LA MALADIE DE LA MORT: Festival Theatre, Edinburgh – 17th – 19th August
Straight from the Théâtre Des Bouffes Du Nord and featuring an acclaimed cast of screen and stage actors, Marguerite Duras’s psychological thriller is given a radical stage reworking by director Katie Mitchell. LA MALADIE DE LA MORT
KEN: Venue 23, Pleasance Dome (AceDome) – Aug 1-12, 14-19, 21-27 at 15:20
Terry Johnson returns to the boards with this freewheeling reminiscence of his turbulent and inspiring relationship with the truly original and unclassifiable theatre maverick Ken Campbell. For 90 intriguing, amusing, occasionally alarming minutes, audiences are invited to share Ken’s idiosyncratic perspective on life, and to muse on how one might live it. KEN
DE PROFUNDIS: Venue 20, Assembly Rooms (Music Hall) – Aug 2-12, 14-19, 21-26 at 12.30
Olivier Award-winning Simon Callow performs Oscar Wilde’s searing meditation on his life, in the form of a devastating letter of reproach to his lover Lord Alfred Douglas. Imprisoned in Reading Gaol and forbidden from writing works of fiction, Wilde was permitted to write – though not to send – the bitter and terrible diatribe that is also a love letter which was eventually as published as De Profundis. Adapted by Frank McGuiness and directed by Mark Rosenblatt. DE PROFUNDIS
DAVID BADDIEL’S ANIMALCOLM: Venue 14, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Debating Hall) – Aug 1-12, 14-19 at 11:30
A vibrant, energetic and gloriously funny musical, combining physical theatre and outstanding storytelling style to bring David Baddiel’s magical and wonderfully comic bestseller to the stage. ANIMALCOLM
SONG OF LUNCH: Venue 33, Pleasance Courtyard (Forth) – Aug 1-12, 14-27 at 14:20
Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, Downton Abbey, Toast of London) and Rebecca Johnson (The Trip, The Flood) star in this hilarious and poignant drama of a disastrous attempt to rekindle lost love. Set in a Soho Italian restaurant, Costa Award winner Christopher Reid’s verse comedy is exquisitely intertwined with glorious animations by Charles Peattie (Alex cartoon, Daily Telegraph) in this bittersweet tragi-comedy of love, loss and Chianti. SONG OF LUNCH
THE GREATEST PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD – Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh Fringe), 2-5 August, 7-12 August, 14-19 August, 21-26 August 2018
Ian Kershaw’s beautifully wrought love story is set on Preston Road – and throughout the reaches of space and time. A man wakes in the middle of the 犀利士
night to discover that the world has stopped. The Greatest Play… is squashed full of exquisite observation and heartbreaking beauty.
THE GREATEST PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
NEVER VERA BLUE: Anatomy Lecture Theatre, Summerhall, Edinburgh, 1st – 26th August at 1:05pm
Written by Fringe First winning writer Alexandra Wood in response to conversations with survivors of domestic abuse, NEVER VERA BLUE is a disorientating story of one woman’s journey to recover who she is. From the city to the Kent coast, from a war-torn land to the pit of the stomach, this one-woman show performed by Laura Dos Santos explores just what it means to be made to doubt yourself and how to regain a sense of identity. NEVER VERA BLUE
MIDSUMMER: The Hub, Edinburgh 2nd August – 26th August
David Greig and Gordon McIntyre’s musical headlines the Edinburgh International Festival, with a live band bringing to life its heart-warming songs and irresistible humour. Directed by Kate Hewitt. MIDSUMMER
THOR + LOKI – Assembly Roxy (Edinburgh Fringe), 1-12 August 2018, 14-26 August 2018
Harry Blake brings his brand new musical to the Edinburgh fringe. Expect epic battles, fierce ballads and a chorus of tap-dancing trolls in this big-hearted comedy about friends, heroes and changing the world. THOR + LOKI
JASPER RED: PRESS PLAY: Greenside @ Nicholson Sq – August 3-11, 13-18, 20-25 at 5.25pm
Brand spanking new to Fringe: writer and performer Natalie Walmsley debuts Jasper Red – a bio drag queen who simultaneously believes in crystal healing and Britney Spears. Jasper is a send up to the narcissistic millennial culture, she’s convinced she’s got something important to say – but doesn’t know quite what that is… But ultimately Jasper begs the question – who is helping who? JASPER RED: PRESS PLAY
AFTER THE CUTS: Demonstration Room, Summerhall, Edinburgh, 1st – 26th August at mid-day
A dark comedy by Gary McNair and Produced by Raw Material, in association with the Beacon Arts Centre. It’s the future, Jim and Agnes have worked hard their whole lives and now Agnes needs a life-saving operation. With the NHS as we know it a thing of the past, they must take matters into their own hands in this darkly comic tale showing the lengths people go to for life and love. AFTER THE CUTS
