Packed with expletives and off-colour observations, Afterparty from New Celts Productions and F-Bomb Theatre at theSpace’s Triplex theatre pulls no punches in its humorous but bitter-sweet story set in small town Scotland.
‘Crisp, intelligent & thoroughly rewarding’: FEAR OF ROSES – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Fear of Roses, by Black Bat Productions at Assembly Roxy, is a crisp, intelligent and thoroughly rewarding three-hander.
‘Believably fragile’: SAVING MR ULTIMATE – Edinburgh Fringe
Saving Mr Ultimate, a tale of superheroes, grief and letting go, mixes the serious and the humorous effectively in creating a world that is both believable and ever-so-slightly superhuman.
‘It is deeply human’: STILL – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Still at the Traverse is in many ways a tough watch, with themes of death and loss offset by excellent performances and perceptive writing.
‘This has to be counted as a roaring success’: SWEET F.A. – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
History, emotion and righteous anger combine tunefully and humorously in Sweet F.A., This Is My Story Productions’ thoroughly welcome return to Tynecastle Park.
‘A story that needs to be told’: FRAGMENTS OF HOME – Shedinburgh ★★★★
Fragments of Home works both as a theatrical performance and as a film, with Annie George’s performance striking a delicate balance.
‘Characters create an interesting dynamic’: MADAME GEORGE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★
Madame George, by award-winning playwright Keir McAllister at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose on Chambers Street is a dark comedy filled with easy laughs that are tinged with a great sadness.
‘Captivating, thrilling & spellbinding’: BLACK IS THE COLOR OF MY VOICE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Apphia Campbell triumphs in Black is the Color of My Voice at Gilded Balloon Teviot. A riveting show inspired by the life and music of Nina Simone and featuring songs such as ‘I Put a Spell On You’ and ‘Feeling Good’.
‘Queer identities couldn’t be explored in a more delicate way’: THE HAPPINESS PROJECT – Edinburgh Fringe
The first thing that strikes about The Happiness Project is the colours. Shocking pink and neon yellow on a plain background and plastic-grass floor.
‘Truly magical’: THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★★
In a world full of fear and worry, we all need a reminder that there’s still hope. Luckily, in The Man Who Planted Trees at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, two storytellers and their puppets are here to give us just that.
‘Simple yet well executed’: PINK HOUSE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★
Exploring grief and the impact of trauma on memory and family relationships, Paradigm Lab’s Pink House by Madison Pollack at PQA Venues is somewhat heartbreaking and completely honest.
‘Likeable & informative’: THUNDERSTRUCK – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★
Thunderstruck by David Colvin at Assembly Checkpoint is a deeply felt and human tale, whose relationship with its source and inspiration nevertheless makes for some uncertain moments.
‘Worth any number of over-literal, full cast adaptations’: OF MICE AND MEN – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Of Mice and Men, in the Gilded Balloon Teviot Wine Bar for the full fringe, benefits from one fine performance and one exceptional one.
‘Every moment is memorable & engaging’: A GAME OF DEATH & CHANCE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
In A Game of Death and Chance, the National Trust for Scotland’s first ever Fringe show, four characters from the 17th century – and death himself – have occupied an old Edinburgh tenement to tell stories of Scotland’s past.
Musicals made in Edinburgh
There’s a whopping 27 different offerings made in Edinburgh in this year’s musicals and opera section of the fringe programme.
‘Truly special’: WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF – Touring ★★★★★
Bursting with emotion and tuneful energy, the return to the Traverse of What Girls Are Made Of is a thing of wonder.
‘Intriguingly promising piece’: LUCILLE & CECILIA – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★
Gleeful physical comedy features in Lucille & Cecilia, a patchy but intriguingly promising piece from new company Bang Average Theatre at C Aquila. (Picture: © Bang Average)
‘Fairly crackles with fun & excitement’: A GOOD ENOUGH GIRL? – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Scene Change Productions, Greenwich Theatre and Nutshell Theatre’s co-production A Good Enough Girl? is enjoyable, involving and deceptively important production.
‘Intriguing production’: GANYMEDE – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★
Ganymede, TypeCast Productions’ reworking of Shakespeare at Paradise in Augustines, is an intriguing production that uses the spirit of the Bard to cast light on contemporary concerns.
‘A lucid & involving production’: TWA – Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
Twa, the collaboration between writer Annie George and visual artist Flore Gardner at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, is a lucid and involving production.