At the Grand at Pleasance on Saturday there was a fabulous array of talent on display in the Opening Gala, and every show which performed this morning would be an excellent choice to add to your Fringe diary.
Comedy of Operas opened the show with a bang at 11am with a section of their show which tells a spectacular love story from the world of opera. And they encouraged a bit of singing which is never a bad thing – unless it is not asked for of course.
Darren Harriott was the most capable of MCs getting everyone to up the clapometer just at the right time for each act to come on.
Gillian Cosgriff won Most Outstanding Show at the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival with her original song and stand-up And now, she brings Actually, Good to the Cabaret Bar.
Lucy McCormick is a pole dancer. She is incredibly funny and is a heartily recommended act creating a sense of community in the audience (particularly those from Corstorphine).
The Chortle Award 2023 finalist, Flat and the Curves, bring you their glittery comedy cabaret of unbridled fun in Divadom! The comedy quartet delivers their self-penned songs celebrating sex and sisterhood in a bra-burning evening of mischief.
Public – the Musical won the Pleasance Charlie Hartill Award supporting new talent. Four strangers trapped in a public toilet. Trip to the bathroom with some epic singing.
Following her acclaimed, sell-out debut hour, Celya AB returns with Second Rodeo. As a child, all she wanted was to be an adult. Now she’s at the table, she wants out. Expect tales of romance, a hologram and a near-death experience in Thorpe Park.
Sound Clash – what can we say except they were excellent.
An exciting urban love story set in a dystopian world of dancehall, conceived by Reggae Reggae sauce creator and musician Levi Roots who spoke this morning about his vision for his new type of show. Young lovers torn apart by family politics and musical warfare are brought together with electric dance-offs, lyrical contests, and death in the arena. Get ready to dance to the thumping soundtrack as the battle begins at the Pleasance!
Pleasance Director Anthony Alderson spoke about the need to nurture the arts and plant the seeds to ensure the growth of new talent. He said, The Fringe is for arts lovers what Chelsea is for gardeners. Each production is a testament to the determination of artists who refuse to ‘keep off the grass’ and be confined by the boundaries of convention. The need for creative thought has never been greater and each and every year I am astonished at just how glorious that invention is.
“Like any good herbaceous border, that which lies dormant in winter, can only burst into bloom in August with continued care.”
The Ice Hole just couldn’t resist sneaking on stage during Anthony’s speech with some of their cardboard genius; grand residents, and creators of Fringe sensation Fishbowl are back in Edinburgh with their latest Molière Award winning production. Using a thousand pieces of cardboard, this innovative show, in the spirit of Monty Python and with a Laurel and Hardy style twist, is told by two actors with some side-splitting and meticulous theatrical acrobatics.
Captions were provided by Claire Hill cementing the Pleasance’s commitment to making as many shows accessible as possible. This year, the Pleasance is presenting its largest programme of captioned shows at the festival to date with 33 productions offering captioning at some point in their run. This forms part of the venue’s wider programme of accessible work withshows offering audio description, touch tours, BSL interpretation and relaxed performances.
The full programme of accessible shows can be seen here.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
