Shows at Scottish Storytelling Centre

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MagicFest - Tricky Ricky's Christmas Madness

MagicFest - Tricky Ricky's Christmas Madness

oin The Trickster, Jingles the Reindeer and Sonny the Bunny on the nutty train to Magical Christmas Madness! The four-times winner of Scottish ‘Children’s Entertainer of the Ye… 

MagicFest - Magic School

MagicFest - Magic School

f you’ve ever wanted to learn how to properly perform magic and even create your own, then join us for a spell-binding 2. 

Dr Korczak's Example

Dr Korczak's Example

Set in 1942, in the final days of an orphanage in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw, where food is scarce, tempers rise and everyone just wants to survive. David Greig’s play tells of Janusz Korczak, a Polish doctor and writer who championed every child’s right to freedom, respect and love… 

The Golden Fly

The Golden Fly

The Golden Fly is an epic tale of a shape-shifting goddess in search of her truth. Transformed by sorcery into a golden fly, Celtic Goddess Ethaun is condemned to wander the worlds until her heart changes… 

Walk the Oars

Walk the Oars

Danish storyteller Svend-Erik Engh and Scottish musician/singer Neil Sutcliffe share a story inspired by the Viking’s arrival in Scotland. You are invited on board a Viking longship, so hold your oars steady as the Viking storyteller walks upon them to celebrate a victory… 

Dispatches on the Red Dress

Dispatches on the Red Dress

A courageous new work by twice BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winning songwriter Rowan Rheingans. Adventurous new writing meets the warmth of a live gig in this heartfelt and personal one woman show, uniquely weaving immersive storytelling with live fiddle, banjo and genre-melding original songs… 

(Can This Be) Home

(Can This Be) Home

Half music concert, half spoken word performance where Kolbrún Sigfúsdóttir examines the immigrant experience of Brexit and flautist/composer Tom Oakes plays the tunes his travels have inspired… 

The Night With… Evenings

The Night With… Evenings

Three alternating concert programmes over multiple days featuring music by Scottish composers and settings of Scottish poetry. Performed by Turning the Elements (Frances Cooper (soprano) and Joanna Nicholson (clarinet)); Tom Poulson, Danielle Price and Timothy Cooper (trumpet, tuba, electronics) and Duo van Vliet (Ian Anderson (viola) and Rafal Luc (accordion))… 

Supernatural: Wonder Tales from Scotland

Supernatural: Wonder Tales from Scotland

Scotland is a country blessed with abundant natural beauty and mystical landscapes. Equally striking are the many supernatural wonders featured in Scotland’s traditional tales. Dougie Mackay shares stories of strange places full of fantastic creatures and curious characters, where the veil is thin and the people are wise, wild and terrifying… 

I Am Mark

I Am Mark

Mark’s Gospel is our most authentic portrait of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Yet it was not supposed to be read piecemeal and in silence, but heard out-loud, and in one sitting… 

The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees

This multi award-winning adaptation of Jean Giono’s classic environmental tale by Puppet State Theatre Company has been touring internationally for the past twelve years, with repeat appearances at the Sydney Opera House and off-Broadway… 

This Script

This Script

At a time of schisms within feminism, where sirens are the soundtrack to our newsfeeds, This Script combines poetic memoir with a fierce call for empathy. With Jenny Lindsay’s trademark wit and lyrical dexterity, this is a show delving into often turbulent contemporary waters with an ultimate striving for understanding, empathy and action… 

Hamish Henderson: On the Radical Road

Hamish Henderson: On the Radical Road

Evocative, innovative shape-shifting drama sculpted from the poetry, music and songs of Hamish Henderson (1919-2002). Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of this revolutionary European artist and father of Scottish folk revival, presented in dynamic, dramatic fusion… 

A Trilogy of Horrors: Volume I

A Trilogy of Horrors: Volume I

TumbleDry Theatre return with their sell-out production of three classic horror stories from three great writers. In Dickens’ The Signal Man, a schoolmistress tells of an unnerving meeting with a man who claims to be visited by a prophetic ghost… 