BREAKFAST PLAYS: YOUTHQUAKE – F*CKING MILLENNIALS: Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 14th – 26 August at 9am
Three young Scottish playwrights from the Traverse Young Writers’ group join forces with three leading British writers, including Kieran Hurley, to explore a pressing question of our time: how can the younger generation be a catalyst for social and political change? BREAKFAST PLAYS: YOUTHQUAKE
ON THE EXHALE: Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 2nd August – 26th August
The UK premiere of Martín Zimmerman’s play is a compulsive and visceral examination of American gun violence, directed by double Fringe First Award winner Christopher Haydon (Grounded, The Christians). ON THE EXHALE
THE MOIRA MONOLOGUES and MORE MOIRA MONOLOGUES: Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh 1st August – 11th August
After three sold-out Edinburgh runs and a Fringe First last year, Alan Bissett brings straight-talking Moira Bell back to the Fringe. Moira’s a gran now but still telling hilarious home-truths about dating, Brexit, her estranged sister, cleaning posh folk’s hooses, and the return of her ex, Billy. The original Monologues are at 18.30pm, and the sequel follows at 20.00. THE MOIRA MONOLOGUES & MORE MOIRA MONOLOGUES
AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS WITH ANIMALS I’VE F*CKED, Cowgate, Uderbelly at Edinburgh Fringe, 2nd – 26th August at 6:40pm
One-night stands are awkward. One-night stands with animals are more awkward. And when you’re as desperate to please as Bobby, things get awkward as f*ck. Written by Rob Hayes and performed by Linus Karp. AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS
TREMOR: Roundabout @ Summerhall, Edinburgh 1st August – 26th August
After runs at The Sherman, 59E59 in New York and a UK tour. This new play by Brad Birch is directed by David Mercatali. TREMOR
MY LEFT/RIGHT FOOT: Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh 1st August – 27th August
Composer/lyricist duo Noisemaker’s new musical is with National Theatre of Scotland and Birds of Paradise, with additional songs by Richard Thomas (‘Jerry Springer – The Opera’). MY LEFT/RIGHT FOOT
WITT n’ CAMP: Assembly George Square Studio, Edinburgh 1st August – 26th August
Following their hit sell-out shows in Brighton, Live at Zédel and Vault Festival, this outrageous double act present Swag, a wild and joyful celebration of the female identity. Smashing musical theatre with clowning, character-comedy and cabaret, it’s a mad circus complete with hip-hop-opera, parole-breaking glamazons and the classiest breastfeeding burlesque number you’ll ever see. Presented by Hannah Hauer-King. WITT n’ CAMP
HUNCH: Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, 1st – 27th August
Meet Hunch. The Superhero. Coming to the rescue when you’ve splinters on your arse from sitting on the fence. Making decisions to save the lives of others, she must start calling the shots to save her own. A brilliant new dark comedy directed by Sara Joyce and written and performed by Kate Kennedy. HUNCH
DIAMOND: Underbelly, Edinburgh: Bristo Square, 1st – 26th August
Produced by Avalon/BBC Arts as part of their debut playwriting initiative, DIAMOND follows successful surgeon Jordan who when reunited with his mother realises that he may never know the truth about his origins. Everything changes when a mysterious young woman enters his life any they embark on a journey of discovery, revelation and redemption. Written by Beryl Richards. DIAMOND
THE FISHERMAN: Assembly George Square Studios – Aug 2-12, 14-19, 21-27.
In a small Nigerian town Ben and Obembe slip away to fish at a forbidden river. Unnoticed and carefree, they continue until one day the prophecy of a madman changes the course of their lives forever. Based on the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel by one of Africa’s major new voices, New Perspectives, presents this powerful allegory of brotherhood, vengeance and fate in a new adaptation by award-winning playwright Gbolahan Obisesan. THE FISHERMAN
SQUARE GO: Roundabout @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 1st – 21st August at 8:20pm
Co-written by two Fringe First winning writers, Kieran Hurley and Gary McNair. This piece follows Max, a normal-ish kid in a normal-ish town, who spends his days daydreaming and hanging out with his weird wee pal Stevie Nimmo. But when Max is called for his first Square Go, a fight by the school gates, it’s his own demons he must wrestle with first. SQUARE GO
SKIN A CAT: Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh 2nd August – 25th August
First seen at the Vault Festival in London, where it was awarded ‘Pick of the Year’, Isley Lynn’s hit play SKIN A CAT is playing at the Assembly Rooms throughout August as part of a UK tour. SKIN A CAT