A good mix of comedy and theatre arranged for Edinburgh today as well as some dance at the International Festival!
Here’s the schedule for 23rd August:
11.45 –
Do Rhinos Feel Their Horns or Can They Not See Them Like How We Can’t See Our Noses, Summerhall. From the Edinburgh Fringe website:
“What if the reason I don’t like capitalism is that I just wanna chill out a bit? Rhinoceroses or capybaras? Black-pink or something less cling-clangy? Two friends make a radio play for the internet; this week’s episode is about the 1980s “Rhinoceritis” epidemic. A Singaporean production rooted in Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, Do Rhinos Feel Their Horns? re-asks what conformism means as we live through what is objectively the best time in history. It is funny, bleak, sometimes joyous, and always full of play.”
This sounds curious, and I’m aways up for a spot of the absurd, so hopefully it will be entertaining!
13.15 – Shortlist, Assembly George Square.
“Two enemy novelists duel for the ultimate prize in a fast-paced, war-of-the-words comedy. Multiple Fringe First-winning playwright Brian Parks plunges into the writing world with a Withnail-esque joust between literature’s two sharpest pens. Year after year, Higgins and Houghton find themselves pitched against each other on the shortlist for literature’s number-one title, never winning. But this year is different, each primed to strike and finally grab it. All that stands in their way is each other. A world premiere directed by Fringe First winner Margarett Perry, starring Matthew Boston and Daniel Llewelyn-Williams. ‘A refreshingly mischievous, inventive author’ (Times).”
This sounds like a very funny set-up for a play. Looking forward to it!
15.15 – The Portable Dorothy Parker, The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall.
“The year is 1943: Dorothy Parker, famed wit, writer, and critic, is on the warpath. Viking Press is about to publish a collection of Dorothy’s poems and short stories, and Dorothy must make the selections. Now. As Dorothy sorts through her works, she reminisces about her life: her famous friends (Lillian Hellman, F Scott Fitzgerald, and, especially, Ernest Hemingway), the wits of the Round Table, the founding of The New Yorker, and her many loves and heartbreaks. Has it all been worth it? Has she made her mark as a writer, or is she merely clever?”
Love a spot of Dorothy Parker – this should be good fun.
17.10 – The Courteous Enemy, The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall.
“An absurdist satire set in July 1958, which tells the story of infamous theatre critic Kenneth Tynan who wrote a scathing review of The Chairs by Eugène Ionesco, the father of absurdism. Watch chaos unfold in this exploration of the nature of theatre criticism, art and what happens when the delicate egos that tend to accompany them are attacked.”
Critics giving bad reviews? Extraordinary! I like Kenneth Tynan, and I like Eugene Ionesco. Which one is better? There’s only one way to find out – FIGHT! Should be good.
19.30 – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Programme 1 Festival Theatre.
“Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents a programme of contemporary choreography, completed by the beloved classic Revelations.
The performance opens with Aszure Barton’s BUSK, a piece examining the multi-layered wisdom of the human body. Set to a spirited score, BUSK has been described as watching the physical unfurling of the human psyche.
This is followed by the UK premiere of Kyle Abraham’s Are You in Your Feelings?, a celebration of Black culture, Black music and the youthful spirit that perseveres in us all. Scored to a ‘mixtape’ of soul, hip-hop and R&B, it highlights the bridge between music, communication and personal memory. Learn more about Kyle Abraham and his choreography in our blog.
The performance closes with Revelations, the most widely viewed modern dance work in the world. Since its debut in 1960, Revelations has moved audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music. Springing from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the American South, attending Baptist church services in Texas, Revelations pays homage to rich African American cultural traditions.”
Only seen Alvin Ailey a couple of times and they are always sensational. Seeing the other programme tomorrow night!
22.05 – Rock Bottom, Paradise in the Vault.
“’You don’t know what to be, or not to be’ – Shakespeare’s best loved clown, Bottom, is reimagined in Fresh Life Theatre’s one-person show. When Bottom arrives at the theatre, ready to perform, and finds the rest of his cast have left him, he needs to improvise. Dealing with the trauma of pushing his friends away and needing the audience like him, is a cocktail for trouble. As his plan falls apart, he is forced to come to terms with who he is. Shakespeare’s Bottom, alone in the real world.”
I’d hoped to catch this performance last year but missed out, so I’m delighted to see it’s come back this year!
Check back later to see how we enjoyed all these shows!