The beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous and post-modern a cappella before lunch followed by Shakespeare, a one-man Greek tragedy, and sword swallowers in the afternoon. A typical day at the treasure chest of the performing arts: the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
With over 2600 different shows, the choice of what to see next can be overwhelming but there lies the appeal of Edinburgh. At any time you can choose from experimental sketch comedy to avant-garde physical theatre – mostly for under a tenner and a short walk away.
A few star names do make money but most, it seems, are there to enjoy the Edinburgh experience: the buzz, the education, the socializing and the steady stream of audiences with an open mind eager to be surprised and delighted.
Highlights for me this year were ‘Odyssey’ – Homer’s epic spell-bindingly told by one man; ‘Frisky and Mannish’ – sharp, anarchic, intelligent musical comedy; ‘Lockerbie: Unfinished Business’ – David Benson’s powerful and moving story of a father’s grief; ‘The Magnets’ – brilliant, high octane vocal harmony group; and ‘Simon Callow in Shakespeare the Man from Stratford’ the perfect example of how entertaining a little education can be.
If you’ve never experienced the Fringe, please give it a try. It’s always a joy to visit this most magnificent of cities and at festival time, it’s irresistible.