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| Surrounding myself with appropriate deckchairs @ Edinburgh Book Festival |
Life as a self-employed artist is an often precarious existence which constantly feels a bit
hand-to-mouth on the financial front. However, what it lacks in stability is more than compensated for on the flexibility & freedom fronts. Seduced by the lure of freewheeling round Edinburgh at the height of festival time, I happily decamped to the Capital, clutching a (very long) shortlist of shows I wanted to see, mentally prepared for spontaneous adventures and with a slightly ridiculous amount of wool & felting supplies (intended for efficient between show crafting). Twenty days of stimulating sights was the intention and despite inevitable days when I just couldn't face the weekend crowds, worried about the impact on my credit card or was too jaded to bother seeing anything, it basically delivered.
Shows: Of the 18 shows I managed to see these were the highlights:
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| Underbelly, Richard herring, Steen Raskopulos, The Sorries |
Steen Raskopoulos: 'I'm Wearing Two Suits Because I Mean Business' (comedy). Winner of my award for best show title as well as most innovative use of audience participation. Any show ending with making my brother disco dance on a tiny stage is worth all money paid (I had to dance too but we don't need to dwell on that). This show is the essence of what I want to see at the Fringe: a brilliant use of the specific space (basically a box covered in astro-turf) and energetic delivery of fresh, engaging material.
Alex Horne: Monsieur Butterfly (comedy). A playful & delightful premise: building a huge version of mousetrap infused with personal possessions & stories. Horne somehow manages to explain his quest to build this while assembling his sprawling invention with the help of very willing audience members. It's warm, hilarious and a lovely endorsement of how an inventive & offbeat mind makes life more interesting.
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| Hendrick's Carnival of Knowledge (detail) |
'Hiraeth' (theatre)- funny & engaging two person account of a young Welsh woman's move from her Welsh farm to cold, terrifying London. Again, it's physically energetic & brims with life and a story to tell. I loved it from the very opening to the handing out of welsh cakes at the end.
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| With new friend @ Hendrick's... |
Other favourites included: King Creosote (music), my newly discovered musician of the moment, this gig at the Queens Hall was fab;
Camille O'Sullivan (singer) revisiting 10 years of her favourite songs to perform, I adore her and the intense world she weaves around us when she performs;
Robin Ince's Blooming Buzzing Confusion (comedy)- a extremely funny & cerebral show which stimulated my brain and prompted after-show conversion about actual issues!;
Bridget Christie: An Ungrateful Woman (comedy)- loved her show last year & this was just as good, she makes important points about feminism & equality with deft humour & an air of the ridiculous;
Writer Jeremy Dyson & psychologist Richard Wiseman discussing 'Fear & Loathing' (why we enjoy being scared) in the most beautiful venue in Edinburgh- Hendrick's Carnival of Knowledge, Royal Circus. (gin was included, yay!);
The Sorries (traditional music)- becoming a regular family favourite, they explore traditional Scottish music in an accessible way with plenty of humour.
I saw a few other shows which I also enjoyed including
Richard Herring (both his stand up + 'I Killed Rasputin' his new play),
Tim Key with his on-stage bed and the late night chaos of
Mark Watson's Comedywealth Games featuring Susan Calman becoming covered by blood & yoghurt on a treadmill, an attractive man in small red boxers & a lot of fruit being thrown about (amongst other highlights). There were others, some a bit average but thankfully nothing bad at all. Shows I wished I'd seen: Mark Watson, Daniel Kitson & Josie Long (all sold out). Next year...
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| Lovely work by Charlotte Duffy, Runaway Fox & Nameless Wonders |
Craft/ Makers: As well as seeing shows and consuming decent amounts of wine/cider/gin in lovely pop-up bars, I had the chance to meet some makers I've been enthusiastically following for a while at the
West End Fair:
Runaway Fox & Charlotte Duffy
(Waste of Paint Productions) as well as old favourites
Nameless Wonders &
Rachel Elliott Glassworks.
Runaway Fox make playful, wonderous jewellery & homely objects (I want them all) and seem genuinely lovely, enthusiastic people.
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| Poppy & Luis of Runaway Fox |
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| Waste of Paint Productions @ West End Fair |
I decided not to resist any longer my desire for the stockinged legs in a teacup necklace (see pic) & have paraded it happily around town. I was also delighted to find
Charlotte Duffy who creates brilliant cardboard art and illustration. I went a bit mad and treated myself to a fake food sculpture of a sandwich & disposable drink. We bonded over a shared love of fake food & I listened enviously to her tales of her dad bringing back fake dishes from Japan (note to self, ask friends in Japan to acquire a dish or two). I'm slightly kicking myself that I didn't pay more attention to the Art Festival or the acclaimed Dazzle jewellery exhibition, managing to miss everything. I did try & fail three times to gain entry to the intriguing 'Child's Play' exhibition at
The Union Gallery but settled on peering through their big windows instead + pics of
Samantha Boyes' playful taxidermy can be viewed on her Facebook page for those who also couldn't make it.
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| Amazing cakes @ Lovecrumbs |
Tea & Cake: Lovecrumbs (West Port) continued to perform with magnificent cakes, an easy going atmosphere & a super-cute foxy milk jug which pleased me very much. Also tried the
Storytelling Centre's cafe, while a cupcake is rarely the best choice (when will I learn?), it was a lovely venue. Enjoyed lovely paninis at Cafe Camino (Mass in the adjoining St Mary's Cathedrel is optional) & we blithely ignored the sound advice that we'd ordered far too much
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| Dressing Up in Dunfermline |
food at
International Starters (still good, The Shore). Out of town, if you find yourself wandering round the Kingdom (Fife) in Dunfermline, the 'Writers Cafe' (real name not known but it's a red building next to the Abbey, possibly Abbot House) is a sweet place with nice scones & friendly staff who are helpful in a wasp crisis. A bonus was exploring the exhibition rooms upstairs which has dressing up clothes (adult-sized only). I'd be suspicious of anyone who could resist when presented with massive pointy shoes to try on. Best friend Paul looked hesitant until he spotted a Dickensian sleeping cap, hats are his weakness. Evidently we were having too much fun, soon after this impromptu photo shoot we were whisked away to look at skeletons by an admittedly very knowledgeable guide.
It's a very subjective, ramshackle guide/ account of August in Edinburgh but I hope it's been entertaining and/or useful in any way at all.
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