And lo, The List’s news editor was warned that a flood would descend on his inbox, but he did not believe the calumny-obsessed maniacs and their vociferous caution. ‘I scoff at you,’ he declaimed. ‘How many Edinburgh Festival-related emails could one man possibly receive in a day?’  But that flood did come, a slow trickle that was soon breaking the banks of his spam filters and swirling through his anxious mind. And thus he spake, ‘Let loose the fury of your wrath; look at everyone who is proud and bring them down.’

What we’re trying to say is that this week’s column is a bit of a bumper edition, such has been the influx of juicy fest news. On the agenda, Summerhall launch an impressive programme, Here & Now lay out their slate of performers, Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) bags Saoirse Ronan’s new flick for their opening, and more (my goodness, so much more). 

Summerhall unveils full Fringe programme…

… with a crammed schedule of visual art exhibitions, club and music nights, theatre, and comedy exploring themes as diverse as identity, racism, grief, Queerness, mental health, and love in all its forms. 

As you can tell from the above paragraph, there’s a lot going on at Summerhall this August, more than these news nuggets can contain. But a few highlights from the programme include Sean Wai Keung’s A History Of Fortune Cookies, an intimate gig for only 10 people in which the self-described foodie bakes a fortune cookie for each audience member and takes them on an oral history of the after-dinner snack; photography exhibition Hard Art, aiming to capture the vibrancy of Washington DC’s punk scene; FEMMERGY At The Fringe! a club night platforming DJs and artists from marginalised genders; and the return of immersive experience troupe Darkfield theatre with their latest venture, Arcade. 

Beyond the events themselves, it’s heartening to see Summerhall retain its forward-thinking approach to ticket pricing and support of artists at a famously cost-intensive time of the year. The venue will continue its Support The Artist Ticket Scheme, which gives audiences the option to add an additional two pounds to their order when they buy their ticket, 100% of which will go to the performer.  Also on offer are discounts at the bar for any Festival workers in the city. When we chatted with Summerhall’s Chief Executive, Sam Gough, last year, he told us, ‘We’re very much artist-focused. Our mission is not only to provide excellent content for audiences, but to support artists both creatively and financially.' Read the full interview here. 

We haven’t even begun to do justice to the legitimately impressive programme on offer, so explore it yourself on the Summerhall site. 

Here & Now showcases work from England…

… with four performances and three industry events being held across the city in August. Taking place at Dance Base, Pleasance, Summerhall and Zoo Venues, shows include Enowate by Olivier award-winning choreographer, dancer and composer Dickson Mbi; L’Addition by experimental theatre maker Forced Entertainment’s Tim Etchells with Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas; TESTO by drag and movement artist Wet Mess; and You Heard Me by artist and theatre maker Luca Rutherford.

The Here & Now initiative was formerly known as Horizon,  which has had a good track record of platforming thought-provoking work at the Festival. Have a gander at the Here & Now site for more information. 

EIFF announces opening screening…

… will be the Orkney-set drama The Outrun starring Saoirse Ronan (main picture). The Oscar-nominated actor will play a young woman rebuilding her life on the Scottish island after a battle with addiction. EIFF Director, Paul Ridd, said, ‘The Outrun is a truly special film. Powered by an electric and fearless central performance by Saoirse Ronan, this is lyrical, momentous cinema of real rigour and intelligence, and exactly the kind of bold work we want to champion with our relaunched festival.’ 

The EIFF also announced its shorts competition will be titled The Thelma Schoonmaker Prize For Short Filmmaking Excellence, and will make its maiden voyage with the legendary editor in attendance alongside a cash prize of £15,000. This marks EIFF’s first full-length outing in two years after a slimmed-down entry last year; so far signs are looking good that it’s back in fine fettle. Expect more details when the EIFF programme launches on Thursday 4 July.

The Danes are coming…

… and they’re bringing four shows with them in a showcase supported by the Danish Ministry Of Culture and the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs. In a strand called #DANISH, the shows on offer are Transhumanist, a dance two-hander that aims to dissolve 'the boundaries between human and artificial’; Tennis, another dance piece centred around every strawberry lovers’ sport of choice; This Is Not Romeo & Juliet, which sets Shakespeare’s classic against a backdrop of war in Europe; and The Disappeared, a Latin American-influenced exploration of burlesque and Queerness. 

The Danish cultural attaché Lone Britt Christensen at the Danish Embassy in London has followed the work behind #DANISH since 2018. She said in a press release,  ‘It's not a given that we will succeed in getting attention in the theatre mecca that the Edinburgh Fringe really is, so it's fantastic that we have the opportunity to continue this strong #DANISH brand for the companies participating in 2024. It can only help to strengthen Danish performing arts internationally.’

Four stars or more 

Comedian Amy Matthews will be visiting the Fringe again for a Commute With The Foxes, in a show asking, ‘Do things have a place and how do they change if they find themselves a new one?’ We were big fans of Matthews outing last year, I Feel Like I’m Made Of Spiders, giving it four stars and lauding it for its deft balance of drama and comedy. We wrote, ‘Slick without lacking spontaneity, intelligent while appealing to a broad audience, likeable while maintaining a sense of grit, serious in tone without skimping on jokes: Matthews’ relaxed appearance onstage belies an incredible tightrope walker at work.’ Read the full review here. 

You’ll be able to catch Matthews at Monkey Barrel’s Tron venue from Thursday 1 August until Sunday 25 August.