Don't forget, you can also check out all the interviews we've done so far this Festival on the website - plus there are eight editions of our TW:Talks podcast to listen to.
Have a great final weekend. We'll be back with the usual TW Weekly email on Tuesday, with our recommended shows for the week ahead in London, the latest TW:Backstage updates, and a final wrap up of Edinburgh Festival coverage.
COMEDY
Chopin's Nocturne (Aidan Jones)
Anyone seeking to 'explain' classical music - especially an Australian stand-up comic with a potty mouth - is taking a risk. Even more so, perhaps, at 10.20am with a demographic probably well familiar with Chopin's music. But the risk is worth it: the show is a delight. Against an engaging autobiographical backdrop, Aidan unpicks Chopin's famous Nocturne in E♭Major, first in 'technical' terms, accompanied by excerpts on the piano, and then with bolder imagery where his considerable comic skills come to the fore. Some of the analogies I could take or leave: as Aidan notes, this is not a programmatic piece. But he still reaches deep into the emotional core of the work with affecting honesty. Definitely one to catch post-Fringe.
Summerhall, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Alan Cranston]
Caroline McEvoy: Train Man
The Train Man in question is Caroline McEvoy's younger brother, who lives with autism, and she takes an amusing but tender look at autism through her interactions with him over the years. Proving herself to be a likeable performer right from the start, McEvoy obviously enjoys audience interaction and takes the time to connect well with the small Tuesday crowd. While there's a sprinkling of her club set gags, particularly amusing on her home country of Northern Ireland, the show hangs together well as a coherent whole and McEvoy's love and care for her younger sibling shines through no matter how hard hitting her jokes. It's a show with a lot of heart, and although it's advertised as a show about sibling rivalry it's really more about sibling bonding.
Assembly Roxy, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Tom Brogan]
David's One-Man Band (F*ck You, Steven) (Laurie Stevens, The Project People And Pierrot Productions)
Part play, part gig, part stand-up, part improv, this offering by Laurie Stevens is a cracking showcase for her many talents. It's 2006 and David, a young emo musical prodigy is about to headline 'Sticky Floors', the coolest under-16s band night in the Bay Area. But when his bandmate goes missing, he has to fill the time himself. The room warmed to the endearing character Stevens has created, and so enthusiastically contributed to the many requests for interaction, from throwing bras to playing drums to streaking on stage. The show looks not just at the fun moments teenagers have but at their communication struggles when things get tough. It's an upbeat, cheerful hour with a surprising finale that turns out to be quite touching.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Tom Brogan]
James Barr: Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex to My Mum) (W!ZARD Live)
It's no easy feat to deliver anecdotes about abuse and jokes at the same time, but James Barr pulls it off. The tone and mood are well-balanced, and the audience is with him all the way. Barr is an entertaining storyteller, and by the end of the hour, you feel like you know him. You also want to thank him and give him a hug. Apart from all the funny material - ranging from Botox and mothers to Christmas and dogs, there is a real heartbreaking core to this show and an enlightening message: 'Why are people more scared of talking about abuse than living it'? Barr makes us reflect as well as laugh. We need more honest stories like this.
Underbelly, George Square, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Sara Basso de Marc]
Smack The Pony: Back In The Saddle
Many women performing at the Fringe stand on the shoulders of the Smack The Pony trio, who brought a rare female-led sketch show to our TV screens over twenty years ago. Fiona Allen. Sally Phillips and Doon Mackichan went on to win two Emmys for it. In a freewheeling chat with broadcaster Kirsty Wark during this live reunion, the trio reveal that they still talk sketch and have come up with new material, which they've pitched to commissioners without success. Let's hope the crowd's euphoric response to the riotous opening skits of the show has been heard by those who thus far have rejected the idea of a new series. This is silly, social humour at its finest. I'm in.
Gilded Balloon at the Museum, run ended.
tw rating 5/5 | [Dionne Lackey]
Emma Holland: Don't Touch My Trinkets (Impatient Productions And Jubilee Street)
Emma Holland's 'Don't Touch My Trinkets' is a whirlwind of comedy, chaos, and charm. Opening with a tongue-in-cheek fitness test, Holland immediately sets the tone for an hour full of sharp physical humour, mad one-liners, and brilliantly unpredictable audience interaction. The show revolves around four artworks, each of which are used to tell the story of her journey into comedy after experimenting with other artforms. Holland keeps the audience constantly on edge, veering from absurdity to candid reflections, always unafraid to poke fun at controversial subjects. Witty, slightly unhinged, and endlessly entertaining, she packs a huge amount into sixty minutes, capped off with an unexpected twist that leaves the audience reeling. Not one to miss if you have the chance to see it!
