10 Edinburgh Festival Fringe productions that offer something out of the ordinary
Including theatre that uses technology, a fusion of diverse styles and unique methods of engagement
While every show at the Fringe has its own unique selling point, some performers define their work by either an extraordinary dramaturgy, organisational structure or story. It can be the use of technology, a fusion of diverse styles or a commitment to engaging communities that goes beyond a quick hour in the darkness. These shows have little in common except for their willingness to offer something that isn't always readily available.
Pizza Shop Heroes
Phosphoros Theatre
Summerhall, Sat 3–Sun 11 Aug, 5.40pm
Three years after introducing their 'theatre of sanctuary', Phosphoros return to the Fringe with autobiographical tales of migration, identity and ambition. By placing refugees on the stage, Phosphoros go beyond the predictable content of serious concern and consider theatre as a community that gives voice to the marginalised, rather than speaking on their behalf.
Girl Bully
Mary Squared
Laughing Horse @ The Place, Thu 1–Sat 10 Aug, 8pm
With audience interaction, improvisation, plenty of humour and a guest appearance from right-wing 'intellectual' Ann Coulter, New York duo Mary Clohan and Mary McDonnell consider the use of the word 'bitch', pondering the problems of pressure placed on women and girls to conform to polite and fierce stereotypes.
The Gray Cat and the Flounder
PNME and Civil Disobedience
Assembly, George Square Studios, Wed 31 Jul–Thu 22 Aug (not 12, 19), 2.05pm
Commissioned by the Flounder himself, this celebration of a real-life love story encases the audience in binaural sound: through headphones, the musical numbers become intimate and immediate, and a decade spanning 'series of conversations' are captured in cartoons, song and puppetry.
Gun
Phil and Will
Assembly Rooms, Thu 1–Sat 24 Aug (not 14), 5.10pm
It is Western. It is a comedy. It is performed by one man. Sending up the tropes of that hardy, macho and philosophical genre, Gun has an evil villain, a cunning plan and a gunslinger readying to stop it.
Everything I Do
One Two One Two, Culture Ireland and Project Arts Centre
Summerhall, Wed 31 Jul–Sun 25 Aug (not 1, 12, 19), 4.30pm
Two sisters (one directs, one performs) introduce a singer stuck in a lonely universe. With a trampoline and a guitar, she reflects on a failed relationship, and recognises how music can provide something of a consolation when the world feels alien and hostile.
The Tempest
The HandleBards
Assembly George Square, Wed 14–Sun 18 Aug, 2pm
Becoming Fringe veterans and favourites, the HandleBards offer a raucous and playful take on Shakespeare's farewell to the stage – much breaking of staffs and allusions to theatre as a magic – having cycled to the Fringe, in a defiant act of environmental consciousness.
Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster
Battersea Arts Centre and BAC Beatbox Academy
Traverse, Tue 6–Sun 25 Aug (not 12, 19), various times
Set to ignite a fashion for theatrical beatboxing, BAC Beatbox take the hoary tale of the Modern Prometheus and transform it into a meditation on identity. Astonishing use of the human voice and electronic soundscapes, this is hip hop theatre that neither ignores the toughness of the genre nor the immediacy of performance.
Miijin Ki
Indigenous Contemporary Scene
Summerhall, Tue 20–Sat 24 Aug, 4pm
Described as a 'scratch' work and an installation, Lara Kramer's hour-long examination of 'non-violent tensions' speaks of interconnection and strives to undermine lazy representations of 'the pan victim Indian' in the final part of a trilogy arriving at the Fringe across August.
Baby Reindeer
Richard Gadd
Roundabout @ Summerhall, Wed 31 Jul–Sun 25 Aug (not 1, 6, 13, 20), 6.25pm
Despite the cute title and innocuous beginning – offering a cup of tea to a stranger – Gadd's shift from comedy to theatre follows a dark path that exposes the unintended consequences of a random act of kindness. Having developed a comedic style that weaves darkness and laughter into an award-winning fusion, Gadd's debut in the theatre section (after a decade on the Fringe) promises more than a predictable, observational solo show.
SHINE
Hippana Theatre in association with From Start to Finnish
Zoo Southside, Fri 2–Mon 26 Aug (not 6, 13, 20), 7.45pm
In real life, they are a couple: on stage they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a little girl. Asking questions about identity and the multiplicity of the self, SHINE uses binaural sound to immerse the audience in questions of belief and meaning.