Category Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Reading Time: 2 minutesAs we walk in, Woody and the band play some songs and welcome us into the world of Woody. Instantly, we feel welcomed and there is a warmth that sticks around throughout the play. 

Woody Guthrie, played wonderfully by David M. Lutken, is portrayed with said warmth and a determination that does not fail throughout the play. Lutken is simply awe inspiring in this role. He brings an energy and likability to Guthrie that makes his story all the more hard to hear, and joyous to follow.

Reading Time: 2 minutesHow does one write about two sentient bananas taped to a wall discovering they are "art"? 

This is the precise conundrum one faces when making sense of How To Art, the New Zealand sensation confusing the nation. At first glance, the piece seems to be a clever bit of fruit clowning, though it quickly becomes apparent that there may be more to it once you peel back the layers. What is art? Who gets to say what art is? And how do you ascribe value to that ephemeral artistic quality? There is much more to ponder here than one might originally expect when signing up to see a show about two bananas.

Reading Time: 2 minutesAs the show ended, a chorus of “Awws” rang from the audience. This fully showcases the sweetness of this story about two young people finding connection in a time of struggle. It is incredibly endearing.

This is, in no small part, to the actors Hadsan Mohamud (who also wrote the piece) as Najma, and Mohamed Hashi as Zakariya. The two have a clear chemistry from the first moment they appear together, and the titular crush is evident. What is really impressive is how well the two young actors portray the depth of the pain and highs of joy within a short moment of each other. The flip between emotions flawlessly and get the audience to root for them from the outset.

Reading Time: 2 minutesMary has been one of the most popular girls name in Britain for the last five hundred years. Over that time many heroines, villains, scientists, and cut-throats with the name Mary have been born, and only some of them have gotten the time they deserved in the history books spotlight. Bloody Mary(s) asks us the simple question: Which would you bring along to a picnic? And in the process of answering that, perhaps we may rethink how we remember those from the past, and how differently women often take up (or don’t) the spotlight.

Reading Time: 2 minutesFor Cabbage the Clown, the Cinemadrome is where young dreams go to die. It is also where she makes a living doing a shite minimum wage job constantly picking up (and doing fun things with) a whole lot of trash.

From tempting us into playing MadLibs to singing a song about getting sucked while dressed as a blue slushie (and then getting sucked, as requested, by a member of the audience), Cabbage the Clown does what she can to make her job - which she repeatedly claims she “loves” - palatable fun and not worth hanging herself over.

Reading Time: 5 minutesA plant - no matter how many fruits it's grown by harvest time - is simply not safe to eat if the soil in which it grows is toxic. In much the same way, the Traverse Theatre’s production of Supposing: is so enfeebled by a poor narrative foundation, it’s likely less worth anyone’s time to pick apart the grittier details and instead focus on the few crumbling pillars beneath. 

Reading Time: < 1 minuteRelish theatre company’s Drag revolution Acid’s Reign is a defiant and heartfelt triumph. Starring familiar Drag Race faces Victoria Scone and Scarlett Harlett, alongside the indomitable Gigi Zahir, Jamie Fuxx and Ash Weir, this cast is certainly not one to miss. The show travels through a wonderful selection of original songs, performed with a live band, and each performer offers sensational vocals that would be entirely at home on any west end stage. This is a punchy, highly entertaining method of conveying the show’s urgent call to action in combating the climate crisis and the hypocrisy of mainstream media.