Aug way I was going to be able to choose just one. This is the first pick, a DJ set This seasoned and award winning featuring diverse and different sounds production has already been acclaimed from all over Africa, essentially the live throughout Europe since it was first version of Brian Shimkovitz’s Awesome performed at the Salzburg Whitsun Tapes From Africa blog. Festival in 2013, so you know
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given that it’s about the tricky process to the Fringe this rather intriguing of creating songs, so that’s interesting, sounding musical adaptation of the plus, it’s from The Royal Conservatoire classic tragedy. Performed and created Of Scotland, who always come up with by young Hackney artists, the music great stuff. falls into the categories of R’n’B, grime and afrobeat, so it’s certainly not your Ghost Quartet | Roundabout @ average show tune fare. Summerhall | 5-28 Aug This already-acclaimed piece, first performed in 2013, sounds quite PHYSICAL amazing, and puts me in mind of THREE DANCE SHOWS MIS – All Night Long | Dance Base | 17-28 Jan This sounds to me like the sort of dance piece that people who “don’t like dance” might be converted by, because it promises to be lusty and funny, offering up jackass stunts, physical comedy and multimedia elements. Plus, the cast are half naked and wearing not much more than socks and sandals in their publicity shots, which I’m counting as a good thing. something like ‘Cloud Atlas’, given its interweaving narratives set in various Smother | Zoo Southside | 5-27 different times. It draws on all sorts Aug of different musical genres – “murder This dance piece is returning to ballads, doo-wop, Islamic adhan, and the Fringe after a very successful raucous campfire drinking songs and acclaimed run in 2015, so you collide”, apparently, to make this can count on it to be pretty good. something of a haunting, mash-up It features an ensemble of seven musical. directed by choreographer Andrea Walker, and theme-wise it’s on the Macbeth | C | 3-20 Aug serious side – addiction, obsession Time to brush up your Shakespeare, and commitment in the study of a not just because it’s the 400th relationship between two young men – anniversary of his death this year, but offering an interesting juxtaposition of because Hackney Empire are bringing MIS – All night Long
hip-hop and homosexuality, given the Meadows, where, as you might expect, historically tense interaction between it’s all about, well, the circus. Our first SPOKEN WORD the two. recommendation is for a show from Lost In Translation Circus that you THREE HELPINGS OF Lïnger | Dance Base | 5-21 Aug might already have heard of, because STAND UP POETRY This is choreographed by Breandán it’s back by popular demand after a previously highly acclaimed run. ‘The de Gallaí, former principal dancer in Alexis Dubus Verses The Word | Hogwallops’ is a colourful, quirky and ‘Riverdance’, who also appears as Voodoo Rooms | 6-28 Aug one of two dancers at opposing ends funny show inspired by Roald Dahl’s We have been fans of Alexis Dubus of their careers. Using photography, ‘The Twits’, and it’s a perfect show to for a long time now, ever since we film, music, and movement, the show go and see as a family. first saw his history of swearing show explores Irish gay masculinity and the (he’s doing a one-off performance of question of what happens to dancers Closer by Circa | Underbelly that this year, if you want to see it) when they reach the conclusion of George Square | 3-29 Aug and gave him a ThreeWeeks Editors’ their careers. We feel pretty confident Yaron Lifschitz’s award-winning Award for it. His “lyrical tales from that this will be a moving and insightful Australian ensemble Circa is renowned the road” combine poetry, stand-up piece. for its boundary-pushing shows and storytelling, and we offer a pretty which blur the lines between circus, much 100% guarantee that you will THREE CIRCUS SHOWS movement, dance and theatre. This enjoy them. intimate show has been specially commissioned by Underbelly to bring The Hogwallops | Underbelly’s Dan Simpson – Artificial Circus Hub | 4-22 Aug audiences a close look at what physical feats the human body can achieve, and Ineloquence | Banshee Labyrinth Hurrah for the circus, and for it sounds amazing. | 6-28 Aug Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the BBC Fringe Slam finalist Dan Simpson Elixir | Underbelly’s Circus Hub | presents a show that focuses on the rise of the robots, screens and 4-22 Aug machines that influence our modern This late night fun-filled extravaganza lives – can humanity survive in a world has a strong narrative, despite being of deep-learning artificial intelligence? a circus show: three mad scientists Expect computer-generated jokes, are trying to find a cure for a zombie emoji poetry and selfie stick stuff from epidemic. It’s an Aussie import, and this proven entertainer. you may not have heard of Head First Acrobats yet, but you surely will hear more of them in the future – this show has won acclaim elsewhere, and Get Three To See daily I expect a great critical response in threeweeksedinburgh.com TATTERDEMALION Edinburgh too.
