At the Fringe

It's over and done with, it's over and done with. That's it folks, another August, another Fringe wrapped up. The Circus tent is long gone, the purple cow has been sent out to pasture and the menagerie of artists, comedians and clowns from around the world have packed their bags and vacated their AirBnB rentals. Edinburgh, meanwhile, has broken out into a full Indian summer as if in celebration. But here at List HQ we still have one final episode of At the Fringe to share with you...

Joining Theatre Editor Gareth K Vile for episode 12 is rising star Lucy McCormick to discuss her latest work, Triple Threat, and show that melds the New Testament with pop culture as it explores fame-chasing. C Venues press officer Jacana Bresson picks out five of her favourite performances at the Fringe, and finally director Bruno Dalrou and actor Antoine Robinet discuss the nuances of performing their adaptation of Diary of a Madman in English rather than French...

As we near the end of the Fringe, host Gareth K Vile welcomes two guests whose plays have melded hot button social and political subjects of the day with humour, playfulness and a dash of punk. Writer Afsaneh Gray's satire, Octopus, tackles what it means to be British. Set in dystopia alt-world where three women prepare for the state to determine how Brit they really are, Octopus challenges false visions of a homogenous native culture...

Once again Gareth K Vile struggles to keep up with the artists in our latest At the Fringe podcast: the performer behind Christeene, Paul Soileau, talks about the theatricality of queer performance and manages to make Vile stomp off when he mentions 'boring questions'. List CEO, Simon Dessain, picks five shows from across the festivals and writer / performer Gaël Le Cornec and director Ben Samuels talk directing writers and a unicorn role in stories of migration...

Having recently had difficulty choosing which queer cabaret night to go to in Glasgow, Gareth K Vile moves out of his comfort zone for episode nine of At the Fringe to talk clubbing with Dive's two Annabels, arch dissectors of gender norms who like to throw a party. Ruxy Cantir, one of clowndom's rising Scottish stars, visits to share some cool tips from physical theatre and beyond...

Gareth K Vile takes a trip to the French side At the Fringe, via a Turkish production of an absurdist classic The Empire Builders showing at Institut Français d'Écosse...

Critics are supposed to be heard and not seen, but Gareth K Vile got involved in a show a few years ago: in this episode of At the Fringe, Alexander Devriendt, the director of Ontroerend Goed, confronts the critic who threw a shoe at his performers after a discussion about his latest piece, World Without Us. Kirstyn Smith, The List's Music Editor, shares her gig picks at the Festival. And the cast of Fringe First winner Us / Them talk about making challenging work for all the family...

After the intensity of the previous episode, At the Fringe covers its face and discusses mask theatre with actor Thomas van Ouwerkerk and production manager Gianni Bettucci of the Familie Flöz company, currently winning plaudits and stars from critics and audiences alike for the wonderful Teatro Delusio. Our recommendations interlude in this episode come from The List's Jessica Rodgers who approaches the Festival with a music based selection...

At the Fringe continues to travel the world from the safety of Edinburgh. First up is a visitor from England, James Grieve of Paines Plough, a company who have their own venue in Summerhall and a fast-growing reputation. Next we enjoy Festival recommendations from comic book artist Graeme McNee, who has been providing The List with the wonderful critical comics this Fringe...

At the Fringe keeps going strong into episode 4, with James Seager from theatre company Les Enfants Terribles talking about their latest show, The Vaudevillains and sharing 15 years worth of Fringe memories, with host Gareth K Vile. Playwright and The List News Editor Rebecca Monks offers up her top tips, and, in a first for the podcast, the team behind Meet Fred bring some puppetry magic to the radio as Gareth meets his match in the form of a two-foot tall bunraku puppet...