Don't forget - in addition to the TW Weekly each Monday - for Fringe fans there is the TW Daily every other day of the week. That'll return tomorrow morning with all the latest reviews, more Q&As and another Three To See. If you are not a TW Daily subscriber and would like daily Edinburgh Fringe updates throughout August, click here and get yourself signed up.
Acclaimed comedy clowning double act duo Zach and Viggo returned to Edinburgh this year with a show that, to my mind, sounded rather different and quite hard to define. I expect good things, obviously, of this collaboration with LA based band Thumpasaurus, but I definitely wanted to talk to them about it, because I needed to get a handle on quite what to expect.
So, I did what you'd expect someone with a media platform and some PR contacts to do. I arranged to have a quick chat, to find out more. Read the interview here.
‘Zach & Viggo and Thumpasaurus: Where Does the Love Go?' is on at Underbelly Cowgate until 26 Aug.
We're talking to people who perform or work at the Edinburgh Festival each year to get their perspectives on what performing or producing at the world's biggest cultural event involves, and top tips on how to get the most out of the experience. This time Alison Pollard-Mansergh, founder and Artist Director of Interactive Theatre International.
All of Edinburgh becomes a stage during the Festival, and that is particularly true with the site-specific shows that are staged each August, where performances take place outside of traditional theatre spaces. ITI have been bringing their 'Faulty Towers The Dining Experience' show to the Fringe for over a decade, and this year are presenting a total of four shows at their own venue at The Principal hotel. We spoke to Alison about the excitement and challenges of staging this kind of theatre.
CLICK HERE to read today's TW:DIY interview.
An interesting looking show begins a short run at The Space Arts Centre this week, and as soon as I heard about it, I wanted to see it. It's a devised piece focussing on four young travellers and their experiences as migrants, and is delivered by an international cast and crew.
I spoke to co-director, Mariana Aristizábal Pardo, to find out more about the show and the people behind it. Read the interview here.
'I Occur Here' is on at The Space from 14-18 Aug, see the venue website here to book your tickets.
TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018 >>
Medicine | The Hope Theatre | 14 Aug-1 Sep
"One howling night in Northern Ireland, Ma discovers Moira on the edge of Warrenpoint pier, full of cheap whiskey and desperate to end it all... Is it too late to bring her daughter home?" This play by award-winning playwright Meghan Tyler is described as a "quick-witted tragi-comedy" that explores a rather complex thing - the relationship between a mother and her daughter - and deals with the thorny topic of mental ill health. See this page here for info and to book.
With Child | Soho Theatre | 14-15 Aug
Oh, and talking of mothers, here are some more, in this talking-heads style show: "Inspired by society's expectations and the pressures on women to be maternal, kind, considerate individuals. There is one thing these women share, they are all pregnant, however they rarely refer to this - but do we as an audience judge them differently because of their impending motherhood". Head this way for details.
Sunshine | Theatre503 | 14-16 Aug
"All Mr Sand wanted to do was relax and enjoy the breeze of the sea air on his skin and the sunshine on his face. Simple pleasures. However, he did not know that he would have to share the beach with someone else. Let's just say Mr Sand's day was about to be turned upside down and inside out. Caught up in the whirl pool of Mr Sea's chaos Mr Sand does everything he can to get a bit of peace and quiet". This looks fun, an interactive clowning show suitable for all but the very little ones. More here.
WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST 2018 >>
Piff The Magic Dragon And The Dog Who Knows | Underbelly Festival | 15 Aug (pictured)
Looks like Piff is performing this show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe tomorrow, so that will be a quick turnaround! Anyway, if you won't have the chance to partake of edfringe fare this summer, here's your chance to see one of those shows here in London. He's a long term TW favourite, and has, I suspect, converted many a Fringe-goer who didn't think they were interested in a magic show. Head this way for more.