A Trilogy of Horrors: Volume II

A Trilogy of Horrors: Volume II

After a 2018 sell-out production, TumbleDry Theatre return to the Fringe with three more classic horrors stories. Join us for a night of the strange and the sinister, featuring the unnerving work of HP Lovecraft, a tale of the unexpected by E Nesbit, and the uncanny science of HG Wells… 

Burns for Brunch

Burns for Brunch

Hungover, perhaps, but not yet hung out to dry, Robert Burns awakes in Auld Reekie 2019 sharing his thoughts, poems and songs, casting a satiric eye around his Scotland and ours. Well suppered and well scuppered, Rabbie reveals what it’s like to be transmogrified into a couthy wee household god… 

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Loud Poets: Best of Fringe

Showcasing the top spoken word talent the festival has to offer – from the laugh-out-loud funny, through the wonderfully surreal, to the thoughtful and emotional – Loud Poets continue to prove that spoken word has something for everyone… 

Blood and Gold

Blood and Gold

Ancient mythology and modern storytelling collide in a contemporary exploration of the legacy of colonialism and slavery by award-winning Scottish Kenyan storyteller Mara Menzies. A dying mother gives her daughter a box containing three clues to a priceless treasure… 

JRR Tolkien’s Leaf by Niggle

JRR Tolkien’s Leaf by Niggle

Puppet State Theatre Company’s acclaimed adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s miniature masterpiece – enchanting storytelling for fantasy fans and phobics alike. Niggle is an artist, struggling to complete a curious painting of a tree but plagued by constant interruptions… 

Feast of Fools

Feast of Fools

Ever poured gravy into your hat? Eaten next to a Sultan? Had a dinner party with the devil? Well now’s your chance. The Feast of Fools will make this happen and more in one of the most unusual feeds you’ll ever have… 

Celeste’s Circus

Celeste’s Circus

This award-winning show offers a first trip for wee ones into the magic of the big top with thrills, spills, oohs and ahhs. Celeste invites you to spot a peek-a-boo pussycat, applaud a highwire hippo and fall in love with the cutest seal pup ever… 

The Red Hourglass

The Red Hourglass

A dazzling, unique horror-comedy from Alan Bissett, the Fringe First-winning creator of The Moira Monologues. Here he plays five characters – three male, two female, none of them human – locked up together in a mysterious research facility… 

Wee Seals and Selkies

Wee Seals and Selkies

In this delightful family show, storytelling and music combine to create an enchanting performance, evoking the Scottish northern seashores. The Wee Seal is the true tale of a seal born in the storyteller’s garden, while The Selkie Girl is a retelling for children of the much loved magical selkie myth… 

Sing Me a Song: The Robert Louis Stevenson Show

Sing Me a Song: The Robert Louis Stevenson Show

RLS is synonymous with Edinburgh. Acclaimed musical duo Neil Adam and Judy Turner present the wit and wisdom, the adventures and heartbreaks of the beloved author of Treasure Island, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and more… 

I Wish I Was A Mountain

I Wish I Was A Mountain

It's appropriate that this particular production within the 2019 Edinburgh International Children's Festival is the only one slotted into the schedule for the Netherbow stage within the Scottish Storytelling Centre… 

Walk the Oars

Walk the Oars

A storytelling, poetry and music performance filled with Viking tales and Nordic myths about the Vikings' arrival in Scotland. Danish storyteller Svend-Erik Engh and Scottish poet/musician MacGillivray bring you tales of meetings between Vikings and Scots men and women... 

Uncanny Things

Uncanny Things

Beira – Alison Bell and Heather Yule – weave songs and harp music into a rich fabric combined with traditional stories of the land, the sea and the people of Scotland. They explore the supernatural creatures and happenings that feed our imaginations, beliefs and rituals throughout the seasons... 

Is This a Dagger? The Story of Macbeth

Is This a Dagger? The Story of Macbeth

By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes. Andy Cannon tells Shakespeare’s classic, taking audiences on a thousand-year journey from fact to fiction and back again... 

The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees

'Laughs, heartbreak, war, regeneration, scented breezes, sparkling wit and the best dog puppet ever. Perfect for children and grown ups. Terrific.' (Guardian). Back by popular demand, this multi award-winning adaptation of Jean Giono's classic environmental tale by Edinburgh-based Puppet State Theatre Company has been touring internationally for the past twelve years, with appearances off-Broadway and at the Sydney Opera House... 

