Set (Phyllida Barlow)
Phyllida Barlow, the South Bank Award nominated sculptor, brings her distinctive style to the capital's Fruitmarket Gallery in an exhibition of work specially designed for the gallery. Barlow's artistic vision seems to overflow the space allocated to it, engulfing the gallery space in a sea of plaster and concrete. The artist makes use of the unusual double space of the gallery (an upper room on top of a lower room at ground level) and creates two different areas with a different feel but unified by a similar visual language. Rough building materials connote a construction site, drawing the viewer's mind to how the artist constructs her work and suggesting that art is always a work in progress.
Fruitmarket Gallery, until 18 Oct.
tw rating 4/5| [Megan Wallace]

Towards Dolly: A Century Of Animal Genetics In Edinburgh
During the month of August, when the city of Edinburgh is swallowed up in a sea of comedy, theatre, film and art, it may strike one as odd to be learning about animal genetics. However, one of the most impressive aspects of the festival is that there is so much on offer that it genuinely does offer something for everyone and this exhibition is a prime example. Although it's only small, maybe only taking twenty or thirty minutes to take in, there is a lot to look at, and while there is at times the need to take in the sort of detail that could bore those of us who are not scientifically minded, most of the displays are visually striking.
University Of Edinburgh Main Library, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Unlimited Exhibition
'Unlimited' is a support programme for disabled artists, aiming to help disabled artists overcome adversity and get their work out there. The Unlimited Exhibition at Summerhall features multi-media work by Katherine Araniello, Richard Butchins, Nicola Canavan, Jez Colborne, Lea Cummings, Claire Cunningham, Tony Heaton, Sheila Hill, Simon Mckeown, Aidan Moesby and Pum Dunbar, Bekki Perriman and Craig Simpson and covers hard-hitting themes such as ageing and the long term impact of war. While the presence of women within the art community has received a lot of media attention, in part due to the efforts of the Guerilla Girls, the problems faced by disabled artists have been largely overlooked; hence why this exhibition is so important.
Summerhall, until 5 Oct.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

CABARET

Nailed It! (Mackenzie-Spencer and Strano)
Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer and Andrew Strano quite literally hit the nail on the head with their performance 'Nailed It!'. The duo intertwine the themes of airlines, nature, babies and Harry Potter and incorporate them into a truly uplifting and comic filled hour. There aren't many shows I can think of that would not only attempt to rhyme 'uterus' with 'ludicrous' (it works because of their Aussie accents) but that could also pull it off and receive a chuckle from the audience. The songs are infectiously catchy and Strano's vocals accompanied by Mackenzie-Spencer's keys make for the perfect combination. 'Nailed It!' is a fun, cheeky and enjoyable, and after a sold out show they leave the audience wanting more.
Assembly Roxy, until 17 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Suzy Moosa]

COMEDY  

Danielle Ward: Dani Frankenstein (Danielle Ward/ PBH's Free Fringe)
Danielle Ward's 2015 character comedy hour features songs with some strong feminist overtones. The show's premise is that Dani Frankenstein, an aspiring K-pop (South Korean pop music) star is trying to set up a Skype interview with music executives, which she hopes will be her ticket to stardom. That set up adds a vaguely beneficial structure, but on the whole it's kind of superfluous to the show's overall content: Ward really shines in the musical elements of her show, proving herself an adept musician as well as a talented comic – in particular, the rousing anti-rape anthem 'Please Don't Stick Your Dick In Me' will stick in your mind for the rest of the summer.
Voodoo Rooms, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Fern Brady: People Are Idiots (Fern Brady)
Fern Brady claims, at her first solo show, to pretty much hate everything. However, don't let that scare you off: far from being intimidating, her friendly and down to earth persona shines through from beneath the angst. Rather than delivering rants primarily concerned with politics and the like, Brady's targets tend to be more universally ire-inspiring: men who take up too much room on public transport, babies in cafes, Londoners who mock Scottish accents. At a festival where the majority of attendees and performers come from south of the border, Brady deconstructs what it is to be Scottish in the UK – eschewing the notion that a Scottish accent is instantly synonymous with a particular social class.
The Stand Comedy Club 3 and 4, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Cassandra: Mary Canary (Claire Lenahan)
Claire Lenahan gets points for guts, stage presence, and the power to make mediocre material seem entertaining. The premise is the last ditch attempt at fame from an ex-convict, with magic show, inevitable confessions of her sordid past, a lovely assistant called Hans, and lots of audience interaction. Whew. Lots going on. She juggles these elements competently, but some could be cut: the German stereotypes of Hans are as old as the hills, and just as amusing. Surprisingly, the magic was actually surprising – almost the best bit. What makes the show enjoyable is less a particular aspect than the ambience Lenahan manages to squeeze out of the odd hybrid orange she's chosen to make the meat of her show.
Just The Tonic at the Caves, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Lucy Diver]

