Edinburgh
Festival Theatre 2003 Theatre
reviews, alphabetical by show title. 3
at
C
central,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
An
exciting physical, visual and aural exploration of female identity. A sensory
and emotive soundscape leads three women through their search for the deep rooted
connection between woman to woman, mother to daughter and birth to pain.
Natasha Hulugalle 4.48
Psychosis
at
Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'What
happens to a person's mind when the barriers which distinguish between reality
and different forms of imagination completely disappear…' An emotional, atmospheric
and deeply moving interpretation of Kane's text set in the cavernous depths of
Smirnoff Underbelly.
Andrew Chippindale 7
Assilon Place
at
C,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
metaphorical tale from Nathan Osgood about sharing the place in which we live.
This is dynamic physical theatre from the only theatre company in Europe to specialise
in Meyerhold's Biomechanics.
Shirley Dent Abomination
at
C, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
When
new boy Scott befriends Martha, their classmates are shocked. Martha's different.
Martha has a secret - a shameful secret. Its name is Abomination. Physical tour-de-force.
Stuart Simpson
Adolf
at Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Adolf
returns. Writer/performer Pip Utton. Director Guy Masterson. As brilliant and
relevant as ever.
Rob Lyons Affirmation
at
C
Cubed,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Two
societies are at war, one religious, the other atheist. Three individuals are
preparing themselves to cross the political divide but are they being honest with
themselves and each other? A searching new play from young writer Simon Ackroyd.
Ravi Bali After
Sex All the Animals Are Sad
at
C
Chambers St,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
opening scene sets the theme clearly enough. Jerry and Anna fumble about passionlessly
in bed, while Max is getting hot and sweaty alone in his cell, with a great deal
more enthusiasm.
Stuart Simpson All
this…and heaven too? at
Venue 45, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A surreal
comedy following the life, death and life of Ian Ramsbottom, miraculously returning
to life after committing suicide. Hilarity ensues as two angels race to return
the soul to God and save the world!
Tom Ogg The
Argument - A Family Portrait
at
Jurys Inn Edinburgh , Edinburgh Festival Fringe
From
the company that brought you 3 Dark Tales, this is the irrepressible, irresponsible
and incredible story of the Strong family. It is a story of madness hilarity,
of an eccentric family crisis.
Andrew
Chippindale Babba
Ghanoush and Bagels
at Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Two
competing market traders, Sharif a Muslim, Shlomo a Jew, are haunted every day
by childhood problems. Sharif has an alter-ego, 'the suicide bomber', whilst Shlomo,
suffers from 'Small Schlong Syndrome' - blamed on a misguided circumcision.
Tim Markham Baby
Jane
at the Traverse, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
People Show's latest production sees four people
locked in a nightmareish studio, obsessively re-enacting scenes from the film,
in front of a backdrop of television screens showing pretty much the same thing.
Chris Wilkinson Bad
Play
at C, Chambers St, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
WARNING THIS PLAY IS TERRIBLE. Don't see it.
Andrew Chippindale Bedtime
for Bastards
at the Old Red Lion, London
Van Badham seems
less prone to polemics than most political humourists. What she has contributed
to the nexus between politics, comedy and art is refreshing.
Luke Robins-Grace Bedtime
Story
at C
cubed,
Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
A
Nazi war criminal narrates the Mahabarata while lurking enforcers terrorise the
audience. Provocative dramaturgy makes Indian mythology force you into thinking
critically. A non-Indian cast brings you theatre that was banned in India for
17 years.
Munira Mirza Sol
Bernstein
at the Broadway Theatre, London
'You look a
lot like my wife', he said to a cringing member of the audience, 'just before
she died'. Comic timing is all and political correctness a bore.
Dave Clements Blood
on the Stones
at
Stockbridge Parish Church, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Edinburgh's
notorious body snatchers Burke and Hare return to the Fringe in this musical by
Edinburgh-born composer Peter D Robinson.
Stuart Simpson Brilliant!
The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla
at
C, Chambers Street , Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
rise and fall of the visionary inventor, whose pioneering work in electricity
ushured in the modern age. Genius and obsession, conspiracy and isolation.
Mark Tyson Burke
and Hare
at C, Chambers Street , Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Edinburgh,
1827. Surgeons pay good money for corpses, so Burke & Hare are making a killing.
Literally. New black comedy brings the murderous pair to life - one double act
that won't be nominated for the Perrier Award!
Stuart Simpson Camarilla
at C,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Today. London. A bomb.
No one knows who the terrorists are or their motives. The company behind 2002's
smash hit Kitchen - 'Perfection' Edinburgh Guide - return with an explosive new
play from Aussie hotshot Van Badham.
