The best thing about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the huge diversity of shows on offer, with the roster seeming to grow in number and variety with every year. Where else can you see music, cabaret, dance, comedy, and theatre all in a day?
While ROSL staff are up running the ROSL Recitals programme at the Royal Scots Club, they are also getting out and seeing what else the Fringe has to offer. Here are our top picks:
Gemma Matthews, Director of Marketing
The Half, 2pm everyday until 26 August, Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
A brand-new play from Danielle Ward, writer of cult Fringe shows Take-A-Break Tales, Psister Psycho, Gutted and Dani Frankenstein. Starring Anna Crilly (Succession, Lead Balloon). Thirty minutes before curtain up, a double act meet for the first time in over a decade, but whatever happened to cause such a rift? Ambition, friendship, motherhood, ageing and mice are all explored in this tragicomedy. 'The resulting hour of comedy is wonderfully thought-provoking, with the kind of finely crafted writing that you'd expect from a Radio 4 regular' (Guardian). 'The peerless Anna Crilly' (Stage).
Sleeping Trees: World Tour, 9.40pm everyday until 26 August, Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)
Sleeping Trees have been travelling around the world! They've been scuba-diving at the Great Barrier Reef, trekking the ancient Inca trails of Peru and gone dogging in Blackpool. But what starts as an innocent journey of discovery soon leads to an intricate series of events, culminating in the secret mission to end all missions. A story of love, revenge and friendship, and by friendship, we mean revenge. 'Love child of Monty Python and The League of Gentlemen' (Time Out). 'Phenomenal performers, brimming with verve and fizzing with invention' (Chortle.co.uk). Winners: Merv's Spirit of the Fringe 2017.
Christine Andrews, ROSL ARTS coodinator
Felicity Ward, 9pm everyday until 26 August, Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
Fresh off the back of her new BBC Radio 4 series Appisodes, a Netflix special Live from the BBC, and regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist Podcast, Felicity Ward returns to the Edinburgh Fringe after a two-year hiatus. She’s back and ready to bust a nut-ful of jokes. ‘A killer show… tremendous… unrelenting… she’s so bloody funny‘ ***** (List). ‘Felicity Ward is rocking Edinburgh again… one of the finest stand-ups dashing across comedy stages today’ **** (Fest).
Eilidh McCormick, ROSL ARTS coodinator
Foil, Arms and Hog, 9pm everyday until 26 August, Underbelly Bristo Square (Venue 302)
Irish comedy, sold-out Fringe 2009-2017. Over 100 million hits on YouTube. Foil, Arms and Hog celebrate a decade at the festival with their best show yet, Craicling. ***** (Irish Times). **** (Times). ***** (Irish Examiner). 'Very funny' (Rowan Atkinson). 'An effervescent hour of fast-paced gags, fizzing with energy, invention and great lines' (Chortle.co.uk). 'Quite simply, a sensation' (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine).
Geoff Parkin, Director of Arts
Hal Cruttenden, 9pm everyday until 26 August, Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33)
Hal’s literally filled our screens in the last few years on such shows as Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice: You’re Fired and The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice. He’s also recorded two series of his sitcom Hal for BBC Radio 4. Now he’s back at Edinburgh with a brand-new show, the title of which, Chubster, was chosen by his charming daughters. Hal is now on a diet. 'He had the audience in stitches' ***** (Daily Record). 'An absolute joy to watch' **** (Scotsman).
Of course, ROSL Recitals is still running until the end of the week, so make sure to swing by for a concert before the end of our run. Book your tickets here.
