The List’s Guide toythe 1996 Edinburgh Festival
N CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW. this is the 50th time round for the world-famous Edinburgh Festival. It’s the biggest and best arts festival on the planet. so you’ll need all the ‘ help you can get finding your way around. That‘s where we come in. The List has eleven years’ experience as Scotland’s leading events guide. and we‘re here to help you find out where to go,
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what to see and how to get the tickets. Here and in our next two issues (published on Thurs l5 and Thurs 22) we’ll be doing all we can to make this your best Festival yet . . .
TOP TWENTY: On page 9 we give our twenty tips for the very best Festival events taking place this week. If you can only take in a few. choose them front here.
THEATRE, DANCE ANO COMEDY: To help you plan your daily Festival diary. our coverage of Theatre. Dance and Comedy is divided ilito six time bands. from 9am until late at night. Each section covers what we think will be the most interesting shows iii that time band.
FILM, MUSIC, ART AND CLUBS: Each of these is covered in a separate section. which you can lind following on from the time band sections.
HIT LISTS: The first page of each section
covers the most exciting events in that
section. Two or more shows may be covered in some depth but we also give some quick Itits- - our at-a-glance recommendations.
STAR RATINGS: Events that we've reviett-etl are assessed for quality and value. and given one to live stars according to how good we think they are. We preview events we‘re unable to see before they come to the Festival. We don't attempt to assess them. but we do tell you why they‘re interesting. Previews are not given star ratings.
FREE TICKET OFFERS: Through our special contacts with Festival and Fringe promoters. we‘ve secured some free tickets just for our readers. See pages 17 and I9 for full details.
Tickets and information m
The number of festivals lll lidinburgh during August varies. but only three have taken place every year since I947. They are the International Festival. the Fringe and the Film Festival. Details of these festivals and other events are given below.
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Edinburgh
International I;
The original and most prestigious Edinburgh Festival. at which leading international performers of music. opera. theatre and dance are invited by director Brian McMaster to perform at the city's best venues. The International Festival runs Sun Il—Sat 3! August.
I Box ollice Tickets for all International Festival events can be bought from the Festival Box Office. 2| Market Street. Edinburgh Fill IBW. 0I3I 225 5756. Open Mott—Sat 9am—7pm: Still l0am—5pm.
The following venues also sell tickets for all International Festival events:
King's theatre Levett Street. 013! 320 4349;
Queen‘s Ilall South Clerk Street. 0 I .it 668 20I9;
Ticketline Assembly Rooms. 54 George Street. ()l3l 226 2428:
Usher llall I,.()l|ll:IlI Road. ()l3l 228 I L55. Any tickets unsold on the day of the performance are available on the door one hour before curtain tip.
Ilalt price tickets for some performances are sold — subject to availability — l-—5pm on the day of performance. at the Festival Box Office. 2| Market Street. ()l3l 225 5756. There is a maximum allocation of two seats per customer.
I Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert Thurs 29 Aug. l().30pm. An absolute must. this annual open-air concert at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens is the high spot of the Festival's final week. This year. the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performs Handel and Brahms. while spectacular fireworks till the sky and cascade down the Castle walls. Tickets giving admission to Princes Street Gardens are now sold out. so join the thousands on and around Princes Street for the best views.
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As old as the International Festival. the Fringe has an open-door policy and an anything-goes tradition which has allowed it to grow enormous. From early morning until late at night. somebody sottiewllere is ready and willing to entertain you Whether the venue is a theatre. at church hall or a street corner. every art-form known to man will be on offer at almost 200 venues around the city. Theatre. dance. comedy. music. visual art and a few other genres defying categorisation are all on offer. The Fringe runs officially Sun I l--Sat 3l August. but many shows begin earlier. during ‘week zero‘. To make the most of your time. pick up the indispensable Daily Diary. a httge sheet ‘ giving full details of each day's events. available from the Fringe Office and other points around town.
I Box office Tickets for all shows in the Fringe are available front the Fringe Office. l80 High Street. Edinburgh. 013| 226 5l38. Open for bookings in person l0am--7pm; or by phone 9am-~9pm. Tickets for Fringe events are also available in person from:
Scottish Gas Mobile Information Centre Princes Street Gardens. by The Mound. Open daily l0am—5.30pm.
Fringe Club Teviot Row. Bristo Square. Open daily I()am—7pm.
6er Centre South Gyle. Open daily I(Iattl—opili.
Waterstone‘s Booksellers 83 George Street. ()pen Mon—Sat l0alli-7ptli; Stilt llam-7pln.
I Fringe Venues The Fringe as a whole is not selectively programmed. but several venues control and programme two or more performance spaces. and publish their own brochures (Assembly. the Gilded Balloon and the Pleasance share a single brochure) and also operate box offices for advance bookings for their own shows:
Arts International Exchange/Edinburgh Venue Associates Moray House Theatre Complex. 0l3| 556 0I02. Open daily IOanl—midnight.
Assemth Assembly Rooms. 54 George Street. 0|3| 226 2428. Open daily
I lam—midnight.
