Ah, we’re a sucker for some good
4
Say what you like about the
beatboxing here at ThreeWeeks. And
Edinburgh Military Tattoo, but it’s Performance and puppetry fuse
this, we’re told, is good beatboxing.
the biggest show in town. Here as Les Enfants Terribles present
Join the ‘Tom Tom Club’ down at
is just one of the 500 musicians the twisted tales of ‘Tum, Tilly And
the E4 UdderBELLY every afternoon
taking part this year. Look out Thingummboy’ at the Pleasance
to experience a high-impact blend
for ThreeWeeks’ tattoo review Courtyard.
of entertainment, including that
next week.
phenomenal beatboxing.
CONTENTS
WHAT WE’RE COVERING LIKE…
Theatre p6
all about the edinburgh festival
Dance p12
Family p13
THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL doesn’t ‘any theatre company who can raise the to perform in their spaces, while others mini-festivals which offer a specific
really exist. It is, in fact, a number of money and find a performance space is invite any one with a show to perform to programme of events. These include the
Music p14
different festivals that all take place over welcome’. To this day, the Edinburgh rent space (most do a bit of both). Each Festival Of British Youth Orchestras and
a five week period in August (with a three Fringe remains unprogrammed – there venue will publish their own programme T On The Fringe. To complicate matters
Musicals p16
week core which is what most people is no director, board or company who and run their own box office (some venues further some of the big comedy or theatre
consider to be the Edinburgh Festival). says what can or can’t be performed work together on these), in addition to the promoters (the companies who represent
Comedy p17
To understand how it all works involves a – anything goes (within the limits of the central programme and box office run by the big comedians and theatre companies)
quick history lesson. law, obviously). the Fringe Society. often refer to their programmes of shows
International
as being ‘festivals’ in their own right. But
The Edinburgh International Festival A Fringe Society was established in 1958 Venues at the Fringe vary hugely from
really all of those programmes are part of
Festival p22
was launched in 1947. It aimed to bring to oversee the administration of the year round theatres to grand looking
the larger Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
together theatre companies from across Fringe, and it continues to do so today, as churches to major concert halls to expertly
PLUS
the world in a gesture of post-war well as publishing a central programme, converted bespoke Festival venues to back Since 1947 a number of other festivals
collaboration. To this day the Festival running a central box office and press rooms in pubs. Some are very posh and have been launched, all taking place in
brings together some of the best theatre, office, coordinating street theatre on plush, others less so. Others a lot less so! August alongside the International Festival
AFTER YOU’VE SEEN
dance and opera companies, orchestras Edinburgh High Street, and providing and the Fringe. These include:
MY SHOW... go see
and speakers from all over the world to resources and advice to companies and
Some of the bigger and longer established
these Edinburgh
take part in an innovative and exciting performers performing at the Fringe. It
venues enjoy a higher profile, mainly • Edinburgh International Film Festival
Festival comedians
three week programme of arts and culture. is easy to confuse the Fringe Society with
because they tend to host some of the • Edinburgh Book Festival
tell us why you should
The International Festival is led and the Festival Fringe itself – but they are in
bigger name artists and companies. These • Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival
see their shows and
programmed by one director – now the reality two separate things. The Festival
include the so called ‘big four’ - The • Festival Of Politics
then what else they’re
recently appointed Jonathan Mills – who Fringe is an erratic, informal and intangible
Pleasance, Assembly, Gilded Balloon and • Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment
recommending this
sets the tone for each festival and cherry beast, the Fringe Society is the organisation
Underbelly – as well as the ever growing Festival
year.
picks the companies that take part. appointed (and in part funded) by
empire of C Venues, and Edinburgh’s year • Edinburgh Military Tattoo
THREEWEEKS PHOTO
performers and promoters at the Festival
round new writing theatre the Traverse. • Edinburgh Art Festival
In that first year, back in 1947, eight
GALLERY The
Fringe to coordinate centralised activities
The Spiegelgarden has also grown in • Edinburgh Mela
smaller theatre companies recognised that
ThreeWeeks photo
on their behalf. The Fringe Society does
profile in recent years, forming a hub • Edinburgh People’s Festival
huge audiences would be pulled to the
team have been
not produce or promote any events,
alongside Bristo Square which also houses • Edinburgh International Television
Edinburgh by the International Festival.
out and about all
with the exception of a programme of
venues from three of the big four. Festival
They seized on the opportunity to tap into
week, check their
workshops for performers and Fringe
that audience and took over smaller venues
But the smaller venues also offer fantastic Add to this all the events that take place
photos at the top of
Sunday, a special open air event, especially
not being used by the main festival. And
programmes, and often stage some of the in Edinburgh during August that are
each page and in
popular with Edinburgh families, featuring
so the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was born
real gems of the Festival – these include not affiliated to any of the festivals, put
the online gallery at
showcases from hundreds of Fringe shows
(though it was a couple of years before
the Hill Street Theatre, Bongo Club, Sweet, it altogether in one box, and that is the
www.threeweeks.co.uk
and performers.
people started calling it that).
