Mark Ludmon reports on where you can catch some of the hits from this year’s Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Festival Fringe drew to a close yesterday but if you didn’t make it or simply couldn’t get tickets, don’t despair: you can still see some of its biggest theatre hits around the UK thanks to tours and transfers.
Drip
After a late appearance for a short run at Summerhall, Tom Wells and Matthew Robins’ one-man musical show Drip comes to the Bush Theatre in London from 3 to 22 December 2018. Starring Andrew Finnigan, it is a heartwarming comedy about synchronised swimming and finding pride in who you are and where you are from. Read our review.
BOOK NOW FOR DRIP
Drip Feed
After a festival-long run in Assembly George Square Theatre’s new space The Bubble, Karen Cogan performs her solo play Drip Feed at Soho Theatre in London from 24 September to 20 October 2018. Frank and darkly funny, it tells the story of a 34-year-old woman dealing with hangovers, relationships and loss in the city of Cork. Read our review of Drip Feed.
BOOK NOW FOR DRIP FEED
The Fishermen
New Perspectives Theatre stopped off in Edinburgh with The Fishermen after it premiered at Home in Manchester. Based on Chigozie Obioma’s Man Booker prize-nominated 2015 novel of the same name, it has been adapted by Gbolahan Obisesan into a gripping fast-paced drama with Michael Ajao and Valentine Olukoga. After Assembly George Square Theatre, its tour continues from 12 September 2018 in Derby, Peterborough, Lincoln, London, Hatfield, Oxford, Bromsgrove, Nottingham and Cambridge. Read our review of The Fishermen
BOOK NOW FOR THE FISHERMEN
Freeman
After a successful tour last year, Strictly Arts revived their critically acclaimed show Freeman at Pleasance Courtyard. It explores the often unspoken link between systemic racism and mental health, inspired by the first American to plead insanity as a legal defence. From 1 September to 21 October 2018, it tours to Coventry, Nottingham, Bedford, Manchester, Leicester, Weymouth and various venues in London.
BOOK NOW FOR FREEMAN
Island Town and Sticks and Stones
Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd brought two plays to the former’s Roundabout space at Summerhall: Vinay Patel’s sharp satire on political correctness, Sticks and Stones, and Simon Longman’s powerful Island Town. They both starred Charlotte O’Leary, Katherine Pearce and Jack Wilkinson, with Island Town picking up a few awards. Between 6 September and 21 October 2018, both shows are coming to Manchester, Kendal, Margate, Poole, Lincoln, Stoke-on-Trent and Luton. The tour also features children’s show How To Spot An Alien.
Read our review of Sticks and Stones
Read our review of Island Town
BOOK NOW FOR STICKS AND STONES AND ISLAND TOWN
Nazanin’s Story
The true account of an Iranian family ripped apart had everyone talking in the last week of the Fringe when Nazanin’s Story was staged at C venue – with new hopes for British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release from prison again dashed only this week. Howell Productions is taking this powerful play on tour from 16 September to 14 October 2018, coming to London, Birmingham, Bristol, Bath and Truro.
BOOK NOW FOR NAZANIN’S STORY
The Political History of Smack and Crack
Ed Edwards’ entertaining, personal story on the fallout from the 1980s heroin epidemic in Manchester was another hit for Paines Plough’s Roundabout space at Summerhall. The Political History of Smack and Crack will be at Soho Theatre from 4 to 22 September 2018 before transferring to the city where it was born to run at the Mustard Tree refuge in Ancoats, Manchester, from 1 to 17 November 2018.
Read our review of The Political History of Smack and Crack
BOOK NOW FOR THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF SMACK AND CRACK
Six
After a preview at the Arts Theatre in London in January, new musical Six caused a sensation at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, bringing together all of Henry VIII’s wives for a sassy re-telling of their side of the story. It is back at the Arts Theatre from 30 August to 23 September and then onto Kingston upon Thames’ Rose Theatre, Southampton’s NST Campus, The Lowry in Salford and SEC Glasgow.
BOOK NOW FOR SIX
Songlines
DugOut Theatre and HighTide brought Tallulah Brown’s new piece of gig theatre, Songlines, to Pleasance Courtyard. With beautiful live folk music from award-winning band Trills, it is a witty and moving coming-of-age love story. It has already embarked on a tour which will take it to Lowestoft, York, Halifax, Sheffield, Aldeburgh and London.
BOOK NOW FOR SONGLINES
This Is Going To Hurt
For a third sell-out year, comedian Adam Kay brought his funny and intensely moving show This Is Going To Hurt to Edinburgh, albeit just for four days at the EICC for the 2018 festival. Based on his experiences as a junior doctor, it has gone on to spawn a bestselling book of the same name. It is touring across England, from Bristol to Scarborough, although most dates are already sold out. There are still some tickets left for Peterborough on 30 September 2018 and London’s Garrick Theatre from 3 to 6 October 2018.
BOOK NOW FOR THIS IS GOING TO HURT
Underground Railroad Game
One of the biggest successes for the Traverse Theatre this year was the award-winning US play Underground Railroad Game where a school lesson on the American Civil War turns into an exploration of race, sex and power. It transfers to Soho Theatre in London from 4 September to 13 October 2018.
Read our review of Underground Railroad Game
BOOK NOW FOR UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME
Woke
Apphia Campbell’s Woke was an award-winning highlight of Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, returning for a short run at Gilded Balloon Teviot in the last week of this year’s festival. This powerful show, performed by Campbell, tells the story of two women, 42 years apart, and their involvement with the American civil rights movement. Woke is next going to the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames on 22 October 2018 and Junction in Goole in East Yorkshire on 26 October. Campbell is also touring with her previous hit, Black Is the Color of My Voice.
Read our review of Woke
BOOK NOW FOR WOKE
