Sensory Overload

Or

A Beginner's Guide to the Fringe

I’m not sure where to start, but this is a long one. Perhaps with the fact that it was all pretty mind blowing. 7 shows, in two days, and still time for a little shopping. After only a few hours I’d both succumbed to the magic and got sensory overload from the sheer bombardment of theatre. And, quite predictably, I didn’t just want to watch it, I wanted to be part of it all.

Advice

Plan ahead, read the reviews – there are plenty out there, but you need to sift through them, to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Book some shows, particularly if there’s something you really want to see. It will save you a lot of queuing. But leave time for the impromptu.

Accept that there’s so much around you that you’ll only see 10% of what you’d like to, and that at the end off your visit you’ll suddenly hear of a show you’d like to have seen. Celebrate what you have seen, rather than what you haven’t.

Buy tickets on the day at the venue, as the queues are shorter, and they will try and get you in even when the Fringe Box Office has sold out

Modify the ‘Theatre Snob’ rules

‘Festival chic’ is the new dressing up. Essential elements are comfy shoes (you will be trekking at speed between venues) and the ubiquitous pashmina. Comfortable clothing is also essential. Linen is good as it’s cool (you will get hot and sweaty) even if it does crease to hell.

Depending on the show, you might encounter food (always good, as you’ll find it difficult to fit in time for a proper meal) and audience participation. Go with the flow.

Play ‘spot the author/director/producer’ – they’re the one looking slightly nervous, and leading the clapping at the end – useful, as with some Fringe shows, it’s not that clear if they’ve ended.

Accept that you’ll probably see at least one crap show, and remember it’s only an hour. Ok, you won’t get it back, but you’re supporting someone else’s passion.

If you can afford it, and can find a room, stay in the Old Town. We didn’t, which meant lots of treks up and down Princes Street.

Always accept flyers from cute guys, you never know, the show might actually be good.

Be wary of ‘it’s a had 4* reviews’ – this can be anything from The Stage, to their best mate’s comments on an internet forum.

Venues

These vary enormously, from the rather fab inflatable purple cow, known as the Udderbelly, to the dank and smelly Underbelly (known to us as the Smellybelly)

Edinburgh bar prices: good, Venue bar prices: bad

You will run out of time between shows – venues are farther apart than you think.

Shows (and star ratings)

Sherlock Holmes and the Three Students***

Promenade theatre around University of Edinburgh sites. Our first show, and a good one to ease us into the process, and also guide us round some of the sites. Added interest of the author P D James in the audience. You needed to be fit for this one, as they moved you along at a pace. Not SH’s greatest mystery, but fun, and we could call it exercise, so it justified eating chips.

Be My Baby***

Our only ‘established’ play, i.e. something I knew before the Festival, but had never seen performed. Also our only ‘late arrival’. As we dashed down Princes Street, I realised that I do not run, even for theatre. Well acted by a young company. Our only BBC radio interview as we came out of the show.

Have a Nice Life****

A new drama/musical about group therapy. Less bizarre than it sounds, but good fun, with some excellent performances.

Breakfast with Shakespeare****

Croissants, coffee, and Shakespeare. Taming of the Shrew, the panto, performed at speed by an all female cast. Fast paced and high energy start to the day, complete with the usual panto audience responses. A packed audience, and great fun.

Shakespeare’s Passions**

A one man show covering Shakespeare’s ‘greatest hits’ both male and female, where he played all the parts he’d ever wanted to play. Self indulgent, occasionally cringeworthy, but also occasionally almost touching. Lots of soliloquies, but it was notable that he’d omitted Hamlet’s advice to the players.

Bloggers – Real Internet Diaries***

Performed in the ‘Smellybelly’ which sort of took the edge off, as the smell of damp pervaded the whole performance space. Our only 4* show as recommended by The Stage. Focussed on blogs that were primarily about people’s sex lives, so it gave my friend a very bizarre impression of people who blog. Yet elements of truth where people discovered that they had unexpected readers. Also on the beginning of blogging, as people dipped a toe in the water, and the end of the blog. The audience profile for this one was interesting, as it was a much younger audience than for other shows.

Painters****

4* + really, as it was the best show we saw. I hesitate to give it the full 5* though, as that’s the equivalent of a standing ovation, and you know what I’m like about them.
Fab show by 3 guys who performed it as a piece of physical theatre mixed with dance and comedy. Again, high energy, audience participation, and a real sense of joy about the performance. A fabulous finish to an exhausting, but brilliant couple of days.

Overall, fabulous, exhausting, exhilarating – and next time, I’m going for longer, and staying up later. With bars open till 5am, who needs sleep!