You still have one week to catch the shortlisted shows for the Sustainable Production Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. If you haven’t caught the list of productions which have stood out to our team of Judges, here are all 23.
If you’re in Edinburgh this week and want to join us for the awards ceremony on Friday the 23rd at 4:00 pm at Fringe Central, make your free reservation here:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/4274573364
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1,000 SunsFor a teenager what’s worse? Growing up in America? Or growing up after America? Five young people face the struggles of their post-nuclear lives, in a wasteland that was once America, after the Cold War turned hot. They strive to overcome the oppressive authority of their parents and teachers, the hopelessness of the crater that they call home, and a dark sickness that threatens everything they hold dear. |
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 All roads lead to RomeChris has lovingly repaired his family Triumph Herald Estate so that he can drive it from his home in Colchester to Rome. Part investigation into his father’s account of his time as a Polish soldier in the Italian Campaign and part muse on consumerism, this show brings together car mechanics, classical civilisation and the fetishisation of possessions in a solo performance using old photos, new film and surprising mechanical objects. A feast of razor-sharp observations and bizarre confessions extending beyond the immediate subject matter to grasp at universal truths. Total Theatre, Poland 3, Iran 2. |
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The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea ExplorerSeas have risen, billions have died. Alvin Sputnik is our only hope. He must venture to the bottom of the ocean to find his wife’s lost soul and save humanity. Direct from sell-out seasons in New York, Sydney and Auckland, this multi award-winning piece of heart-warming ‘theatrical magic’ (Sunday Mail) is a one-man micro epic about enduring love and the end of the world. ‘Akin to a theatrical Wall-E’ (New York Times). Winner, Outstanding Solo Show, New York International Fringe Festival. Winner, Best Theatre Production, Auckland Fringe. Winner, Best Puppetry, Adelaide Fringe. |
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Angus – Weaver of GrassAngus MacPhee’s life is a tale of illness, lost traditions and magical hats of grass, stunning like sunbursts. Raised on South Uist, and traumatised by WWII, Angus spent 50 years in a psychiatric hospital. He did not speak; instead he wove remarkable costumes from grass which feature in the Collection de l’Art Brut, Switzerland. Featuring beautiful Gaelic singing and grass replicas by Joanne B Kaar. Using sounds, songs and images of the Outer Hebrides, this is his tale. ‘Physical, emotional and aural beauty… their collective artistry is awesome.’ (Stage). www.horseandbamboo.org |
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Faustus the MusicalEven the best and wisest amongst us do things we later regret… Under the bleak skyline of the industrial revolution, a company assembles to pass judgement on the greatest of a generation. In this gritty, steampunk-inspired retelling of the classic, an ensemble of actor-musicians and puppets bring to life the fall of John Faustus. In the bowels of the industrial revolution, change is brewing. A particular kind of hunger is bubbling inside one of the world’s most powerful minds, and when an offer is made that promises to satisfy that hunger, he makes a choice. A bargain. With the devil. |
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FlownFlying drum kits, levitating ironing boards and swinging divas. Welcome to the world of the unexpected! Irreverent and silly, bold and breathtaking, take flight with Flown for a captivating afternoon at the circus. A stunning troupe of masterful acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians and stuntmen are putting on a show for you. The problem is, the show has already started and no one is prepared. Taking you to dizzying heights and beyond, Pirates of the Carabina invite you to share in the thrills, fear and physical feats that define the life of a 21st-century circus artist. |
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The GardenThe Garden tells the tale of a couple living on the 10th floor of a high rise block, at a time when humanity has run out of resources, who discover hope in the form of a strange tree that grows through the floor of their kitchen. ‘Compelling performances … astonishingly expressive vocal lines’ **** (Scotsman). ‘An astonishingly moving portrait of a loving couple at the end of their tether’ (Joyce McMillan, Scotsman, for the original play). Cast: Pauline Knowles, Alan McHugh, Libretto/Direction: Zinnie Harris, Composer: John Harris. Commissioned by Sound Festival. First sell-out performances in Aberdeen, 2012. www.patersonsland.co.uk |
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Garden O’ DelightJourney back in time and join magical creatures who live in this beautiful world. But someone wants to destroy it forever. Outside, promenading, interactive family fun with an ecological theme. Music by John Sampson. |
