How about a list of today’s shows? There’s a big day ahead!
Here’s the schedule for 14th August:
10.00 – Mirandolina, Hill Street Theatre. From the Edinburgh Fringe website:
“Mirandolina, the captivating landlady of an inn, is wooed by a penniless marquess, a wealthy count and her besotted servant. She enjoys their attentions but values her freedom. When sworn bachelor Ripafratta comes to the inn, can Mirandolina bend him to her will? Ranjit Bolt’s sparkling comedy is translated from the original work of Carlo Goldoni, the 18th-century Italian comic playwright best known for A Servant of Two Masters.”
Goldoni is ace, but I only know two of his plays, and Mirandolina isn’t one of them, so this is a good opportunity to fill a gap in my knowledge!
12.00 – In Conversation with… Jack Monroe, The Stand’s New Town Theatre.
“Food writer and anti-poverty campaigner. Joined the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service in 2007 working in their control room. Left 2011, unable to work the night shifts as a single parent with a 20-month-old son. Started writing her blog, A Girl Called Jack, in 2012, in response to a local councillor claiming that ‘druggies, drunks and single mums are ruining the High Street.’ An Oxfam ambassador. Her seventh book Thrifty Kitchen, published January 2023, contains over 120 brand-new, delicious, low-cost recipes, plus money-saving household tricks.”
Cutting down on the Spoken Word shows this year, but we couldn’t resist hearing what Jack Monroe has to say about the world today in person!
13.50 – The Real William Shakespeare… As Told by Christopher Marlowe, Greenside @ Riddles Court.
“’Make my words reside in your language as if they never knew any other.’ Marlowe, murder… Morocco? The truth behind Shakespeare is steeped in blood and political intrigue, but now Christopher Marlowe is ready to tell all. Matchmaker Theatre Productions present a provocative new production that asks: who was the real William Shakespeare? Christopher Marlowe, famed playwright and spy, has the answer. But just how far will others go to protect this secret? ‘Chaotic playfulness… mixing in heaps of Queer history and theory’ **** (CorrBlimey.co.uk, The Masks Of Oscar Wilde, 2022).”
There’s always an abundance of Shakespeare-based shows at Edinburgh and sometimes they’re great and sometimes they’re far from it. Fingers crossed for this one!
15.45 – Olaf Falafel: Look What Fell Out Of My Head, Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree.
“Join the best-joke-list-bothering, holey-cheese-flinging, diaphragm-jiggling comedian as he presents a hostess trolley full of stuff he finds funny. ‘A big, beautiful bearhug of a show’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Visual gags piled on top of other visual gags’ **** (BeyondTheJoke.co.uk). ‘Several gags to rival his best joke of the Fringe in 2019’ **** (GonzoMagazine.co.uk).”
Edinburgh isn’t Edinburgh without at least an hour spent in the company of Olaf Falafel! I’m sure it will be hilarious as always.
17.20 – I Killed My Ex, The Space @ Niddry Street.
“Enjoy a deliciously wild ride on a brand-new play by writer-director Emilie Biason and confess: some exes are better off dead. I Killed My Ex is a hilarious dark comedy following two dear friends, Tina and Lola, who impulsively kill Tina’s ex after he leaves her at the altar, embarking on a hectic journey to get rid of his body. Jump in the dark with your new fav clumsy killers in this funny, provocative social critique, and let’s face it: a woman should never be left at the altar.”
I love a dark comedy – and the premise for this one sounds brilliant. Let’s hope it delivers!
18.40 – Paved with Gold and Ashes, Greenside @ Infirmary Street.
“Based on a true event in New York City, 1911. With immigrants arriving in floods from all over Europe, for many the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is one of the most coveted places to work. Some say that in America the streets are paved with gold – full of wealth and opportunities. But as these five young women battle poverty, capitalism, unfair working conditions, and – on one fateful morning in March – one of the deadliest workplace disasters in US history, their dreams soon turn to ashes… ‘An unflinching mirror to today’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).”
This sounds like a good, meaty drama – an account of a historical event that is very relevant to today’s world. Hope it goes well.
22.20 – Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England, The Space @ Niddry Street.
“This is football. This is what defines my happiness. This is what makes or spoils a weekend. This is what fills my soul with joy and despair. Billy is a die-hard football fan. When he goes viral for sticking a flare between his bum cheeks before England’s final, he begins to question his own love of the beautiful game. This new one-man play, written and performed by Alex Hill, asks what it means to be a “die-hard” football fan and explores themes of belonging, tribalism and toxic masculinity.”
As titles go, it’s a classic. Everyone remembers seeing that photo in the news or online – and it will be fascinating to see how the play incorporates it into this examination of toxic masculinity.
Check back later to see how we enjoyed all these shows!