As the easing of pandemic restrictions coincides with the beginning of the Edinburgh Festival, theatre-lovers can look forward to a blend of getting back to normal and everything being different during August.
While a wealth of new shows have been announced in recent days and weeks, the number is still down on usual, with many events held in specially-adapted outdoor arenas.
With more booking power than anyone else, the Edinburgh International Festival was quick off the mark with a range of plays in various spaces. One of the month’s big draws, of course, is Star Wars actor Domhnall Gleeson in the debut performance of Enda Walsh’s dark new play Medicine (Traverse, until 29th August), while the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s adaptation of Giles Andreae and Korky Paul’s children’s book Sir Scallywag and the Golden Underpants will be held in the grounds of Craigmillar Castle (14th August).
Dundee playwright
A range of work-in-progress and short-run pieces include Jaimini Jethwa’s Dundee-set tale of the gods Hindu Times (20th to 21st August), Hannah Lavery’s response to a true-life death in police custody in Kirkcaldy, Lament for Sheku Bayoh (25th to 28th August), and two tales of women’s experience in post-Arab Spring Cairo, Ahlam’s You Bury Me (13th and 14th August) and Sara Shaarawi’s promenade audio story Niqabi Ninja (12th to 28th August).
The Traverse Theatre also remains a go-to for new writing during Edinburgh’s August, with Frances Poet’s new story of five Edinburgh lives coming together, Still (until 22nd August), being one of the biggest deals. Later in the month This is Paradise (24th to 29th August), Michael John O’Neill’s play about Belfast around the time of the Good Friday Agreement, will also debut live.
We’re concentrating on live and in-person shows in this round-up, but please check each venue or organisation’s website for new online-only pieces, or on-demand screenings of some of the live shows listed here. The highest-profile home of these, as with last year, is the Traverse co-produced Shedinburgh Fringe Festival (until 29th August), which features live-broadcast one-off shows from the likes of Harry Hill and Mark Thomas.
Covid-safe venues
One of the new, Covid-safe outdoor venues established for this year’s Fringe is MultiStory, a joint venture on Castle Terrace car park from the Traverse, Gilded Balloon, Zoo and Dancebase. Among the theatre highlights from the programme here are two crowdpleasers from Glasgow’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint in Aye Elvis (6th to 29th August) and Chic Murray: A Funny Place for a Window (7th to 28th August).
The ever-excellent Summerhall has also built their own Secret Courtyard space, and although it will largely host live music, selected live theatre shows include the ever-innovative Mamuro Iriguchi’s amusingly educational show for younger audiences Sex Education Explorers (S.E.X.) (6th to 29th August), John Osbourne’s evocative storytelling show My Car Plays Tapes (11th and 12th August), John Hegley’s Drawings of Dromedaries (and Other Creatures) (11th to 14th August) and artist and musician Martin Creed’s solo show Everything is Going to Be Alright (24th to 26th August).
Elsewhere, there are some old favourites and highly promising new shows among the line-ups at the biggest venues. Returners include the cabaret hit Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho (Underbelly George Square, 12th to 15th August) and Apphia Campbell’s diptych about song and civil rights Black is the Colour of My Voice (Pleasance at EICC, 6th to 14th August) and Woke (Pleasance at EICC, 6th to 15th). Also back are David Calvitto’s acclaimed piece about magic The Event (Assembly Roxy, 16th to 22nd August), the Nick Sharratt kids’ book adaptation You Choose (3rd to 22nd August) and Guy Masterson’s Dylan Thomas adaptation Under Milk Wood – Semi-Skimmed (until 11th August).
New shows
We’re also looking forward to seeing brand new shows including the real-life tale of indiscriminate gun violence in the US, Screen 9 (Pleasance, 10th to 29th August), big tech and Artificial Intelligence satire Eugene (Pleasance, 10th to 15th August), and Martha Watson Allpress’ piece about domestic violence Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her) (Pleasance at EICC, 17th to 29th August).
Please note that date ranges listed may not include every day within the range. For full dates, booking information and Covid policies, see the venue or company’s website.
Visit the Edinburgh Festival Fringe site here.
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