Brian Ferguson's Festival Diary: Every dog has its day at the Fringe

Dogs have their day with Swansongs production BARK! The Musical. Picture: Contributed

A lifelong aversion to dogs, partly because I always seem to be allergic to the blighters, means I am probably going to be right at the end of the line of potential punters for a “stunning musical homage to dogs and their intrepidly human hearts” told and sung by an entirely human cast.

But, credit where it is due, to the team behind the “tail waggin’, cat-hatin’, face-lickin’ fun for all the family” for at least impressing me with the freebie they are giving away with their flyers.

Swansong Productions have managed to strike a sponsorship deal which brings no fewer than 1,000 dog biscuits with them to Edinburgh.

They are also hosting what they are claiming will be the first dog-friendly performance of the Fringe at C Venues at Chambers Street tomorrow.

Celebrity spotting

It is early days, so sightings of bona fide celebrities dropping into Fringe venues have been in short supply so far.

But that could all change if one of the team behind a hit parody of an Oscar-winning actress have their way during its Edinburgh debut.

Tilda Swinton Answers An Ad On Craigslist stars none other than Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Tom Lenk as the acclaimed actress who insists on intently studying her new flatmate for her next big screen role.

Lenk and co-star Byron Lane, who also wrote the comedy, are so keen to get Swinton along to the show – pinning their hopes on the fact she has a home in the Highlands – that they are holding a seat back from sale for every performance at Assembly George Square just in case she shows up.

Journey of enlightenment

Almost everyone performing at the Edinburgh Fringe has either been on some kind of journey or is planning to take their audience on one. Garth McLean’s show starts both in Hollywood. McLean has gone from being a personal assistant to movie action-man Steven Seagal to a Los Angeles yoga therapist since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

McLean, who has travelled the world to run workshops to try to help people manage diseases and conditions through yoga, promises a “stormy road to enlightenment” in his show Looking For Lightning at C Royale, which begins in the fast lane of Hollywood.