Take Ten … Edinburgh Fringe Shows by City & Country
Just because the festival is in Edinburgh, it doesn’t mean the shows have to be! Many of this year’s productions allow audiences to travel the world, visiting a new city or country via interactive, metaphorical and historical means without leaving the Scottish capital. Here are some of the international offerings for the 2011 festival.
Rimmer’s play deals with the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombings in 2001 through the lives of 15 individuals who have been affected by the devastating attacks in the City. Church Hill Theatre, 19-23 August, 15:15.
2) An Austrian, an Italian and Someone from Slough
The title is self-explanatory as this unlikely comedy trio bring ‘streetwise humour’ to the Fringe Festival. Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 4-28 August, 18:30.
Set in the title city, this play explores the rise and fall of Emperor Constantine, as well as the wonders of the place itself. Electric Circus, 5-29 August, 22:30.
The only show on this list to take place in the festival’s homeland. This comedy follows the life of Tommy, a man who is extremely satisfied with his 28-year unemployment history, until he is forced to take part in a government getting into work scheme. Assembly Hall, 4-28 August, 14:00.
Handpicked by comedy website LondonisFunny.co.uk, this show brings four of the city’s best acts each night, including TV favourites Rufus Hound and Josie Long. Imans, 6-27 August, 21:35.
6) Singapore
Playwright R.J Thomson aims to portray the country both physically within the theatre, as well as citing it as a metaphor for human existence. Thomson is described as ‘a playwright of a quite fearless and magnificent originality’. Summerhall, 13-20 August, 15:00.
7) Stockholm
The play documents an attractive, enviable couple’s visit to the Swedish capital, where unexpected events force them to re-evaluate and broaden the definition of their love. Whitespace, 4-20 August, 18:40.
This play is inspired by the famous 14th-century Giotto painting, rather than the country itself. The action is, in fact, set in Nazi Poland, where the art acts as escapism for a young girl who has lost all her family through the mass genocide. Sweet Grassmarket, 5-14 August, 15:15.
9) Waterloo
The famous battle is recited from the comic perspective of two of Arthur Conan Doyle’s popular characters; French Brigadier Gerard and Cockney Corporal. New Town Theatre, 4-28 August, 16:30.
10) You Wouldn’t Know Him, He Lives in Texas
This interactive play tells the story of a couple in a long-distance relationship. Audiences, who are introduced to the American boyfriend via a Skype connection between Edinburgh and Texas, get to decide whether love can survive the distance. Underbelly, 6-28 August, 20:00.