Old Boy

Old Boy

Do you remember when we used to go camping? And when you helped me make an ATM out of cardboard for my school project? Do you realise what a big impact you’ve had on who I am? From the producers of Junction 25 comes a brand-new show about the unique bond between real-life grandfathers and grandsons that explores male family relationships and the legacy that is passed down through generations... 

Gie's Peace

Gie's Peace

Following her sell-out show Bonnie Fechters at last year’s Fringe, performer/writer/director Morna Burdon returns with more inspiring stories about women of courage. The focus this time is women worldwide who have walked for peace, rebelled against war and sometimes risked everything... 

Henna

Henna

On the eve of an Indian wedding an anxious bride-to-be is having intricate henna patterns applied to her hands. As the patterns emerge, stories begin to unfold. Join British Punjabi storytellers Peter and Gorg Chand as they explore evocative landscapes set in the present but seeped in the past... 

This Script and Other Drafts

This Script and Other Drafts

At a time of schisms within feminism, ongoing revelations of #MeToo, endless discussions about womanhood, and sirens being the soundtrack to our newsfeeds, Jenny Lindsay found herself getting a bit angry in 2017… Putting that anger to work she wrote a series of univocal poems, invented a superhero on her period, explored the rifts within feminism, set up a date with capitalism and penned some poems based on comments on PornHub videos... 

Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne

Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne

If you’re wandering around Edinburgh this August looking for a glimpse into year-round Scottish culture, it might be worth popping into the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile for Mairi Campbell’s second solo show, Auld Lang Syne... 

Hamish Henderson: On the Radical Road

Hamish Henderson: On the Radical Road

Evocative, innovative, shape-shifting drama, sculpted from the poetry, music and songs of Hamish Henderson (1919-2002). A vital, new perspective on this revolutionary European intellect and father of Scottish folk revival presented in dynamic, dramatic fusion... 

Twa

Twa

A powerful performance that weaves together memoir and myth in a blend of theatrical storytelling and digital and live drawing response. Award-winning writer Annie George and visual artist Flore Gardner unwind contrasting stories about women who are silenced or censored and who discover other means of expression besides the voice to convey their truths... 

Mindful Disco

Mindful Disco

Rise and shine with Mindful Disco! A guided event combining dance and mindfulness. Boogie to uplifting tunes, move your body in wisdom and start your day off in fabulous style. Hosted by Zen Gwen, who offers mindfulness training in Edinburgh, and Sheena Byrne, an Edinburgh based dance teacher... 

Loud Poets: The Fantastical Game Show Spectacular

Loud Poets: The Fantastical Game Show Spectacular

For anyone who isn't already familiar with Loud Poets, you really should be. This group are truly on the forefront of a shift in the way we digest poetry today. A change from their 2017 show, this year's Loud Poets: The Fantastical Game Show Spectacular is deliberately deceiving... 

Waves

Waves

Waves is the tale of Elizabeth Moncello and how, growing up on Gabo Island (Australia) in the 1930s, by emulating fish, penguins and dolphins to learn how to swim, she came to be the unofficial inventor of the butterfly stroke... 

The Time Machine

The Time Machine

Join us on a thrilling journey to a future age where things are not as they seem. Has mankind created a social utopia free from need, or does something sinister lurk below? Combining exquisite puppetry, scintillating melodrama and a luxurious soundscape, this fast-paced adaptation whisks family audiences along through HG Wells' sci-fi classic... 

Witches, Wee Folk and Watery Beasties

Witches, Wee Folk and Watery Beasties

There’s more to Scotland than meets the eye, for amidst the bonnie hills, craggy coasts and lush, green glens, dwell some truly curious beings. Storyteller Dougie Mackay evokes the gnarly soul of Scotland as clan chiefs, crones, fishermen and fools meet faeries, selkies, kelpies and giants in a weirdly wonderful ceilidh of classic tales and local legends... 