Fringe Club Teviot Row. Bristo Square. 0| 3| 650 4673. Open daily 7pm-late.
Gilded Balloon 233—235 Ctiwgtilc. o l 3t 226 2l5l. Open daily I()am-Iain.
Gilded Balloon II Stepping Stones. Grassmarket. (Il3l 226 2I5I. Open daily I()aili— lam.
Pleasance 60 The Pleasance. 0131 556 6550. Open daily Ham—midnight. Gueen‘s Ilall Clerk Street. ()I3l (ms 20l9. Open daily I()alli~-I0ptli.
Scottish International tenuous GroUse House. 5 Chambers Street. 0 I 3| 220 5606. Open daily 9.30am-midnight. Theatre Workshop 34 Hamilton Place. (Il3l 226 5425. Open Moll—Sat I()ttllI-‘lllplll‘. Sun I().ttti-~9pm.
Traverse Theatre Cambridge Street. (I I 3| 228 I404. Open Mon l0am~8pm;
Tue— Stilt I()am midnight.
All venues also sell tickets for their own shows shortly before performances begin. The map on pages 60- 6| shows the location of all Fringe venues.
I The Fringe Club operates as a venue during the day btit front I().30pm it becomes a kind of epicentre for tlte world's largest arts festival. with live music. club nights. comedy. cabaret. cheap food and -- of course — four bars. which stay open tmiil 3am. Membership costs £5 per day. or £20 for the season (£6 for performers). available from the Fringe Office or the Fringe Club.
I Fringe Sunda gathers I50.000 flitt- seekers in Holyrood Park on Still l8 August. l~5pm. for the biggest free show in the Festival. Fire-eaters. itigglel‘s. buskers. pipe-bands. comedians. masicians —- well. you get the picture r offer highlights of their respectiy e shows. I Evening News Festival Cavalcade is a huge parade on Sun I I August. which kicks oIf ill Waterloo Place at 2. I5pm.
journeys west along Princes Street and
ends up in the (irassmarkel. Pick your vantage poilit from any of these places. or run alongside if you think you're up to it.
FILM STIVAL
EDINBURGH
FILM FESTIVAL
l)rambuie lidinburgh Film Festival is also notching up its 50th progranmle this year. offering a wide range ofcineiilatic events from a I947 retrospective to world pt'elliiei'es of new films. from shorts to full-length features. from complete unknowns to superstars. The Film Festival runs Still I |--Sun 25 August. and offers movies. tilinmakers' forums atid star appearances. Films are screened at the Filmhouse. the Calileo. the Dominion. the ABC. the ()deon. the UCI and the Glasgow Film Theatre.
I Box Gttice Tickets for all films can be bought in person at the Filmhouse. 88 l.othian Road. Edinburgh. EH3 982. Information: 0| 3| 229 2550. The box office is open daily 9aili—9pm (noon-9pm before Sat l0). Telephone bookings can be made on ()l3l 467 8855. 9am—8pm (noon-8pm before Sat l0).
Tickets for screenings at other Film Festival venues can also be bought on the door on the day of the screening.
MILITARY TATTOO
This outdoor military spectacular takes place at Edinburgh Castle. with plenty of ceremonial pageantry. massed pipes and drums and display teams from around the world. Robert Burns is the loose theme of this year‘s show: highlights include the South African Police Service Zulu Warriors. the US Army band Pershing's ()w n and a crack artillery display from the US Army silent drill display team. The Tattoo runs until Sat 24 August. Mon—Fri 9pm; Sat 7.45pm and l().3()pm.
I Box Oitlce Tickets are available by post. ill person or by phone front the Military Tattoo Booking Office. 32-34 Market Street. Edinburgh FHI IQB. ()I3l 225 lltlti. Open Moll—Fri I0am-9pm; Sat l0am--l0.30pm.
TELEPHONE BOOKINGS
I International Festival 0| 3| 325 5756
I Fringe ()I 3! 226 S I 38
Arts International lixcliaiige/Fdinburgh \"enue Associates: ()I3I 556 ()I02
Assembly: 0|3l 226 2428
Fringe Club: ()l3l 650 4673
Gilded Balloon: ()l3l 226 2 ISI
Pleasance: ()l 3| 5566550
Queen's Hall: 0|3I 668 20|9
Scottish International: ()l3l 220 5606
Theatre Workshop: ()I3l 226 5425
Traverse Theatre: ()l3l 228 I404
I Film Festival 0 I 3! 467 8855
(Filmhouse/Festival box office)
(‘aliieoz ()I3l 22l 9898
()tleoti: (HA I 667 73.“
UCI: 0990 888 990
I Military ‘rattoo cm 225 II88
I International Festival http://wwwed.ac.uk/~eif
I Fringe http://www.presenceco.uk/fringe/ I Film Festival http://wwwedftlittlest.org.uk
OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS
I tourist inronitatton 0 I 3 I 557 I700 ' I Accommodation ouice Of?! 557 9655 I National Rail Enquiries 0345 484 950
The List 9-I5 Aug I996 3