The acts being promoted at Summerhall on Thursday create a packed Fringe programme which the venue will host from 3 to 27 August.
There is music, theatre, dance, and visual art in the mix, and two thirds of the programme is led by women and/or gender nonconforming people. The venue says it is presenting work “exploring themes of human connection, Queerness, racism, colonialism and joy”. And the list of shows, acts and performers appearing in the “mad, magical building” is long.
The artist who performed on Thursday morning was a woman dressed up to look like a giant vulva, all somehow totally unsurprising to the press at the Fringe launch. Berlin’s Aurora Nova returns with Growler/Where Ye From. Growler is an 82-year-old, drum-banging, shamanic vulva storyteller who is ready to tell the audience every thought that flashes in front of her eyes (and did).
There are international acts from Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, Iceland, Latinx America, Poland, and Denmark. And there are works exploring identity, human connection, racism. colonialism, the immigrant experience and many overarching Queer themes.
Among the music programme Kathryn Joseph, Auntie Flo and Eyes of Others will be just a very few of the acts who appear live. Nothing Ever Happens Here, alongside Summerhall’s long standing collaborators: 432 Presents, World Headquarters, DF Concerts, Jamie Pettinger at EHFM, and Nick Herd at Braw Gigs, have a bumper-edition of artists to get audiences dancing.
Summerhall is not like any of the other Fringe venues. It has a reputation for being more daring, and just more everything, and it prides itself in being a year-round venue rather than an August pop up.
Summerhall Chief Executive, Sam Gough, said in his opening remarks: “Summerhall we feel is so important to the infrastructure the Fringe. It continues to be that safe space that allows and encourages all artists to experiment to take those risks, tell their stories and share their experiences. For some Summerhall is the start of their career and their journey. But for many it’s a home, it’s a place to return to in order to be amongst similar minded creative practitioners and friends, all of whom trust us to look after them and give them that vital platform for their work.
“Among the headline grabbing topics always the escalating cost of living and the price of accommodation. We are under no illusion how hard it is. But amongst all this noise, we still have artists to support we still have audiences to provide a rich programme for, and if we lose sight of who the Fringe is for the artists may stop coming. We have to support those who make the Fringe the Fringe and it is those that we should be projects protecting and nurturing”
We were greeted this morning by Dee Mulroney performing the act which she has also created, Growler /Where Ye From? The 82-year-old shamanic vulva will not be to everyone’s taste, and that is part of the beauty of Summerhall. Some of their acts will shock you, others will entertain you and some will make you cry.
The management at Summerhall are placing the artists front and centre in their minds. They have introduced the Support the Artist Ticket Scheme – an option which would add £2 to each ticket – and that additional sum will go to the artists with no fees or commission.
There is also the Lanyard drinks scheme which will make small batch hand-crafted gin and beer from Pickering’s Gin and Barney’s Beer available to performers and workers.
Sam Gough said: “All performers and all staff from all venues across the city Big or small, can show their lanyard and staff pass and enjoy responsibly of course.”
Summerhall Surgeries’ will provide opportunities for artists to share unfinished work amongst their peers and the industry, both local and international, and have an opportunity to feedback discuss and make sure their ideas are ready before committing to a Fringe run.
Summerhall’s visual arts programme is bustling with work for both the Festival itself, alongside Summerhall’s permanent exhibitions. Curated by Samantha Chapman and Scott Hunter, Synthesis was the result of an international cultural exchange programme between Scottish-based artists Oana Stanciu and Danielle Macleod, and Japanese artists Gak Yamada and Yuichiro Higashi. A diverse exhibition of Female Artists responding to the theme of ‘Women, Art & Inequality’, There Is Something In The Way challenges linear conventions in collaboration and in dismantling ongoing barriers faced by women artists.
Tickets on sale from Thursday 5 May via summerhall.co.uk
Pick up a programme at Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL and it will be online from 5 May. For now a full list of the shows is below – and we hope to bring you our selections soon.
Full theatre programme
- A Spectacle of Herself, Laura Murphy
- Bird, Amina Khayyam Dance Company
- You & Me, Amina Khayyam Dance Company
- An Alternative Helpline for The End of The World, Katrine Turner
- An Interrogation, Ellie Keel Productions. Written by Jamie Armitage
- Anything That We Wanted To Be, Adam Lenson
- Arcade, Darkfield
- Bacon, HFH Productions
- Bakla, max Percy + Friends
- Blub Blub, Trunk Theatre Project
- Blizzard, Emily Woof
- Chicken, Sunday’s Child
- Club Life, Fred Deakin
- Creepy Boys, Scantily Glad Theatre
- Distant Memories of the Near Future, David Head
- Do Rhinos Feel Their Horns or Can They Not See Them Like How We Can’t See Our Noses?, Gangguan!
