EdFringe Dance, Cabaret & Spoken Word

Jul 30 2019 | By Thom Dibdin More

Edinburgh’s other companies on the Fringe

With over 140 different productions made in Edinburgh at this year’s Fringe, some companies are choosing to diversify where they place their listings in the Fringe brochure.

Which means that there are several companies that make theatre in Edinburgh which we feel we ought to be covering, but which have parked their bus at a slightly different bus stop than usual.

Tony Mills and Beverley Grant in Heroes. Pic: Brian Hartley

So this is a round-up of some of the dance companies, and a small handful of those listing themselves in the Cabaret section and in the Spoken Word section.

Hopefully next year we can expand this section further, but for now, this is how it stands.

The rest of the Edinburgh-made productions are listed here:
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Amateur companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Grassroots companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Youth and Student companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Professional companies

These distinctions are sometimes slightly arbitrary, and professional companies also mentor youth companies so do look through the different sections. Also, don’t forget to look at what is on in the Musical Theatre, Children’s and Dance sections.

Alba Flamenca
Alba Flamenca (Dance)
Alba Flamenca (Venue 237)
2 – 25 Aug: 15:30, 19:30 (1 hour)
Æ’s review of the 2015 show: ✭✭✭✭✭ Inviting and inspiring.
Bursting with emotion and explosive rhythms, this is a fiesta of pure dance, music and intensity. Powerful dance, frenetic guitar, pulsating rhythms. You don’t watch this show, you experience it fully in this cosy intimate venue. Book here.

And the Birds Did Sing
Curious Seed (Dance)
Dance Base (Venue 22)
2 – 11 Aug (not 5): 14:15 (40 minutes)
A woman remembers a girl who knew a woman who listened to the birds. Evocative solo embracing the depth of feeling in tiny moments of knowing that the world will never be the same again. Book here.

Deficit
Deficit Theatre (Dance)
Wee Red Bar (Venue 506)
9 – 23 Aug (not 14, 21): 14:00 (1 hour)
A new piece of devised theatre that exposes the magical realism of the everyday, following five vibrant characters, Selkie, Kelpie, Wulver, Beira and Poltergeist, exploring the human condition through movement, dance and film. Don’t worry, you’re allowed to laugh. Book here.

Glimpsing Air Pockets
Christina Liddell (Dance)
Dance Base (Venue 22)
6 – 8 Aug: 13:15 (1 hour)
This multi-sensory, all-ages dance production offers a beautiful experience. Immerse yourself in an interactive garden of creative contributions from the Sick Kids Hospital. Surround yourself with their promise and joy, brought to life and expressed through Christina. Book here.

Grave
Jen McGregor (Spoken Word)
Scottish Poetry Library (Venue 203)
2/3, 6 Aug: 18:15 (30 minutes)
In a remote graveyard in the October dusk, it’s time for newly orphaned Jen to learn that the monsters were in her heart all along. Horror and dark comedy, based on a true story. Aren’t they always? Book here.

Heroes
All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre (Dance)
Underbelly, George Square (Venue 300)
1 – 26 (not 12): 15:00 (1 hour)
Playful aerial entertainment exploring the world of superheroes and beyond! In their quirky circus universe, two performers (and their miniature sidekicks) explore what it means to be a hero. Assemble the family – this promises to be FANtastic! Book here.

India Flamenco A Gypsy Tale
Alba Flamenca (Dance)
Alba Flamenca (Venue 237)
2 – 25 Aug (not 7, 14, 21): 17:30 (1 hour)
A search for the essence of flamenco. From the primitive expressive beauty of Indian Kathak dance, through the swirling intensity of middle eastern belly dance, arriving in Europe with the passion and tragedy that is flamenco. Three different musical cultures; three different dance styles; all united by a single thread of continuity over time and continents. Book here.

Kevin Quantum: Neon Future
Everyday Miracle Productions (Cabaret)
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24)
31 Jul, 1 – 26 Aug (not 21): 18:00 (1 hour)
This year Kevin examines our evolution using the only discipline able to illustrate our incredible possible futures, here, in the present: magic. Having spent half of his adult life studying physics and half magic, Kevin explores the exotic space where science and magic meet. Expect epic stunts and illusions from the magician-scientist hybrid trained by Penn & Teller. Book here.

Rock What You Got
House of Jack (Dance)
ATIK (Venue 464)
11 Aug: 12:00 (4 hours)
An all-style two vs two battle event featuring some of the best dancers from the UK. With live DJs, dancers and acts, expect freezes, flips and plenty of flava. It’s time to Rock What You Got! Book here.

The Secret Room at Lauriston Castle
Edinburgh International Magic Festival (Cabaret)
Lauriston Castle (Venue 436)
10-11, 13-14, 22 Aug: 17:30, 19:30 (1 hour 15 minutes)
On the outskirts of Edinburgh, hidden away at the end of a winding driveway, lies one of Edinburgh’s secret treasures – Lauriston Castle. Imagine timeless tapestries, ornate silverware, but also a world of clandestine laboratories, hidden passages and secret rooms… Three expert magicians animate the castle’s intriguing past with stories, performances and illusions related to the history of Lauriston and her owners. Book here.

Self Portraits
Alan Greig Dance (Dance)
Dance Base (Venue 22)
2 – 11 Aug (not 5): 14:45 (40 minutes)
Self Portraits plays with notions of gender and sexuality: a collection of short, intense choreographed solos and intertextual writing that skilfully weaves athletic moves and thought provoking text into a compelling show of innovative and accessible dance. Book here.

The Soundtrack of Life
KinkyFish (Cabaret)
Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29)
19 – 25 Aug: 16:20 (1 hour)
Everyone has a soundtrack to their life – from the songs that get you up on the dance floor to the ones that get you singing in your car, the songs that get you through hard times and the songs you think you know all the words to. Book here.

Click the following links for listings of:

Theatre by Edinburgh’s Amateur companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Grassroots companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Youth and Student companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Professional companies
Musical Theatre by Edinburgh-based companies
Children’s Theatre by Edinburgh-based companies
Dance, Cabaret and Spoken Word by Edinburgh-based companies