Festivals, Cultural and City Events

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019

The 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 2 - 26 Aug.

A Big Festival Thank You

Festival Fun

Now that the summer festival season has drawn to a close, we would like to take the time to thank those who have made 2019 such a success and revisit some of the University’s festival highlights.

A Big Festival Thank You

 

SALLY MACALISTER ON SHE CAN'T HALF TALK 

She Can't Half Talk

Bedlam Fringe's 2019 programme is host to a diverse collection of emerging creatives at the early stages of their artistic career. One such talent is Writer and Director Sally MacAlister, a student at the University, who is bringing She Can't Half Talk to the festival after a successful term-time run at Bedlam Theatre.

Sally MacAlister on She Can't Half Talk

TINDERBOX SPARK A FIERY PERFORMANCE

Tinderbox Perform

Founded in 2010, the Tinderbox Collective is a diverse collection of young people, musicians, artists, youth workers, community activists and volunteers offering a revolutionary approach to orchestras, youth work and creative learning for young people in Edinburgh. In 2018, the charity were granted funding by the University’s Community Grants scheme. We spoke to Jack Nissan, Director of Tinderbox Collective and Erin McGonigle, a member of the orchestra about the benefits of the University's support, their festival performances and what it means to be a part of such a dynamic and exciting group of talent.

Tinderbox Spark A Fiery Performance

 

PLAYWRIGHT NICOLA MCCARTNEY ON HOW NOT TO DROWN AND THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR DRAMA

How Not to Drown

Nicola McCartney is an award winning playwright, director and dramaturg, with past plays including Easy, Heritage, Cave Dwellers and Lifeboat. At the University, McCartney is a Reader in Writing for Performance and Programme Director of the Masters programme in Playwriting, as well as running the James Tait Black Prize for Drama. Her latest work, How Not to Drown – written with Dritan Kastrati - is showing at the Traverse Theatre as a part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. On Friday, it was awarded a Fringe First award in recognition of outstanding new writing at the Festival.

Playwright Nicola McCartney on How Not to Drown and the James Tait Black Prize for Drama

PRIZE PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES BEST OF FRINGE

Festivals Office

The University has been unveiled as the official partner of a major Edinburgh Festival Fringe prize.

Prize Partnership Celebrates Best of Fringe

 

A DIRECTOR'S TAKE - CHAGOS 1971 

Following shows such as Mack The Knife in 2017 and last year's Technicolor, Black Bat Productions are back at the Festival Fringe with a new show. Chagos 1971 is a biting political comedy surrounding an unbelievable decision made in the Foreign Office in April 1971. Written and directed by recently graduated student Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, and starring University students past and present, the show will be performed throughout August at the ZOO Playground in the University's High School Yards. We spoke to Nathaniel about his latest production.
 

A NIGHT AT THE CABARET... OF DANGEROUS IDEAS (CoDI)

 
Combining a mixing pot of intellectual spoils with a chance for unbridled audience participation and a large dose of outlandish entertainment, this year’s Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas (CoDI) will provide many exciting evenings at The Strand’s New Town Theatre. Across a large array of performances, CoDI provides a setting for hidden and controversial academic research to be discussed and debated in a very different format to a typical lecture – and the opportunity to present this research to more eclectic audiences. Following their role in the July Previews, we spoke to three University academics about their research and involvement in the events.
 

 

FESTIVAL FRINGE - SUSTAINABILITY HUB 

Within the Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Kerry Cheek has been working hard to coordinate the Sustainability Hub at this year's Festival Fringe. We speak to her, with just over a week to go before opening, about the department's ambitious quest to make the Festival Fringe a more sustainable place for everyone involved.

Festival Fringe - Sustainability Hub