Bedlam Theatre, Augustines, Greyfriar Edinburgh Festival. Needless to say, it is
TRIVIA QUIZ Oh, and
The Festival Fringe takes place in some 200
Kirkhouse, Aurora Nova, Rocket, Roman huge and, while somewhat complicated,
The Fringe grew each year until it was
look out for the trivia
venues across the city, all independently
Eagle Lodge, Diverse Attractions, Venue it offers simply the most exciting, diverse
considerably larger than the main festival,
quiz throughout the
run and all with their own artistic aims
45, Venue 13 and, for comedy, Edinburgh’s and eclectic mix of arts, culture and
but as it grew it kept the informal and
newspaper. Answers
and ambitions. Most venues will be home
year round comedy venue The Stand and entertainment from all over the world, all
slightly erratic approach that had been
next edition and
to a number of performance spaces, and
the pubs operated as comedy clubs during in one place at one time. The Edinburgh
behind its creation in 1947, something
online. Answers for last
many venues are based in a number of
August by the Free Fringe. Festival is simply the biggest and bestest
which developed into what some people
week’s quiz can be
different buildings around Edinburgh.
festival on the planet. And hurrah to that!
call the ‘spirit of the Fringe’ – that is that
Within the Fringe are a number of other
found on p21
Some venues invite specific companies
the team…
Editors: Chris Cooke & Caroline Moses Podcasters: Jemima Garthwaite, Alan Jenkins Review team: [asm] Alex Moore, [alm] Allison [rmc] Richard McConnell, [rmg] Robert
Associate Editor: Christabel Anderson Photographers: Kat Gollock, Elina Akhmetova,
Martell, [al] Andrew Leask, [ar] Anya Rakoczi, McGregor, [ro] Ruth Offord, [smr] Sam Royle,
[be] Betty Emirzian, [bl] Bianca Leggett, [bg] [se] Seth Ewin, [sak] Sherri Kronfeld, [sg] Sian
Editorial Coordinator: Mary Macdonald
Kfir Bolotin, Jennifer Shelton
Brian Gibson, [caa] Charlotte Alfred, [cmg] Griffiths, [sjr] Siobhan Reardon, [sc] Sophie
Digital Director: Alan Ogilvie
Film Correspondents: Joanna Gill,
Christopher Morphy-Godber, [csm] Clarissa Cameron, [sck] Stuart Kelly, [skr] Susannah
Harley Hammond, Maryam Omidi,
Distribution Manager: Elspeth Bridges Sebag-Montefiore, [dt] Danielle Turton, [ds] Radford, [tt] Tara Tan, [tw] Teri Williams, [tl]
Anya Rakoczi
Founders: Chris Cooke, Geraint Preston,
David Semple, [dsk] Deborah Klayman, Tom Latter, [us] Ulla Schott, [vp] Victoria Prest,
Book Correspondents: Charlotte Alfred,
Alex Thomson
[dp] Dora Petherbridge, [er] Eleanor Rhode, [wm] Will Mossop, [zah] Zaineb Al-Hassani.
Allison Martell, Ishbel McFarlane, Peter
[fn] Fiona Nish, [fc] Frances Campbell, [fh]
Designer: Peter Collins at Hypotype.com
Moorby, Hazel Smith
ThreeWeeks is printed by Johnston Press
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Sub Editors: Anne Marie Conlon, Lizzie
Art Correspondents: Frances Campbell, Harley Hammond, [hs] Hazel Smith, [hw]
ThreeWeeks (est 1996) is published by ThreeWeeks
Publications, a not-for-profit division of the UnLimited
Colville, Tom Leaning, Charlotte Marshall,
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Media Group
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Special Correspondents: Christopher Morphy-
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All content @ ThreeWeeks Publications 2007. ThreeWeeks
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Liaison Assistants: Niamh de Valera, Patrick Low, Maria Buckley, Sophie Cameron,
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[t] 0870 744 2643 [e] editor@threeweeks.co.uk
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Admin Assistants: Teri Williams, David Semple,
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ThreeWeeksWeekOne in print, online, on air – listen to reviews and interviews every monday, wednesday and friday at 11am on festival fm 87.7
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