Bec Hill - I'll Be Bec | Soho Theatre | 14-18 Aug
And now another TW fave that we first discovered via myriad shows up in the Scottish Capital, but who won't, as far as I'm aware, be performing up there this year. This sounds like exactly my kind of show: "Bec Hill went to the future so that you don't have to! What are we wearing? Are robots in control? Was this show worth seeing? All these questions and more* answered in this brand new hour of stand-up! *There will be a Q&A element to the show for anyone with pressing queries". Info right about here.
Boxes | The Cockpit | 13-16 Aug
Yay, back to Camden Fringe for this, a piece of postmodern and great sounding physical theatre: "TJ and Toni are clearing out the house of their estranged father after his recent death. TJ is organised and capable. Toni is angry, impatient and eager to be somewhere, anywhere else. They learn that human lives are never simple enough to fit neatly into the boxes we try to put them in". Details here.
THURSDAY 16 AUGUST 2018 >>
Mosaic | Arcola Theatre | 16-19 Aug
Hurrah for Grimeborn, for lo, Arcola Theatre's strand of bold and interesting opera continues, and this I'm especially interested in. 'Mosaic' is a programme within the festival designed to platform and celebrate Black and Asian opera makers in the UK, telling stories yet to be seen and heard in contemporary Britain. "From West Africa to Armenia to ancient China and beyond, hear opera traditions from around the world mixed with jazz, Chinese orchestra, edgy contemporary classical and more". More here.
Tom Binns is Unbelievable | Soho Theatre | 15-18 Aug (pictured)
Renowned character comedian Tom Binns, creator and star of BBC One's 'Hospital People', who won our hearts in the guise of Hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury and did everything to keep possession of them as Ian D Montfort, is probably known to you all through his live performance and TV appearances. According to the blurb, he's spent years mastering cold reading so he can spoof the spirit mediums, and I'm presuming that's relevant to the content of the show. Anyway, he is excellent, get your tickets here.
Fourth Monkey's Scandal Season - Bombshells | The Monkey House | 16-26 Aug
"Evris Mann was on the verge of pushing Hollywood into a new age. When he dies suddenly, the stars of Hollywood attend his memorial dinner and a string of bombshells are dropped in his wake. A new era is about to unfold, but as the sun sets on the life of Evris Mann, will the women of silent stardom find their voices?" Another offering from Camden Fringe for you. See the festival website here for more info.
FRIDAY 17 AUGUST 2018 >>
And Tell Sad Stories Of The Death Of Queens | King's Head Theatre | 14-19 Aug
"When Candy, a New Orleans queen, brings home a sailor neither knows that this one night will bind them together. Both are soon lost believing in fantasy versions of each other". Tennessee Williams' short one act play, never performed during his life because of its openly gay characters, and first staged in the US in 2004, which explores the boundaries of love, passion and heartbreak. See this page here to book your tickets.
Quarter Life Crisis | Soho Theatre | 16-18 Aug
If you're a regular reader you'll probably have heard of this show before, because of our previous inclusion of it in these here tips, and because of the Q&A we ran with its creator Yolanda Mercy. We also sent a reviewer to see it last year at edfringe, and she praised its "highly amusing anecdotes" and described it as an "authentic performance that manages to be genuinely moving, comical and particularly easy to relate to if you're turning 26". So, to conclude, a great show that you will like, so, a no brainer: head this way for more.
Blue | Etcetera Theatre | 15-19 Aug (pictured)
"Meet Blue. She's up on the Moon. Will she get home anytime soon?" We are headed back over to the good old Camden Fringe now for 'Blue', a "new abstract fairy tale for adults underlining why it's important to reach out when you're 'not OK". Expect to follow Blue on her journey through space, to explore her experiences with mental health, via the media of "poetry, clowning, cardboard and a lobster called Spock". See the festival website herefor details.
SATURDAY 18 AUGUST 2018 >>
To The Moon... And Back... And Back | Etcetera Theatre | 18-22 Aug (pictured)
As you know, we have been recommending Camden fringe shows at a rate of about one a day, so it should probably come as no surprise that today, vaguely arbitrarily, we decided we would make all three tips Camden Fringe tips. And we start with this, a one woman show by Rachel Salisbury, based true life events. "One Sunday evening I updated my Facebook status. By Monday evening I had gone viral. Why? Because I, like so many others, was looking for love". More here.