Dolan
Cummings Candide
at
The
Zoo, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'This
is a story rich and rare/of philosophic interplay/'twixt optimism and despair/by
François Marie Arouet/who calls himself Voltaire.' A slick and exuberant new production
of Bernstein's musical masterpiece.
Natasha Hulugalle Cathy
Holroyd: With Condiments
at
Co2, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Cooking
for one is fun...on Valentine's Day. Join TV chef Cathy Holroyd as she launches
her very own cable TV channel whilst struggling through an inedible divorce and
a stubborn souffle. With special guests.
Mark Tyson The
Child-Killer: A Portrait of a Paedophile at
The
Zoo,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'Why
are there people like me?' asks Bartsch, 19 year-old serial-killer, in this horrifying
true story. 2 actors, 1 character. This compelling theatrical experience asks
the tragic question, 'Why do victims become monsters?'. Tom Ogg/Andrew Chippindale Cleansed
at C central, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Shocking
and unforgettable drama. In an institutionalised world of torture, seven characters
are pushed to their physical and mental limits. Sarah Kane's critically acclaimed
play tests and manipulates love, gender, brutality and identity. A terrifying
echo of our current political climate.
Dolan Cummings Cloning
Mary Shelley
at
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Cloning
Mary Shelley pieces together biography, scientific research, and personal discovery
as Edie Campbell delves into the life of Mary Shelley, her Frankenstein, his Creature,
creation myths, cloning research, turning 40, origami, making choices and making
babies.
James Gledhill Confessions
of a Justified Sinner
at Netherbow Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'A
tale so replete with horror I dare not put my name to it.' John Carnegie derives
a spine-chilling drama of duality from Hogg's original masterwork.
Dolan Cummings Count
Arthur Strong's the Greatest Story Ever Told
at
Metro Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Come
walk with Count Arthur Strong on his much acclaimed Biblical odyssey through the
mists of time!
Geoff Kidder Corpus
at
C, Chambers Street, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
New
musical inspired by the shocking Bodyworks exhibition, from talented songwriter
Jonny Berliner and Emmerdale writer Fintan O'Higgins. Lovable characters, macabre
humour and dark melodic undertones in this scathing critique of Britart. Featuring
the Jonny Berliner band live on stage.
Dolan Cummings 'Crave'
by Sarah Kane
at
pend fringe@gateway, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
voices of the play's four characters take us with a painful, yet almost musical
lyricism through journeys of love, loss, desire and desolation. Highly physical,
inspired: Kane's work hasn't been seen like this before.
Tim Markham Dark
Earth
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scotland
2003. One nation, many divides. City and country, past and present collide in
David Harrower's intriguing new comedy of manners. 'The artistic heart, soul and
conscience of the Edinburgh Festival' Daily Telegraph.
Tim
Markham Dark
is the Night / Starving Necrophilia
at
Greyfriars Kirk House, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
An
intensely theatrical exploration of obsession, twisted love, despair and destructive
passion. Don't miss this riveting double-bill of new writing from a young, international
company. Breathtaking, intelligent, insightful and disturbing.
David Clements David
Benson-Star Struck
at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
I
threw a party in my head, all-star guest list, all quite dead: Noel and Judy,
Frank and Fred (Perhaps I should have stayed in bed … ). Directed by David Sant
(Peepolykus).
Mark Tyson David's
Balls
at
C central, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
90
minutes. Three characters. One actress. The hypothetical explosion of David's
testicles heats up this satiric farce. Three women and one whole theatre company
confront sexual betrayal and imminent death with outrageous lies and more outrageous
truths.
David Clements Death
in the Chapel at
St.
Cut's,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
11th
September 1930 - Agatha Christie's wedding day and there's been a murder! In the
chapel where she was actually married the wedding guests will play a crucial part
in solving the mystery, and you are invited…
Tom Ogg Desdemona,
A Play about a Hankerchief
at
Hill
Street Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Lusty
mistress + cunning maid + wandering hanky + love-sick harlot + saucy spanking
+ raging husband = Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel's dark, sexy take on Shakespeare's
Othello…
James Gledhill The
Donahue Sisters at
C
Cubed,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Geraldine
Aron's award-wining Irish rural thriller. Briefly re-united, three sisters discuss
their lives before re-enacting a disturbing incident from their childhood. Will
bring a smile to your face and send shivers down your spine. Capitivating…
Dave Clements Don
Q at
Smirnoff
Underbelly,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Time
Out Critics Choice Company presents unique, dynamic physical theatre that assaults
the senses in an adaptation of Cervantes' classic, Don Quixote. Imagine a world
where windmills are giants, inns are castles and islands are yours to bestow…
Shirley Dent Down
Dog at Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
Violence, love, sex and fantasy are brutally
portrayed in Mark O'Thomas' (3 times Time Out Critics Choice winner) latest work.
