So you’re hunting for quality drama and spoken word amongst the thousands listed in the mammoth Fringe programme. I haven’t seen every show or performer appearing this year, but I have seen and reviewed a lot of them!
Friends regularly ask for Fringe recommendations, but the chances are we don’t know each other. To save you from having to track me down and befriend me, here are my top tips for theatre, musical theatre, storytelling and spoken word shows at this year’s Festival (in no particular order!)
Thunderstruck (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
“Thunderstruck” is a compelling, award-winning production by David Colvin that tells the story of the legendary piper Gordon Duncan. The show mixes humour, music, and tragedy as it explores Duncan’s life and his revolutionary impact on Scottish music. Expect a powerful performance that redefines the perception of bagpipes, combining storytelling with live music for an engaging experience. This show is ideal for those interested in music history and modern Scottish theatre. My Review here.
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Òran (Pleasance Courtyard)
Not ones to give themselves an easy August, Robbie Jack and Jack Nurse will be overseeing Wonder Fools’ first production at the Fringe along with Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Another take on the Greek ‘Orpheus’ myth, and adapted in collaboration with acclaimed hip-hop artist Owen Sutcliffe, expect something very different, and very exciting. Will tragedy strike at the appointed hour, or does a different fate await our bereaved minstrel this time around?
June Carter Cash: The Woman, Her Music and Me (Summerhall)
Written and performed by the excellent Charlene Boyd, and directed by creative powerhouse Cora Bissett, this new production from the National Theatre of Scotland looks set to be one of the must-see theatrical events of this year’s Fringe. Glasgow meets Nashville in this musical exploration of the two women’s lives Boyd’s and that of her musical heroine. Produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and Grid Iron Theatre Company, expect a singularly classy experience.
Into the Woods (Paradise in Augustines)
Bare Productions’ rendition of “Into the Woods” promises a vibrant and engaging take on Stephen Sondheim’s beloved musical. Since 2017, Edinburgh’s Bare Productions have been assembling some of the finest talents walking amongst the local community and funnelling them into first-class productions. Last year’s RENT was carried off in style, so expect Into the Woods to be another belter. Read my review here.
Don Quixote Rides Again (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
An absolutely sensational show I was lucky enough to catch the first performance of earlier this year. The utterly charming, enchanting pairing of storyteller Inés Álvarez Villa and flamenco musician Danielo Olivera mount a telling of Cervantes’ immortal tale like no other. Utterly immersive, funny, and surprisingly touching. Do not miss! Read my review here.
Orpheus/Orfeo (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
I’ve seen this, and I’ve seen Hadestown…I prefer this. That’s not to cast shade on what is a spectacular musical adventure, but a measure of how excellent this show is. A sublimation of the Greek tragedy and its medieval echo, the traditional Celtic ballad of King Orfeo, this blend of folk music and story is a masterclass in bringing new life to old tales. Simply magical. Read my review here.
Queer Folks’ Tales (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
A regular cabaret of storytelling grounded in the queer community overseen by the splendid human being known as Turan Ali. It’s tricky to recommend a show where the line-up changes at every show, but Turan is worth the price of admission alone. Expect the unexpected, it’s a safe space in which anything goes, however raunchy, sweet, or completely innocent. All I can promise is Turan will tell you a singular tale plucked from his own globe-trotting, ‘say yes to the world’ adventures, before introducing some other magical souls he’s plucked from the queer storytelling ether. Read my review here.
Chatterbox (Pleasance Courtyard)
The talented and utterly delightful Lubna Kerr brings her new autobiographical show, Chatterbox to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Following up from her first class outing last year, Tickbox 2. A prequel to that show. Chatterbox promises to dive deeper into her past to look at life as an Urdu-speaking schoolgirl in 1970s Glasgow. Expect a warm welcome and a compelling, enlightening journey. Read my review here.
Dear Billy (Assembly Rooms)
Gary McNair’s outstanding ode to Billy Connolly set the Scottish theatrical heather on fire for much of 2023 as it toured the nation. Backed by the production powers of the National Theatre of Scotland, it’s an intimate, yet extroverted exercise in modern myth-making. If the Big Yin has made you laugh over the years, or you wonder just who I’m talking about, this is a show to make you smile all the way home (or to your next show.) Read my review here.
Animate Lands: A Celtic Myth Cycle (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
I reviewed this show last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Dougie Mackay is a fine, and thoroughly likeable storyteller. Backed by the Freya Rae’s dancing fiddle & whistle this is a fine introduction to the world of ancient Celtic myth. A well-judged contemporary edge in tone and phrase lifts this tuneful hour of storytelling from the good to the very good indeed. Read my review here.