A Trilogy of Horrors

A Trilogy of Horrors

TumbleDry Theatre present three classic horror stories from three great writers. In Dickens’ The Signal Man, a schoolmistress tells of an unnerving meeting with a railway signalman, who claims to be visited by a prophetic ghost... 

The Laird's Big Breaxit

The Laird's Big Breaxit

Scotland’s landowners were in retreat. Between EU Directives and the Holyrood Parliament, life was barely worth living. But now the worm has turned... blue. A new political force has been launched in Scotland – but it’s not Ruth Davidson, and storytelling is at its heart... 

Eaten

Eaten

What if your food started talking back? Meet Lionel the lion. He’s just eaten a human called Mamoru for lunch. But Lionel hasn’t chewed his food well, so Mamoru’s alive and well in his stomach and now wants to say hello... 

More Moira Monologues

More Moira Monologues

Fringe First winner 2017. 'The most charismatic character to appear on a Scottish stage in a decade' ***** (Scotsman) is back! After three sold-out Edinburgh runs, straight-talking Moira Bell returns in a sequel to the much-loved original Monologues... 

The Moira Monologues

The Moira Monologues

Moira Bell – single mum, cleaner, hardest woman in Falkirk, and alter ego of writer/performer Alan Bissett – is back at the Fringe after a storming tour of Scotland. Time for Moira to light up a fag and tell her BFF Babs the score... 

Space Ape

Space Ape

Once upon a time, approximately twenty years from now, Yorick stands alone, suited up and ready to blast off in a rocket on his celebrated journey to Mars. Space Ape is a new science fiction storytelling performance in which leading storyteller Andy Cannon takes young audiences on a journey through art, science and philosophy, and on a mission with a very special Ape. 

H G Wells' The Time Machine

H G Wells' The Time Machine

While not even Herbert George Wells’s own first dalliance with the concept of time travel, his 1895 novella The Time Machine has nevertheless become pretty much the definitive text on the subject – one television Time Lord notwithstanding... 

Robert Burns: Rough Cut

Robert Burns: Rough Cut

The story goes that in November 1786 the Scottish poet Robert Burns borrowed a pony and left his native Ayrshire for Edinburgh. Burns’ Edinburgh is a dark, soulless bed of artless commercialism, a maze of grim roads, brutal drawing rooms and eating clubs... 

The Wonderful World of Lapin

The Wonderful World of Lapin

Gentle and well-meaning, The Wonderful World of Lapin is a good attempt to introduce young children to the French language.Performer Tania Czajka begins by revealing her prize carrot, which she is growing in hopes of entering the Tastiest Carrot Competition... 

The Strange and the Eerie: Ballads and Stories of Auld Scotland

The Strange and the Eerie: Ballads and Stories of Auld Scotland

Scotland’s dark and mysterious past is hidden deep in its songs and legends. Heather Yule, Jeanie Roy Collins and Alison Bell are Cantrip Teasel. Join them on their dangerous quest through ancient ballads and stories, accompanied by the atmospheric music of the Scottish harp... 

Fuaigh – Interweaving

Fuaigh – Interweaving

Fuaigh – Interweaving is a collaborative project about belonging, language loss and home. The premise is that we have been invited to a ceilidh by two central figures: playwright, poet and writer, Rona MacDonald, and Scottish Gaelic singer, Gillebride MacMillan... 

Home is Not the Place

Home is Not the Place

Where do I belong? What defines me? Where is home? Poetic, poignant solo show by Annie George – Inspiring Scotland Saltire Bursary winner 2016 – contrasting struggles faced by her grandfather, Kerala poet PM John, shortly before India’s independence, with her own, as an immigrant in the UK... 

Bonnie Fechters – Songs and Stories of Hope and Resistance

Bonnie Fechters – Songs and Stories of Hope and Resistance

'In the 1970s there was a wee bit of a stooshie here in Scotland. I understand it reached other parts of the world too... it was called the Women’s Liberation Movement.' Inspiring stories and songs about women’s activism and struggle from Edinburgh’s Magdalene institutions for "fallen women” to the Vietnam war, from the medieval witch killings to zero tolerance... 