Jody Kamali – Spectacular! (Jody Kamali)
Acts have been going missing from the Gorbachev Circus of Wonder, and Jody Kamali wants to find out why. As he takes us on a mishap fuelled tour of the circus I try to understand his intentions in creating a deliberately "bad” show. The silliness is funny at times and I have to give him credit for working well with such a small audience, but unfortunately strength of character isn't enough to carry this material. Even at the Fringe, watching someone throw plastic bags in the air isn't going to be a side splitting five minutes, nor is being battered with a foam leg. Kamali's charisma was funny for a short time, but after that we were simply left wondering when the actual show was going to start.
Underbelly Med Quad, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Stephanie Gray]

DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE

4x4 Ephemeral Architectures (Gandini Juggling)
Symmetrically perfect, meeting all needs for systems, balance, order, and beauty, '4x4 Ephemeral Architectures' is mesmerising and almost trance inducing. Playing with our love for juggling, and patterns, the piece showcases the skills of four ballet performers and four jugglers, making this piece both beautiful and elegant, whilst simultaneously cheeky. The original composition by Nimrod Borenstein panders to all the needs of the choreography, and makes for a brilliantly visually satisfying performance, only breaking the patterns and symmetry for comedic effect. They will teach you the mathematics of juggling, and then perform it before your eyes. Maths has never been so well loved.
Assembly George Square Theatre, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Zita Campbell]

MUSIC 

FFS (Franz Ferdinand & Sparks / Edinburgh International Festival)
'Collaborations Don't Work', according to this collaboration, moulded in art-rock paradise. But the connection between the atypical Sparks and indie giants Franz Ferdinand suggests they're very much mistaken. The show begins with the finger-clicking 'Johnny Delusional' and it didn't take long for FFS to have the entire crowd standing in the all-seated Festival Theatre. The supergroup present cuts from their eponymous album in large quantities, but can't help including fan favourites of both Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. Most fascinating is the admirable energy delivered by two bands derived from two completely different generations. 'Do You Want To' and 'Number 1 Song In Heaven' get the audience bouncing, but not as delightfully as Franz Ferdinand's most renowned hit, 'Take Me Out'.
Festival Theatre, 24 Aug
tw rating 4/5 | [Kieran Scott]

Bach Hours (Organists Whitehead, Wally And Harris With Tenor John Mark Ainsley)
Tonight I sat in the darkened, hushed, cathedral of St Giles (with the jostling energy of the Royal Mile just feet away) listening to JS Bach's 'Orgelbüchline', interspersed with specially commissioned pieces. This was the third part of this ambitious project, played, for this hour only, by St Giles' own organist Michael Harris. The mighty instrument's sound shimmered and filled the cathedral with triumph. A particular highlight was the sublime singing of John Mark Ainsley, whose diction and tone matched the pieces perfectly. Also the Olivier Messiaen homage 'Alle Menschen müssen sterben', composed by Thomas Neal, which is rather ironic because church organist and composer Messiaen did not like Bach's music. Fortunately, I do, and I felt privileged to enjoy this marvellous concert.
St Giles Cathedral, 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

THEATRE  

The Red Chair (Clod Ensemble)
This woman has spark. There are not many people that can truly pull off an almost two hour show by themselves, but Sarah Cameron manages her self-written narrative with ease and charisma. 'The Red Chair' is a surreal, poetic, and grotesque narrative about a man who never stops eating, and, relying on his gaunt wife to feed him, slowly becomes merged with his red chair. It would not be for everyone. It is rich and dense, like the food that is fed to the audience - a small muffin, a date, dark chocolate and a shot of whisky. It is satisfyingly delivered; however, for the narrative that is covered, 100 minutes, however beautifully performed, feels a tad too long and repetitive.
Summerhall, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 [Zita Campbell]