Assembly George Square Studios, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Sive Lawrie]
James Trickey: Don't Count On It (Impatient Productions)
James Trickey makes a confident techno-infused entrance before suddenly declaring to his audience: "I'm a chartered accountant". It's a contrast played for laughs, though the confidence actually remains. Maybe not the 'shades-indoors' confidence of the opening sequence, but this is a confident debut hour. Parents factor heavily in the routine, as they often do with younger comedians. Though James' mother is Cambodian, while his father is older and English and prone to send charmingly bad home made greetings cards, which provides some fine source material. As does the day job, with some maths jokes that go down well, though there was a contingent of rival accountants in the audience on the day I saw the show, which might have been a factor. Nevertheless, a solid performance you can probably count on.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Chris Cooke]
Guy Williams: If You Mildly Criticise Me I'll Say It's Cancel Culture And Turn To The Alt Right (Impatient Productions and Jubilee Street)
There's quite a story to be told here. I'm not sure we get all of it. And it's definitely not delivered in the right order. But I think that's the point. Guy Williams loves tangents and goes on lots of them over the hour, to hilarious effect. The core story centres on events that may be more familiar to those living in Guy's home country of New Zealand. It involves former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman; a controversial one-time Auckland mayoral candidate called Leo Molloy; and Guy's conservative father, who may connect the two. We get just enough nuggets of information before the pay-off, a recording of a phone call between father and son. Despite the convoluted telling of the story, Guy effortlessly connects with his audience from the off, in total contrast to the awkward conversation at the show's conclusion. No criticisms at all from me.
Assembly George Square, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Chris Cooke]
Sam Williams: Touch Me Not (Presented By Mick Perrin Worldwide)
Sam Williams is wearing a cross-shaped earring as a hallmark of his two faiths - Christianity and George Michael. This performance is a comedic tour de force, and Williams' energy is infectious as he pieces together the story of how these two worlds came to fuse. In the comedy equivalent of a Hadron Collider, we spin through growing up queer in the suburbs of Maidenhead, an awakening in the spiritual Welsh mountains, his arrival in London and finding his community and learning to love. He should be in a monastery in France, and this wild stand-up hour explains why he's at the Pleasance Courtyard instead. We're in safe hands here: Williams is a natural, engaging storyteller and definitely one to watch.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Dionne Lackey]
Jacob Nussey: Primed (Mick Perrin Worldwide)
Is working in an Amazon warehouse as bad as they say? That's the question Jacob Nussey is here to answer, drawing from his three years employed as part of the Amazon machine. "Not quite" is the short answer, but the experience still sounds pretty grim, although it does also provide decent material for a comedy show. Jacob's delivery is downbeat and deadpan, which on one level works as he describes the boredom and solitude of an Amazon warehouse job, and the banality of the slogan and mascot rolled out in a futile bid to motivate the corporate giant's underpaid staff. But it also means he's not the most compelling storyteller, despite having a compelling story to tell, and it sometimes felt like the material was stronger than the performance. But there is still plenty to enjoy here.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Chris Cooke]
Jamie MacDonald: Toxic Bastard (AEG Presents)
He's maybe toxic but he also gives good comedy. Glasgow comedian Jamie MacDonald delivers an hour of hilarity as he tries to prove that disabled people can be toxic and more. It's a well-constructed hour that connects different segments together with no weak links: MacDonald demonstrates excellent comedic flow, seamlessly switching from one topic to another, dealing with the idea of a disabled parade one moment, attending an eye appointment the next. Macdonald is confident with his delivery and a competent teller of funny tales but the set feels lacking in truly outlandish or shocking moments, which holds it back a little. Still a wicked show, though.
Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andrew Melrose]
Tadiwa Mahlunge - Hakuna Ma Tad Tad (Show And Tell / Ebdon Management)
This is a hotly anticipated second hour from fast-rising Tadiwa Mahlunge. After a sell-out debut, he's back with a blisteringly funny set about family, identity, racism, politics and wealth won, lost and regained. His mum's political opposition to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe meant the family became refugees and the comedian grew up on a Welsh council estate. With frenetic pace, we go from Harare to hedge funds to Hakuna Matata. Mahlunge is a brilliant, daring storyteller who can see the ridiculousness of it all. He's self-deprecating and has a natural rapport with an audience. But his feverish impatience adds a nervous energy that means some jokes don't have time to land. With better pacing this will be stellar.
Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Dionne Lackey]
KC Shornima: Detachment Style (Country Mile Productions)
We get a solid hour of club-style stand-up here from 'Saturday Night Live' writer KC Shornima, which is presumably the intention. Though it felt like there was also the makings of a great and more cohesive Edinburgh Fringe show that was never fully realised. KC brings up her childhood living through the Nepalese Civil War, separated from her parents, almost as an aside, which is funny in the moment; as was contrasting that experience with the mundanities of New York life. But it felt like a lot more could have been pulled from that story and that juxtaposition. Instead we get some frank and funny material about sex, relationships and Trump, and an impromptu game of 'Fuck, Marry, Kill'. So, some good basic stand-up, but I'd really like to see a more fleshed out Fringe show version too.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Chris Cooke]
Andy Barr: The Hotly Anticipated 4th Debut Hour From Rising Star, Andy Barr (Liebenspiel Presents)
Opening with a funny video bit almost justifying the title and ending with, well... still not quite sure what that was, Andy Barr takes us on a slightly random, rather weird and sometimes absurd journey, punctuated by pints and poetry. I don't know if following Andy's lead and downing three pints over the hour would make the more shambolic elements of the show make sense, though I kind of hope not. There's a definite charm to the somewhat rambling flow of consciousness that connects the more overt jokes and bits of observational comedy, though it never quite feels like the whole audience is taken in by that charm. Not that Andy appears to care. It's an entertaining hour, but probably not for everyone.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Chris Cooke]
DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE + CIRCUS
False Tongues (Brett Fishel and Artists)
'False Tongues' is a haunting exploration of the experiences of women accused of witchcraft during the 17th century Salem Witch Trials. Through dance, it depicts how identities are slowly stripped away by fear, superstition, and the patriarchal systems that turn women against one another. At its best, the performance is charged with intensity, drawing the audience into an atmosphere that is both intimate and unsettling. This thoughtful interpretation is elevated by the clear bond between the trio of dancers, who balance strength with vulnerability to deliver a moving performance. While the choreography features powerful and engaging sequences, the piece could benefit from greater variation to sustain its impact. Nevertheless, 'False Tongues' delivers a cautionary message about hysteria, paranoia, and erasure that resonates deeply today.
Greenside @ George Street, until 23 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Sive Lawrie]
MUSIC
Quartet For The End Of Time (Kromatik Ensemble)
Members of the Kromatik Ensemble have international reputations of the calibre of those usually seen performing at the EIF and yet here they were in a local church - such are the delights of the Fringe! This Debussy and Messiaen programme was all engrossing - it was performed with such mastery, commitment and desire to serve the intention of the composers. Highlights were pianist Valeria Szervánszky being by turns playful and moving in Debussy's 'Préludes', mezzo soprano Lucilla Graham's expressive and lovely 'Fêtes Gallantes' by Debussy and a wonderful 'Quatuor Pour La Fin Du Temps'. The latter, heard by me on three continents many times, was the finest so far; the musicians captured what inspired Messiaen in a WW2 POW camp - only faith is left.
Greyfriars Kirk, final show 25 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
THEATRE
Matt Winning: Solastalgia (Pierrot Productions)
This winning combination has a climate scientist - yes, a real one, Matt, whose day job is to study the socio-economic consequences of global heating - who is also a fine stand-up comedian. His show cleverly weaves together several apparently disparate threads to make a hilarious but convincing whole. The thing is, he actually understands some of the deeply embedded reasons why our world appears unable adequately to respond to the climate emergency. So he's an angry man, fearful for the future of his new child, yet full of compassion, fun... and hope. And that's because, if we change our financial markets (as he believes we can) to curb their irrationality, they need not inevitably drive us towards the looming catastrophe.
Assembly George Square Studios, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Alan Cranston]
Tilly No-Body (Andy Jordan Productions / Dr ACT)
Looking for a well-crafted, fully formed and flawlessly performed show for your final few days on the Fringe? This fine piece of theatre tells the poignant story of actress Tilly Wedekind, lover, muse and wife of the better remembered Frank (who wrote the original 'Spring Awakening'). Tilly suffers greatly from his selfish ambition and morbid jealousy. But, even if it is Tilly telling it (as she finally did, 50 years after Frank's death), the writing is far too good to be entirely one-sided or lacking in nuance. It is after all about love and its complexities, on which the play achieves real insight, exploring two intertwined lives in theatre to illuminate how role-playing underpins but can also undermine relationships.
Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Alan Cranston]
Dyke Systems Ltd (Fag Packet)
Fag Packet's debut brims with the combination of camp, anti-capitalism and community in-jokes found on Queer cabaret stages, where this double-act originates. In a riff on girl-boss culture, we meet two aspiring businesswomen: high-haired femme Susan (Kheski Kobler) a devotedly conformist pyramid-schemer, and Sally (Holly Wilson-Guy) who pairs her rhinestoned power suit with hiking boots and barely restrained lust for Susan. Directed by Lucy Allan, Fag Packet's physical comedy bursts with infectiously frenetic energy. As the narrative expands beyond innuendo-infused catchphrases, the tale of Susan and Sally's saloon bar meet-cute makes it impossible not to root for their escape from corporate dystopia. With the crowd in their palms, there's potential for this duo to sharpen their satire's political edge even further.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bizz Holmes]
The Quiet Earth Beneath (Casey Jay Andrews / Jack Brett)
Caves were crucial to human cultural evolution and still form an important part of our mythologies. Through storytelling and music, this show weaves together anecdotes from modern caving with other tales, old and new, dealing with darkness, grief, and loss. Reflecting on how much we seem now to undervalue ritual, the show argues for its importance in our lives, not least in finding closure. The narration is strong, with good variations of pace and tone, and the music excellent. However, little use was made of an invitation to the audience to think of our own losses, big or small, and the time consciously allocated to the minute detail of the main story detracted from the ambition to address larger themes.
Summerhall, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Alan Cranston]
Perfect Dead Girls (Audaciously Tenacious CIC)
The contrasts between the two characters in this play are perfectly defined in their first few seconds of stage time as they both dance to 1998's 'C'est La Vie' by B*Witched, their very different attitudes displayed as they move. The two girls are in a warped teenage bedroom, which, it quickly becomes apparent, is a form of purgatory. Actors Elizabeth Robbins and Chelsea Grace are both outstanding in their roles. The non-linear storytelling shifts quickly from tender moments to loud and frantic interludes, and the performers shift emotions and energy levels seamlessly as the backstories are teased out slowly, but leave the audience in no doubt of what the pair have gone through. It's a relevant piece of work with strong performances, dynamic staging and an excellent script.
Bedlam Theatre, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Tom Brogan]
The Anti "Yogi" (Fringe Management, LLC)
With a striking blend of comedy, movement, and storytelling, Mayuri Bhandari challenges the West's commodification of yoga, taking merciless aim at 'wogi' (white yogi) culture. Bhandari switches gears with graceful precision: from peaceful breaths reclaiming yoga as spiritual practice, to sharp swipes at the billion-dollar wellness industry, and comedically imagined conversations between Krishna, Kali, and the Buddha. 'Wogi' are ripe for parody, but Bhandari digs deeper than ridiculing privilege. She assuredly unpicks inherent opposition between yoga's tenets of non-violent activism, and the extractive violence of white supremacist capitalism - including in North America, where Bhandari recognises the principles of yoga embodied at Standing Rock. This show pulses with ritualistic energy, and delivers an important message with bold humour and unshakeable purpose.
Greenside @ George Street, until 23 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Bizz Holmes]
WANTED (Eleanor Higgins)
What happens when a millennial's sense of entitlement is slowly crushed as, in 2009, she emerges into the harsh world of financial crisis and recession? A good question for theatrical exploration, but this new play offers little insight. With an autobiographical root, Eleanor Higgins, also playing the main part, portrays a dangerous journey into feebly rationalised criminality. Without seeking to excuse, she nevertheless fails to address the ethical consequences of her self-regard. Although well-shaped and written in an easy vernacular, the piece still feels contrived. There may be good new writing here, but (despite all the other creatives involved), for me it presently fails to ask sufficiently challenging questions to illuminate either the morality or psychology of its subject matter.
