We have another Edinburgh Festival interview and more Threes To See in this week's bulletin. And look out for more going live every day this week on the website.
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Meanwhile, here in the Monday edition of the bulletin we continue to cover great comedy, theatre and culture in London - with this week's London Threes To See coming up below the Edinburgh coverage.
So, let's get going...
KACIE ROGERS: I SELL WINDOWS
'I Sell Windows' is one black woman's exploration of what is birthed at the collision of grief, ambition and sex.
It's a fascinating sounding piece written and performed by Kacie Rogers, and also features shadow puppetry created by Brittaney Talbot.
The show is being co-produced at this year's Fringe by three LA-based companies: Outside In Theatre, IAMA Theatre Company and Bottle Tree Theatre, the latter of which was co-founded by Kacie herself.
I wanted to find out more about the production and the people behind it, so spoke to Kacie as she prepared for her trip to Edinburgh.
CLICK HERE to read this Caro Meets interview.
'I Sell Windows' is on at Assembly George Square Studios from 1-25 Aug. Find the edfringe listing here.
THREE SHOWS WITH US POLITICAL THEMES>>
The Bronze Boy | Greenside @ Riddles Court | 2-24 Aug
There's always a fair amount of political content at the Edinburgh Festival, whether it's in interesting talks or the result of more creative endeavours. And there's always a lot to be said about the politics of the USA. 'The Bronze Boy' touches on a hot US topic, one that gets the rest of the world talking: the national obsession with guns. It's also about love and loss, and is funny as well as provocative. Info and tickets here.
Ellie MacPherson: Babe Lincoln | Pleasance Courtyard | 31 Jul-25 Aug
As I said, political content comes in many shapes at this here Festival. Sometimes it's not that serious, and sometimes, like here, the focus is the past, not the present. You might remember Ellie MacPherson's previous comedic cabaret 'Happy Birthday, Mr President!', a history of US presidents in song. Well, she's back: "Ellie wants your vote and she's getting it the only way she knows how, by singing and sharing stories from America's past". Info and tickets here.
Born In The USA (Leaving Vietnam) | C alto | 31 Jul-25 Aug (pictured)
Another returning talent is Richard Vergette, who performed this show at the 2022 edfringe, our reviewer gave it a really good write up. A London run followed that, which is when that I spoke to Richard about the creation of the play and its inspiration - you should read that Q&A to find out more. But, in a nutshell, this play is about a disillusioned Vietnam veteran who is hooked by Trump's MAGA message. Info and tickets here.
THREE SHOWS WITH TECHY AND AI STUFF GOING ON>>
Non-Player Character: Live Virtual Reality Musical | Imaginex at YOTEL Edinburgh in association with ZOO | 2-26 Aug (pictured)
Well, it feels like it's time to invoke some cliches about the speed at which the world is changing, advances in technology, and whether it's all to the good or in fact rather evil. Or maybe I'll bypass all that and just talk about some shows that reference or use that kind of stuff in some way. Here's a very, very intriguing thing, a live VR musical! It's part live concert, part escape room, part immersive theatre, and every show will be different. Yay. Info and tickets here.
Ted Hill: 110 Percent Normal | Assembly George Square Studios | 31 Jul-26 Aug
Okay, well, that was a musical - which is nice, because we like musicals - but now that we've done a musical, let's tip some of the veritable millions of comedy shows happening at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but sticking with the techy theme, obviously. Ted Hill is known for his multimedia approach to comedy, employing visual aids, Powerpoints and projectors to create shows that are rather silly, but on grown up topics. This one's a celebration of what makes us unique. Again, yay! Info and tickets here.
Anesti Danelis: Artificially Intelligent | Underbelly Bristo Square | 31 Jul-25 Aug
I felt pretty sure even before the press releases started to roll in this year that I'd surely see at least one show that references ChatGPT and here it is (disclaimer: there may well be many others). Award winning comedian Anesti Danelis returns to the Fringe with a show that asks some very big questions about our relationship with AI and the issues it can create, but it's also a journey of self discovery and it sounds fab. Info and tickets here.
THREE SHOWS ABOUT OLDER WOMEN>>
Julie Flower: Grandma's Shop | Gilded Balloon Patter House | 31 Aug-26 Aug
I've always felt (and it's honestly not just because I'm getting old) that media representation of older women can be lacking, and also kinda negative when it's there, dealing in mean stereotypes. So I'd like to talk now about a couple of shows where older women are the focus. Julie Flower is the creator of this multi character solo comedy drama about her grandmother, who ran a second hand clothes shop and was "an unlikely punk icon". Info and tickets here.
In The Lady Garden | Pleasance Courtyard | 31 Jul-26 Aug (pictured)
"At 69, Alice wonders: if she hadn't been expelled from convent school and had sex with Keith from the sausage rolls section, what might her life have been? Will Alice shake off the shackles of the patriarchy and live out the rest of her days with outrageous abandon?" Another solo show, created by three older women, in which Julia Falkner plays Alice, and 21 other roles, in a funny and honest play that looks at the respect (or lack of it) given to older women. Info and tickets here.
The 100-Year Old Letter | Greenside @ George Street | 2-10 Aug
Okay, so this one isn't actually about older women, it's about women who would be incredibly old if they were still alive now. "In 1916, Christabel Mennell writes a letter of apology to Katie Marsh. It is finally delivered in 2021 and becomes a global news sensation. What was the apology for? Who were the women writing to one another? What became of them?" Intriguing, right? Info and tickets here.
