Edinburgh Festival Fringe: 12 shows to highlight at Assembly
A queer love story set during the Fringe. On one final night together, Jess and Iona search Edinburgh for the best show, the finest view, and the perfect moment to confess everything. Assembly George Square, The Box 15-24 August, 2.20pm | Assembly
With artists coming from as far and wide as Ukraine, Armenia, Guinea, Australia and more, the latest offering from Assembly Festival is a set to be a showcase of the best international performance on the Edinburgh stage.
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The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Are Oasis' Edinburgh gigs a boon or a curse? The figures don't add up
Ker-ching. Perhaps we should take that sum with a pinch of salt, though. Here's why: in its Economic Impact Of The Edinburgh Festivals report of June 2023, creative industries consultants BOP Consulting estimated that the Edinburgh Festivals contributed £492 million to the capital's economy. So does that mean that over the course of three days and three concerts, a mere 200,000 Oasis fans will deliver around a quarter of the total sum it would ordinarily takes three weeks, thousands of shows, tens of thousands of performances and four million potential punters to accrue? It seems hard to credit. Then again, maybe it's in the food and drink spend that the answers lie. If previous experience is anything to go by, that sum could indeed be considerable. Here's a flavour of the, er, atmosphere in the city in 2009, the last time Oasis visited Murrayfield. 'There were folk spewing up in the street by the afternoon,' reported Haymarket shop manager Ian Barclay. 'You could just tell there was going to be at least some trouble. I saw one guy passed out on a wall near Morrison Street at about 4pm with a sky blue Oasis T-shirt on.' A local primary school had to close the last time Oasis played Murrayfield (Image: STEWART ATTWOOD) And trouble there was. At least one large fight broke out in the stadium itself – a man was carried out on a stretcher – and overall the event was 'marred by violence', according to one newspaper headline. Meanwhile householders nearby with a square of garden large enough to defecate or urinate in found more than a few surprises of that variety the next morning. It's fair to say Edinburgh wasn't delighted by the 2009 visit of Oasis and there was a very definite gritting of teeth when the three August dates were announced. And that's before you factor in the mooted travel chaos and the general infrastructure deficits which abound across the Central Belt. 'Can Scotland cope with hosting Oasis and the Fringe at the same time?' this paper asked last year. Good question. Pull back a bit and you learn it isn't just in Edinburgh that doubts are raised about revenue-boosting big stadium events. A slew of concerts scheduled for Madrid's iconic Bernabéu stadium, for instance, have been cancelled over constant complaints from locals about noise which exceeds legal levels, fans camping in nearby parks, streets being shut off and – does this one sound familiar? – drunks urinating in doorways. Pull back even further and we can place these issues in a broader movement which is starting to see tourists and tourism – whether cultural or otherwise – as a curse rather than a blessing. With Oasis fans now older and (hopefully) less prone to falling into drunken stupors miles from the stadium, perhaps the upcoming gigs will be less gory. Perhaps the event will fold happily into the hurly-burly of the festival city and be swallowed up by the tumult. Either way lessons will be learned as the capital continues to assess the opportunities, dangers and reputational demands of its place as a pre-eminent cultural destination. Read more Theme park Still with Edinburgh and its festival, the Fringe programme has just launched and, as usual, there's a host of home-grown talent to enjoy besides the blow-ins from virtually every other country on the planet. This year's programme features work from 3,352 shows across 265 venues and the good people at Fringe HQ have helpfully provided a list of the key themes for those who haven't yet had a chance to read the programme. Among these you'll find Rebellious Women, Queer Joy, Rave And Club Culture, The Apocalypse and Nostalgia, which I am going to crunch together into this handy phrase: 'The end of the world is nigh, let's party like it's 1988'. Feel free to come up with your own version. Glibness aside, those themes and others nod to one of the Fringe's great strengths: how, in aggregate, the subjects people choose to make art about offer a snapshot of the world we live in and the issues which assail it. Sure, when the Fringe rolls around you can stick to easy stand-ups and cheap laughs – but if you want serious commentary on the forces shaping our country, it's there for you in spades and you're doing yourself a dis-service if you don't dig in. As Grace Slick sang on White Rabbit: 'Feed your head.' And finally The Herald's music critic Keith Bruce continues his tour of the best the Perth Festival of the Arts has to offer with a review from St Ninian's Cathedral of Puccini's Suor Angelica, performed by Opera Bohemia and the Amicus Orchestra. He was also at the acoustically fine Caird Hall in Dundee for a performance by the RSNO's Artist in Residence Randall Goosby. Elsewhere theatre critic Neil Cooper was at Saria Callas, the latest in Òran Mór's A Play, A Pie And A Pint series. Written by Iran-born singer, artist and theatre director Sara Amini it tells the story of an Iranian girl who just wants to sing – but faces censure if she tries.