- Concerned Others, Tortoise in a Nutshell
- Eclipse: Kill The Cop Inside Your Head, Subira Joy
- Eclipse: OommoO, Lula Mebrahtu
- Eclipse: Pilot, Eclipse Theatre Company
- Eclipse: Marvellous and the Sunshine City Boys, Eclipse Theatre Company
- Eclipse: Siapa Yang Bawa Melayu Aku Pergi? (Who Took My Malay Away?), Faizal Abdullah
- Eclipse: Waiting For A Train At A Bus Station, Mwansa Phiri
- Eclipse: Weathervanes, Jian Yi in Association with Summerhall
- Fool’s Paradise, Britt Plummer
- Good Morning, Faggi, Perplex Theatre Company
- Grief Lighting: A Satire in 78 Slides, Paper Mouth + Wicked Good Productions
- Growler / Where Ye From?, Aurora Nova
- Gub Smacked, Leyla Josephine & Colin Bramwell
- Gunter, Dirty Hare
- Gusla, Lubuski Teatr
- Help Yourself, Emma Ruse Productions, Jess Brodie and Victoria Bianchi
- Her Green Hell, TheatreGoose
- Helios, Wright&Grainger
- High Steaks, Elonia Productions
- Horizon Showcase: The Talent, Action Hero and Deborah Pearson
- Horizon Showcase: The Trauma Show, Demi Nandhra
- Horizon Showcase: Always Already, Haranczak / Navarre Performance Projects
- Horizon Showcase: A Crash Course in Cloudspotting, Raquel Meseguer Zafe / Unchartered Collective
- Horizon Showcase: Bodies, Ray Young
- Hysterical, Olivia Hall and Carrie Rudzinski
- James Rowland: Piece of Work, Attic
- iCON, Sian Clarke
- Klanghaus: Darkroom, KlangHaus
- Klanghaus: InHaus, KlangHaus
- Lightning Ridge, Catherine Wheels
- Lorenzo, Ben Target and Soho Theatre
- Lovefool, National Theatre of Luxembourg
- Mass Effect, HIMHERANDIT Productions
- Nomad, Gözde Atalay & Tucan Riot
- Nan, Me & Barbara Pravi, Hannah Maxwell
- Oat Milk & Honey, MO-KO Piano & Circus
- Oh My Heart, Oh My Home, Casey Jay Andrews
- Playing Latinx, Guido Garcia Lueches & MarianaMalena Theatre
- Ramalama Ding Dong, Roshi Nasehi
- Sad, Brigitte Aphrodite & Quiet Boy
- Sensuous Governing, Sisters Hope
- Rewind, Ephemeral Ensemble
- Sea Words, Olly Gully in association with NTA Productions
- Soldiers of Tomorrow, Aurora Nova presents The Elbow Theatre
- Slash, Emily Allan and Leah Hennessey
- Summer Camp for Broken People, REcreate Agency and Grace Dickson Productions
- Stuntman, SUPERFAN
- Terre, Deborah Shaw
- The Death & Life Of All Of Us, Victor Esses
- The Early Word, John Hegley
- The Fish Bowl, Fish Bowl Productions
- Wait!, Haddangse
- Welcome To The Big Show, Gara
- What You See When Your Eyes Are Closed / What You Don’t See When Your Eyes Are Open, Mamoru Iriguchi
- The Gods The Gods The Gods, Wright&Grainger
- When We Died, Alexandra Donnachie and Carbon Theatre
- Who Killed My Father, Surrogate Productions
- Will Pickvance: First Piano On The Moon, Will Pickvance
- Without Sin, Without Sin
- You Are Going To Die, Adam Scott-Rowley
- First Thing (Work in Progress by Daniel Kitson), Daniel Kitson
- Polko, Angus Harrison
- England & Son, HOME Manchester & Tin Cat Entertainment
- Salty Irina, Broccoli Arts
- Lady Dealer, Grace Dickson Productions
- The Last Show Before We Die, Hotter Project
- Heart, Jade Anouka
- Strategic Love Play, Paines Plough, Soho Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, in association with Landmark Theatre
- Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, Ellie Keel Productions and Paines Plough
- Later, Paines Plough and Friends
Full dance programme
- A Couple of Humans, From Start to Finnish in association with Tsuumi Dance Theatre
- Elvis Died of Burgers, BLINK Dance Theatre
- Insomniac’s Fable, Agit-Cirk with Makeshift Company
- Party Scene, THISISPOPBABY
- Papillon, Helen Simard & We All Fall Down Interdisciplinary Creations
- Taiwan Season: The Way Back, The Way Back
- Taiwan Season: World in a Word, Double & Cross Theater Group
- The (Hong) Kong Girls, PK Wong, Alice Ma & Justyne Li
- Woodhill, LUNG and The North Wall
Full live music programme
- Kathryn Joseph
- Mull Historical Society + Very Special Guests: Randolph’s Leap
- We Were Promised Jetpacks
- Lost Map 10th Anniversary Party
- Breabach
- Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble
- Withered Hand
- Soul Foundation
- Deafheaven
- An Evening of Joy with Francis Daulerio, Louis Abbott, Kris Drever & More
- Thumpasaurus
- London Astrobeat Orchestra
- BC Camplight
- Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours with The Transatlantic Ensemble
- Buck Meek
- Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band
- Optimo Espacio w/t Eyes of Others
- Magic Nostalgia
- Club Sylkie
- Femergy
- Auntie Flo – Live Set
- 249’s Ramshackle Queer Party For All
- Messenger Sound System
- MICROSTERIA
Full visual arts programme
- SYNTHESIS, Oana Stanciu, Danielle Macleod, Gak Yamada and Yuichiro Higashiji
- Weathervanes, Jian Yi in association with Summerhall
- Makeshift, Nicky Hodge, Paul Keir, Alan Shipway
- There Is Something In The Way, Angela Ford Lubna Kerr, Edyta Majewska and Gail McLintock + Scottish Female Creatives
- Kiosk, Charlie Stiven
- Still Moving, Owen Normand
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