Through the Mud (Summerhall)
Stellar Quines and The Royal Lyceum bring back their extremely well-received two-hander adaption of Apphia Campbell and Meredith Yarbrough’s multi-award-winning monologue WOKE. Covering two generations of black women striving for civil justice in the USA, it’s a tale for our times in the hands of Scotland’s visionary feminist company. Expect gospel, blues, and some searing storytelling.
Catafalque (Summerhall)
Led by the irrepressible Stephanie Katie Hunter, and born in 2021, Glasgow-based Scissor Kick is a theatre company to watch. In only a short time they have supported and produced several excellent productions, including Ruxy Cantir’s superb Pickled Republic. Expect the unexpected and unsettling with this new “one-woman eulogy to death through the lens of a civil celebrant.” Written and performed by Amy Conway and directed by Beth Morton, expect a memorable theatrical journey.
James Rowland Dies At the End of the Show (Summerhall)
James Rowland has the charisma and charm to keep a theatre in thrall single-handed. That’s just as well given this is the third and final dramatic monologue in a trilogy. Learning to Fly impressed me last November, and assuming he will only figuratively die at the end of the upcoming production, I expect another hour of joy, music, and surprising revelations. Read my review here.
A History of Paper by Oliver Emanuel and Gareth Williams (Traverse)
A final hurrah from the loved, and lost playwright, Oliver Emmanuel, this collaboration with serial musical innovator Gareth Williams promises to be one of the events of Fringe 2024. Expect a heartbreaking, uplifting new piece of musical theatre, and give yourself the chance to say ‘I saw it before it transferred.’
Same Team (Traverse)
Conceived by the superb minds behind Wonder Fools, Robbie Jack and Jack Nurse, Same Team charts the fates of 5 women chosen to represent Scotland in the Homeless World Cup. Devised in partnership with the women of the Dundee Change Centre, it’s an energetic, stylish, and unpatronising piece of socially conscious theatre-making. It’s just great that new audiences will have a chance to discover this tip-top Traverse-grown production. Read my review here.
In Two Minds (Traverse)
The award-prone Fishamble returns to the 2024 Fringe, and the Traverse Theatre stage with In Two Minds. Their production of Eugene O’Briens Heaven was a theatrical pleasure in 2023, and given their form, Fishamble is probably bringing another banger to the city. A story of an adult child and parent sharing a home promises humour, pain, and difficult, but needed conversations. Expect tremendous performances to anchor this production. Read my review here.
Born in the USA (Leaving Vietnam) (C Arts)
“Born in the USA (Leaving Vietnam)” by Richard Vergette is a gripping drama that delves into the complexities of the Vietnam War and its aftermath on American society. I caught the show at the 2022 Fringe and was quickly gripped by Vergette’s dramatic creation, Jimmy Vanderberg. If nuance is something you miss from current diagnoses of America’s political ills, then this show is for you. It’s a first-class one-man play. Read my review here.
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Tales from the Towpath (The Lochrin Belle)
“Tales from the Towpath” by Citadel Arts Group presents a collection of stories inspired by Edinburgh’s most historic waterway. This production offers a mix of local history, folklore, and engaging narratives, making it a must-see for those interested in Edinburgh’s rich cultural heritage. The tickets are free, but you will have to e-mail one of the organisers to secure a place on the barge – that’s right, the play is on a boat – where the play takes place. Bring your sea legs! My review here.
Click here for Tickets: jamesellison@blueyonder.co.uk
An Unexpected Hiccup (ZOO Southside)
This collaboration between the wonderful, innovative Lung Ha Theatre Company and physical theatre specialists Plutôt la Vie, is unlikely to disappoint. Lung Ha, one of the UK’s leading companies for performers with learning difficulties and autism, set a high dramatic bar. Too few people ultimately saw their award-winning Castle Lennox last year – trust me it was absolutely brilliant. What will be achieved along with the splendid Plutôt la Vie, I encourage you all to find out! Read my review here.
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Love Beyond (Assembly George Square)
With the assembled creative might of Raw Material and Vanishing Point with Aberdeen Performing Arts beyond, this world premiere of Ramesh Meyyappan’s journey into one man’s experience of dementia may prove one of this year’s most powerful Fringe experiences. Meyyappan is a singular talent, whilst between them Raw Material and Vanishing Point can lay claim to a brace of the finer theatrical works to come out of Scotland in recent years. Expect brilliance.
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Featured Image: Dear Billy © Tommy Ga Ken Wa
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