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T O P T I P S | W E E K 1
Some of the best dance, circus and physical theatre shows in the Fringe’s first week, in our handy hour-by-hour guide Iraqi traditional music and Finnish contemporary dance, contemplating similarities and differences between these two cultures.
10AM
TAIWAN SEASON: BOUT Summerhall, 2–25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19), 10.20am, £12 (£9). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £5–£8. The brothers and co-creators of last year’s hit Bon 4 Bon return with a new show about fraternal relationships and male bonding. Inspired by the rituals and rhythms of the boxing ring, the Chang brothers explore their strong, yet strained personal connections.
11AM THE DESK
Summerhall, 2–25 Aug (not 12, 19), 11.35am, £10 (£8). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £5–£8. Director Reetta Honkakoski mines her personal lived experience of a cult in this ensemble piece about the seductive power of discipline, hierarchy, mind control and the search for an ultimate truth.
1PM ALI AND ALPO
Summerhall, 8–25 Aug (not 12, 19), 1.05pm, £10 (£8). Previews 6 & 7 Aug, £8. Lute virtuoso Ali Alawad and choreographer Alpo Aaltokoski perform a wordless dialogue between
CIRQUE BERSERK! Pleasance at EICC, 3–25 Aug (not 21), 1.30pm & 6.30pm, £17.50– £19.50 (£13–£15). Preview 2 Aug, £12. Returning after its sell-out Fringe debut in 2018, Cirque Berserk! is performed by a troupe of acrobats, aerialists, dancers, drummers and stuntmen combining contemporary cirque-style artistry with adrenaline- fuelled action.
2PM KOMBINI
Underbelly’s Circus Hub, 3–24 Aug (not 13, 20), 2pm, £12.50–£15 (£11.50–£14). Canadian company Les Foutoukours stage this sensitive show about two clowns with aspirations to international fame, but in the meantime are forced to accept a gig at a children’s birthday party.
LOUDER IS NOT ALWAYS CLEARER
Summerhall, 2–25 Aug (not 7, 12, 19), 2.30pm, £10 (£8). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £5–£8. A one-man piece of circus and physical theatre about Jonny, a seemingly-confident deaf man who struggles to find where he belongs in a hearing world, and his desire to dance and sing despite being unable to hear music.
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ONLY BONES 1.0 His body is built the same way as the rest of us, yet when you watch Thom Monckton move it’s like he’s inhabiting a whole other set of apparatus. After the clever physical buffoonery of Fringe hits The Pianist and The Artist, Monckton returns with his popular 2016 show Only Bones. Assembly Roxy, 2–22 Aug (not 12, 19), 8.20pm, £11–£13 (£10–£12). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £8.
KNOT Assembly Roxy, 2–25 Aug (not 6, 13, 20), 2.45pm, £12–£14 (£11–£13). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £10. Through dance and hand-to-hand circus, Nikki Rummer and JD Broussé
depict the struggles of commitment, and whether we can be honest with ourselves without hurting those we love.
3PM FRONTX
Summerhall, 2–24 Aug (not 7, 12, 14, 21), 3pm, £9 (£7). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £5–£8. International street artists come together as an ensemble to act as a mouthpiece for the concerns of contemporary society, exploring their personal life stories and inner motivations at the same time.
OCKHAM’S RAZOR: THIS TIME St Stephen’s Theatre, 1–25 Aug (not 6, 13, 20), 3pm, £15.50–£17.50 (£13–£15). New aerial show from the acclaimed company, in which four performers, ranging in age from 13 to 60, are suspended in the air and swung close to the ground in a groundbreaking feat of design and acrobatics.
DNA Assembly George Square, 3–25 Aug (not 12, 19), 3.15pm, £13–£15 (£12–£14). Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £10. From the team that brought you Knee Deep, Driftwood and You & I, Casus Circus performs a combination of acrobatics and physical theatre to explore deeply personal stories, from depression and homophobia to cultural genocide.
31 Jul–7 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 85
BALLETBOYZ: THEM / US Not many shows come to the Fringe already equipped with five-star reviews, but this superb double-bill does. An all-male troupe run by former Royal Ballet dancers Michael Trevitt and William Nunn, the BalletBoyz are known for combining physical athleticism with a special kind of grace you can’t take your eyes off. Underbelly Bristo Square, 2–15 Aug (not 7), 1pm, £16.50–£18.50 (£15.50–£17.50). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £12.50 (£11.50).