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The view from our window |
The shower’s hot water soothes the soul, and I grab my computer, check the times for the daily shows we’ve bought tickets to that day, having chosen last month from the over 3,000 offered. I also check our list of Fringe Central Artist/Producer Workshops and networking brunches for that day. Next I tweet about something I’ve experienced recently, and grab a cell phone photo to go with it. Sheryl and I then head out the door for the one to three times a day we will struggle uphill on High St. (also known as The Royal Mile), past the gelato shop, the multiple whiskey, fudge, cashmere, shortbread, and kilt shops to the intersection with South Bridge and North Bridge Streets.
This meeting of roads at the bottom of the crazy pedestrianized portion of The Royal Mile is the orientation point for most Fringe goers. Grassmarket is to the west and best reached by going left than quickly right avoiding the various buskers and juggling acts then heading steeply downhill to Cowgate.
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Up the hill on the Royal Mile |
And you can go the whole day jostling for position at ticket counters, hardware stores, markets, pubs, restaurants, newsstands, and never hear an unkind or discourteous word. The worst I heard was from cabbies bashing Theresa May and the whole Brexit mess. Remember Scotland wanted to stay in the EU. And Czar Trump often came up and while we were, by right of being at the Fringe, deemed NOT to be in league with the devil. We certainly got an earful once our accents revealed our home turf.
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Fringe Central Lobby |
Walking past the Tesco convenience market and Poundsavers, discount everything knock- off store, past the Surgeons Hall venue, where John performed so successfully in 2016, and onto the row of consignment stores for Cancer, Save the Children, and others- great places to pick up odds and ends. We continue past Coffee Angel. A cappuccino and scone at Coffee Angel on the trek home, have often been the perfect fix after long workshops on Touring Contracts and Artist Visas. But the day is young, so it’s around the corner and our destination Fringe Central, a gathering place for all Fringe artists and producers with important and helpful guidance from the Fringe Arts & Industry and Media Office staff.
Lots to learn about the various producing groups bringing shows to rural Scotland & London. But before that we have arrived at Fringe Central in time to chat a bit with Claudio and Armando, the Italian and Mexican talented classical clown duo with whom we keep crossing paths. They had finished their conversation with Miguel, the solo performer in STARDUST. His show aims to rescue the reputation of his home country, Colombia, so often stereotyped as a haven for heroine drug lords.
Next we trek a few more blocks to one of our favorite venues, Summerhall. Lots of the more experimental theatre work goes on in various classrooms, lecture halls, surgical amphitheaters and assembly rooms that once housed medical students. We saw many performances here. It’s a great place to hang out either in their open cafĂ©, or the pint-fueled courtyard, or at the Royal Dick which had been temporarily renamed the Royal Pussy in keeping with the presence of Russia’s Pussy Riot performances and an exhibit on their aims, artwork and approach to change. Putin was not invited.
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Robin at Coffee Angel |
After Mairi’s show, it’s back to the flat to see what John is up to. He has a very disciplined daily regime with exercise, guitar practice, and rest in the afternoon of a performance. And keep in mind every day for a month except Sundays, he performs Serious Play’s THE RED GUITAR at 9:10 pm, with two performances each night the last two weeks of the FRINGE, when Serious Play adds in the new trio DO IT NOW: Manual Override at 10:20pm nightly. We throw together something to eat, often noodles with cheese, bread or sometimes a salad from Pizza Express just across the street and down a hill. Ask us about “the duck print” on the wall at Pizza Express someday. After dinner John warms up, and then it’s off to theSpace Niddry St.,Venue 9. Once there, we wait while the Drag show ahead of use finishes, and then rush to get in and set up. I check with Matteo and Ben, our venue assistants, to quickly take over the tech, get a thumbs up from John after a sound check, and in comes the audience, with Sheryl making sure they all get seated comfortably and with a program. John launches into another unique evening of great guitar riffs and the personal story of his life in sound, always incorporating new nuances of gesture, focus, timing- and another memorable evening unfolds. Bows, handshakes and enthusiastic audiences, but we have to make way for the next show, generally led by a young woman running in, carrying a large black blow up sofa -- and we are out of there to meet with our audiences who await us outside.
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The Group at Mairi and Dave's flat |
----Robin Doty (Managing Director, Serious Play)
Stay tuned for more to come on what shows we saw & what we choose to try to bring to Valley audiences
*ALSO- Help support the ongoing SERIOUS PLAY/ EDINBURGH FRINGE PERFORMANCE EXCHANGE--
Join us for Serious Play’s RETURN FROM THE FRINGE Oct 5 & 6 at 7pm-A.P.E@HAWLEY/ Arts Trust Building/Tickets www.brownpapertickets.com $18 / at door $20