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THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL | WEEK TWO ISSUE | WWW.THREEWEEKS.CO.UK ThreeWeeks EDINBURGH ALSO INSIDE… MOLLY TAYLOR DAN NIGHTINGALE Get yourself a better brand of nonsense, with Tony Law TRICITY VOGUE PLUS Morgan & West | The Alchemist | The Ginge, The Geordie And The Geek | Unmythable | John Fleming The Flanagan Collective | Jackinabox Productions | Jonathan Prag | Alba Flamenca | and lots of new reviews START POINT For all the latest festival news as it breaks www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk/news Remembering an Edinburgh Contents Festival champion ThreeWeeks 2012 wk2 You do know that if it wasn’t for pictured here with legendary Fringe S P a horse, there wouldn’t be an impresario Richard Demarco, who is Edinburgh Festival, don’t you? presenting events as part of this year’s Lynn’s Letter 04 Summerhall festival programme. Fleming’s Fringe 04 Well, we might be exaggerating A Summerhall spokesman told slightly, but way back in 1945, when ThreeWeeks: “Ocean Swell, whose the Edinburgh International Festival winnings at the 1944 Derby and I N was first being conceived, one of the Jockey Club Cup were used by Lady event’s earliest champions was Lady Rosebery to pay part of the costs of The Alchemist 06 Rosebery, who also provided funding the first Edinburgh Festival, bridges for the first festival programme in a link between what Summerhall is Molly Taylor 06 1947. And some of that money – the doing now and the site’s history. The The Ginge, The Geordie 06 history books tell us – came from the Summerhall Brewery used horse and winnings her husband Lord Rosebery cart to deliver its beer. And when the And The Geek had made when one of the horses he brewery closed, the site became the owned, Ocean Swell, won the Derby home of the Royal Dick Veterinary C O and the Jockey Club Cup in 1944. school, which was initially founded Recognising Ocean Swell’s role for the treatment of horses, cows and Dan Nightingale 08 in helping what is now the world’s pigs. The statue also pays homage greatest cultural party to first emerge to the founding of the Edinburgh Comedy Reviews 08 way back in the mid-1940s, one of Festivals, and the unique founding Tony Law 09 the Festival’s newest venues – and a principles employed to this day”. new year-round cultural space for the Quick Quiz 10 city – Summerhall, has just unveiled Read about Summerhall’s festival Morgan & West 11 a statue in honour of the horse, programme at www.summerhall.co.uk T H News Bites Are you sitting comfortably? Theatre Reviews 12 Unmythable 13 First Edinburgh Festival Politics Festival kicks off at Let the marathon begin awards presented for 2012 Parliament once again Mark Watson may have The proceedings will be overseen by P H The Edinburgh Festival’s many awards A certain Gordon Brown is among stopped marking each Fringe the True Tales Master Storyteller Peter Physical Reviews 14 have already started to be dished out, the people set to appear at this year’s with some crazy marathon Aguero, who told ThreeWeeks: “I’m with The Scotsman presenting Fringe Festival Of Politics, which kicks off this really excited about taking part in the Jackinabox 15 of a show, but other non-stop ‘Grant’s True Tales 24 Hour Storytelling First prizes to new play productions weekend at the Scottish Parliament in 24 hour extravaganzas have Productions ‘Mark Thomas: Bravo Figaro!’ Holyrood, and which will continue the Marathon’, as not only is it a totally appeared to take their place. (Traverse), Ontroerend Goed’s ‘All following weekend (so 17-25 Aug). unique event at the Fringe but it’s also That Is Wrong’ (Traverse), Pepperdine Malcolm Rifkind and Jack McConnell And this year that includes something that’s never been tried C A University’s ‘Why Do You Stand There are among the other political what we are reliably informed before”. In The Rain?’ (C), Vicky Araico Casas’s heavyweights to appear, while is the first ever “24 hour story- He continues: “We’ll be working Tricity Vogue 16 ‘Juana In A Million’ (Pleasance Dome) Louise Welsh, Iain Banks and the Mull telling marathon”. alongside a host of different Cabaret Reviews 16 and The Group Theatre Of Helsinki’s Historical Society will represent the performers, some professional, many ‘Continuous Growth’ (Pleasance creative community in an eclectic The people behind the Grant’s True amateur, and we’ll also be involving Dome). programme under the header of Tales Festival Of Storytelling, the main the audience in open mic sessions. M U Meanwhile, broadsheet rival The ‘Politics. Culture. Creativity. A Force for show of which led our reviewer to The best thing about it is the fact that Herald has