Cinema (ZENDEH)
An ingenious piece of multimedia theatre which interweaves video projections and sound clips, 'Cinema' aims to show the impact of the political upon the personal, to do justice to the individuals caught in the wider narrative of history. The play takes as its focal point the 1978 arson attack upon an Iranian cinema that constituted the gravest terrorist attack pre 9/11, killing five hundred people. This attack against the influence of western culture changed the course of history, triggering the Iranian revolution. Playing with the theme of story-telling and referencing 'One Thousand and One Nights', the stories of the victims of the attack are told by one of the sole survivors; the cinema's in-house cat Scheherazade.
Summerhall, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | Megan Wallace

Angel In The Abattoir (Comedians Theatre Company)
Phil Nichol offers a performance that is utterly convincing. To be frank, I had not done my research before seeing 'Angel in the Abattoir' – I had no idea that it had been written by the playwright Dave Florez – and I left with the impression that the show was being largely improvised, or had been written by Nichol himself, such was his ease with it. The play centres on Angel, a man originally from Spain who becomes embroiled in the life of Lorna, a young woman who has been sexually abused, who heads into a life of prostitution. Nichol's performance was so gripping that an hour went by without my even noticing it.
Gilded Balloon, until 31 Aug.
tw review 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Attempts On Her Life (Brodrick Productions)
How do you adapt a notorious, much-debated play without appearing either world-weary, or obnoxiously aware of the infamy? Ask Brodrick Productions, who catalysed Martin Crimp's Sudoku puzzle of a play into this silently roaring, heartlessly quick production. The cast of four move powerfully, teeth-gritted, between impersonations. Whilst it's almost slick as a film reel, this production that bites if you aren't paying attention – sometimes demanding something of our imaginations as well as minds, as some voices tended to be lost beneath others in the echoing theatre. Ultimately, though, this only laid the scene for the surrender to the chaos, ingeniously staged as a full-cast Babel. Vampish, demanding, and to be avoided if you're looking for cushy, familiar theatre.
C, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Sarah Murphy]

BLAM! (Kristján Ingimarsson / Neander)
A shout out to the all the action-lovers out there, this show is definitely one for you to enjoy: action packed and exceptionally performed, it has the humour of a show like 'The Office', mixed with all the high octane energy of a big budget Hollywood blockbuster. However, although this piece eventually reaches a big climax, it does take a long time to get there, and while it looks amazingly fun to perform in, the same stunts are performed repeatedly; until the end that is, when the pace picks up and the set transforms itself. At an hour and forty minutes however, this piece would hugely benefit from some cutting down.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Zita Campbell]

Black Is the Color Of My Voice (Play The Spotlight Theatre)
Music is described as a 'quiet storm' in this production, but the show itself is more of a loud drizzle. This one-woman show has Mena Bordeaux (a stand-in for Nina Simone) on a three day detox, reminiscing and looking back over her life choices, addressing her thoughts to 'Daddy', whose ghost she hopes to see. The script is rambling and clichéd, even if it is an informative and interesting insight into Simone's life. The acting is fair to middling, but the highlight of the show is Apphia Campbell's rendition of the songs: particularly 'I Put A Spell On You' and 'Feeling Good'. Super-fans of Nina Simone may indeed be put under a spell, but others may only be slightly charmed.
Gilded Balloon, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Lucy Diver]

Fourth Monkey's Grim Tales: Hansel and Gretel
Fourth Monkey made waves last year with their disturbing production of 'Alice' and this year headed to the Scottish Capital with their first themed season for the Fringe: four "dark fairy tales”. This play offers some interesting stylistic devices, and by taking the theatrical ideologies of the avant-garde playwright Antonin Artaud (whose story is told parallel to that of 'Hansel and Gretel') Fourth Monkey's telling of 'Hansel and Gretel' is incredibly abstract, rejecting speech in favour of sounds. To be frank, though, the glib and unfeeling way with which Fourth Monkey has treated the themes of sexual abuse and paedophilia is completely unacceptable. This is definitely not suitable or enjoyable for families, and the play promises to offend from the outset.
theSpace on Niddry Street, until 29 Aug,
tw rating 2/5 | [Megan Wallace]