From Anne Archer to Michelle McManus – Assembly Rooms announces Fringe line-up

The Edinburgh Assembly Rooms has announced its 2014 Fringe programme, which features 170 shows including comedy, cabaret, music and theatre.

Among the theatre highlights is the previously announced Terry Jastrow play The Trial of Jane Fonda, starring Oscar Nominee and Golden Globe winner Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction). Running in the Music Hall from 30 July, the play tells the true story of Fonda's anti Vietnam War actions.

In the musicals programme, fresh from its US and Italian tours comes Siddhartha the Musical, an adaptation of the story of Gautama Buddha featuring "a pop rock score and some of the sexiest performers on the Fringe".

The line up also includes And They Played Shang-A-Lang, a show about growing up as an adolescent in 70’s Edinburgh, and a stage adaptation of hit film musical Sunshine on Leith.

Comedian Lucy Porter‘s new play The Fair Intellectual Club is billed as "an Edinburgh-based true story of teenage love, friendship and betrayal set at the dawn of The Scottish Enlightenment", while Hancock’s Last Half Hour by Heathcote Williams depicts the legendary comedian’s final disintegration and suicide.

Michelle McManus‘ Reality: The Musical sees the Pop Idol winner return to the Fringe with a "fabulous evening of entertainment" in which she recounts her life as a reality show winner. And Ruby Wax presents her new show based on her number one best selling book, Sane New World.

For the first time this year, Assembly Rooms has teamed up with the nearby St Andrew Square to form a 'fringe super hub'. The square will host the Famous Spiegeltent, home of La Clique, as well as a 150-seat Mongolian yurt, operated by comedy club The Stand.

Assembly Rooms Fringe director Tommy Sheppard said: "Over the last two years we have redefined the geography of the world’s largest arts festival by bringing it back to the centre of town. Now that process accelerates with a new open air venue in St Andrew Square just moments away from the Assembly Rooms."

The official 2014 Edinbugh Fringe Programme is available from 5 June – pre-order a copy here.