Ten critically acclaimed shows returning for a curtain call
◆ As The Scotsman’s army of critics prepare to get out and about to review hundreds of new Fringe shows, here are ten returning shows we already recommend
What if they ate the Baby?
Xloe and Natasha made a memorable Fringe debut in 2022 with And the Rodeo Burned Down, a Scotsman Fringe First winner described on these pages as “by turns a vaudevillian thriller and a queer cowboy Waiting for Godot”. They won a second Fringe First in 2023 for this follow-up show, which they’re bringing back for a limited run this year while premiering a new show, A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First, also at thespace.
What we said: “Ever since the second wave of feminism broke over American culture in the early 1970s, the figure of the stay-at-home postwar suburban housewife has been an object of both passionate rejection and some cultural fascination. Rarely, though, can their way of life have been subjected to such a radical queer confrontation as it experiences in What If They Ate The Baby?.” thespace @ Niddry Street, 6.25pm, 2-10 August
Through the Mud
Back in 2017, Apphia Campbell premiered a powerful solo show called Woke, contrasting the stories and experiences of two generations of black female activists, Black Panther Assata Shakur and a college student who gets involved in the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014. It won a Scotsman Fringe First award, among many other accolades, and has only become more potent since then. Now a two-hander, Through the Mud, it’s in this year’s prestigious Made in Scotland showcase.
What we said: “The story of Shakur’s arrest and imprisonment 40 years ago provides a powerful historical backdrop to the 21st century story of a young middle-class black girl who believes in America and its values, but is forced on to a sharp learning curve by the systematic police and judicial abuse of black people she witnesses and experiences in Ferguson.” Summerhall, 5.55pm, 1-25 August
Ben Target: Lorenzo
The issue of care for the elderly, who does it and at what cost, is one of the most pressing of our age, and erstwhile stand-up comic Ben Target tackles it in microcosm in this bittersweet one-man show, which describes how Target, an architect and émigré from Hong Kong, moves in with octogenarian Lorenzo after he suffers a stroke and charts his journey as a full-time carer with frankness and humour.
What we said: “This is a moving and courageous piece of theatre. Poignantly, it was directed by Adam Brace, who died suddenly in April (2023) while the show was being made. In this personal story Target has found a way to confront the messiness of ageing and dying, lightening the load with humour and by creating a portrait of the extraordinary man that was Lorenzo Wong.”
Pleasance Dome, 1.20pm, 16-25 August
Dear Billy
Described as “a love letter to the Big Yin from the People of Scotland”, this joyful and affectionate show is a reflection of Billy Connolly’s continued status as a Scottish national treasure. It was created by Gary Mcnair, a triple Fringe First winner.
What we said: “Gary Mcnair performs for us a selection of the Connolly stories of a huge range of ordinary Scots, interviewed up and down the country. The story of the Connolly phenomenon – and of how it much it mattered – is exactly the kind of tale that our National Theatre must and should be telling, and Gary Mcnair tells it brilliantly.” Assembly Rooms, 4.50pm, 13-25 August
Every Brilliant Thing
Ten years after it helped usher in a wave of Fringe shows candidly exploring mental health, Every Brilliant Thing returns in new production directed by Duncan Macmillan and performed by Jonny Donahoe. Described as ‘a play about depression and the lengths we go to for those we love”. What we said: “What makes Every Brilliant Thing a uniquely memorable theatre experience is the extent to which it involves its audience in this quest for the simple joys of life. This beautiful show is a powerful affirmation of humanity and human kindness, at a time when it often seems in short supply.” Roundabout @ Summerhall, 11.45am / 11pm, 1-24 August
Circa: Humans 2.0
One of the best circus shows you’ll see on the Fringe returns for a full run.
What we said: “There’s something almost comforting about walking into a Circa show. Knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’ll be met with high quality circus that sets your pulse racing and your soul stirring. In the multitude of circus shows at this year’s Fringe, many other companies are executing similar manoeuvres, so what makes Circa so special? In a word, class.”
Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 6.20pm, 2-24 August
Club Life
“Clubs are places we go to grow into ourselves,” says Fred Deakin (of Lemon Jelly fame) early in this very personal journey into a particular period in clubbing – most of which took place, conveniently enough, in Edinburgh. The years fall away as Deakin gives us his personal tour of clubland as he experienced it.
What we said: “It’s part autobiographical monologue, part dance show, part performance art, and at its core even a very odd jukebox musical. It’s also a damn good night out.” thespacetriplex, 9pm, 2-10 August
The Flock and Moving Cloud
It’s rare to see contemporary dance performed live to traditional music, but Scottish Dance Theatre’s Moving Cloud shows it can be a winning combination.
What we said: “As the show’s name suggests, at times the dancers were reminiscent of puffy white clouds, thanks in part to Alison Brown’s pitch-perfect costuming. Mostly though, they were a living embodiment of the score, arms, legs and heads twitching with each note, like sheet music bursting into life. Choreographer Sofia Nappi had clearly absorbed the traditional Scottish score (credited to former Celtic Connections’ director Donald Shaw and Trip) into her very bonesbeforeconceivingthese steps, so fluidly did the two bind together.
Zoo Southside, 6.20pm, 13-18 and 20-25 August
La Clique
The trailblazing Spiegeltent cabaret show that made stars of Camille O’sullivan, the Caesar Twins and many more celebrates two decades at the Fringe. Every year has a different line-up, but the quality is always high.
What we said: “These acts are superb and often spectacular in their own right but it is the collective impact wielded by the entire La Clique family, coming together in this most ideal of venues which creates a magical experience.” Underbelly’ Circus Hub on the Meadows, 7.20pm, 2-24 August
An Evening Without Kate Bush
Cabaret performer Sarahlouise Young’s tribute to the iconic singer-songwriter continues to thrive.
What we said: “An Evening Without Kate Bush is many things. It’s a bravura showcase for Young’s terrific delivery of the star’s iconic hits, each reworked distinctively with depth and humour. Bush is famously easier to parody than emulate but Young’s vocals are excellent, lovingly nailing Bush’s swooping, eerie register without mockery.” Assembly Checkpoint, 7.20pm, 31 July to 26 August