Liam Rudden: Top five EIF 2013 hot tickets

1: LEAVING PLANET EARTH

EICC, 10-12 & 14-19 & 21-24 August, 8pm, £25

IN the 50th anniversary year of Doctor Who, this is the closest you’ll come to taking a journey into space.

Check in at the EICC to board your shuttle to New Earth (the International Climbing Arena, at Ratho), where Vela, the architect of this new colony, has been avoiding her public duties lately...

Interactive theatre that’s sure to be fun as long as you join in.

2: HAMLET

Royal Lyceum, Grindlay Street, 10-13 August, 7.30pm, £10-£30

NEW York theatre company The Wooster Group bring their groundbreaking production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the Festival, channelling the ghost of Richard Burton through footage shot in 1964 when the he played the role on Broadway.

Taken from John Gielguid’s acclaimed production, and recorded from 17 different camera angles, footage of Burton compliments a live performance of the Bard’s Danish play in what has been described as a ‘saucy assault upon Shakespeare and theatre history.’

3: VIRGIN MONEY FIREWORKS CONCERT

Princes Street Gardens, 1 September, 9pm, £12.50-£27.50

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra provide the traditional end of another EIF performing Musorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition as the sky above explodes with colour and a thrilling concert long firework display.

4: LA DANCE PROJECT

The Playhouse, Greenside Place, 24-26 August, £10-£30

CHOREOGRAPHER and star of the Oscar-winning movie Black Swan, Benjamin Millepied brings his new company to the UK for the first time in a triple-bill which includes Quintett (William Forsythe), Winterbranch (Merce Cunningham) and Moving Parts by Millepied, husband of Natalie Portman, himself.

5: THE TRAGEDY OF CORIOLANUS

The Playhouse, Greenside Place, 20 & 21 August, 7.30pm, £10-£30

HEAVY metal at the EIF? Now there’s a first. Two of China’s leading rock bands - Miserable Faith and Suffocated - join the Beijings People’s Art Theatre in this large-scale production reinventing Shakespeare’s tragedy for the 21st century. I’m guessing it’s going to be loud.

Tickets for all EIF 2013 shows are available from 0131-473 2000 and www.eif.co.uk