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Scottish singer and musician, Mairi Campbell, who also tells her own story Ada/Ava in ‘Pulse’, a look at her journey through classical Guildhall training, to love and danger in Mexico, to discovering step- dancing in Cape Breton. Described as a “quest to heal cultural wounds” the show was first performed in 2015 to critical acclaim, and I imagine it’s only got better since then.
THREE WITH PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Stand Up And Slam | Just The Bricking It | Underbelly Cowgate Tonic At The Mash House | 4-28 | 4-28 Aug Aug A show in which an actual father and If you like your spoken word funny and daughter actually swap jobs sounds competitive, then this is definitely the interesting, doesn’t it? Pat is a 73 year show for you, and if you like it, you can old builder, his daughter Joanna is go more than once because different a 29 year old writer and performer, stuff will happen each time. Six skilled a mesmerising performance as twins this is a piece with a broader appeal acts from all around the UK go head comical, improvised adventure game who do absolutely everything in the than that might suggest. Rhiannon to head to win your approval, and the homage. same way, suddenly disrupted by one Faith brings real-life experiences to the result promises to be hilarious. It’s a sister’s decision to take a different stage in a show which sees two young tried and tested formula that’s already A Good Clean Heart | Underbelly path. Sounds excellent. women attending therapy in order to won loads of fans, so make sure this is Cowgate | 4-28 Aug learn about themselves, and we think on your list. This is on the list for two reasons: one, this will be amazing. Ada/Ava by Manual Cinema | it just about falls into the category of Underbelly Potterow | 3-29 Aug ‘unusual’ by being a bilingual show THEATRE This has a similar theme to ‘Pip And Knightmare Live | Pleasance performed in both Welsh and English Twig’, really, though the cause of Dome | 3-28 Aug (don’t worry, it’s accessible to those THREE MUSICIANS the separation of this pair of twins is Bored of ordinary theatre? Yearning to who only speak the latter). And two, GONE THEATRICAL death, rather than choice. Acclaimed see the cult TV classics of your youth it just sounds really blooming good. company Manual Cinema use shadow adapted for the stage? Step right this It’s a funny, moving play from award- Wind Resistance | Rehearsal puppets, overhead projectors, actors way for ‘Knightmare Live’, which is winning playwright Alun Saunders Studio, The Lyceum Theatre | and for the sake of creating a piece and live music to tell the story of back following a successful run in focusing on two brothers, raised of theatre, he’s going to learn how to 5-29 Aug bereaved sister Ada, who continues a 2015, and this time they’ve made some separately in different families, and be a comedian and she’s going build solitary life in a world she and her twin changes – it will be bigger, better, and speaking different languages. Looking There are a few musicians at this the stage for his debut. It’s not just a created for two. Expect something involve multiple contestants in this forward to it. year’s Festival who have broadened gimmick though, the intention is to poignant, spooky and beautiful. their performances to something that examine just how much what you do fits into the theatre programme, and affects who you are, and the result Twelfth Night or The Ship Of we find that quite intriguing. In this should be compelling and hilarious. International Festival presentation, Fools | theSpace On The Mile | award-winning Edinburgh singer 5-13 Aug Sweet Child Of Mine | Gilded songwriter Karine Polwart combines Time now for some classic twin action story and song to explore history, Balloon Teviot | 3-29 Aug with a twist. Accomplished Fringe birdlore and personal memories, and it And if you thought that sounded regulars Livewire return with a vaguely sounds absolutely lovely. appealing, this one might end up on unrecognisable sounding version your to-see list too. Australian Bron of one of the bard’s finest plays, to Batten performs live with her parents, Horse Macdonald in Careful | include a swingalong soundtrack and as they discuss art, theatre and what Gilded Balloon At The Museum | action aboard British Airways flight exactly she does for a living. The 1212. Sounds crazy, but it might just 3-29 Aug ensuing show is funny, touching and work. Meanwhile, another renowned honest, and has already won awards Scottish singer songwriter – Horse, and provoked glowing reviews at aka Sheena Mary Macdonald – heads home down under. THREE THAT ARE Fringe-wards with her theatrical SOMETHING UNUSUAL offering, a biographical and no doubt E15 | Northern Stage at fascinating account of growing up gay Scary Shit | Pleasance Courtyard Summerhall | 6-27 Aug in 1970s Lanarkshire, and her journey | 3-29 Okay, so this one doesn’t quite fit with to becoming one of Scotland’s most This section is for those of you looking the theme, really, because it’s about celebrated vocalists. for something a little different, that the action of a group of mothers, and perhaps blurs the boundaries between doesn’t really involve any children, genres. ‘Scary Shit’ is certainly that, Mairi Campbell - Pulse | but it’s an excellent verbatim piece on because although it’s listed in the Summerhall | 3-28 Aug how 29 single parents united against dance/physical theatre section, I think And yes, it’s yet another brilliant London’s Newham Council to fight the gentrification of their home town and avoid being forced to relocate away from it. Important and timely.