Underbelly, Cowgate, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Alan Cranston]
Count Dykula (Airlock Theatre In Association With Soho Theatre)
Airlock Theatre's latest in a series of queer comedy musicals. The titular Count Dykula is a butch lesbian vampire who enrols at Scare University, only to clash with Scarlet Fang, the voluptuous principal on a mission to enforce human-normative behaviour amongst a monster student body of zombies, werewolves and ghouls. In a gleefully pun-riddled parody mash-up of horror and American high school movie tropes, the talented cast (Rosanna Suppa, Eleanor Colville, and Robbie Taylor Hunt) revel in the fun of their own creation. Though some audience interactions don't have the comic pay-off to justify slowing down the pace, and sound quality disappoints during some very funny songs, this is a successfully silly romp and a riotous crowd-pleaser.
Pleasance, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bizz Holmes]
Amazons (Gaël Le Cornec, Guimarães Rosa Institute Award)
A show deeply rooted in the artist's soul, freely gifted to its audiences. As Gaël Le Cornec nears receiving her British citizenship she looks back at her Brazilian heritage and the forgotten female voices that made an impact defending the Amazon rainforest. It walks the line of being informative but also entertaining, as the combination of creative visuals from a simple phone camera and a lyrical and poignant script delivering clear, evocative imagery sweeps the audience through these historic tales. Le Cornec is spectacular, giving a raw, powerful performance and connecting emotionally with her audience, as well as conveying exactly how much her South American roots mean to her. A whole rainforest of feelings are generated and we are all mesmerised by the piece.
Summerhall, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Andrew Melrose]
Ordinary Decent Criminal (Paines Plough)
In a possibly scripted ad-lib in the Fringe First-winning 'England & Son', Mark Thomas said "I'm not a real actor, you know". Maybe, but he certainly makes a great job of it here, playing Frankie, disheartened revolutionary, recovering addict and failed criminal, with great heart. That's as well as becoming a handful of prison inmates and 'screws' around him, jumping brilliantly from one character to another. The writing is cracking too. It may slightly lean into Mark Thomas's comfort zone, but it has great pace and variety - and a persistent undercurrent of authentic-feeling threat. Well shaped, there are several twists and turns, some expected some less so, before a coda expressing both the recovery of hope and a final shock.
Summerhall, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Alan Cranston]
Miles. (:Delirium: / Lauren Reed Productions / Meadows Award Winner)
The creative charge is palpable. With an eerily raspish voice, Benjamin Akintuyosi brings jazz musician Miles Davis back to life. He's talking to a young acolyte (performed by jazz trumpeter Jay Phelps) seeking to understand the creative roots of Miles' seminal 1959 album 'Kind of Blue'. Phelps also plays trumpet alongside some of its tracks as the two excavate the creativity, life forces and musical influences behind the album. Neither is there any pulling back from the drink, heroin addiction and mistreatment of women that were part of the Miles Davis story. His life at the edge is performed with brilliance but it's complicated, and a longer running time would have given the story more room to breathe.
Summerhall, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Dionne Lackey]
Betty Grumble: Enemies Of Grooviness, Eat Sh!t (Betty Grumble / Performing Lines)
Emma Maye Gibson (aka sex clown Betty Grumble) puts aside her alter ego (a mannequin in Grumble wigs) for 80 minutes of communal catharsis via ritual, rock anthems, and raw physicality. Gibson aims to reclaim the body from patriarchal violence, in a high-energy bricolage of bold imagery, grief, rage, sexuality, and spirituality. The audience enthusiastically collaborates, contributing percussion, cosmetics, and aerobic dance. Drag king musical assistant Craig Slist provides a grounding soundtrack. Care for the audience is paramount; conversational narration creates a playful space to transform grief into pleasure. This show unapologetically crosses boundaries - it includes non-simulated masturbation (preceded by a sincere explainer). But as with the piece as a whole, it's offered as an act of healing, not provocation.
Assembly Roxy until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | Bizz Holmes]
Nowhere - Here & Now Showcase (Fuel)
Traverse 1 becomes 'nowhere'. "This nowhere is safe... but there exists a place in the world, now, in which nowhere is safe". The play is written and performed by actor and activist Khalid Abdalla ('Mnemonic', 'United 93', 'The Crown', and 'The Day of the Jackal'). It's an anti-biography as Glasgow-born Abdalla, the son of dissidents, fuses the personal and political in a multimedia retelling of his and his family's lived experience of Egyptian autocracy, the Arab Spring and counter-revolution. There's also a defiant story here about resistance, friendship and agency. This is a visceral performance that raises questions about prejudice, justice, power and forced migration. Identity and belonging are everything. Tears stream as he talks about Gaza towards the end.
Traverse Theatre, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Dionne Lackey]
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