handed out some of its Positive Change’. Also look out for the say “it reminds us how intriguing the anyone and everyone can get involved Jonathan Prag 18 Angel Awards, to ‘Mies Julie’ (Assembly ThreeWeeks 3 To See recommended forgotten art of personal narrative – there’s no money in storytelling, Music Reviews 19 Hall), Rob Drummond’s ‘Bullet Catch’ Politics Festival events: ‘Libraries In can be”, are wrapping up their 2012 we’re just doing it because we love (Traverse), New Rope String Band The Digital Age’ at 1.30pm on 17 Aug, Fringe activities this week – pretty it and enjoy the connection that it (Famous Spiegeltent), Mike Oldfield’s ‘An Incredibly Brief History Of Political much as this issue of ThreeWeeks hits creates between us and the audience M O Tubular Bells For Two (Assembly Satire’ on at 10.30am on 18 Aug, and the streets – with 24 hours of back- – something that really fits with the George Square) and Assembly Roxy’s ‘NGOs Against Modern-Day Slavery’ at to-back storytelling, featuring tales ethos of what the Fringe is all about”. The Flanagan Collective 19 entire Russian season. Oh, and to Mark 3.30pm on 24 Aug. from the likes of Ophira Eisenberg, The marathon kicks off at midday Musical Reviews 19 Thomas for ‘Bravo Figaro!’, just in case Commenting on this year’s political Brad Lawrence, Martin Dockery, David on Wednesday 15 Aug at Riddles Court, the Fringe First was feeling lonely in his fest, the Presiding Officer of the Dinnell, David Dobbs, Rad Radcliff and and runs for 24 hours, obviously. More dressing room. The Herald also has an Scottish Parliament, Tricia Marwick Julie Kertesz. at www.facebook.com/grantswhisky C S outstanding achievement gong called MSP, remarked: “The Festival Of Politics the Archangel, which went last week shows the kind of innovation that sets Lucia and Scot 20 to ‘The People Show 121: The Detective the Scottish Parliament apart from Children’s Show Reviews 20 Story’ (at Assembly George Square). others in engaging both the head and As more awards start to be the heart. While debate and discussion unleashed, we’ll document them all at remain the bedrock, we have added P H www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk/festivalawards. contemporary art, music and theatre And don’t forget our ThreeWeeks to our programme that continues to Photo Page 21 Editors’ Awards. These go to the ten push boundaries”. things that the ThreeWeeks editors She added: “This year’s Festival believe made this year’s Edinburgh Of Politics continues to offer an A E Festival extra special. Winners can be exciting and intelligent addition to Words & Events Reviews 22 people, plays, productions, companies, Edinburgh’s festivals season. We venues or even whole festivals. This are delighted to be part of these year’s Editors’ Awards will be presented internationally renowned cultural C L at theSpace @ Symposium Hall on events”. Saturday 25 Aug at 10.30am. More info The full programme is online at Shows Guide 23 at www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk/awards www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk. www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk WEEK TWO | WWW.THREEWEEKS.CO.UK | PAGE 03 S P START POINT WantFor all to the know latest about festival hot newsshows as first? it breaks Getwww.ThreeWeeks.co.uk/news mini-reviews via Twitter by following www.twitter.com/twittique Lynn’s letter to Edinburgh: Now it’s time to enjoy yourself stood before these people who so S P COLUMN wanted me to be amazing and did my routine. No one laughed. Oh, Lynn Ruth Miller had to there were smiles and a chuckle or sit this Fringe out with her two. Every now and again, I heard a CARO WRITES… hearty guffaw… but not one joke really foot in a cast. But that’s caught fire. The technician, who felt Gosh, those days just slip away not stopping her from my pain, told me, “They LOVED the once it’s all started, don’t they? sharing some thoughts with show, Lynn Ruth. They all listened to Like very slidey beads off a very slippy Edinburgh performers from every single word you said”. And I bit of string. I keep thinking I’m going to the other side of the Atlantic… replied, “I am a comedian. I want them have a day to catch up, but I never do. to laugh”. Once the work on one Weekly Edition I really love the second week of I trudged home in the rain that is finished, the next one is demanding the Festival. By that time, I am night and thought seriously of to be started. By the time I’ve finished comfortable with my show; I throwing the last seven years into the focus totally on my show. to get better at what I do. I love selecting reviews for a Daily Edition, I’m understand the limits of my venue nearest bin and taking up lap dancing.