Two couples get entangled in their twisted fantasies trying to escape their festering
lives. Viciously sharp.
Natasha Hulugalle Dr.
Jekyll and Mr.Hyde
at Greyfriars Kirk House, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Ironduke
bring to life the classic tale of 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'.
It begins in fog-bound nineteenth-century London, with the story of the door,
and ends in the diabolical creation of an all-consuming alter-ego.
James
Panton Elizavieta
Bam
at
Gateway
Theatre,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Explosive
Canadian production of the hallucinatory and surrealistic play by Russian writer
Daniil Harms. A woman's triumphant struggle against torment, finally overcoming
the obliterating forces of an irrational world. Pure delirium in the theatre of
the absurd.
Tom Ogg Emulator
at
Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Digital
World. Digital Life. Technology and reality merge. Intense physical theatre and
acrobatics fuse with stunning live Vjing and live sampling. A darkly eloquent
nightmare.
Geoff Kidder Emily
Dickinson and I
at
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
true story of an actress Edie Campbell's struggle to write a one-woman play about
her heroine, Emily Dickinson. What emerges is a beautiful woven tale about writing,
acting, and getting into Emily Dickinson's dress.
Mark Tyson English
Journeys
at
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Steve
Waters' acclaimed play sets the intimate recollections of a failing couple on
the mesmerising open roads of Blair's Britain. Kathy's now driving solo and Peter's
attentions are focussed on Joanne, his mysterious 15-year-old travelling companion.
Dolan Cummings The
Erl King at
Smirnoff
Underbelly,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'You're
an ogre people tell me. An ogre? A magical creature emerging from the mists of
time?' From troubled childhood to Nazi collaborator, this is a fast-paced, physically
inventive adaptation of Michel Tournier's celebrated novel.
Tom Ogg An
Evening with Joe Stalin the Musical
at
C, Chambers St, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
fast-paced controversial satire on the great dictators life. Featuring hits such
as ' Gulag Rag' and 'Mrs Stalin Regrets'. Hilarious and Dynamic musical puts the
show back into show trial.
Andrew Chippindale The
Exam at
Rocket @ Demarco Roxy Art House, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Mazdram
present Andy Hamilton's new comedy, commissioned by the National Theatre, in which
three exam candidates come to terms with themselves, their papers and their parents.
Tom Ogg Face
the Wall
at
Venue 13,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
businessman's admission. A woman's confession. A man shoots schoolchildren one
by one. Three stories unfold and ask, 'Does it matter how the nice man with a
nice house could do a thing like that?'
James Gledhill Family
Romance
at
The Zoo, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
fast-moving physical theatre exploration of the romance which turns us into the
people we are: our families, and whether we actually have the power to make choices.
Emotionally affecting; a pumping soundtrack; comic and severe.
Tom Ogg Family
Snaps
at
The Garage, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Played
beautifully by a troupe of pre-teenage actors, and minimally-staged, the play
addresses the issue of divorce, and the effects of family break-up on the lives
of the children involved.
Taff
Llewellyn Fat
at
Venue
45,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'Fat'
features the contemporary struggle for physical perfection… the rhythms, the emotions,
the trance-like state of the gym… 3 characters and the motives behind their need
to work out. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll love your gut!
Ravi Bali Faust
at
Sweet at the Crowne Plaza, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
TEV
sheds new light on Goethe's Faust. The result is vibrant, living theatre - with
the essence of Goethe's philosophies transmitted through the hearts and minds
of the actors and musicians. Imaginative and unmissable.
Tom Ogg Finding
Bin Laden
at Metro Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Chasing
the CIA's $25m for capturing Bin Laden, an Afghan War reporter uncovers murder,
ghosts and espionage… Half of Parsons and Naylor, Henry's written for 'Spitting
Image' and 'Dead Ringers'.
Natasha
Hulugalle Footers
at
Assembly
Rooms,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Direct
from Zambia, two irrepressible chancers travels the streets of Lusaka meeting
con-men, evangelists and streetgirls who live there. 'You feel a surge of warmth,
fun and endurance that typifies the true African spirit' Zambian Post.
Dave Clements Gary
Le Strange- Polaroid Suitcase
at
Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Dancing.
Cowboys. Robots. Dandies. Harlequins. Furniture. Showroom dummies. Gary is a warrior.
