The road goes ever on and on, until lo a Festival is born. That’s right, these intros are getting increasingly difficult to write as August flies closer into view. Despite my creative juices failing me, there’s still plenty of Festival news to be newsed, including an impressive slate of literary fun from the Edinburgh International Festival, the launch of PBH’s Free Fringe programme, the first film on Edinburgh International Film Festival’s bill and another must-see show from an act we reviewed well last year. Take a look and, as the Fringe Society would say, fill yer boots. 

Edinburgh International Book Festival unveils its full programme…

… welcoming more than 470 authors, writers and thinkers from 49 countries. The festival will run from Saturday 12 – Monday 28 August at Edinburgh College Of Art and feature interviews with Sara Pacoe, Rob Delaney, Greta Thunberg, Irvine Welsh, Jenny Colgan, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre and many more. Read more about the festival here. 

The Free Fringe announces its line-up...

…with more than 5000 performances in its teeming programme. PBH’s Free Fringe has always been a place to catch the stranger, more experimental side of the Fringe, or to enjoy work in progress shows on a pay what you want basis, and this year’s selection of shows looks to be no different. A few  titles that caught our eye include Goutfellas, Nerdlesque, Disoriented On The Murder Express and literally thousands more. Good or bad, they can be enjoyed for free (or, for the fair minded amongst you, with a donation of your choice at the end of the show). Find the full programme here.

Edinburgh International Film Festival announces its opening film… 

…a surfing drama set in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides called Silent Roar. This debut feature from Scottish writer and director Johnny Barrington follows Dondo (Louis McCartney), a young surfer struggling to cope with his father’s recent disappearance at sea. He soon finds solace in his new crush, Sas (Ella Lily Hyland), who dreams of escaping the island. Expect to read a lot more about EIFF when it announces its full programme on Thursday 6 July. 

Four stars or mo(o)re

Glenn Moore is one of those comics who seems to receive an almost never-ending round of plaudits, a phenomenon which scientists now refer to as the Acaster effect. The gag machine will make reprise his show from last year’s run at the Fringe, Glenn Moore: Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, Glenn I'm Sixty Moore. Faintly irritating title aside we awarded it four stars. ‘Old-fashioned puns, clever plays on words, masterful deadpan one-liners in the wholesome style of Eric And Ernie, crossed with the self-deprecating darkness of a posher, more English Rodney Dangerfield,’ wrote our reviewer Claire Sawers. Read the full review here.