THREE WITH TWINS The Convolution Of Pip And Twig | SpaceTriplex | 5-27 Aug Lots of people are fascinated by twins and the way that the relationship between a pair can be so close and even co-dependent. In ‘The Convolution Of Pip And Twig’, Kara McLane Burke and Siân Richards offer
PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PAGE 23 TW VIEWS THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL! Stephen Greer: Your guide Jinx Yeo: Top five Asian comedians to Glasgow at the Fringe Jinx Yeo is very
extremism. While on the south side, much an Edinburgh While Edinburgh might dominate a little ‘Cock And Bull’ Kieran Hurley’s new show ‘Heads Up’ newcomer, and during its Festival month, let’s not forget what at Summerhall features an original score from Michael John McCarthy is headed over to a great cultural hub Glasgow is all year round. (known for his work on Dundee Rep’s revival of 7:84’s ‘The Cheviot, The Stag Scotland all the way And plenty of the talent that makes that so can & The Black, Black Oil’) in telling the from Singapore, the be found here in Edinburgh during August. story of a familiar city on the edge of destruction. first person from that As for Fringe 2016, and the work that we can Hurley’s show also appears as part of specific area of the expect to make a big impression here that’s the Scottish Government sponsored world, I’m assured, to made its way over from the more Westerly Made In Scotland showcase which looks to offer an alternative to the stage a comedy show regions of Scotland, we thought we’d turn to biennial British Council Showcase in programming tour-ready work at the Edinburgh someone a bit more immersed in that scene to catch the eye of promoters from around the UK and overseas. This Festival. To celebrate than we are. So over to Fringe veteran and year, the showcase also features Sam his inaugural Fringe lecturer in theatre practices at the University Rowe’s queer, literary autobiographical work ‘Denton And Me’ alongside experience, we Of Glasgow, Stephen Greer. Gary Gardiner and Ian Johnston’s collaboration with the late Adrian thought we’d let him Howells, ‘Dancer’ – a show featuring tell us a bit about While Edinburgh lays claim to But August means the Fringe which rally to defend their school friend the best (most generous, most the world’s largest arts festival, means – like everyone else – Glasgow’s and her asylum-seeking family touching) interpretation of Lady his favourite Asian Glasgow’s all-year-round theatre off to Edinburgh in search of a stage from deportation – also returns Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ that you’re going to and performance scene produces and an audience. Here’s a small slice to Edinburgh at the Assembly see across the whole Festival. comedians, so that some of Scotland’s most exciting and of what you can expect from the Rooms (perhaps taking on renewed you will know, now adventurous new work. theatre-makers who make a home in significance in a country that voted to Both works first saw light at The Scotland’s largest city. Remain in last month’s referendum). Arches, the sprawling club and and in the future, It helps, of course, that the city hosts performance space forced into closure The Tron and The Citz – hubs for new National Theatre Scotland’s hotly- Glasgow theatre’s ongoing affair with in mid-2015 after a licensing dispute exactly which Asian writing and contemporary stagings anticipated collaboration with US- the possibilities of live music, spoken and the heavy-handed intervention of of classics respectively – as well as based ensemble The TEAM, ‘Anything word and radical politicals sees a pair Police Scotland. It’s no small measure acts to keep your the CCA (aka Glasgow’s Centre For That Gives Off Light’, premieres at the of new shows from the creative team of The Arches’ legacy that so many eyes peeled for Contemporary Art), Tramway and Edinburgh International Conference behind 2013’s love letter to clubbing artists associated with the space have an ever-expanding experimental Centre, splicing myths from both and the power of the crowd, ‘Beats’. become regular fixtures at venues and when traversing the performance scene which includes nations with live music from the First, Julia Taudevin joins forces with festivals around the world. the free festival //BUZZCUT// and the Scottish-American folk tradition. Kim Moore, and