Fashion is his weapon. 'One of the true pioneers of stnth-pop' Guardian.
Andrew Chippindale The
Girls of May
at The Zoo, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Footage
from the 1968 Parisian revolution sets the scene as The Girls of May narrate their
experiences. You'll be swept off your feet by their passion as they protest, fall
in love and fight for their ideals.
James Panton
Glengarry
Glen Ross at
Stage by Stage Edinburgh Academy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
David
Mamet's Pulitzer-Prize-Winning play follows salesmen battling for supremacy in
a sales contest. A fast-paced drama exploring what men will do to live. Steal.
Cheat. All in a day's work.
Ravi Bali The
Gospel of Matthew at
C, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Right
Here, Right Now! Internationally acclaimed award-winner in fresh translation of
the earliest, most human, complex and shocking account of Jesus, with original
music and video.
Dolan Cummings The
Grimm Tales at
Komedia Roman Eagle Lodge, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Spellbinding,
vibrant and at times gruesome storytelling from Carol Ann Duffy and Tim Supple's
acclaimed adaptation of the classic Grimm tales. Will delight and enchant children
and adults alike.
Ravi Bali Hanjo:
An Autumn Lullaby at
Diverse
Attractions,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Hanako, a mentally disturbed girl, waits for Yoshio. A traditional Japanese Noh
play which explores Hanako's mind, expressing her thoughts in strikingly original
physical forms using a combination of traditional Noh theatrical styles and Western
expressionism.
Ravi Bali Harry
is Always Right
at The Garage, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'Business
opportunities' become 'major threats', diplomacy fails and the bombing begins
as the Elected Supreme turn facts into mayhem at break-neck speed. Performed with
hair-raising intensity this is razor-edged propaganda-bashing satire with teeth.
Dolan
Cummings Hello
Dali
at
clubWEST @ Edinburgh Theosophical Society, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Andrew
Dallmeyer's hard-hitting Fringe First winning play returns in a production first
seen at the National Theatre. An audience with Salvador Dali - the master of Surrealism
- genius or madman? You decide. This is five star, x-rated entertainment.
Tom
Ogg Henry
V
at
The Zoo, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Using
a minimalist set and modern dress, fused with sharp lighting, powerful music and
striking televisual images, Shakespeare's Henry V is brought starkly up-to-date.
'Disturbing to watch, but nonetheless compelling' Gairrhydd.
Stuart Simpson Hideaway
at the Pleasance, London
Quiconque
have a reputation for being an inventive and physical company. Hideaway was a
perfect example of their signature style.
Natasha Hulugalle A
History of the World in 5 1/2 Sketches
at the Broadway Theatre, London
This resembles
what used to be called light entertainment, but intelligent light entertainment
for adults, if that is not a contradiction in terms.
Mark Tyson Home
is where the hurt is
at
The Subway, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Rachel
is 15 - a loser - her friends are losers - school fails them. Black comic satire.
A poignant vision of stereotyping. Veteran Fringe writer/director attacks school
to social workers in this very acerbic tragi-comedy.
Dave
Clements How
I became a real boy
at
The Stand Comedy Club II, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
thrilling story of one illustration's struggle to become a genuine human being
with legs and kidneys. This new play features a stand-up comic and a giant comic.
Written by and starring John Moynes.
Ravi
Bali I
Eat People Like You For Breakfast!
at Metro Gilded Balloon, The Venue, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
Steven Allen Green's fascinatingly
funny journey from a painful childhood in celebrity infested Beverly Hills to
meeting and dealing with comedy legend Jerry Lewis. Directed by John Dowie.
Ravi Bali IZ
at Pleasance
Courtyard,
The Venue, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
Iz
is dead. And she's coming home for dinner. Today, her three lost lovers will find
that death need be no bar to achieving the incredible. Stylish, absurd and touching
comedy from a Fringe-First-nominated writer.
Mark Tyson Kept
their Humanity
at
Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
1994
in Rwanda, two very different Westerners caught up in the madness of genocide.
Dolan
Cummings A
Kind of Alaska
at
C central, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
In
this intimately staged Pinter piece, Deborah wakes after 29 years of sleeping
sickness. Finding that truth, lies, dreams and reality are indistinguishable,
she struggles to understand a life that has moved on without her.
Shirley
Dent The
Last Cinderella
at pend fringe @ gateway, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
"Our
play examines the thin line between magical fantasy and stark reality. We must
all dream, but when does the dream become dangerous? Come and meet Cinderella,
and find out if you are looking in the mirror."
