Edinburgh Fringe Festival

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Billed as one of the world’s greatest festivals…the Edinburgh fringe fest is a must visit destination for anyone that enjoys the performing arts.

This is the second year in succession I had visited this event having spent one sunny week the previous year with my two teenage son’s in a wigwam. This year two wet and windy weeks were spent under canvass at the well run Mortonhall campsite, which is situated about five miles from the city centre.

A 500 mile drive from Devon was broken up on the way by a stop over in York, where I savoured some of the delights that its night time atmosphere offered on a warm Saturday evening. Followed in the morning by a free guided walk in the rain around the perimeter wall to get a taste of York’s historic past. During the afternoon I took the five hour journey to Edinburgh passing the Angel of the North and calling at Berwick on Tweed on the way.

At six I was struggling against the wind and rain to erect my new tent before enjoying a hot chilli in the welcoming campsite pub.

Having booked a number of events a few months prior to going for the more well known TV comedians, I set off each morning by bus (just £1 for each trip before 12 mid night) to the half price festival box office, where I made my selections for the day. With over 2,000 musicals, plays, comedians, reviews, physical and dance shows to choose from, finding something to go and see wasn't difficult, but finding the better quality productions, particularly towards the beginning of the festival is quite a feat.

As the festival unfolds though everyone sifts through a multitude of reviews that can be found in various local/national newspapers and magazines and the festival website. Using a five star scoring system this helps the festival goers with their decision making.

Having seen around 80 shows over the two weeks, the major highlights for me was a musical play called ‘Certified Male’ which featured four excellent actors from both the UK and Australia, which was made all the more special with some amazing mime work. The same production company also produced ‘Eurobeat’ a spoof musical of the Eurovision son contest, where the audience texted their favourite act of eight representative countries to choose that night’s winner! Plus an excellent new production of Sondhiems ‘Company’ with a hand picked professional cast. I feel all of these productions deserve a national tour or a run in the West End.

I also enjoyed two one women plays - ‘Miracle in Rwanda’ and ‘Lady of Burma’ which were excellently portrayed and a multi-media physical dance production ‘A Mother of a Brown Boy’ which was not only brilliantly produced, but emotionally charged too.

As part of a number of entertaining plays that I saw - Forgotten Voices, Journeys End, Frank & Dolly and The Wartham Farce were amongst the best.

Although fun was had at many of the comedy club nights I went to such as Frank Skinner, Sean Hughes, Phil Jupitus and Paul Merton, the two highlights for me came from a free show by Sally Ann Hayward and my finally for the festival - Ricky Gervaise at The Edinburgh Castle.

Set in and around the amazing city of Edinburgh where great buildings, and statues of Scottish history litters the sidewalks, this was one of the most enjoyable breaks I have had the pleasure to experience.

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Photos

Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Life Statue
A Edinburgh Festival Life Statue

The Amazing Meow Meow
Meow Meow entertains in the Speigal Gardens

Me late night at the Fest office
Me...during a late night outside of the Fringe Festival office on the Royal Mile

Ricky at the Castle
Ricky really is a very small from this distance!