Turntable / Edinburgh

Turntable / Edinburgh

Michael John McCarthy’s Turntable is a project that has been touring Scotland for four years now, with the simple premise that music can help total strangers open up to one another... 

The Illusion of Truth

The Illusion of Truth

How far would you go to achieve your heart’s desire? Would you risk your home? Your livelihood? Your family? The Illusion of Truth is a project inspired by tales of the Orishas, a collection of deities from Western Nigeria’s Ifa faith... 

Leaf by Niggle

Leaf by Niggle

With Hollywood’s recent adaptation of his works, the name JRR Tolkien has come to be associated with huge spectacle and epic scope. So much so that it’s easy to forget that the man himself was a shy, quiet sort of chap – temperamentally closer to the pastoral idyll of The Shire than the clamour of a battlefield... 

Mairi Campbell: Pulse

Mairi Campbell: Pulse

Mairi Campbell, acclaimed Scottish folk musician, is a joy to listen to. In her current project, Mairi Campbell: Pulse, she tells the story of her search to rediscover her own, natural pulse after having it clipped out of her studying classical viola at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London... 

Fairich: Live

Fairich: Live

Fairich: Live is an immersive audio-visual experience by Gaelic electronica duo WHYTE. Their album Fairich, released in October 2016, contains new arrangements of rarely-heard 17th- and 18th-century Gaelic songs, as well as original compositions and has drawn comparisons with the likes of Sigur Rós and Martyn Bennett... 

(More) Moira Monologues

(More) Moira Monologues

Time has not withered Moira Bell, Alan Bissett’s 2009 tribute to the hard-working, hard-playing, straight-talking working class women of Scotland, and Falkirk in particular. In 2017, she’s still arguing with her neighbours (mostly about their noisy sex lives), giving people who disrespect her a piece of her mind, and knocking down any middle class pretentiousness with a single blow... 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Loud Poets is loud. And by loud I don’t mean in volume but in sheer gravity of subject matter. The five poets, Kevin McLean, Doug Garry, Catherine Wilson, Katie Ailes and guest Sage Francis were tenacious... 

Cafe Voices

Cafe Voices

The story is told eye to eye, mind to mind and heart to heart. Two Edinburgh Festival Fringe specials of the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s monthly session with live storytelling in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court... 

The Headless Woman and Other Delights

The Headless Woman and Other Delights

Through live storytelling, peep-boxes and projection, the audience are drawn into a story circle where ancient tales of boggarts and mermaids hold hands with contemporary accounts of supernatural landscapes and uncanny visitors... 

Is This a Dagger? The Story of Macbeth

Is This a Dagger? The Story of Macbeth

By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes. Andy Cannon tells Shakespeare’s classic, taking audiences on a thousand-year journey from fact to fiction and back again... 

At a Stretch

At a Stretch

In a big, busy city there’s loads of space. You can jump across rooftops and meet new people every day. But it can be lonely in the big city too. When Mel and Emma meet, something is different and they find themselves on a neon adventure they never expected... 

Drawn to Edinburgh

Drawn to Edinburgh

An exhibition of illustrated works by students and graduates of Edinburgh College of Art. Its theme is a sense of place and what makes Edinburgh unique. The first strand comprises a variety of styles and approaches to illustrating iconic buildings, reflecting the inspiration the city brings to young learners finding their place in their new home... 

One Man Shoe

One Man Shoe

Children’s entertainer Jango Starr is a total clown, but that’s certainly not meant as a criticism; sans white-face, he instead relies on a pair of trousers just sufficiently baggy to be noticeable, a Chaplin-styled rolling gait, and an emotive face which slips between happy and sad without ever entirely losing the echo of the other... 

Nae Plans

Nae Plans

Taking their cue from the spontaneity of the traditional music session, two of our finest folk musicians, Hamish Napier (piano, flute, whistle, vocals) and Adam Sutherland (fiddle), sit down on stage without knowing what they will play... 

The Moira Monologues by Alan Bissett

The Moira Monologues by Alan Bissett

Moira Bell – single mum, cleaner, hardest woman in Falkirk, and the alter ego of writer/performer Alan Bissett – is back at the Fringe for a limited run after six years’ absence... 