Stuart Simpson The
Last Night of Mankind
at Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival
'Hello? Yes? A Portuguese/ Argentinean Company with a version of a fifteen-hour
Austrian play written in 1917 by a satirist who was notorious for his misanthropy
and gloomy view of the human race? They can do it in two hours? And they're just
naked and covered in mud? Great! Tell me more...'
Andrew Chippindale A
Leap in the Dark
at Komedia Roman Eagle Lodge, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Anji
and Jack are in love. Will they risk everything to be together in a city divided
by hate? Gritty, contemporary and exciting drama with a political edge. New piece
performed by a first-time group.
Tim
Markham Lewis
in Wonderland
at Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Lewis
Carroll... stammering, shy and socially inept bursts into joyous absurdity when
creating Wonderland for Alice. Flying between repressed reality and the freedom
of his imagination, this is a stylish, poignant, and ultimately thrilling new
play.
James Panton Lies
Have Been Told at
C
central,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Was
Robert Maxwell the monster he's been painted or the victim of snobbery and racism?
Let him try and persuade you of his point of view - if, of course, you can believe
a word he says…
Shirley Dent A
Line in the Sand
at
Metro
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Columbine
High. 20 April, 1999. The worst school shooting in U.S. history. A question of
blame or responsibility? Taubman interviewed members of the community, and found
a line in the sand…
Dave Clements Little
Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
at
Sweet at the Crowne Plaza, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Thrown
out of Art School in the 1960s, Malcolm Scrawdyke and his band of degenerates
plot their revenge on the establishment. Laughter veils disturbing undercurrents
in this anarchic comedy.
Ravi Bali Loft
at St Stephens, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
The repetition in 'Loft' creates a sense of the
unending cycle of conflict that exists within the individual.
Chris Wilkinson Me
and my Monkey
at Greyfriars Kirk House, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
one-card is the Government's hi-tech I.D. card. Without it, you're nothing. Alan's
faking his, Gene doesn't exist, Sadie's furious and Molly's on their trail… The
comedy about a future just waiting to happen.
Dolan
Cummings A
Midsummer Night's Dream
at
Stage by Stage Edinburgh Academy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
spectacular outdoor version of Shakespeare's beautiful play staged in the gardens
with a large cast, inventive set, funky costumes and using classic love songs.
Bring a blanket, a picnic and an umbrella! Seating available.
Tom
Ogg Milton's
Paradise Lost: Book II
at Hill St Theatre, Edinburgh
Festival Fringe
It is when Burns has complete command of the material
that you understand the reason Paradise Lost should be performed.
Stuart Simpson Monologue
for an Ensemble
at Co2, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Fresh
new monologue with a bigger cast of characters than a Charlton Heston movie. One
woman's search for identity amongst the videos and play scripts that lie around
for her. Is she a porn-star, an ugly duckling with thick glasses or a glossy femme
fatale?
Dolan
Cummings
Mongrel
Nation
at
Metro Gilded Balloon Caves, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
This
double act provides a humorous examination of Scottish culture, particularly the
classic animosity between the English and the Scots.
Tom Ogg One
Man Rant
at Co2, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Fed
up with his grudgesome office life, Al takes refuge in epic flights of fantasy.
Movement, music, puppetry and crafty vocals guarantee to stimulate and tickle
any audience!
James Panton
Simon
Munnery
at the Broadway Theatre, London
Spike Milligan
was widely regarded as a comedy genius, and as with Munnery I am willing to concede
that at times I just don't get it.
Mark Tyson Simon
Munnery: Trilogy at
The
Subway,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
I.
Onward and upward: songs, jokes and reflections. II. the true confessions of Sherlock
Holmes: a monologue. III. Buckethead: a play involving buckets. Three new shows
from Fringe master and Boothby Graffoe award winner, alternating daily.
Ravi Bali My
Arm By Tim Crouch
at
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
10-year-old boy decides to live his life with one arm above his head. A new play
about bloody-mindedness and modern art. Funny, intimate and a little absurd.
Shirley
Dent Napoleon
in Exile
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
nameless man tries to recover his memory; a defeated Emperor struggles to suppress
his. …But what has Napoleon got up his sleevies? Funny, lyrical, offbeat new play
from double Fringe First winner Chris Goode.
Andrew Chippindale Nine
Parts of Desire
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Artists,
wives, doctors, exiles… women, vibrant members of a society long silenced by a
repressive order. Iraqi-American playwright Heather Raffo gives voice to an astonishing
generation of women, exposing the radical, sexy and ultimately human stories beneath.
