Edinburgh’s Fringe festival doesn’t officially start until tomorrow (Friday, 2nd August), but it already feels like we’re in the thick of it. The streets are clogged and many shows around town are having preview performances – the festive juggernaut’s wheels are beginning to turn.
For those on a budget, this first week is a great time to dig in and devour shows at lower prices. Many shows are participating in the two-for-one ticket deals on the Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th August and when that’s over, on Wednesday 7 August, The Fringe Half Price Hut on the High Street opens. It offers half-price tickets to shows on the same day or the following morning.
Tonight was the Assembly gala, a two-hour plus variety pack of selections from 14 acts playing in this year’s expansive Assembly programme.
At this early phase of the Fringe, with such a vast table set before us, these showcases are a great way to sample some of the Fringe’s possibilities - a great springboard into the month-long festivities.
Speaking at Assembly Hall at the start of the show, head honcho William Burdett-Coutts pointed out that Assembly alone has 243 shows across 26 theatres. He's looking well for somebody whose been living on the Fringe for so many decades.
MC for the night was Irish comedian Jason Byrne, after an intro from the extravagantly camp, take-no-prisoners Reuben Kaye (who has compered the Assembly Gala in previous years). I’d forgotten how funny Byrne is with his quick-witted banter, poking fun at his boss, adlibbing and riffing off interactions with audience members to great hilarity during set changes.
With the field of 14 acts, I just want to highlight my favourites:
Camille O’Sullivan - who needs no introduction to Fringe regulars (EG has reviewed many of her Fringe shows over the years) – gave a powerful rendition of a Shane McGowan song from her new show Loveletter. Her warm, slightly husky voice was captivating.
Assembly is renowned for its foreign ensemble acts, with ARI: The Spirit of Korea and Afrique En Cirque, offering bright and bustling turns on stage. ARI started as a more traditional song and dance with vivid and ornate dresses and fans. Then morphed into a riot of drumming, which brought tremendous applause.
Afrique En Cirque provided amazing athletic acrobatics on a night that saw multiple acrobatic acts (including a hilarious, shirts-off parody acrobat act by Byrne and fellow comedian Adam Hills for a finale). The spinning and tumbling African group brought brightness and colour to their high energy routine set to a traditional -contemporary beat.
My favourite of the acrobatic acts was the larger troupe Gravity & Other Myth performing part of their new show Ten Thousand Hours. Some will remember that Gravity & Other Myth performed at the Edinburgh International Festival’s Opening Event in 2022 called Macro to great critical acclaim. Tonight's performance was creative, daring and brave, displaying extraordinary co-ordination and synchronicity among its team.
A mention too for Magician Ben Hart, whose sleight of hand magic tricks drew impressed exclamations from the audience and Rouge, a sexy female double act, who combine burlesque with fire and sword eating to great effect.
It was a long show, and the venue grew warm by the end, but this being the press show we were suitably lubricated by show sponsor Aubin and Assembly itself.
If you’re not sure what to see, these Best of the Fest shows are a good starting point. Many Fringe venues have something similar - including Assembly with Best of the Fest shows at both George Square and Assembly Hall.