CAMDEN FRINGE>>
The Silliad | Old Red Lion Theatre | 3-5, 24 Aug
Oh, it's all kicking off in the next week, isn't it? And I don't mean there's going to a be a fight or anything, I just mean that two big Fringes in my life are beginning in earnest and it's all rather exciting. And, of course, right now, we are talking about the lovely Camden Fringe, and an improv show that I simply could not resist given that title. And yes, it's improvised myth and legend. Hurrah, see this page here.
Schrödinger's Lesbians (Sappho: A Year In The Life) | Lion & Unicorn Theatre | 5-7 Aug
Another rather intriguing title, that, isn't it? And the show, structured around Sappho's fragments, promises to be joyful and irreverent and to cover love, lesbians and how to cope with a history that's written you out of it: "if two women fall in love but none of the men write about it, did it happen?" More here.
The Homosexual's Guide To The Galaxy | Museum Of Comedy | 3-4 Aug
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in a queer relationship in Victorian times? What about the far future? Well, we had no idea either, so we made some stuff up. If you like history, this has something for you. If you like sci-fi, this has something for you. If you like comedy, this is definitely for you". OK, well it seems like this definitely has something for me. Bet it's got something for you too. See this page here.
STUFF FOR SMALL PEOPLE>>
Zog And The Flying Doctors | Cadogan Hall | 1-31 Aug
Definitely time for a young fry section, I reckon, now that the summer holidays are well underway and they're probably already a bit fractious. First up, running most of the rest of the summer holidays, is an adaptation based on a picture book by kidlit superstars Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, which is most suitable for ages three plus, but all ages are welcome. Expect… well, a lot of fun, to be honest. Find out more here.
Beauty And The Beast | Greenwich Theatre | 2-25 Aug
"Lost in the forest and caught in the midst of a terrible storm, Belle's father seeks shelter in an old castle, but what starts as a magical adventure with food and drink appearing before his eyes rapidly becomes something far less cosy". Yes, I think you all know where this is heading? It may well be a familiar story, but this staging - by a very capable team - promises a fresh "magical, musical, laugh-out-loud new adaptation". More here.
Claytime | Little Angel Theatre | 2-4 Aug (pictured)
This looks like a great show - a participatory show involving clay by the award winning Indefinite Articles - but it's not just any old show, it's the first show in the line up for Little Angel Theatre's Children's Puppet Festival, which includes workshops and other events as well as performances. We'll probably mention it again in the coming weeks, but do take a look at the full line up now, as there are deals on booking more than one event.
FESTIVAL STUFF>>
Wimbledon Children's Festival | New Wimbledon Theatre | 31 Jul-11 Aug (pictured)
And talking of festivals aimed at children, here's another one. It's quite a lot shorter than the puppet festival, and it's all turning over quite quickly, so I thought I would just tip the whole thing rather than selecting one show from it. There's a range of different things to see - shows, writer events, the amazing Marcel Lucont - so if I were a parent of children living in the London area, I'd head to this page here to find out more.
Voices From Home | Theatre503 | 1-3 Aug
And from a shortish festival to a smallish one. That's actually also short, in more ways than one, because this is a curated collection of short plays and monologues created by emerging writers in the South East. On the first two dates, there are plays by Victoria Buse, Whitney Glover, Peter Rose, Emily Swettenham and Susanna Wolff, and on the final night there are monologues by Alex Reynolds, Oriel Nettie-Rocha and James Martinelli. More details here.
Beowulf And Grendel | Drayton Arms Theatre | 28-29 Jul
This one's in this here Festival section because it's an Edinburgh Fringe preview and it looks rather good. But I'd also like to add that there are other previews taking place at the venue this week - 'Fix Your Mind', 'Edward's Talk' and 'Flat 2' - and they all look rather good too. So I think what would be good is if you went to the venue website and took a look at the listings here and decided to see all or most of them.
MORE GREAT STUFF>>
I Love You, Now What | Park Theatre | 31 Jul-24 Aug
Who is fed up of festivals and fringes and shows for kids? Go on, you can say, don't be shy? No? Well, I know you are out there, so here are some shows which are relatively untouched by fringeness. Well, apart from this one, which won a lot of friends up at edfringe last year, and is now beginning a fairly chunky run at the old Park Theatre. It's the work of actor and comedian Sophie Craig and it's funny, but also heartbreaking. More here.
As You Like It | Wilton's Music Hall | 1-2 Aug
Nearly at the end of today's London tips now, but first, I reckon there's time to take a trip to Wilton's Music Hall for the rendering of an absolute classic by a well practised and excellent theatrical group. The Duke's Theatre Co have previously toured 'Romeo And Juliet', 'Twelfth Night' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' to critical acclaim, so I reckon they'll make a good fist of 'As You Like It'. Click here.
When It Happens To You | Park Theatre | 31 Jul-31 Aug
And finally… back over to the Park Theatre for the very compelling sounding 'When It Happens To You', which has a cast full of familiar faces led by extra familiar face Amanda Abbington, and they're directed by Jez Bond. It's about a mother trying to hold her family together after a devastating, life changing event, and promises to be "an unmissable drama fuelled by tears, laughter, hope and love". See this page here.
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