Hamlet
“To be or not to be” … that Shakespearean monologue inspired what sounds like an innovative production from Peruvian company Teatro La Plaza. Writer-director Chela De Ferrari’s adaptation is a free version of the text that puts the stories of people with Down syndrome at its center. It also promises to transform the tragedy into a joyful experience, complete with rap, performed by eight actors who have Down syndrome.
Lyceum, August 15-17
The fifth step
David Ireland’s dark comedy Ulster American recently brought Woody Harrelson back to the London stage. Ireland’s latest work, in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland, stars Jack Lowden and dramatizes the journey from addiction to sobriety. The story centers on a friendship between Luka, a recent member of Alcoholics Anonymous, and James, a staunch follower of the 12-step program. Expect typically grim humor.
Lyceum, August 21-25
Maria, Queen of Rock!
Mary, Queen of Scots becomes a rock renegade and a thorn in the side of the Reformation that has banned rock ‘n’ roll. Mary slips under the wigs of the Scottish nobility and a certain English cousin who is also eager to see her off in this rock opera written by Cal Ferguson, Mhairi McCall and Lewis Lauder, with a live band and a touch of Footloose-style condemnation.
Meeting rooms, August 1-25
In its sickness
In Our Own Words, a previous literal play from Northern Irish theatre company Wake the Beast, was based on four years of research into the struggles of NHS workers. It was performed in care homes, hospital wards and even Parliament House. Now comes this sequel, a dark A&E satire featuring two characters who want to heal the NHS through theatre.
George Square Studios Meeting, August 1-26
Weather girl
All-American weather girl Stacey becomes a harbinger of a dying planet in this dark comedy, only to discover a secret that could save us all from a scorched-earth catastrophe. Billed as a “dizzying rampage into the soul of American weirdness,” it’s written by Brian Watkins, creator of the hit Amazon series Outer Range, and executive produced by Francesca Moody, the force behind mega-hits Baby Reindeer and Fleabag.
Summer Hall, August 1-26
Cyrano
Australian writer-actress Virginia Gay wowed audiences in Melbourne with her musical version of Cyrano de Bergerac. Now she’s bringing this strange, seemingly gay twist on Edmond Rostand’s 19th-century romance to the fringes in a new production starring as the seductive wordsmith, joined by David Tarkenter, fresh from London’s The Motive and the Cue.
Traverse, August 1-25
The last laugh
In a concept not dissimilar to a fantasy dinner party for dead icons, Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse are brought together in a dressing room to discuss the essence of comedy. Written and directed by award-winning Paul Hendy, it stars Bob Golding as Morecambe, Damian Williams as Cooper and Simon Cartwright as Monkhouse.
George Square Studios Meeting, July 31-August 25
The Shroud Maker
A drama about a woman who sells shrouds for the dead in Gaza. The subject matter may seem close to home, but Palestinian writer-director Ahmed Masoud gives it a black comedy twist. Julia Tarnoky plays a character inspired by real life and takes us on a 70-year journey of war, displacement and oppression. It promises to be one of the fringe’s most urgent shows.
Pleasance Dome, July 31-August 25
House of Cleopatra
Another monarch goes wild, this time the ancient queen of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Kingdom. Co-produced by Alchemation and Nathaniel Hill, this sweeping new musical dramatizes one of history’s most powerful women. Featuring a pop score by Jeff Daye and Laura Kleinbaum, it takes us from the height of Cleopatra’s reign to the near-destructive changes.
Meeting point, July 31-August 25
I Wish You the Best – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial Musical
Remember the stranger-than-fiction drama surrounding Gwyneth Paltrow’s 2016 skiing accident and subsequent lawsuit? Perhaps it was only a matter of time before the musical spin-off came along. There are even two that slalom into town: Gwyneth Goes Skiing is one of them, while this one comes with such delightfully titled songs as I’m Gwynnocent. It stars Diana Vickers, with choreography by Arlene Phillips and direction by Shiv Rabheru (Hamilton’s resident director).
