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Everything I See, I Swallow

Girls take on shaming and discover joy in their bodies regardless of social pressures and their own anxieties. Based on the company’s lived experiences, this is a show filled with energy, mischief and a determination to own their identities. See review page 88. Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 12), 1.10pm, £10 (£9).

F E S T I VA L T H E AT R E | Hitlist

THEATRE HITLIST

Gareth K Vile picks out some of the best theatre highlights for week two of the Fringe

FEMPIRE: MESS BY KIRSTEN VANGSNESS

Chaotic and dynamic solo show that draws on quantum physics, a Joycean sensibility for word- play and the forceful character of performer and writer Vangsness. Packed with ideas, and following an idiosyncratic structure, Mess is a unique bravura performance that refuses to be pinned down. See review page 93. Assembly Rooms, 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 24 Aug, 8.15pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

BRANDI ALEXANDER Brandi Alexander finds that her return to stand-up comedy is less a gentle reconnection with her audience than an opportunity to release the demons that have haunted her: she is opening for her rapist, and this ferocious solo (played by Tatiana Pavela) lets the pain out in a cathartic explosion of rage. See review, page 97. Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre, until 25 Aug, (not 12, 19), 9.45pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).

EVERYTHING I SEE, I SWALLOW

Asking questions about control, freedom, liberation, and control protection, a mother and a daughter confront the feminist implications of Japanese bondage, erotic photography in a work that combines aerialism, Shibari and intense conversations that ponder the problems of contemporary Instagram culture. See review page 94. Summerhall, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 6pm, £13 (£11).

SEA SICK Alanna Mitchell reveals the realities of climate change, while celebrating the beauty of the world in an emotional, yet scientifically rigorous reflection on the importance of participating in a change for the better. Compassionate and passionate, this is a theatrical polemic that catches the zeitgeist. See review, page 88. CanadaHub @ King’s Hall, until 25 Aug, 12.30pm, £11 (£9).

BEACH BODY READY Intimate and informal, semi- improved but with a clear message of body positivity, The Roaring

86 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2019