Theatre, Cabaret & Spoken Word - Edinburgh's Festivals

Edinburgh Festival Fringe to introduce cashless donations for performers

A new cashless donations system and bigger stages for performers will be introduced on the Royal Mile as part of the biggest shake-up of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s street theatre arenas for 20 years.

Culture

Managing director Joanna Baker has been with the Edinburgh International Festival for 26 years.

Edinburgh International Festival chief to step down

One of the key figures in Edinburgh’s festivals is to step down after more than quarter of a century of involvement with them.

Edinburgh festivals

Drag queen Ripley makes her Fringe Festival debut with her show Like A Sturgeon. Picture: contributed

Highlights of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 programme

Shows inspired by the “Me Too” movement against sexual harassment and assault, the looming prospect of Brexit, spiralling gun violence and race relations tensions in America during the Trump era, and digital identity theft will be staged during this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Music 15

Mary Jane Wells performs the true story of American soldier Danna Davis in the Fringe show Heroine.

Official showcase of Scottish work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe unveiled

Stories drawn from real-life alcoholics, a female soldier's sexual violence and bullying in the US military, and the stance taken by conscientious objectors who refused to fight during the First World War will be part of the official government-funded showcase of Scottish work at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Lifestyle

Jessica Hardwick is nominated for best actress for her performance in Knives in Hens at Perth Theatre.

Royal Lyceum leads race for Scottish Theatre Oscars

Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum is leading the race for honours in the annual “Scottish theatre Oscars”.

Lifestyle

Participants in a previous YTAS Young Critics Programme. Those taking part in the Young Critics Programme this summer will be able to enter the Fringe Young Writers' Award, which will see one would-be journalist earn the chance to join The Scotsman's festival review team in 2019. Picture: Kenny McGlashan

Spotlight on emerging critics as Fringe writer competition launched

Aspiring young arts writers are set to be given the chance to take centre stage at the world’s largest arts festival as part of a new scheme aimed at producing the next generation of critics.

Edinburgh festivals

Cora Bissett's Fringe will chart her journey from being a teenager singer in an indie-rock band to motherhood.

Rise and fall of forgotten Scottish indie band to inspire new Fringe show

She was the teenage singer in an unknown band who landed one of the biggest record deals in Scottish music history - only for their dreams to turn to dust when they were ditched by their label and landed £40,000 in debt.

Edinburgh, Fife & Lothians

Scottish Youth Theatre chief executive Jacky Hardacre has held crisis talks with the Scottish Government to try to avert the closure of the company.

'Constructive' talks held over fate of Scottish Youth Theatre

Scottish Youth Theatre chiefs say they have had “constructive” talks with the Scottish Government over a potential deal to avert the company’s closure.

Lifestyle

Ben Thomson and Janet Archer were called to Holyrood to explain Creative Scotland's recent controversial funding cuts to MSPs.

Creative Scotland admits cover-up over controversial funding cuts

Creative Scotland has admitted a cover-up over how controversial funding cuts were made - as its chief executive admitted she was “profoundly sorry” over how they were handled.

Lifestyle 59

Leith Theatre was reopened last year for the Hidden Door Festival nearly 30 years after its last event.

Capital's £10m spending spree on cultural venues

Three signature projects are set to share in a £10 million boost for Edinburgh’s cultural infrastructure.

Lifestyle 1

Creative Scotland chief executive Janet Archer would not comment on any of the specific funding cuts.

Fury as Fringe and theatre companies have funding axed by Creative Scotland

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the city’s King’s and Festival theatres and the body that promotes its Unesco “City of Literature” status have had their funding stripped by Creative Scotland.

Lifestyle 42

The life and legacy of Muriel Spark will be celebrated at the Usher Hall in her home city of Edinburgh.

Nicola Sturgeon to appear at Muriel Spark centenary celebration

Nicola Sturgeon is to read from the work of Muriel Spark at a special 100th anniversary celebration of the Edinburgh-born author’s life and legacy.

Lifestyle 1

Scottish finance secretary Derek Mackay will unveil his budget plans next week.

Open letter warns of 'severe impact' on economy if arts cuts are imposed

More than 120 arts, heritage and business organisations have joined forces to warn the Scottish Government of the “severe impacts” if its culture budget is cut next week.

Edinburgh, Fife & Lothians

Ian Rankin reveals plans for Inspector Rebus stage play

Crime author Ian Rankin has revealed that his famous Inspector Rebus character is being adapted for the stage.

Edinburgh festivals

Louise Ludgate and Richard Conlon in The Whip Hand. Picture: David Monteith-Hodge

Stolen stories set free at the Edinburgh festivals

You’ll recognise the type. He’s the guy who looks as if he’s got all the answers. Charismatic in his laidback way, he fancies himself as a bit of a guru – although he’s too full of false modesty to say so. He’s here to lead a theatre workshop and he likes to give the impression it’s all about you, the participants, and not about him. But, of course, it’s all about him.

News

Theatre review: Femage a Trois

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Women are firmly centre-stage in these three short plays about female experience by Loquitur, a theatre company specialising in new writing.

Edinburgh festivals

Theatre review: Baba Brinkman’s Rap Guide To Consciousness

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: White men rapping are a fairly unremarkable species ever since Eminem arrived two decades ago, but Canadian artist Dirk “Baba” Brinkman Jr takes the “unlikely musician” factor up a notch.

Edinburgh festivals

Theatre review: Spring Awakening: A Reimagining

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The classic tale of teenage sexuality is given a Fifty Shades-style revamp by young company, Mixtape, who struggle to find a clear enough angle to justify transporting it into the 21st century.

Edinburgh festivals

Theatre review: Edgar and Me

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: For the past six years Charlotte Blackburn has been writing to Edgar, a man on death row in the US.

Edinburgh festivals

Theatre review: Locker Room Talk | Manwatching

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Following the huge success of his latest show Letters To Morrissey, there must have been more than a few Gary McNair fans queueing on Monday for the only two performances of his other 2017 show, Locker Room Talk; but if so, they would have found themselves facing an experience very different from McNair’s recent genial poetic monologues.

Edinburgh festivals