STUDENT GUIDE 2018 T H E A T R E

E D I N B U R G H

BEYOND THE FRINGE

Rebecca Monks explores why Edinburgh’s theatre scene is still alive and kicking way beyond August

I f you’re arriving in Edinburgh in September, you’re likely to be greeted by a litany of old Fringe l yers, with the occasional Festival poster still tacked up on a wall. But don’t for a second think this means that Edinburgh’s stages are winding down the action. The city is a year-round hub of theatrical goodness, with new, experimental writing, contemporary classics, modern dance, ballet, musicals and more on the docket all year.

If you’re interested in new writing, the Traverse is the place to start. Formed in 1963 by a group of passionate theatre enthusiasts, it was originally founded to extend the spirit of the Edinburgh festivals throughout the year. One of the most popular i xtures in the programme is the A Play, A Pie and A Pint series, in which the theatre partners with Òran Mór to bring six new plays to light up your lunchtime. Tickets are just £13.50 and include a pie and a drink. Outside of this, there’s a wide range of new plays being performed on a regular basis. The venue actively encourages new writing, with open script submissions and rehearsed readings of new works, while the venue’s wider engagement programme aims to bring as many people as possible within the walls of the theatre, offering projects, workshops and events to schools, colleges, universities, new audiences, artists and professionals. The Royal Lyceum Theatre is one of Scotland’s leading producing theatres. Under artistic director David Greig, it programmes a strong range of classical, contemporary and community work. The company also runs a varied engagement

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and outreach programme through their creative learning team, while the Lyceum Youth Theatre also engages young people in the fabric of the city’s theatre community. The Edinburgh Festival Theatre and King’s Theatre are where you’re likely to see large-scale touring productions. The Festival Theatre was designed as Scotland’s premier dance and opera house in 1994, and it’s often the place to see Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet and more when they pirouette into town. Big productions, such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- time, also play at this much-loved venue. The King’s Theatre was opened as a variety theatre in 1906 and is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s historic and important theatres. Here, you’ll i nd large-scale productions, such as Shakespeare in Love and Fame.

And if musicals are your thing, you’ll probably be living at the Edinburgh Playhouse . This former cinema is the UK’s largest working non-sporting theatre in terms of audience capacity, and is where all the big song-i lled classics stop when they’re in town (Wicked, Cabaret, you name it).

Meanwhile, Bedlam Theatre (pictured) is where you’ll get a chance to see some strong student performances. Run by Edinburgh University Theatre Company, it’s a fully operational, 90-seat theatre housed in a former church at the junction of Forrest Road and Bristo Place. Go for the rising theatrical talent, stay for the treats in the cafe. Basically, what we’re saying is that Edinburgh is a festival city

year-round (minus the l yers).

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