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The Gypsybird SpeaksDark times have befallen the forest clearing where a journalist, a director, a painter, and a witch lament the lost Philena. Devoured by the gypsy moths, the forest crumbles slowly as the mysterious prophet Asphodel draws near. Entwined in the forest mythology the characters delve deep into one another’s psyche, a magnetism they are powerless to avoid. Fresh new writing in the spirit of the Brothers Grimm, for grown-ups. |
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How to Occupy an Oil RigThere are all sorts of lessons to be learned in life. How to get served at the bar. How to crash a boardroom meeting. How to avoid becoming romantically attached to an undercover police officer. That sort of thing. In this playful and provocative show about protest, you’ll learn how to do all of this and more. Funny, surprising, and not a little sad, How to Occupy an Oil Rig is for everyone who ever wanted to change anything. And that’s everyone. You get to play with plasticine, too. Produced by ARC Stockton. |
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Hunt and Darton CafeThe award-winning interactive performance/installation and fully-functioning cafe returns! Expect a playful exploration into customer expectation, where food, service and business are the art. Festival staples, includes the sensational signature dish, the roast dinner sandwich which can be found on the menu alongside Coco-Pops, Battenberg and beans on toast. With guest waiters, themed days and activities such as their much loved Not Great Bake-off. We are here to serve. Prepare for appetites to be satisfied in more ways than one. ‘A must-visit Fringe experience’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Holly Darton and Jenny Hunt are wowing the Fringe’ (Observer). |
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Island State2046. Great Britain is underwater, except for one tiny island with a population of two: Marilyn (28, ruthless survivalist) and Josie (17, childlike). They don’t get on. A new darkly comic play about national identity, friendship and tennis, Island State is the story of two women’s struggle to keep going in the face of environmental catastrophe. ‘Quirky, dark and ultimately surprising … a striking portrayal of human nature and all its intricacies’ **** (DurhamTheatreReview.com). Winner: Best New Writing and Best Actress, Durham Drama Festival 2013. |
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L’après-midi d’un Foehn – Version 1This is the moment that the real life of the plastic bag begins its own life without us. An ethereal and magical performance art piece, accompanied by the classic Debussy music. A ballet mistress has created a piece of choreography performed by plastic dancers, propelled by currents of air on the lyrical music. The piece transports the viewers, sitting on the stage, to a world where the laws of gravity no longer exist and boundless adventures await. A beautiful journey that ignites the imagination. |
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Last LandLast Land is inspired by frozen plains and dusty desert majesty. Maria Nilsson Waller reconstructs the vast scale and unpredictability of these contrasting landscapes in a highly physical, poetic work that invites us to consider the urgency of tectonic movement and the accelerating rhythms of nature and climate change. In award-winning Fabrizio Favale’s solo, Il gioco del gregge di capre, the dynamics of goats flocking are seen and re-imagined with the clashing of horns and the crashing of hooves. |
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One Giant LeapAn impossible attempt to bring the whole universe into a theatre and into our understanding, using a tennis ball, a wastepaper basket and a dash of theatrical invention. Iain Johnstone’s passionate solo performance about the relationship between humanity and the heavens is full of facts and awkward questions. Funny and serious, intelligent and silly, theatre and lecture, cosmic and personal, One Giant Leap asks us to think – about what we take for granted and about what we choose to ignore. www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com |
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Ours Was the Fen CountryFor the past two years Dan Canham (DV8 / Kneehigh / Punchdrunk) has been capturing conversations with people of the Fens, East Anglia. Eel-catchers, farmers, parish councillors, conservationists have all been interviewed. In this ethereal piece of documentary dance/theatre, Dan and his ensemble fuse movement and sound with words and memories from their native collaborators to get to the heart of this mysterious expanse of flat land, celebrating universal stories of rural communities fading from view. Exhilarating, poetic look at the inevitability of change from the voices of those who still know the old words. |
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Pigmalion ZooIn a decrepit and bankrupt city, God’s body was found dead in a Sainsbury’s car park. Since then, the annual Holy PG Tips competition has been held allowing citizens to audition to become the new God. Pigmalion is training his daughter to seduce God, believing He will come back from the dead and marry her. The play descends into the distorted perversion of building a family when all external structures have failed. Harrowing, dauntless, and deeply moving – Pigmalion Zoo doesn’t hesitate to expose the dangerous side of desire as it slowly corrupts nature itself. |