Dolan
Cummings
Nige
- Cigs, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll at
Jongleurs Comedy Club, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Get
out of your head and into Nige's. Pharmaceutical philosophy, Rizla-wrapped rhetoric
and reality. Confronting the Scouse social stereotype. Life and loves of a wasted
mind. Unpredictable, unethical, unemployed.
James Gledhill Non-Sexual
Kissing
at
Venue, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2002
Daily Telegraph Open-Mic Champion Mark Watson and Tim Key, Perrier-nominated in
2001, directs the cream of Cambridge's comedy talent. A storm brews..we shelter
inside some flats with the residents as seven stories intertwine in one electrifying
hour.
Andrew Chippindale Open
Mind
at
Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Memory.
Subject to decoration. Variation. Fabrication. Who controls what's inside our
heads? An intimate look at a man and his memories. 'Wonderfully performed', 'had
the audience in stitches' Stage. 'Hugely imaginative', 'Highly recommended' What's
On London.
James Gledhill
Othello
at the C too, London
Shakespeare's
classic tale of jealousy is transported to Victorian India by this award-winning
company. A noble general is turned to jealousy, anger and murder by his evil officer
Iago. Powerful, gripping and visually stunning.
Natasha Hulugalle Out
of Bounds
at
Theatre
Workshop,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Performed
this year for Nelson Mandela at his personal request, this is a funny, honest
and engaging story of Lal and his Indian family during and after Apartheid.
Natasha Hulugalle Out
of Your Mind
at
The
Zoo,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
We
never forget. Hidden in our brains is every thought we've ever had, locked away
and helpless. Improvised comedy and medical science combine on a voyage to get
them back. What story will your mind tell?
Shirley Dent The
Palindrome
at Rocket
@ Demarco Roxy Art House,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
When
Wry Slant is summoned to a nameless institution, he is forced to defend his existence
both to his tyrannical interviewer, and to himself. 'With dark humour, this tense,
riveting examination uncovers the terrors of the unsaid.'
James Geldhill Peepolykus
- Mindbender
at the Bull Theatre, London
Santos
tries to complete the show as planned, showing off his hairy chested, gold medallioned,
luridly flirtatious and all round twatishness. Alas, much to the sorrow of his
captivated audience our protagonist must die.
Francis Boorman The
People Next Door
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
If
the events of September 11th changed everybody's life forever, somebody forgot
to tell Nigel. This multi-cultural farce by Henry Adam explores what happens when
someone else's global problem becomes your local one.
Dolan
Cummings Point
of Yes
at
Smirnoff
Underbelly,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Glasgow's
East End is awakened in a haunting, disturbing and deeply shocking account of
heroin addiction and inner city survival. A new monologue written, performed and
lived by one of Glasgow's most prolific performers. Hard hitting.
James Gledhill Pride
and Prejudice at
Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Lizzie
Bennett and proud Mr Darcy hate each other! Or do they? Illyria sharpen their
claws to bring you Jane Austen at her best.
Andrew Chippindale The
Principle of Motion
at
Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
1770.
A mechanical man with a chessboard takes Europe by storm. Can an automaton think
for itself? Or are there strings attached? From Fringe First nominees Activated
Image.
Dolan Cummings Pugilist
Specialist
at the Pleasance Courtyard, London
Double
Fringe First winners, Victory at the Dirt Palace, in a blistering drama about
the hunt for evil in foreign lands.
Dolan Cummings/James Panton
Recruitment Stars
at Metro Gilded Balloon Cavres, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Who
wins? You decide! Forget Pop Rivals and Big Brother-this is TV's latest reality
extravaganza, brought to you from the cutthroat world of recruitment. Book your
seat for the nail-biting live final.
Tim Markham Reginald D. Hunter
: White Woman
at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2002
Perrier nominee Reginald D Hunter is neither white nor female. The most distinctive
and intelligent voice in comedy delivers a brand new stand-up show about everything
he isn't. Cool, compelling and very funny.
Ravi
Bali Road
at C too, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Jim
Cartwright's urban masterpiece depicting northern life. A black comedy riddled
with anger as the Road's inhabitants reflect upon the mundanity of their lives.
Road is the 'Under Milk Wood' of Thatcher's 80s, laced with passion and loathing.
Shirley Dent Road
at The Subway, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'A
voyeuristic insight into Thatcherite Britain' from Jim Cartwright - 'a maverick
of British theatre' Telegraph. Brand new production of this state of the nation
play. Performed by wonderfully talented young cast who are at the Fringe for the
eighth consecutive year.
Shirley Dent Rocket
Man at
Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Rocket
Man is loosely based on the true story of a man who built a home for his sick
mother on land that he had bought, and then shot and killed the planning official
when he saw the authorities coming to destroy the house.