Leaf by Niggle

Leaf by Niggle

Leaf by Niggle is a little-known allegory by J.R.R Tolkien, beautifully brought to life by Puppet State Theatre. Unfortunately if you’re expecting a tale of hobbits, orcs or elves then you’re in for disappointment... 

Cradle King

Cradle King

In this one-performer play by writer Donald Smith, actor Robin Thomson plays King James – at once James VI of Scotland and James I of England. Set towards the end of his long reign, the piece is simultaneously an elucidation of the history of James himself, along with his views on his family, his thoughts on witches and his attitudes towards religion, as well as being a celebration of his patronage of The King’s Men, the title afforded to Shakespeare’s company during his time as monarch... 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Spoken word troupe Loud Poets have taken to the road once more, with live band in tow, for this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In the informal setting of the Scottish Storytelling Centre's basement theatre, the Loud Poets offer an uplifting and energetic performance, which blends their poetry with music, video, gaming and even dance... 

Nzinga Warrior Queen

Nzinga Warrior Queen

When the polyrhythm is heard in Nzinga Warrior Queen’s opening, you know this isn’t a comedy of manners. We’re seeing South African nation Angola in the 17th century (when it wasn’t Angola), when the Portuguese tried, and succeeded at establishing a slave trade... 

Burns for Beginners

Burns for Beginners

The show about Burns that really is for everyone – absolute beginners, lifelong fans and everyone in between. Burns’ key poems and songs are performed to a cracking live musical accompaniment, along with discussion, context, and English subtitles... 

O is for Hoolet

O is for Hoolet

Language is personal. Nothing gets closer to our hearts. Who owns it? Who governs it? And why? In this one-woman show about the Scots language, Ishbel McFarlane presents collected stories, memories, characters and attitudes to challenge our expectations and prejudices about language... 

Cafe Voices

Cafe Voices

The story is told eye to eye, mind to mind and heart to heart. Two Edinburgh Festival Fringe specials of the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s monthly session with live storytelling in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court... 

Robert Burns: Rough Cut

Robert Burns: Rough Cut

Meet the real edgy Bard. In crisis and contradiction but at full creative stretch. Rough Cut brings you Burns in the raw for the 21st century. Based on Donald Smith's controversial novel, Between Ourselves, it focuses on the pivotal crisis of Burns' life and career – his stay in Edinburgh... 

Erin, Errol and the Earth Creatures

Erin, Errol and the Earth Creatures

When Erin’s brother disappears she sets out on an adventure to find him. With a good pair of wellies, a curious will o’ the wisp as her guide and a sharp pair of ears, Erin soon meets some peculiar creatures and discovers that she is not the only one to have had something taken from her... 

Anatomy of the Piano (for Beginners)

Anatomy of the Piano (for Beginners)

Will asks Father Christmas for a spaceship – he gets a piano! An adventure into the world of piano – where they come from, how they evolved and why they make a pretty cool Christmas present... 

Celeste's Circus

Celeste's Circus

Celeste warmly invites wee ones to join her circus trip. See the high-wire hippo, the peek-a-boo cat and a lovable seal performing for paper fish. A real joy to watch with a delightful retro feel... 

Men With Coconuts

Men With Coconuts

Last year’s Top Free Show on the Fringe (Daily Record) is back for a limited run only! Improvised comedy games and sketches culminating in an entirely improvised musical. This show combines improvised sketches and stories, accompanied by a pianist, to create a packed and entertaining hour... 

Dale vN Marshall: I Am Not a Child

Dale vN Marshall: I Am Not a Child

Hot new urban artist Dale vN Marshall collaborated with local youngsters who have experienced challenging circumstances, using their words and experiences to create this outstanding body of work... 

Aladdin

Aladdin

Strange Town is a theatre company based in Edinburgh which aims to “enable young people to fulfil their creative potential”, by providing five to 25 year olds with the opportunity to participate in the creation of new theatre... 

The Cranston Fiddle

The Cranston Fiddle

The Cranston Fiddle tells the story of the Cranstons of Haddington – an ordinary family who suffered great loss during the First World War. Out of seven Cranston sons who served their country, only three returned, two with grievous injuries... 

