Edinburgh Festival/Fringe 2013

[HarmonicGenerator]

Thought I'd start a thread for this year's Edinburgh Festival and Fringe (and whatever else is going on there this month), just in case some people from here like going there in August.

 

I tend to go up for a day at least once during the month. Usually I just turn up at Waverley and decide what to see on the day - "oh, Paul Merton, yeah, let's do that this afternoon... oh, a flyer, thanks, that's at 6 so we'll do that" and so on. Quite often it'll turn out okay (if you ever get the chance to see the Broken Windows Policy sketch group, they're fantastic) and sometimes it won't (Back To The Future: The Panto last year was utter, utter shit) but it's quite fun to be spontaneous.

 

This year, we'd actually pre-booked a couple of things, and had our eye on a specific free show to see as well. Having kept to that plan, we saw three things I can recommend - but of course, three shows is just a fraction of a fraction of what's on offer, and I would love to try and find more time to go again.

 

First show was A Complete and Comprehensive History of the Roman Empire in Less than an Hour with Jokes, which is a guy, whose name I didn't catch, trying to live up to the awesome title of his show. Good fun - and a freebie which is a plus - with some good chuckles. Naming the consuls 'Xbox Three Sixtus' and 'Segus Megadrive' amused me... because 'consul' sounds like 'console'...

 

Anyway, we also saw Holes by Tom Basden, a new play that we knew very little about save that it was set just after a plane crash on a deserted island, and featured Mathew Baynton from Horrible Histories in the cast (which is why the g/f decided we must go. As a massive HH fan myself I could not disagree). The cast also had Daniel Rigby (of 'rumoured to be the 12th Doctor' fame), and Katy Wix who I think is in Not Going Out. Bit of an experience just going to this one, because they put you on a coach and drive you out to Portobello to the town hall there for the play itself - so all in all, you have to free up 3-3 1/2 hours for it. But it's worth it because it's a cracking play. The cast were all excellent, the script equally so, but what really imprinted itself on me was how successfully Basden, and the director, and the cast as well, manage the shifts in tone throughout the play. It's ostensibly a comedy, and there are some fantastic lines, dialogue and observations, but there's a couple of major changes to the tone of it all as it goes, and the final scenes are an absolute gut-punch of a shocker. However, the content of the play doesn't really change, and it sort of feels like the same things you were laughing at towards the beginning, without changing, have become completely serious by the end. Very clever how they accomplished that. Anyway, it's highly recommended - we saw a preview so it was cheaper, but I think it's somewhere in the

[Bettencourt]

For some really weird reason I've always wanted to do this...

 

https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/f...ning-experience

[The Cum Doctor]

I'll be going to watch The Room on the same night as ICW up there, but Colt Cabana is doing a show on the same night with Brendon Burns, which might make me consider dumping my ticket for The Room.

[Guest]

I am volunteering at a show by service users at the Dunfermline Scottish autism day centre on the 15th, at a show they are performing called the tree and the abbey. Helped build the sets, and will be there on the day trying to get folk in to see it.

 

Bar that started seeing a girl in edinburgh , so we are going a wander Saturday and Sunday and see what free shows we can take in.

[CleetusVanDamme]

Going to see Reg Hunter at the Pleasance, and maybe The Wrestling II if I can get someone to come along with me (11pm on a Tuesday isn't a great time). That'll probably be it.

 

Same as every year really, very little going on that interests me. I'll happily take the extra couple of hours drinking time in some places, though!

[Forrest]

Went to Richard Herring's comedy show and his podcast RHEFP with David Baddiel on Friday. Simon Munnery was playing the same venue literally 10 minutes after RHEFP, so I saw that as well. I got Richard Herring's Me1 vs. Me2 Snooker live next Monday, as well as ICW on the 25th, but I'm trying to grab a Stewart Lee ticket as impossible as it may be, so I've got at least another 3 days to fill.

[Dead Mike]

If anyone's going up & wants the opportunity for some free tickets to the following shows let me know

[Bohan]

Blam has been getting rave reviews, looks like it could be brilliant http://blamtheshow.com/

 

So far I have nailed in - Faulty Towers Dining experience, Blam, Blues Brothers, Colt Cabana and Brendon Burns, Rubberbandits, Red Bastard, Airnadette, Baconface, Omega and Jekyll and Hyde. Sure I'll fit in another dozen or so shows during the Fringe.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Blam sounds fantastic! May have to attempt another trip up to catch that.

[spikester]

I'm at the Fringe this year from 12th to 15th August this year, staying in the Snoozebox place only affordable accommodation could find as left it late to book this year.

 

Blam looks amazing now wanting to get on that and thanks so far for the other recommendations.

 

Been going past 3 years and usually just turn up and do everything spontaneously

 

Dead Mike, will have a word with the Mrs about potentially seeing some of those shows and will drop you a message if that's cool

[Kaz Hayashi]

Sorry for the bump but it made sense. I have just been to see Stewart Lee and after seeing him both last year and the year before, I must say, this years was arguably the best yet.

I don't want to give much away in case others are planning to go and see him in his upcoming tour, but he is apparently planning a new channel 4 series, similar to comedy vehicle. Same kind of format and usual joke style, but the content is brilliant and the 1 hour show bloody flew over.

If he does in fact do the rounds post fringe, I defo advise going to see it, especially if you're Bulgarian.

[Up Chuck]

Irish Dave who used to post on here was part of a fairly well received free kids' show, but that's finished now. He did say Blam was really good, though.

[gmoney]

Sorry for the bump but it made sense. I have just been to see Stewart Lee and after seeing him both last year and this year, I must say, it's arguably the best yet.

I don't want to give much away in case others are planning to go and see him in his upcoming tour, but he is apparently planning a new channel 4 series, similar to comedy vehicle. Same kind of format and usual joke style, but the content is brilliant and the 1 hour show bloody flew over.

If he does in fact do the rounds post fringe, I defo advise going to see it, especially if you're Bulgarian.

 

It's actually another series of Comedy Vehicle on BBC 2.

[Kaz Hayashi]

Sorry for the bump but it made sense. I have just been to see Stewart Lee and after seeing him both last year and this year, I must say, it's arguably the best yet.

I don't want to give much away in case others are planning to go and see him in his upcoming tour, but he is apparently planning a new channel 4 series, similar to comedy vehicle. Same kind of format and usual joke style, but the content is brilliant and the 1 hour show bloody flew over.

If he does in fact do the rounds post fringe, I defo advise going to see it, especially if you're Bulgarian.

 

It's actually another series of Comedy Vehicle on BBC 2.

 

 

Ahhh, he didn't explain that much, either way, it's bound to be class.

 

He seems to be filming different half hours shows, or at least the whats the routine was set out as. He explained this before hand and our 2 x 30 min shows got Tory and UKIP. Interesting to hear if other crowds got part-different acts.

[Big Rob]

I didn't get to see Stewart Lee's gig, but I did see Baconface, which I thought was incredible. I managed to do that and Mile Wozniak back to back at The Stand 2 this past Friday, and they were probably the best shows I saw over the five days I've been up in Edinburgh. Caroline Rhea was surprisingly great too, real good crowd interaction.