There’s a veritable maelstrom of music in the city this August, as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe celebrates its 75th anniversary, what better way to mark the occasion than with a song in your heart?
This next list begins our gander at the musicals, operatic and jukebox moments over the Fringe run, and by lord – there’s a few audience favourites, but more importantly there’s a wealth of unique, original and grim musical productions to continue introducing visitors to the richness of Scottish culture, and the wealth of stories we have to offer. This first spotlight contains Orphans, Serial Killers, Faeries and a shoe-making Queer Queen.
Say what you want about musicals, they’re a diverse bunch.
Links directly to the Fringe website to purchase tickets, or have a further look at shows can be followed by clicking on the show’s respective image. Ticket prices are for standard admission, check the Fringe website for concession prices.
Kinky Boots
Sold Out. (Sort of)
If that isn’t the remarkable stamp of excitement and trust surrounding grassroots Edinburgh-based company Bare Productions, then what is? And now, following their sell-out Fringe 2019 runs of The Addams Family, the team return with the stage adaptation of the 2005 film – Kinky Boots.
A musical with flair, camp attitude and plenty of sole – it tells the tale of Charlie Price, a humble shoe factor owner who forms an unlikely alliance and friendship with Drag Queen Lola to produce a line of high-heeled boots. An uplifting piece that teaches audiences all backgrounds and ages that sometimes, to fit in, the best thing to do is stand-out.
Now, remember folks, shows tend to have a limited amount of tickets held back for on-the-day purchase – so If you’re gagging to see what these boots can do, there will be a limited number of tickets available at each performance so check early!
Various times (150 minutes) 5th – 13th Aug 2022
Venue 152 – Paradise in Augustine
41 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL
Tickets – Check on the day!
Lizard Boy
When tasked with creating a brand-new show surrounding his Queer identity, the sensationalist story of Lizard Boy was perhaps not the first thing to leap to people’s minds. A new gay indie-folk rock musical, with comic book elements thrown into the cauldron for good measure, Justin Huertas’ Lizard Boy is a coming-of-age tale like no other. Ingenious and heralded for its originality and humour, this rock musical has the potential to be the hit musical of this year’s Festival.
Following a peculiar accident in childhood, Trevor is drenched in dragon’s blood – causing him to grow green scales, forcing him to withdraw from the world. It may take another twenty years, but now Trevor meets someone, a cute guy, and their first date turns into an adventure which rivals myths of antiquity.
Now’s the chance for Edinburgh audiences to experience just what it is which has taken American musical theatre by storm, as this rock musical finishes it’s tour in Manchester before taking the trip up to Scotland for this year’s Fringe.
18:30 pm (60 minutes) 8th – 13th Aug 2022
Venue 24 – Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose
Big Yin, 3 Chambers St, EH1 1HT
Tickets £14
Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch
Icon. Plus-size legend. Disney Villain.
Multi-awarding winning, and thoroughly raucous, Fat Rascal Theatre, return following a sell-out run across the UK, with the critically acclaimed and fabulous Unfortunate landing with one hell of a splash smack bang in the Udderbelly.
Some may prefer the purrs of Scar, other’s the jawline of Gaston, but for any Villain lover worth their salt, join Ursula as she offers her uncut and filthy sequence of events of just what happened Under The Sea. With a uniquely original soundtrack, this queer queen is ready to wrap her tendrils around a hungry audience in this parody musical.
If you are curious about what you Poor Unfortunate Souls might be in for, we recommend reading our five-star review of their previous Edinburgh Fringe performance here. We cannot wait to see how far the show has come since then!
17:55pm (70 minutes) 4th – 29th Aug 2022
Venue 300 – Udderbelly, George Square
George Square, EH8 9LH
Tickets £19.50
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World
Anne Frank, Joan of Arc, Malala Yousafzai, Emeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks, and Miss Piggy: Women you have heard of who have changed the world.
Martha Gellhorn, Alexandra David-Néel, Bobby Gibb, and Rosalind Franklin: Women who you may not have heard of who have changed the world. Time to change that.
Bringing plenty of kickass-pirational elements to kids and audiences across the UK, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World returns to Edinburgh for its Fringe premiere. It follows the story of Jade, as she finds herself left behind after-hours at the not-yet opened Gallery of Greatness in her local museum. She will meet some of history’s most significant women, with some killer tunes, adapted from suffragette descendent Kate Pankhurst’s award-winning picture book.
Will the show follow in the footsteps of its older sister SIX, and become a champion of musical theatre and an additionally welcome voice for women in the industry? Well, our review of their recent Edinburgh tour should give you a clue…
13.30pm (80 minutes) 4th – 29th Aug 2022
Venue 33 – Pleasance Courtyard, The Grand
60 Pleasance, EH8 9TJ
Tickets £12.00
Flesh
This is the city of Burke & Hare, infamous Irish navvies who took to the graveyards and under passages of Edinburgh, who turned murder into profit delivering bodies to the medical elite, and well, it would be rude not to have a musical featuring them.
A new folk-rock musical with Celtic overtones, Flesh brings music, dance, performance, and comedy to this year’s Fringe in a way many would never have thought. A musical surrounding two of Scotland’s most notorious Serial Killers? Really, it is just a question of why it’s taken this long. The flesh is also offering a brief taster of the musical at http://www.fleshthemusical.com
18.00pm (95 minutes) 5th – 13th Aug 2022
Venue 53 – The Space@Summerhall
Nicolson Street, EH8 9DW
Tickets £15.00
Lionel Bart’s Oliver!
Bringing not one, but three shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, Captivate Theatre are a renowned grassroots production company known for their large-scale showcases brimming with talent. And what better way to demonstrate this than with everyone’s favourite classic musical – Lionel Bart’s Oliver!
Their other performances, everyone’s other favourite is of course Sunshine on Leith. Which you can our thoughts about here. And for the gruesome amongst you, there’s always their third show – The Addams Family.
The timeless West End version of the classic Dicken’s novel, with a slew of memorable characters and some of the industries’ biggest and best songs, so why settle for less when Captivate are providing more of what the people want! Their last performance of Oliver! In the same venue was an absolute smash-hit with fast-pacing, energetic performances and an emotional trip from beginning to end.
18.00pm (120 minutes) 5th – 16th Aug 2022
Venue 76 – Rose Theatre
204 Rose Street, EH2 4AZ
Tickets £15.00
Iolanthe
The University of St Andrews Gilbert and Sullivan Society are proud to bring their production Iolanthe to the Edinburgh Fringe at the tail end August. A story full of rich music, scheming faeries and a gaggle of unfortunate peers. Journey deep into the forest where the immortal realm of fairies and lovers’ clashes with the lost politicians as they band together to survive mishap and mischief.
What at first seems a simple tale of love, Phyllis and Strephon find themselves in a difficult spot when the Lord Chancellor and his fellow Lords decide that they desire Phyllis for themselves. Endeavouring the help, the Fae folk do nothing but infuse more chaos in this mad hat caper of sublime music, vocals, and storytelling.
15.50pm (120 minutes) 22nd- 28th Aug 2022 (select dates)
Venue 152 – Scottish Storytelling Centre
41 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL
Tickets £12.00
If you haven’t spotted your production – do not worry! We’re currently working our way through a huge backlog of requests, with many previews and Q & A’s lined up for the coming month. If you haven’t, please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming ‘Have A Gander’
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