Ravi Bali Sceptic:
Lawrence Leung
at
Metro Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
From
the creator of Sucker, a journey of budget ghost busting, psychic challenges and
chatting with the dead. Lawrence puts his scepticism to the test. A comic adventure
you won't believe...
Dave Clements The
Seagull
at
King's Theatre, International Festival
'No
More Masterpieces,' said Artaud. 'Hear hear,' says I. Peter Stein's latest offering
at the International Festival bears all the hallmarks of a show that has sunk
under the weight of its own importance.
Chris Wilkinson Shakespeare's
Italian Job at
Metro
Gilded Balloon Teviot,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'Thou
art only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!' quoth Charlie Croker as he leads
Shylock, Juliet, Falstaff, Caesar, Titus… and THREE FULL-SIZED-MINI-COOPERS in
the world's biggest gold heist… Perhaps the bard's finest comedy caper???
Andrew Chippindale Shamlet
at C central, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
An
obsessive theatre producer stages a show in Stratford as a front to steal the
remains of Shakespeare from his tomb. A farcical comedy about blundering thespians,
backstage antics and grave robbing.
Natasha Hulugalle Sherlock
Holmes:Murder in Edinburgh
at Danish Cultural Institute, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Walk
with Holmes and Watson along the Water of Leith through Dean Village and solve
a murder to save an Edinburgh lass.
Natasha Hulugalle Sholom
Aleichem
at C, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Saul
Reichlin returns with a new, pre off-Broadway programme of his celebrated adaptation
of the stories of Sholom Aleichem. '****' Scotsman. 'Astonishing' Metro. 'Some
of the best Jewish storytelling in the world' Jewish Telegraph.
Mark Tyson Simple
Simon at
The
Subway,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Simon
needs to be left alone but Simon can't be. He sees potential in others - so he
must be used to manipulate those who can perform. Vitriolic drama attacking media
manipulation. Written by Fringe veteran Alan Hunter.
Mark Tyson Sniperculture
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Medea
morphs Courtney Love into a rock 'n' roll suicide bomber. Directed by Tam Dean
Burn. 'New theatrical genre emerging…' Joyce McMillan, Scotsman.
Dolan Cummings
Son
of a Bush
at
The Bongo Club, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
NYC
multi-media poet/satirist sage uses napalm words and beats to deconstruct fat
shop-a-holic yanks, fusing church with corporate cola and spiritual pursuit of
the perfect warhead. Extracts from his book Sex, Drugs and Sunday School.
Tom Ogg Square
One at
Venue, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
At
an indefinite time in what seems like an American equivalent to the Britain represented
by Airstrip One in Orwell's 1984, a society that has just emerged from a major
war, a man and a woman meet. From their first meeting to their courtship and marriage,
the couple experiences privation, with dreary totalitarianism a constant backdrop.
Ravi Bali The
Straits
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The
eagerly awaited second play by the writer of smash hit 'Gagarin Way.' Directed
by John Tiffany, a co-production with Drum Theatre Plymouth and Hampstead Theatre.
Dolan
Cummings (Sunday
is) The New Saturday
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Sunday
supplement satire! The new girl on the job overcomes writer's block with an exclusive
expose on...Sunday supplements. Does anyone really read them? Horrified collegues
attempt to hold front page, with extraordinary farcical results.
Ravi
Bali The
Tango (How to do)
at C too, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Buried
beneath a pile of props, prosthetics and costumes, thirteen actors demonstrate
their craft in a masterclass for all who would be performers/politicians/professors
(delete as appropriate) and anyone who's ever asked 'Who am I?'
James
Gledhill Tea
with Mrs Pankhurst at
Calton Theatre CafeBar, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Selina
Cooper took tea with Mrs Pankhurst. Together they fought for votes for women.
But which of them truly challenged established order. To find out take tea with
Mrs Pankhurst. Cakes included with the ticket.
Tom Ogg Terry
Pratchett's "Guards! Guards!"
at C,
Chambers Street,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
massive fire-breathing dragon threatens to incinerate the city of Ankh-Morpork
and the City Watch are in trouble! The company that brought you the sell-out Mort
and Wyrd Sisters takes you back to Discworld for more magic and intrigue.
Thick
as Thieves
at
Smirnoff Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
It's
FUNNY. It's DARK. They're THICK. And they're THIEVES. What would YOU do with a
dead body?
Natasha Hulugalle Those Eyes, That
Mouth
at
The Second Floor, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Or
how to be alone. A flat suspended between sleep and wake. Intimacy. A woman. A
pianist. Half-remembered lovers, dangers and desires from Grid Iron, 'one of the
best Fringe companies of the last decade' Guardian.