Susan Bear and Julie comedy festivals of freshly-minted scratch night ‘Only NTS’s hugely successful musical Eisenstein from Glasgow’s indie-pop Other Arches associates present the world... Skin’. ‘Glasgow Girls’ – based on the true duo Tuff, for guerilla-gig-theatre show at this year’s Fringe include Nic story of seven feisty teenagers who ‘Blow Off’, tackling the psychology of Green, whose show ‘Cock And Bull’ – created with Rosana Cade and Ishbel McFarlane in ‘O Is For Hoolet’ Laura Bradshaw – sees three women I’m a big comedy fan, so it’s hard turn Tory conference speeches into Photo by AliceBoreas Photography to whittle down my list of favourite theatre in an act of political exorcism. comedians to just a handful. But You should also fight for a slot to here are five of my favourite Asian experience Cade’s deceptively simple comedians... yet striking ‘Walking: Holding’ – a one- to-one performance in which audience members are led by the hand on a 1. Paul Ogata carefully planned route within the When I was asked to write this list, city. Both shows appear as part of the Paul Ogata was the first name that Forest Fringe at Out Of The Blue Drill immediately sprang to mind. Hall, now in its tenth year. Across town, Ishbel McFarlane’s ‘O Is For Hoolet’ I first watched Paul perform in (which started life as winner of The Singapore about a month after I Arches Platform 18: New Directions started doing comedy. It was a mind- Award) sings a passionate and moving blowing experience – I didn’t know it history of Scots and minority language was possible for a comedian to kill so culture at the Storytelling Centre. hard. I remember thinking, “this is the standard of comedy that I shall aspire Finally – and flying the flag for to”... and that hasn’t changed. Glasgow’s sharply socialist generosity – stalwart of the Glasgow and Scottish Not only does Paul have a seemingly comedy scene Janey Godley returns endless bag of hilarious and clever for her thirteenth year at the Fringe material, he’s also razor-sharp when with a pay-what-you-want show at the it comes to thinking on his feet. He’s Free Sisters on the principle that no- one of the rare comedians who can one should be too poor to see comedy. improvise an entire comedy set just No money will go to promoters as Godley posted on social media, “if you can afford it, put money in the bucket; if you can’t afford it, take money out”.
TW PAGE 24 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION VIEWS GET MORE GUEST COLUMNS BY EMAIL: THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM/SIGNUP Jinx Yeo: Top five Asian comedians
problems is one of the most brilliant Yusuf doesn’t do either. And that’s what based in Asia, I don’t have a fanbase in Photo by WilzWorkz jokes ever written. makes him so refreshingly unique. the UK, so I was apprehensive about Instead of going for the easy laughs, his traveling halfway across the world to Website: ronnychieng.com intelligent humour mixes introspective do the Fringe. But Imran told me: “The personal revelations with insightful worst thing that can happen at the social commentary. Fringe, is that the experience will make 5. Imran Yusuf you a better comic”. So here I am. Indian comedians often play on Indian He’s also a prince of a guy – generous stereotypes, and Muslim comedians to a fault when it comes to offering help Website: imranyusuf.com often play on Muslim stereotypes. and guidance. It’s much due to Imran’s There’s nothing wrong with that – but encouragement that I’m making my Jinx Yeo performs ‘A+ Underachiever’ at as an Indian-Muslim comedian, Imran debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. Being Laughing Horse @ Southside from 4-28 Aug
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based on audience interaction. familiar to Fringe-goers. A comedian Even though he’s based in America, who keeps you on your toes, Shazia’s Paul regularly tours in Asia three or act is akin to watching someone do four times a year because audiences backflips on the tight rope between just can’t get enough of him. If you’ve funny and taboo. She takes on sensitive ever watched him perform, you’ll topics that even “edgy” comedians probably understand why. often tiptoe around (such as Islamic extremism), and confronts these issues Website: paulogata.com head-on like a boss. Unapologetically controversial, just the way I like it.
