N E W S
• The Edinburgh Book Festival has boosted its number of Pay What You Can events after a successful pilot last year, in a bid to make the festival more accessible. Among the 20 PWYC options are conversations with Eddie Izzard and Ian Rankin. • The free-to-borrow Sensory Backpacks from the Fringe are back again and available in an increased number of locations. The packs contain items designed to make the Fringe as enjoyable and stress-free as possible for those on the autism spectrum and anyone who might feel a bit overwhelmed by the festival crowds. Find them at the Fringe Shops, Scottish Storytelling Centre, Pleasance Dome, Dance Base and Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre.
• Edinburgh Art Festival is hosting a series of Art Early events inspired by its Art Late programme. This time, all-ages are welcome to spend the morning doing family-focused festival tours and activities.
WHAT A SELL OUT
GOING, GOING . . .
8:8, Al Murray: Landlord of Hope
and Glory, A Charlie Montague Mystery,
Enough, Table Manners
with Jessie Ware, Stephen Fry’s Mythos
Trilogy
GONE . . . Eddie Izzard:
Expectations of Great
Expectations, Rich
Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in
Tehran, Nick Offerman: All Rise, Ian McKellen
On Stage
Goss Foley EDINBURGH’S #1 AGONY AUNT
Dear Mr G Foley, I’m a newcomer to the Fringe: any advice on how to navigate my fi rst festival? George, 55, Coventry Are you pale, George? Deathly, milky pale? The reason I ask is that it seems like you wouldn’t have gotten very much sunlight under that rock you’ve been living under all these years. You see, I know you’ve been living under a rock because – if you hadn’t been – you would surely know that telephones are cameras now and they are also maps. Toss away that old brick of yours and pick up a ‘smart phone’. You’ll never have navigational issues again (plus you’ll be able to ‘instant message’ all your old under- the-rock neighbours – the moles, ants and spiders).
#FRINGEISAWYOU
From 1995 to 2009, The List ran a ‘missed connections’ column, where people could submit sightings of folk around town that caught their eye. In those 15 years, submissions ran the gamut from the truly foul to the wildly romantic, resulting in at least one confi rmed marriage and an Arab Strap song. This Fringe, we’re bringing it
back. So if you feel the spark with some random handing you a fl yer, let us know via Facebook message, let us know via Facebook message, tweet us at @thelistmagazine or send us an Insta DM on @thelistuk. Your Fringe affair may even get published in our festival magazines. #FringeISawYou.
31 Jul–7 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 13
N E W S A N D G O S S I P F R O M A C R O S S T H E F E S T I V A L S N E W S A N D G O S S I P F R O M A C R O S S T H E F E S T I V A L S
fast facts
• The Edinburgh International Festival offi cially opens with a night of glamour at Tynecastle Stadium for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event with the LA Philharmonic. The free concert celebrates Hollywood fi lm scores with music by John Williams among others.
• The Inspiration Machine and the MakeYourFringe app make their debut this year courtesy of the Fringe Society. The fi rst is an interactive, arcade-style machine, situated on the Mound, that shows videos of Fringe artists on demand; while the app game challenges users to explore venues, see shows and complete challenges. BEST IN SHOW
GEORGIE MORREL | KELLY CONVEY | JIM CAMPBELL According to the dodgy old marketing theory, ‘sex sells’. However, we think that’s overrated, because you know what sells better? Dogs. Smol doggos, big ol’ doggos, puppers, pupperinos, woofers, fl oofers and subwoofers. And it seems like festival marketing teams have cottoned on to our theory as dogs have become the star of show posters this year. Here’s some of the best.