Andrew Chippindale The
Tiger's Bride
at
C cubed, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Angela
Carter's grown-up fairytale is recreated with physical theatre, mask and music.
A young Russian girl, gambled away by her reckless father, finds solace in the
world of animals. Stunning evocation of a darkly sensual metamorphic world.
James Gledhill Titus
Andronicus
at Gateway Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Shakespeare's
cruel comedy of terror, death, war and tasty child pie. Savage and hilarious.
A clown's bloodbath.
Tim Markham Trojan
Women
at
Komedia Roman Eagle Lodge, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Visually
striking, powerful, challenging. Euripides's archetypal play for modern times:
the war has happened before and will again. As ever, the women are left to sweep
up what remains...
David Clements
True
Sons
at C central, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Innovative
adaptation of Electra. Ancient Greek drama is given a 21st century twist. The
place is London, 2003 - and the enemy is closing in. Performers are from the New
Vic, known for its integrated performance work in East London.
Natasha Hulugalle Twelfth Premise
at C Central, London
It's about…mangled choices,
friendship, love, disease, diseased love, death, casual sex, first times, drugs,
hurt(ing), joy, commitment, lies, denial, despair, gay sex, breaking up, healing,
moving on, it's about needing him in your bed, Hope.
Natasha Hulugalle The
Typographer's Dream
at the Menier Theatre, London
If
the title of the play has you reaching for the dictionary, don't worry. As the
characters talk about their jobs, these become interesting mini-lectures in themselves.
Mark Tyson The
Typographer's Dream at
Pleasance
Courtyard,
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Is what you are who you really are or are you what you do? Adam Bock's subtle,
stylish play discovers what dreams are truly made of. 'Delightful, engaging, funny
look at life' List. 'Critics Choice' Sunday Telegraph.
Andrew Chippindale A
Very Naughty Boy - The Life of Graham Chapman
at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Graham
Chapman was Monty Python's biggest loon. A quiet, loud, shy , outragous, sober,
drunk, raging poofter and pipe smoking genious. Adrian Poynton's play looks at
Chapman's unique, hilarious and touching life.
Andrew
Chippindale Voxpop
Puella
at Holyrood Tavern, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Original
songs and film shorts by award-winning filmmakers map the seven ages of (wo)man.
This talented singer/performer presents a song-cycle that is sometimes funny,
sometimes sad, and never short of invention.
Mark
Tyson Wanted
Dead or Alive
at
clubWEST @ Edingburgh Theosophical Society, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Andrew
Dallmeyer's dangerous play: Santa disperses seasonal gifts to the kids in a Florida
shopping mall but gradually a more sinister side emerges as he becomes increasingly
to resemble Osama Bin Laden. Political dynamite. Potentially lethal.
David Clements The
Water Engine by David Mamet
at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
young man's invention, an engine that uses water for its only fuel, could change
the world. Or will Big Business crush him and his engine first?
Dolan
Cummings What
Ever Happened to White Dog Shit?
at Co2, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
'If
all lives are ultimately tragedies, surely comedy doesn't exist!' This play's
the dill and lemon dressing to the Festival's griddled monkfish - you may choose
to abstain but the experience won't be half as tasty without it.
Taff
Llewellyn White
Cabin
at St Stephens, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Hailed
as Russia's egineering theatre group. Akhe hypnotise audiences with their magical
deconstruction of values, clown poetry and visual genius. White Cabin is a tragic-comic
piece which delves into the realms of power relations and human desire.
Andrew
Chippindale Wishbone
- Interference
at Pleasance Above, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Thriller
Meets Ghost Story as one woman searches for her brother in Cold War Berlin. Loss
and loyalty combine in a story of shifting identities told using magic and stage
illusion. Total Theatre Award Winners for 'Scape goat' (2002).
Andrew
Chippindale Whisper
Into My Good Ear
at
Rocket @ Demarco Roxy Art House, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
William
Hanley's Whisper Into My Good Ear played at the Cast Theatre in Hollywood to rave
reviews. Two old friends, a park bench, a gun and today is the day. To be or not
to be that is the question.
Tim Markham Zimbabwe
Ruins
at
C Central, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
A
boy's bitter but defiant struggle with the destruction of his life and country
- combines electrifying images, narratives and song in a raw and fragile testament
to the human spirit.
David Clements Zouff!
at
St Stephens, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Zouff!
is a big bag of sugar. Five clowns chase each other, juggle and perform minor
acrobatics. It means exactly nothing, but it is quite fun
Chris Wilkinson
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