Pirates and Mermaids

Pirates and Mermaids

Poor Boy Theatre’s latest offering, Pirates and Mermaids, is everything one hopes to find at the Fringe. The small audience is ushered up through the Scottish Storytelling Centre into a corridor and, in one breath, our usher switches into her character: an excitable New York tour guide... 

The Secret Life of Suitcases

The Secret Life of Suitcases

There are some shows that you just get a good feeling about from the moment you step into the theatre. With its quirky pipes-and-cases semi-industrial set, The Secret Life of Suitcases is one of those shows... 

Morgana Le Fey

Morgana Le Fey

From Merlin to Malory, Camelot to Excalibur, Morgana le Fey reigns supreme as fiendish counter queen to King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Playing by her own rules, she foils their quests, dismantles the fragrant towers of each princess, and wreaks general havoc from the shadows... 

Wojtek the Bear

Wojtek the Bear

Wojtek was an extraordinary bear, and this play that tells his story is an equally extraordinary piece of theatre. Bringing together ethereal live violin music and a script that veers between the naturalistic and the poetic, Wojtek the Bear shows the relationship between the bear who became a soldier with the Polish army(played with spectacular agility and power by James Sutherland), and the Lance Corporal who mothered him, Piotr Prendys (played by Gavin Paul)... 

Brave and Free: Traditional Tales of Scotland

Brave and Free: Traditional Tales of Scotland

There is just something about storyteller Callum Lykan. Call it charm, charisma or the x-factor he has, that intangible je ne sais quoi that makes you want to listen to him for hours... 

Cafe Voices

Cafe Voices

The story is told eye to eye, mind to mind and heart to heart. Two Festival Fringe specials of the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s monthly session, with live storytelling in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court... 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

Loud Poets are a Scotland-based collective of poets who perform together. The show is a slick, no-nonsense conveyor belt of spoken word characterised by tightly crafted poetry and high-quality performance... 

The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees was originally a tale from French author Jean Giono in the 1950s, now pieced together onstage with cloth hangings, felt animals, and wafting lavender (yes, really)... 

The Enchanted Forest Adventure

The Enchanted Forest Adventure

Returning to this year’s festival, Enchanted Forest Adventure is nothing short of delightful. Blending together storytelling, dance and improvisation alongside fantastic lighting and sound design, performer Brooke Laing and director Craig Conway have concocted the perfect show for young viewers... 

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Fiona Herbert (winner of Tall Tales 2012 and 2015) attempts to answer her FAQs about work, rest and play. Topics queried include teetotal vegan dinner parties, dolphin assault, getting dumped at sea, getting dumped on Skype, mentoring the feral, surviving human sacrifice (her own) and the perils of pony trekking without adequate breastal support... 

Land of the Dragon – Gwlad y Ddraig

Land of the Dragon – Gwlad y Ddraig

‘Beautifully crafted show, deeply satisfying for young and old alike.’ ***** (Stage). Award-winning puppeteers, PuppetSoup, take you to the edge of your seat and the brink of your imagination, where wise men are grown from witches' cauldrons and dragons really do exist... 

Eejits and Hissy Fits

Eejits and Hissy Fits

Storyteller Fiona Herbert (winner, Tall Tales 2012 and 2015) takes you on three adventures, encountering eejits and hissy fits along the way. In The Wee B and the Pea a prince meets a polite and resourceful young woman who can cope with peas under the mattress... 

The Magic Porridge Pot and Other Tasty Tales

The Magic Porridge Pot and Other Tasty Tales

Splodge that porridge! Slurp that soup! Snap that biscuit! On today’s menu there is a trio of traditional and tasty tales to tantalise and tease. For starters we have the magic pot which won’t stop producing porridge... 

Loud Poets

Loud Poets

It’s not often you’re treated to performance poetry in a setting with as much production value as this. In the theatre at the Scottish Storytelling Centre the show begins with a short light and sound display and then an introductory video: How to be a poet... 

Haggis Haggis Haggis

Haggis Haggis Haggis

A likeable, if hardly groundbreaking, hour of Scottish storytelling comes in this lightweight appraisal for our national dish, haggis. Backed by talented musicians Hilary Bell and Jenni Borthwick, our host John Nichol provides plenty of Scottish humour in this animated lecture on the myths of the food... 