Edinburgh Reporter
a day ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Sport and arts collide in daddy of Fringe plays
Sport and The Arts will collide at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe when former world No 1 squash player, James Willstrop, stars in a poignant play at Venue: 9 -The Space @ Niddry Street (Lower) 'Daddy, Tomorrow Will I Be A Man?' has been described as a compelling tale based on true life events exploring what success really means and what really matters. What happens when a self obsessed, international squash player- dreaming only of becoming world champion – falls for someone who desperately wants a child before her body clock expires, and where's the solution when two dreams collide? James tries to find answers in the form of his beautiful mother, who died 10 years before. Through his reflections and memories of her and as he endures one of the most brutal training sessions he's ever done, can he find a way to discover whether its dedication to his lifelong craft that matters most and becoming world champion, or bringing a person in to the world? Sure to be a unique show at the Fringe this year as it is written and performed by a former world champion athlete. Since childhood James has loved to act, perform and write. He has written two books during his 23 years as a professional squash player, and now featuring original songs with arrangements by musical director Sam Johnson, he bringing his own very personal stage show to the Fringe. James Willstrop is one of only 23 world no.1 players in the history of men's squash, and is one of England's best ever players. He won three world team championship titles for England, and became official world no.1 in January, 2012, a position he held for 11 out of 12 months. He was British National Champion four times and was a Commonwealth Gold Medallist in 2018 and 2022. Sam Johnson is a York-based musical director, orchestrator, and composer with an extensive career spanning theatre, television, and live performance. Dates and Times: 1-9th August and 18-23rd @ 19.25, 11-16th @ 17.25 Run time: 50 minutes Ticket prices: £12, £10 concessions Fringe box office: 0131 2260000 Age guidance: 12+ Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
a day ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh St James Quarter's Bonnie & Wild to bring back popular Fringe Ceilidh
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Edinburgh food hall Bonnie & Wild bosses have confirmed they will be bringing their free Fringe Ceilidh back to the capital for another year. The ceilidh, which takes place in the heart of the Edinburgh Fringe on Thursday, August 14 will see the White Heather Club return to the popular St James Quarter venue for a night of 'Scottish music, dancing, food, drink and good cheer'. Since its launch in August 2022, the White Heather Club at Bonnie & Wild has attracted around 15,000 dancers to the regular ceilidhs, with the dances taking place on the last Thursday of each month and attracting hundreds of dancers every time. The ceilidh is a special one-off Fringe event that organisers expect will attract up to 400 dancers keen to have a whirl at popular Scottish dances such as the Dashing White Sergeant, Gay Gordons and Orcadian Strip the Willow. Ryan Barrie, Managing Director at Bonnie & Wild, said: 'The White Heather Club is one of Edinburgh's most popular nights out, and our free Fringe ceilidh a highlight of the Festival calendar. We're really excited about bringing it back for another year. 'We always get a good crowd coming to these dances, and it's amazing to see so many people – locals, shoppers, diners, tourists, passers-by – all dancing away and all enjoying themselves. No one leaves without a big grin on their face.' Acclaimed Scottish musician Charlie Kirkpatrick, whose band plays at the White Heather Club dances, says the ceilidhs are always a hit with newcomers and seasoned ceilidh dancers alike. 'There's a terrific sense of anticipation when the music starts and all the dancers take the floor. It's a tremendous atmosphere, and even if you don't know the moves we'll take you through each step so you'll be an expect by the time the night's over. It's a great night of Scottish music, dancing, food, drink and good cheer, and I'm sure this year's Fringe ceilidh will be every bit as jubilant and lively as our other ones have been.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Revitalised in 2022 by Bonnie & Wild, the White Heather Club was a popular TV show in the 1950s and 1960s, broadcasting Scottish country dancing into people's homes, and helping to drive the resurgence of traditional Scottish music and Ceilidh dancing.
