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TOP TIPS: WEEK 1
Some of the best dance shows in the Fringe’s first week, in our handy hour by hour guide
11AM SLUT
Summerhall, 4–27 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 11.45am, £10 (£8). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £6. Slovenly, sexually liberated, promiscuous – these are just some of the labels given to women who do not fit into defined cultural mores and instead express individualism. These, along with issues of sexual grooming, stereotyping across race and cultural perceptions, are explored in this provocative new Kathak dance-theatre piece. Slut seeks to challenge the negative connotations of the term and reclaim the title.
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CIRCA: HUMANS
ZOO, 6–25 Aug (not 7 & 8, 14 & 15, 21), 12.30pm, £10 (£8). Preview 4 & 5 Aug, £6. The untold story of the world’s first murderer. After murdering his brother in cold blood, we meet NAME HERE Cain, living out his life exiled from his Some of the best comedy in the Fringe’s first week. Written by: Brian homeland. Afflicted by his memories Donaldson Some of the best comedy in the Fringe’s first week. Written and haunted by figures of the past, by: Brian Donaldson Some of the best comedy in the Fringe’s first week. Cain must now retrace his steps back Written by: Brian Donaldson Some of the best comedy in the Fringe’s first to Eden in pursuit of answers. Origins week. Written by: Brian Donaldson. Donaldson Some of the best comedy in the is a psychological thriller that plunges deep into the heart of darkness, where Fringe’s first week. Written by: Brian Donaldson movement, sound and rhythm fuse. The Edinburgh Fringe can be an unpredictable beast, but in recent years there’s one thing we can always rely on: a great show from Circa. The Australian circus troupe bowled us over with Beyond, Wunderkammer and Closer and now it’s back with another treat: Humans. Performed on a bare stage, the show features ten talented artistes exploring the physical limits of their bodies – which you can bet stretch a lot further than the rest of us. Underbelly Circus Hub, 7–26 Aug (not 9, 14, 21), 7pm, £17.50–£19.50 (£16.50– £18.50). Previews 4–6 Aug, £11.50 (£10.50).
£11. Protein presents a commentary on multicultural Britain through dance, live music and dialogue compiled from the performers’ personal experiences. Border Tales looks at post-Brexit Britain and gazes satirically on stereotypical thinking about migrant outsiders and bigoted homelanders. its Fringe debut. A fast-paced, energetic circus show for all the family. Two performers, one small and mischievous, one giant, clumsy and warm-hearted, are hopelessly connected to each other. When one falls, the other one flies.
4PM ALL THE FUN
Underbelly Circus Hub, 6–26 Aug (not 14, 21), 4pm, £12.50–£14.50 (£11.50–£13.50) Preview 5 Aug, £8. A tongue-in-cheek antidote to the glittering circus world. You’re invited beyond the everyday one, two, three of juggling in an ever-changing space, with the performers balancing objects and throwing bodies. The cast of five’s natural movement is part playful game and part sabotage, all set to a riotous original soundtrack. From the makers of international touring sensation m2.
TUTU: DANCE IN ALL ITS GLORY Pleasance Courtyard, 5–28 Aug (not 9, 15, 22), 4pm, £14.50 (£13). Previews 2–4 Aug, £8. See feature, page 26.
CHINA GOES POP! Assembly Hall, 5–27 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 4.20pm, £13–£15 (£11–£13). Previews 3 & 4 Aug, £8. Entertaining show direct from China, starring world- class acrobats, including Cirque du Soleil alumni. This story of an artist and his muse unfolds through acrobatics, martial arts, physical comedy, video and playful costumes, all set against a pop soundtrack. From the producers of Fringe hit Cookin’.
DJUKI MALA Assembly George Square, 4–28 Aug (not 14, 21), 4.30pm, £15 (£13). Preview 3 Aug, £8. Winner of Best Dance at Adelaide and Perth Fringe and West Australian Arts Editors Award. Aboriginal dance and YouTube sensations Djuki Mala make their UK debut, fusing Yolngu and contemporary pop culture, dance and storytelling.
1PM SIGMA
Assembly Hall, 5–28 Aug (not 9, 14, 21), 1.30pm, £10–£12. Preview 3 & 4 Aug, £8. The iconic Gandinis return with Sigma, celebrating the dialogue between juggling, percussion and dance. The piece showcases exuberant rhythms, patterns and colours, at the heart of which is a unique interpretation of the classical south Indian dance form, Bharatanatyam.
ARAB ARTS FOCUS: DANCE DOUBLE BILL
Summerhall, 4–27 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 1.35pm, £12 (£10). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £8. A double bill of contemporary dance brought to Edinburgh from Palestine and Egypt. Choreographers Shaymaa Shoukry and Yazan Iwidat are each bringing their own dance piece. Mayhkomsh focuses on the theme of social judgement, while Running Away shines a light on a dancer portraying what’s happening inside his head.
2PM BORDER TALES
Summerhall, 8–26 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 2.40pm, £13 (£11). Previews 4–6 Aug,
TAIWAN SEASON: 038 ROSALIND
3PM
CIRCUS ABYSSINIA: ETHIOPIAN DREAMS
Underbelly Circus Hub, 6–26 Aug (not 14, 21), 3pm, £13.50–£15.50 (£12.50–£14.50). Preview 5 Aug, £10. A mix of stunts, circus skills and adventure, Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams follows the journey of two little Ethiopian brothers whose dream of joining the circus is made real by the Man in the Moon. Plunged into a world of daredevil wonders, they encounter a host of other circus dreamers: dancing, contorting, gravity-defying figures, all weaving tales of their own.
ATTACHED Underbelly George Square, 5–27 Aug (not 14, 21), 3.15pm, £12–£14 (£11–£13). Previews 3 & 4 Aug, £7. Juggling and acrobatics combine with clowning that evokes Laurel and Hardy in this European hit making
Dance Base, 8–27 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 3.15pm, £12 (£10). Previews 4–6 Aug, £10 (£8). Named after the area code for Haulien on Taiwan’s east coast, home of the indigenous Pangcah people, 038 asks: ‘Where is home? What is home?’ Contemporary but underpinned by traditional spirit, 038 reflects the anxieties and uncertainties of coming home in search of ourselves and our roots.
I AM RHYTHM Ghillie Dhu, 4–27 Aug (not 6, 14, 17, 23), 3.45pm, £13 (£11). A dance and music journey all the way from South Africa. Mesmerising melodies intertwined with an array of traditional and urban dances, this upbeat dance show tells the story of the evolution of rhythm and dance in South Africa; from tribal Tswana, warrior Zulu, to energetic Gumboot, swinging Kofifi, to urban Pantsula and Sbujwa dance styles.
Summerhall, 8–26 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 4.30pm, £13 (£11). Previews 4–6 Aug, £11. In this portrait of Shakespeare’s most beloved heroine, the curious and courageous Rosalind from As You Like It, choreographer James Cousins asks whether women still need to emulate stereotypical masculinity to find equality in our modern world.
5PM CREATURE
C south, 3–28 Aug (not 15), 5.35pm, £10.50–£12.50 (£8.50–£10.50). Five dancers weave aerial acrobatics and earth-bound choreography in a new work of dance theatre. Creature explores the delicate balance between flying, falling, balancing, tumbling, succeeding and failing: the complex business of being human. UK premiere, conceived and choreographed by Vanessa Cook and directed by Kate Higginbottom. 3–8 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 83 3–10 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 83