Underbelly George Square, July 31-August 26
Through the mud
Fringe First award-winner Apphia Campbell presents a larger-scale, reimagined version of her previous show Woke. It captures two generations of female activists fighting for black liberation in the US: the first is famed Black Panther Assata Shakur, the second a student involved in the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson in 2014, set to a soundtrack of gospel and blues. Part of the Made in Scotland showcase.
Summer Hall, August 1-25
James Rowland dies at the end of the show
It’s a title that promises a lot, but James Rowland hasn’t disappointed with his previous two shows, Learning to Fly and Piece of Work. The first was a personal story about childhood, the second an ode to middle age and Shakespeare. This is the final part of the trilogy and will attempt to come to terms with the end of life and its surprising joys. Expect a well-crafted struggle with death.
Summer Hall, August 1-26
Who do you love?
Inspired by the early years of singer-songwriter Harry Wayne Casey (AKA KC), this feel-good musical follows his rise from Miami to global superstardom with KC and the Sunshine Band. The show will revisit 70s classics such as Give It Up, That’s The Way (I Like It) and Get Down Tonight. Developed with Casey and written by JF Lawton, who wrote the musical Pretty Woman.
George Square Studios Meeting, July 31-August 25
The sound inside
Nominated for six Tony Awards during its 2019 Broadway run, Adam Rapp’s play centers on an Ivy League creative writing professor who becomes fascinated with a rebellious freshman. The story of these two outsiders seemingly “on the threshold of breaking an indelible taboo,” this U.K. premiere stars Madeleine Potter and Eric Sirakian.
Traverse, August 3-25
My English Persian Kitchen
A true story based on an Iranian woman who left her homeland to start over in Britain, this drama is written by Hannah Khalil and is told in part through live cooking on stage, with all the sights and sounds that entails. Isabella Nefar plays Atoosa Sepehr, who in real life wrote a Persian cookbook and, as the protagonist here, remembers her childhood through its culinary delights. It promises to be a life-affirming, mouth-watering quest.
Traverse, August 1-25
Come Dine With Me: The Musical
The dark side of reality TV is a recurring theme at this year’s festival, but this show is aimed at the lighter end of the spectrum. Based on the long-running TV series that pits strangers against each other in a cooking competition, both the camaraderie and clashes that result are set to music. Written by Sam Norman and Aaron King.
Lower Abdomen, July 31-August 25
fame hungry
Performance artist Louise Orwin delves deep into the world of TikTok and what it means to be part of its economy. Orwin teams up with real-life celebrity TikTokker, the Almighty Algorithm, while cosplaying as a TikTokker herself in what’s billed as an onstage experiment in finding online fame and fortune.
Summer Hall, August 1-26
Related: Edinburgh Festival 2024: The best comedy, theatre and dance already discussed
A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First
Double Fringe First award winners Xhloe and Natasha deliver an absurdist two-hander about gender, boyhood, military service and war, exploring how modern American masculinity has been shaped. They tell stories through clowning and physicality, speaking to the audience and drawing on their own upbringings in military families.
theSpace @ Niddry St, August 2–24
Non-Player Character: Live Virtual Reality Musical
At the forefront of fringe fare is this VR musical where no two performances seem the same. A fusion of immersive theatre and video game, and based on the death of its hero, the story works through the five stages of grief with the help of the audience, who influence the story along with actor and creator Brendan Bradley. Those watching via a livestream can also help guide the story via an app.
Imageinex, 2–26 August
Play battle
Writer Julia Grogan, of the Dirty Hare company, has won praise for her witchy drama Gunter, which straddled the line between alternative history and family drama. Presented by Theatre Uncut and Grace Dickson Productions, the play explores teenage passion and the search for love between three friends, and is directed by Emma Callander.
Roundabout @Summerhall, August 1-26