F E S T I VA L T H E AT R E | Top Tips T O P T I P S | W E E K 1
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.
7PM DEAD EQUAL
Army @ The Fringe – Drill Hall, 2–25 Aug (not 5, 12, 17–19), 7pm, £12 (£9.50). This opera draws on verbatim testimonies to describe two volunteer nurses during World War I. Writer Lila Palmer explores the hidden history of these exceptional women to reflect how ‘women negotiate differences of experience in the extremity of a theatre of war’.
SEX EDUCATION Summerhall, 3–25 Aug (not 12, 19), 7.10pm, £12 (£10). Previews 31 Jul & 2 Aug, £5. Sex Education blends startling performance, moving storytelling, a no-holds-barred interview with Harry Clayton-Wright’s mum and some good old-fashioned gay porn that his dad bought him when he was 14. Join Harry as he delves into his sexual past, live on stage.
AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE Underbelly Cowgate, 3–25 Aug (not 12), 7.45pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11). Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £6.50. Miracle Village is a real place that is inhabited by sex offenders. Through a verbatim script, Methodist hymns and folk music, Life Jacket ask whether redemption is possible for people who have, through their actions, been
compelled to live in a community which is bereft of anywhere that children might be able to play for their safety. This might be one of the most controversial and challenging plays of 2019.
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TRAUMBOY / TRAUMGIRL Summerhall, 3–25 Aug (not 19), 8.10pm, £12 (£10). Previews 31 Jul & 2 Aug, £5. Performed on alternating nights, Traumboy and Traumgirl is part of the Swiss Selection programme in Edinburgh, emerging from Daniel Hellman’s insights on sex work – and the response to them from fellow performer Anne Welenc.
FEMPIRE: CLEO, THEO & WU BY KIRSTEN VANGSNESS Assembly Rooms, 3–23 Aug (not 5, 8, 11, 14 & 15, 18, 20 & 21), 8.15pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Preview 1 Aug, £7. Inspired by the darkness of the last US election, Vangsness ponders the fake news directed at Hillary Clinton. Her script follows a woman’s journey towards self-realisation, with the help of some women who have been undermined by historians and are ready to manifest and tell her stories.
EJACULATION: DISCUSSIONS ABOUT FEMALE SEXUALITY Summerhall, 3–24 Aug (not 12, 19), 8.55pm, £10 (£8). Previews 31 Jul, £5 & 2 Aug, £8. Still something of a taboo subject, Finnish performer and creator Essi Rossi, along with electronic musician Sarah Kivi, presents an honest, raw piece of documentary theatre which is the result of extensive international research with women from different backgrounds, alongside some sex experts.
P H O T O :
FEMPIRE: MESS BY KIRSTEN VANGSNESS Kirsten Vangsness’ solo show meanders from Christian rock to quantum uncertainty, as the actor familiar from CSI delves into her own consciousness and finds pleasure in fragmentation and a TED talk that explains quantum objects, eventually arriving at the conclusion that perhaps mess isn’t to be feared but celebrated. Assembly Rooms, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 24 Aug, 8.15pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Preview 2 Aug, £7.
6PM BETWEEN US
delve into the highs and lows of one couple’s relationship.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, 5–17 Aug (not 11), 6.20pm, £9.50 (£8). Previews 2–4 Aug, £8 (£6.50). The vagaries of finding intimacy with a significant other and falling apart are explored in this moving play from Rachel E Thorn and Alex Keen. The script has been improvised by these acclaimed actors, so anything can happen here, as they
BABY REINDEER BY RICHARD GADD Roundabout @ Summerhall, 4–25 Aug (not 6, 13, 20), 6.25pm, £14–£16 (£12–£13). Previews 31 Jul, 2 Aug, £9, 3 Aug, £14 (£12). Despite the cute title and innocuous beginning – offering a cup of tea to a stranger – Gadd’s shift from
I C H R S P A Y N E
LADYBONES ‘I wrote Ladybones because I wanted to show people that OCD is more than just a condition,’ says writer Sorcha McCaffrey. ‘It draws on personal experience of living with OCD, which I wanted to explore in a truthful way and also show that recovery is possible. I want people to leave with a bit more hope than when they arrived.’ Pleasance Courtyard, 3–26 Aug, 11.25am, £9–£11 (£8–£9). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £7. 120 THE LIST FESTIVAL 31 Jul–7 Aug 2019