Up the Hill Jackie takes the audience on a journey with two Irish sisters, in which Rita forces young Jackie to travel to England to get a legal abortion. It holds promise of being a feminist story that allows viewers to question sisterhood, mental health and ownership of one’s body, but unfortunately it falls short.
Post show, performer and co-creator Aditya Roy explains the importance of handing over an offering to an individual within one’s life who has guided or taught them in a certain field. His one man show, The Offering – an offering to his many martial art gurus offers a touching note to a fast paced, all kicking, all conquering show.
Cherry is a verbatim piece of physical and interactive theatre that asks the questions what is virginity, and why is it still such a taboo topic? While this may initially seem a potentially frivolous issue, it is one that everyone experiences. Cherry reexamines the discourse surrounding virginity and the nuanced and even messy situations that can arise. Through relatable, eye opening, and heart-wrenching stories, it quickly makes you realise that this pressure is a massive issue on the psychological state of young, often vulnerable, teenagers; even if they aren’t always aware of it.
Gender is a topic that has really gripped the West in recent years. A societal construct, gender has been placed under the microscope and analysed, with ideas being challenged and redifined. Gender forms a part of our identities, who we identify as most definitely shapes how we are seen and treated by others.
Courtesy of 201 Dance Company.
Memory is a powerful thing. To have the ability to replay a situation, particularly a treasured memory is powerful. Memories can be the only thing, and perhaps the most powerful thing a loved one can leave behind to maintain their legacy. I her debut one woman show, Nicola Wren explores the power of memory.
We find ourselves living in a time whereby expectations of marriage and settling down have shifted. The age and pace in which these rites of passage are expected to occur have been pushed back at least a decade. Relationship-wise, it’s becoming socially acceptable to be a young female and single, and this is a right that Lauren Gauge explores in her unapologetically defiant one woman show, The Unmarried.
Ganesha is one of the most revered deities in Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism, with his image widespread across India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal. Renowned for his elephant head, he is regarded as a source of wisdom and intellect. Aligning with Ganesha Chathuri, a Hindu festival celebrating Ganesha, Yuki Ellias‘ Elephant in the Room plays homage to a small but very enthralled crowd in Edinburgh.
Picture the scene, it’s the 1950s and a new wave of music is taking the world by storm, toe tapping melodies, poetic verses, catchy choruses, upbeat singing tones… it’s the era of manufactured pop. Thousands upon thousands of screaming fans await the arrival of the latest pop phenomenon of the moment as they disembark from a plane or take to the stage. These iconic images will forever mark out the beginnings of pop culture for many years to come.
Being a woman is not always easy and with the inability to talk about many topics, masturbation is a secretive revelation within the world of women. What feels like adult story time, settling down to a tale read by virginal monologue reader and performer Stuart Goldsmith, MANWATCHING claims a power and with great power comes great responsibility, discussing the female orgasm and many fantasies in its wake.
Indicative writing with an honest pledge, Jack Rooke yet again pulls at the heart strings reflecting on the brutal truth of grief. Following acclaimed solo show, Good Grief, Rooke returns to the Fringe, this time exploring the complex nature of suicide. A mantle piece to the framed photographs of Rooke’s fallen companions, this show is an honourable letter to the Happy Hour where friendships were born.
