What’s in store for us in Edinburgh today?
Here’s the schedule for August 4th.
11:00 – Ascension, Bedlam Theatre. From the Edinburgh Fringe website:
“Dan Hazelwood adapts the haunting diary entries of 18th century sailor Leendert Hasenbosch for the stage. Marooned on Ascension Island for the crime of sodomy, Lee must tame the island’s unforgiving terrain, along with the demons that followed him ashore. As the odds of his survival steadily decline, he struggles to find a balance between his faith and his romantic desires, all the while spiralling into recklessness and desperation. Using Lee’s diary as a guide, Ascension tells a heart-rending story of queer identity from centuries ago that can be felt just as keenly today.”
It sounds like we’re starting the day with another powerful play, based on the real life events of Hasenbosch’s life. A story of survival, it should be a gripping tale and an exciting first production.
12:45 – Love’s a Beach, Pleasance Courtyard.
“What happens six months after your five minutes of fame? Cyrus and Ben are the first gay winners of TV’s biggest reality show. They’re 22, have thousands of followers, but now spend most of their days making sponsored content about dog food, and fronting campaigns about adult incontinence. When they’re offered an influencing deal in Dubai, the couple must decide how far they’ll go to cling to celebrity… and at what cost. A smash-hit satire by multi award-winning comedy writers for Netflix and BBC Television. ‘Fantastic play… had me howling with laughter’ (BroadwayWorld.com), from BAFTA-winning Unusual Productions.”
This satire sounds like it’s slightly beyound belief – but only slightly; you can imagine how when ordinary people are tempted to act their lives in an extraordinary way, it just becomes a question of when to say no. I’m sure this play will be a lot of fun as well as asking some searching and difficult questions.
14:25 – Stuffed, Pleasance Courtyard.
“This is a show about food banks. This is not a show about food. This is about the bad stuff. This is an emergency. This is a clowning show. Multi award winners Ugly Bucket (Untapped Award 2022) present a blazing inferno of physicality, clown, original music, and transformative personal testimony. Stuffed is a roaring call to action amidst the wreckage of a desecrated system. ‘As enraging as it is brilliant. A tour-de-force performance that deserves the nation’s attention’ ***** (OpeningNights.co.uk). ‘You could hear a pin drop in the furthest corner of the room’ ***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk).”
The growth of food banks over the last ten years or so is both a success story (from one aspect) and the tale of outright failure (from another). I don’t know how Ugly Bucket are going to tackle this subject, but I’m sure it will be exciting, memorable and probably rather uncomfortable too.
17:30 – Our Little Secret: The 23andMe Musical, Gilded Balloon Patter House.
“Winner: Best of Fringe Toronto 2023! What does a 31-year-old theatre kid do when a DNA test reveals that his biological parents aren’t quite who he thought they were? Write a musical, of course! In this hilarious, moving and true story, Noam Tomaschoff grapples with questions of family, identity and just how many brothers and sisters he really has. Blending comedy, drama and addictive music, Noam takes the audience on an unforgettable journey, ending with a message of optimism that will make you hold your family just a little bit tighter.”
I’ve always thought this current trend for taking DNA tests would have a sting in its tale – it’s all very well having one’s suspicions or hopes confirmed, but if you get a result you were not expecting – and certainly not hoping for – then you’ve opened the drawbridge to a lot of heartache. If this is done well it has the potential to be one of the highlights of this year’s Fringe.
19:40 – The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return, Summerhall.
“Two best mates. One HUGE party. Luton pinned by austerity. An evening of noughties bangers and shots of shitty gin mixed with the chaos of violence. A night to remember! Winners of the 2022 Untapped Award, Chalk Line presents The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return. Packed with swagger, it hurls at a rapid pace with linguistic vigour and unfolds in real time. It’s a tapestry of violence and joy parading through Luton. ‘This is theatre birthed out of exasperation’ **** (Time Out, for Blanket Ban).”
I’m expecting this play to provide a tough insight into inner city life, exposing the highs and lows of peoples’ real lived experiences. A challenging watch no doubt, but hopefully a rewarding one too.
21:20 – Daliso Chaponda: Feed This Black Man Again, Underbelly Bristo Square.
“Daliso performed his first show Feed This Black Man in the 2000s. The jokes were mediocre and the big finale involved eating a sandwich on stage. Twenty years on, he’s done the Royal Variety Performance, written and performed four series of Citizen of Nowhere on BBC Radio 4, been a Britain’s Got Talent finalist, and toured nationwide and abroad. So, Feed This Black Man Again is a do-over, as the now widely-loved comic revisits the themes of that ancient debut show with the considerably enhanced comic talents that two decades’ experience brings you.”
Daliso Chaponda is a very safe pair of hands and I’m sure his latest show will be a total hoot throughout!
Check back later to see how we enjoyed these shows!