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Published: July 31st 2009
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The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has long been on my 'to do' list and this year, we decided it was high time to hit the Scottish city of Edinburgh for some laughter and frivolity. I've been to Edinburgh once before-briefly-and it's a city I really really like and could imagine myself living in someday. The city itself is very funky with great bars and restaurants and some good shopping. But it also has a bit of an edge, a unique style and eclectic rhythm all of it's own that I can't really describe.
Admittedly, while the fringe is a time where the talents of so many are being showcased, the shine of the city itself is somewhat lost when the festival is in full swing. I suspect many city natives head out during the festival weekends while crowds of tourists pour into the city in search of some funnies. Hoards of people can be found on every street, watching the street artists perform, pouring over their programmes, rushing with maps in hand whilst moving from one gig to another, or reviewing with friends the latest performance they've seen. Then there's plenty of others who aren't there for any performances, but instead
can be found convening in cafes and restaurants or drinking in pubs and simply embracing the general merriment. There's enough jolliness to go around-if you've got time to kick back that is!
We were amongst the crowds rushing about from one venue to another as we had a hugely full schedule for our long weekend. I'd sat down with the Edinburgh programme several weeks ago and picked at random a bunch of shows to see. I have zero ability to commit to memory the names of actors and comedians that I've seen and liked on telly so my choices were fairly ad hoc and based mostly on inspired, random or bizarre show titles such as 'Eco-Friendly Jihad' and 'Nude'. Adam meanwhile was more methodical-he had a pretty clear idea who most of the major comedians on show were and who he liked and wanted to see. So between my random selection process and his targeted choices, we had a whole bunch of shows booked before we even arrived.
Over the course of the weekend, we were enticed to squeeze in a few more things that had been given great reviews or had caught our eye in passing. Overall,
every single performance we saw was really entertaining. There were some stand-outs-for me, the serious dramatic play we saw called 'Pornography' was amazing. It painted a portrait of the lives of several different characters during the time of the London bombings and the announcement that London had won the 2012 Olympics. It drew troubling parallels between the decline of traditional family values and the decline of society as a whole; the pursuit of wealth and the breakdown of human interactions in a technologically-improved world. It was truly brilliant. Meanwhile performers such as Danny Buoy I found really funny and inspiring, while Adam loved Stephen K Amos and the combined show of Adam Hills and Jason Byrnes which admittedly was simply hilarious.
While we were obviously thrilled with the whole adventure, it did give me cause to wonder if our shared sense of humor is banal and predictable? Or else, we are simply stellar at picking comedy or drama performances as the two of us loved every single performance that we saw. We were both laughing til our stomachs hurt or completely enthralled by the drama being played out before us. But then again we are pretty easy-going, open-minded individuals
so I guess we're pretty ease to please. An entire hour watching a naked guy fret about his career as a nude model, a singing and guitar playing environmentalist espousing the values of recycling and mating with members of the local community, tales of the power of goats as a means of protest...all funny to us!!!!
Beyond the performance artists, there were many other happenings in the city during Fringe time. We squeezed in a visit to a photography museum as well as the Scottish National Gallery where the Vanity Fair Portraits Exhibit was being showcased. We also checked out local markets filled with all things arty and unique, dined in a cafe dedicated completely to chocolate whilst catching up with our friend Claire, and still managed to visit some of the key tourist sights. All-in-all, Edinburgh's Fringe was a total hit with us both. After such a wonderful first time, we're already looking forward to next year...
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