Love Lab | Tristan Bates Theatre | 13-18 Aug
"In a society of screen dwellers, can we connect to more than just the wifi? Meet Livia and Perry, two people looking for The One. Love Lab, a new dating show claims to have the answer...but how will they fare under the microscope of an international audience? Are these singletons really willing to expose themselves?" This sounds interesting, based on that whole 36 questions thing. Details right about here.
God 2.0 | The Lion and Unicorn | 18, 19 + 26 Aug
I'm rather intrigued by the sound of this, as it sounds like a rather interesting idea to explore through theatre: "What question would YOU ask God? What if you didn't like the answer? In this religious satire, God gives a monthly interview answering ANY question. For Ash Pentel, a troubled heavy-weight political journalist and this month's interviewer, the right answer could be a life saver". Head this way for more info and to book.
SUNDAY 19 AUGUST 2018 >>
The Parade | Camden People's Theatre | 19 Aug
Your daily Camden Fringe dose: "Two siblings, a brother and sister live in a confined room all alone expecting a parade to take place that day. They chat, argue and share their dreams/nightmares with each other. Their only contact with the outside world is a small window in their room which looks down on the town's square. The noises and sounds start to gradually get sinister". Well, I'm intrigued. Let's try clicking this link here...?
Clown, Clown and Pigeon - The Lamentable Comed-ilogy | The Hope Theatre | 19-20 Aug (pictured)
Clown, Clown and Pigeon tackle three stories from Ovid's metamorphoses, and are inspired by characters from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. "Quince is determined to put on a show, Bottom is determined to act, and Snug is determined to have a nap. Together, they will create before your very eyes, three fantastical and lamentable tales of love and loss (Pyramus and Thisbe), of violence (The Fall of Troy) and one of betrayal (Julius Caesar)". Sounds like we may have a hilarious comedy on our hands, head this way for details.
A Little Hero | White Bear Theatre | 7-25 Aug
Not really sure what to expect from this production but I do think it's interesting from a historical and political perspective. It's a world premiere for 'A Little Hero' by young Russian playwright Valeriy Pecheykin, which stands no chance of being staged in the playwright's home country because of a law about the distribution of literature with gay themes. Fourteen year old Vovochka idolises president Putin and seeks to put the world to rights after learning about homosexuality in school. See this page here for more.
MONDAY 20 AUGUST 2018 >>
Anthony Jeselnik - Funny Games | Leicester Square Theatre | 20-21 Aug (pictured)
Highly successful US comedian Anthony Jeselnik is known for Netflix specials 'Caligula' and 'Thoughts & Prayers', as well his Roasts of Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen, and, according to the listing here, is "master of the perfectly crafted joke". Yes, that does sound like a boast, but it's not an empty one - there's lots of evidence to suggest that others believe that too, so don't worry, and do take advantage of these rare UK dates to see this acclaimed act in action. Go here.
Remote | Theatre503 | 20 Aug
"And right then she almost goes for me, over the frosties. And for a moment I don't dare, like someone's holding my neck. I don't dare even breathe. Cos Mum told me she used to fight men in the street". Short plays from five women writers from a diverse range of backgrounds, each dealing with the theme of home: exploring what it means within the current political climate, and how modern technology in our living spaces contribute to our isolation. See this page here for details.
Elephant Steps | Arcola Theatre | 20-22 Aug
Off we head now to the lovely Grimeborn for a bit more operatic action, and this 50th anniversary production of Richard Foreman and Stanley Silverman's occult, surrealist opera 'Elephant Steps'. Here's what the blurb says, and I am finding it quite compelling: "A multi-media rock-opera extravaganza where music, light, images, movement, graphics, films, incense, machinery, props and performers are incorporated into a spectacular mix". So that sounds good, doesn't it? Click here.
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