‘Previously…’, Scotland’s History Festival, continues this week with a range of events for all ages.  The second week of the three-week long celebration of Scottish history has drama, music, a history bookfest, eminent historians and a fun day for families.

Highlights include:
DRAMA: Tuesday November 18 – Saturday Nov 22 (excluding Friday Nov 21)
Four-star Fringe hits and a new WWI triple bill production bring history to life this week, produced by Black Dingo productions.
  • Following its Fringe success, Jen McGregor´s adaptation of Strindberg´s classic Miss Julie is back for the history festival.   McGregor’s new adaptation focuses on John and Julie’s battle for control and the constantly shifting boundaries between their fantasies and reality.
  • The WWI triple bill features J .M. Barrie’s rarely-performed comedy, The Old Lady Shows Her Medals, where one-upmanship reaches high levels, to be confounded by a mystery that brings home the nature of belonging. Contrasting with this are two short plays set in WWI by a modern writer Paul King, The Canary Girls and The Telegram Girl. Both look at the sacrifice of women working to keep the war supplied while suffering in their own ways.
  • Anyone who missed Hyde and Seek by Michael Daviot during the Edinburgh Fringe are likely to have been kicking themselves, but the four-star show is back, as Daviot revisits Robert Louis Stevenson. Inspired by a childhood nightmare caused by Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, this show is part biography, part autobiography.
All shows are at Adam House, in Chambers Street, with various starting times from 6.30pm to 8pm.  Full details at:  http://www.historyfest.co.uk/news/history-theatre/
MUSIC: Saturday November 22
Brothers and Sisters In Arms – Songs Of War And Peace: Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, 19:30 – 20:30
Award-winning Scottish singer Wendy Carle Taylor owes her existence to a miracle of the battlefield. Wendy’s grandfather, Jacob Carle, served in WW1 and, in an amazing twist of fate, he was saved by a German soldier. In a year which marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War 1 and in a year in which war continues to rage ferociously in various parts of the globe Wendy explores the interplay between war and peace, the challenging of moral absolutes and stereotypes, and the celebration of love, our common humanity and our common wealth.  Tickets £11, Concessions £9.
HISTORY BOOKFEST: Tuesday November 18 to Saturday November 29
There are events just about every day for readers, aspiring writers and scholars of history and historical fiction, including a series of author events by the Historical Writers’ Association; a writers workshop examining the relationship between history and historical fiction; and presentations by leading literary experts.
PROFESSOR SIR TOM DEVINE: Thursday November 20
Culloden – Death of Clanship?
Do Culloden’s cairns mark not the graves of fallen Highlanders, but of their very clans? The world of 1746 was a cold place for the old ties of kinship and fealty, but did the battle really shatter the ancient bonds of blood and loyalty? Professor Sir Tom Devine rips through the myth, mist and mythology of Culloden and its aftermath with trademark incisive intellect.  This event is at Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, 20:00 – 21:00.  Tickets £10, Concessions £8.
FAMILY FESTIVAL DAY: Saturday November 22
Puppets and storytellers bring history to life in entertaining and informative shows, for children from three years upwards, in a day of activities at Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh.  Visitors can also explore artefacts in a unique pop-up military museum and there’s face-painting from Fantoosh Face Art with Artist Lynn Fraser.
The full programme of events, with details of times, venues and tickets, is available on the ‘Previously…’ website: http://www.historyfest.co.uk/
‘Previously…’ is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyfestscotland?fref=ts
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Phyllis Stephen
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.

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