A Very Edinburgh Celebration!

A Very Edinburgh Celebration!

Ron Butlin (former Edinburgh Poet Laureate) and highly acclaimed musicians Dick Lee and Anne Evans return for a fourth year with a brand-new version of their sell-out, five-star show... 

Music for the Book of Deer

Music for the Book of Deer

Inspired by the extraordinary tenth century Aberdeenshire gospel book, Richard Ingham leads an evening of plainsong, reels and electronic soundscapes. A sonic rollercoaster. Featuring Strangeness & Charm, with Richard Ingham, Maarten Verbraeken, Fraser Burke, Kenny Irons, Andy James... 

Cafe Voices

Cafe Voices

Cafe Voices is held in the beautiful John Knox House, where the elegant wooden panels of the large bright room provide perfect acoustics for storytelling. This event was one of two Fringe specials being put on by the Scottish Storytelling Centre which meets monthly, so even when the Festival is over you can continue to attend similar evenings... 

Daniel Padden and Wounded Knee: And Blithely Spend the Gowden Day

Daniel Padden and Wounded Knee: And Blithely Spend the Gowden Day

Drew Wright AKA Wounded Knee and Daniel Padden present a striking new song cycle celebrating the seasons, inspired by Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills. This special performance centred around Wounded Knee's distinctive vocals, features original compositions and bold new arrangements of traditional material, performed by a group of adventurous players... 

How Late it Was, How Late

How Late it Was, How Late

Bold Sammy wakes in a cell; battered, bruised and a long way from home. The usual. Only this time he’s blind. An adaptation of James Kelman’s Booker Prize winning novel. 

Miss Julie

Miss Julie

Strindberg’s classic play has been adapted by Discover 21’s co-founder Jen McGregor. Directed by Amy Gilmartin, this production features Kirsty Eila McIntyre as Julie, Debbie Cannon as Kristin and Discover 21 co-founder David McFarlane as Jean... 

National Collective Presents...

National Collective Presents...

As the date of Scotland’s Referendum fast approaches, National Collective presents a series of entertaining and informative performances, speakers and discussions to inspire debate about Scotland’s future... 

X and Y

X and Y

The title for this play comes from the chromosomes that arbitrarily define gender. It is a compelling piece of verbatim theatre about LGBT issues.As a verbatim production, the script is built from interviews conducted by the playwright... 

The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees

'Laughs, heartbreak, war, regeneration, scented breezes, sparkling wit and the best dog puppet ever. Perfect for children and grown ups. Terrific' (Guardian). Back by popular demand, this multi award-winning adaptation of Jean Giono's classic environmental tale by Edinburgh-based Puppet State Theatre Company has been touring internationally for the past six years, with appearances off-Broadway and at the Sydney Opera House... 

Brave and Free: Traditional Tales of Scotland

Brave and Free: Traditional Tales of Scotland

Scotland, a land steeped in myth and legend. The real Scot, kilted storyteller Calum Lykan, nominee for the Best Newcomer 2013 (British Awards of Storytelling Excellence) introduces you to his magical Scotland... 

My Name is Saoirse

My Name is Saoirse

A new play from the award-winning Sunday’s Child following the journey into adolescence of a young girl growing up in rural Ireland in 1987. Her name is Saoirse. It means freedom... 

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood

A young girl, a hungry wolf, and a walk through the woods - it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Red Riding Hood’s not scared… Well maybe she’s a little bit scared. Horse and Bamboo present a gorgeously rendered re-telling of the classic girl and the wolf tale... 

Celeste's Circus

Celeste's Circus

Roll up, roll up! Come join the circus! A first trip for wee ones into the magical delight of the big top. Thrills and spills, oohs and ahhs. Celeste invites you to applaud a hilarious high-wire hippo, a crafty cat and to fall in love with an endearing seal performing for paper fish... 

Tragic Magic

Tragic Magic

Four times Scottish champion of close up magic Michael Neto is an assured and amiable stage magician, whose slight of hand is smooth, assured and doubtless the result of decades of practice... 

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