Victorian swim centre and squash court to play host to Fringe shows
A s qu as h co ur t, a s hipping c o n t a i n e r a n d a c o nve r t e d Victorian swim centre will all become venues for this year’s Fringe.
Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, The View frontman Kyle Falconer and Creation Records founder Alan Mcgee will be among the big names to appear at the Old Dr B ells Baths at Great Junction Street, in Leith, while a venue made entirely out of pianos will host gigs at the nearby Pitt market.
Nicola Sturgeon, Ruth Davidson, Patrick Har vie, Kezia Dugdale, Jo hn B ercow and w i l l t a k e p a r t i n a l u n c h - time chat show in a converted masonic lodge in the New Town run by The Stand come dy c l u b , a l o n g wi t h c r i me writer Ian Rankin, singer Barbara Dickson, actress Elaine C Smith and football pundit Archie Macpherson.
The mass experiment the - atre show Coma, which will se e audien ces lie in a bunk b eds and “slip into a collective dream,” will take place in a completely darkened ship - ping container at Summerhall, while the show Arthur will be staged in the homes of willing audience members.
The Traverse Theatre pro - gramme includes a site-spe - cific show, Spliced, about the i n t e n s e p r e s s u r e s o n I r i s h hurling players, which will be staged at the Edinburgh Sports Club on Belford Place, in the west end. Other sports venues being used include Tynecastle Park, home of Heart of Midlothian FC, and The Grange, in Stockbridge, where Scotland’s cricket team play.
Ac t r e s s a n d a c t iv i s t R o s e Mcgowan, one of the l e a d - ing figures in the worldwide #meetoo movement, will stage a new solo show at the Assembly Hall.
Comedy favourites include Still Game star Sanjeev Kohli, who will b e starri ng in a live version of his hit Radio 4 series Fags, Mags and Bags, and Eddie Izzard will perform a one-man version of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.
Scottish street trials supers t a r D a n ny Ma c A s k i l l w i l l stage a spectacular show in a big top on the Meadows as part of Underbelly’s programme, which also features the Fringe d e b u t o f B a s i l B r u s h , wh o will both family-friendly and adults-only shows.