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The Price of everythingHow much is beauty worth? What will people pay for an air guitar on eBay? Can I have a glass of milk? These urgent questions and others are answered in this performance lecture about value. Daniel Bye’s whistle-stop tour of bizarre facts and impassioned arguments is occasionally shambolic and often misleading but always a joy to watch. Comic, provocative and possibly a tiny bit sad, this show is a must if you’ve ever wondered about the difference between the price of an object and its value. And you get a free glass of milk. |
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Sacred EarthRagamala’s Artistic Directors Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy create visceral, universal experiences that use Indian dance (Bharatanatyam) to express their contemporary point of view. Sacred Earth explores the interconnectedness between human emotions and the environments that shape them. Inspired by the philosophies behind the ephemeral arts of Kolam and Warli and the Tamil Sangam literature of India, Sacred Earth is Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy’s singular vision of the beautiful, fragile relationship between nature and man. Performed with live music; featuring guest Warli artist Anil Vangad. ‘Rapturous and profound … an excellent company’ (New York Times). |
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The Smallest LightWhat makes something worth standing up for? Can I change the world from my living room? What if I’m protesting, my costume rips and a picture of me naked ends up going viral? Inspired by courageous protesters who risk everything for what they believe in, four women find quirky ways to effect change in the world around them. Charting the performers attempts to stand up for what they believe in, The Smallest Light uses exciting visual storytelling to tell four explosive stories about what it is that makes us act. |
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Somnambules & the 7 Deadly SinsAre you ready for the experiment? Who’s next? Internationally renowned multiple award-winning performers Tanya Khabarova (Derevo) and Yael Karavan (Karavan Ensemble) invite you on an epic voyage into the mysteries of what we are made of, transporting us through archetypes, icons and the ancestors within us. Step into the laboratory for a spectacular journey through astonishing imagery, time and art – a feast for the eyes and mind. ‘Beautiful, extraordinary – a match made in heaven … an intoxicating play between two magnetic performers’. Total Theatre. ‘A dynamic performance that blew everyone away.’ Latest 7 **** |
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Sweater Curse: A Yarn about LoveFrom Dallas, Texas, comes this smart solo comedy about love, old movies, great literature and unfinished jumpers. Like craft night with more laughs! Nora Ephron with needles! `Don’t talk to me about acrylic yarn,’ says writer/performer Elaine Liner, ‘it’s cheap and loud, like the Real Housewives of Atlanta.’ Knit and crochet during a show (yes, bring your stuff!) that’ll have you in stitches. Come early to the knit-in and add rows to the travelling scarf. Afternoon performance in air-conditioned venue. Suitable for all ages. `Elaine’s hilarious stories add up to a well-spun yarn’ (TheaterJones.com). |
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Total Hero TeamNew two-man musical from the people behind Dinosaur Planet, Hey Hey 16K and Moon Horse, featuring superheroes, robots, pirates, kittens and a free badge. ‘Like two drunk dads getting up and singing at a barbecue’ (BBC Radio 1). |
The artwork, Orit Haj by artist team Didier Hess (Project Manager, Rebecca Ansert of Green Public Art Consultancy), selected by a jury of arts professionals from over 350 submissions as one of the Top 50 most exemplary public art projects of 2012, was announced at the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network conference in 2013.
Mon 9 Sept 11.30 – 13.00
In amongst the people handing out leaflets for shows and holding up placards for restaurants, there are a couple of people wearing white coats walking around bearing standards reminiscent of Roman Legions, though these are not surmounted by eagles, but rather by LED displays reporting CO2 levels.  These are ‘Carbon Catchers’.
The Santa Monica Museum of Art presents Tour da Arts, vol. 5, its fifth annual cultural bike tour through the city of Santa Monica. In the words of Asuka Hisa, SMMoA’s director of education and public programs, “Tour da Arts, vol. 5 is a fantastic way to explore the arts in Santa Monica while embracing a greener, healthier, and more sustainable mode of transportation.†For this year’s tour, the Museum has partnered with community groups, cycling organizations, and creative individuals to bring you a day of cross-disciplinary, cycling-related activities on Sunday, August 18th from 11 am to 5 pm. Each of the three stops on the tour features a particular art form: visual art, music, and dance.Tour da Arts, vol. 5 kicks off at 11 am with a bicycle-themed festival at SMMoA. The focus of this year’s festival will be multi-modal transportation and the creative side of bike culture. To encourage participation in the ride, 25 free bike rentals will be provided by Perry’s Café and Rentals on a first-come, first-served basis. Partners from Metr
Tues 10 Sept 16.30 – 18.00