2. Ron Josol Website: shazia-mirza.com A master of fat-free comedy. Punchy routines without a wasted word, while still maintaining a natural 4. Ronny Chieng conversational flow. He seamlessly Many people have said that an integrates accents and impersonations, aggressive cynical stage persona with observations and hilarious (often couldn’t work for a Chinese comedian, true) stories. If you get the chance, ask but Ronny Chieng proved them all him about that time he fought Royce wrong. His angry-yet-funny rants have Gracie (former UFC champion). led some people to describe him as an ‘Asian Bill Burr’, though I don’t think that does justice to Ronny’s unique 3. Shazia Mirza comedic points-of-view. His bit on The one on my list probably most helping his Mum fix her computer
PREVIEW EDITION | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PAGE 25 TW VIEWS GET MORE GUEST COLUMNS BY EMAIL: THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM/SIGNUP Penny Ashton: A tale of two nuptials
therefore lead to how an Austenian kerchiefs, and possibly contemplated might die, and doing what your If you were around at last year’s Fringe, you nuptial and an Ashton one differ, ever how nice it might be to vote and not be husband tells you. might have noticed the triumphant return so slightly. considered their husband’s chattels. In Ashton times we walked down the to the Fringe of Ms Penny Ashton, following The Proposal In Ashton times I did everything. Every. aisle to ‘Especially for You’, all mention Thing. I spent a day deciding how to of imaginary sky friends was banned, In Austen times a woman’s lot was an absence of an interminably long decade. display table numbers then read ‘The and I ruminated on a barren future to simper coquettishly in the corner, Bell Jar’ and ‘How To Be A Woman’ of disposable income and sneezing She took the Festival by storm with her Jane pinching her cheeks and hoping her to douche the bridezilla away. I got a without pissing myself. dance card would be filled in. Once fucking Pinterest account and kept the Austen inspired one person musical ‘Promise she had danced with a man more than courier man busy delivering petticoats three times and he’d seen a flash of The Wedding Night And Promiscuity’, garnering plaudits galore from China, flower-girl hair garlands ankle, the only decent thing to do was In Austen times this was when a man from the US and a sense of perspective and winning lots of new fans, who will be glad get hitched. showed his wife all he had learned at from nowhere. Oh but I did have a public school and from touring the magnificent hope chest, and quite to hear that she is bringing the show back for In Ashton times I asked Matt out, continent. frankly a stunning glory box. another run. pinched his arse and declared him my boyfriend after he filled me in roughly In Ashton times it was distinctly more three times. Five years later on a The Dress Bronte in flavour. I had two hours In the intervening time, though, she began bridge in Paris he caved in to my many In Austen times lighter shade dresses sleep, as I actually had the flu through a new adventure, when she got married hints - such as “So when are we bloody were common to indicate purity and my whole wedding and was throwing getting married?” - and proposed with a hymen intacta. They were floor up and crying all night. I tell you this back home in New Zealand... which had the gaudiest $2 shop ring you have length to prevent Uncle Stuffypants to warn all future brides; stock up on ever seen. It looked like it had a herpes from fainting at the sight of an ankle, vitamins and sleeping pills before you us wondering how that would compare to rash, and it was perfect. but pleasingly the bosom was often get hitched. But most importantly, marriage, Austen style. presented high. pick a man who will hug you and fetch The Planning you ginger ale and tell you how much In Ashton times I wore as many colours he loves you as he hears your insides In Austen times a woman had been as I could to represent my hymen become outsides through the toilet In March 2016 all my Jane Austen I looked a miserable bitch too so planning her wedding since she obliterata. And my bosoms weren’t as door. dreams came true when I married my First Impressions (as ‘Pride And was a small child (unless she was high as they used to be. own personal Mr Darcy. Prejudice’ was initially called) can be a servant, then she was too busy Love you Mr Harvey. misleadingly vexatious. Or bollocks. scrubbing skid marks out of bloomers I say that not because he had a and contemplating ever increasing The Ceremony universally acknowledged good As I prepare for another season of my inequality and looming pox to care). In Austen times a priest would intone Penny performs ‘Promise And Promiscuity’ at Assembly George Square Theatre from fortune, but because I thought he was solo Jane Austen musical ‘Promise And Austenian ladies would no doubt have on God’s plan for a fecund life of 4-29 Aug. stuck up when we met. He thought Promiscuity’ at Assembly, thoughts had a Hope Chest filled with crocheted squirting out babies half of whom
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TW PAGE 26 | THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM | PREVIEW EDITION INFO THREEWEEKS: 21 YEARS COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL!
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