We’ve been following Mairi Campbell’s work at the Fringe for many years and were excited to hear that, this August, she is performing all three of a trilogy of shows that have won much acclaim in the past.

Although each show also stands alone, together they represent a journey that Mairi has been on over much of the last decade, and it’s definitely worth trying to take in all three as they are performed at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

I spoke to Mairi ahead of the Fringe to track that journey, and to find out more about her career as musician, creator and performer.

CM: You’re performing a trilogy of shows at the Fringe this year. Can you tell us a bit about the content and themes of each of them?
MC: I knew I wanted to make three solo shows with an ancient millstone that was discovered on my family croft on Lismore at the heart of them all. It’s been a deep dig – mysterious, mystical and funny.

‘Pulse’ is about trying to figure out how to play dance music after a classical music education. It covers my twenties pretty much.

‘Auld Lang Syne’ is an articulation of the meaning of the song itself. I cover a childhood friendship, marriage and my experience of singing the song for Sean Connery. It covers my thirties and forties

‘Living Stone’ deals with the last fifteen years and plays off the words Hole and Whole.

Throughout the trilogy the stone is with me on stage and I’ve developed a profound connection with its beautiful presence.

CM: How are the shows thematically connected?
MC: The common theme is my attempt in all three shows to meet deeper meanings in every day events, like what do the sounds of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ do in our body when we sing it? What is it about pulse that is so powerful and how does land speak through me?

The trilogy begins with ‘Pulse’, a journey through my early musical life, from classical training to discovering my Highland roots in Cape Breton, Canada.

‘Auld Lang Syne’ follows, exploring the cultural and personal resonance of Scotland’s most iconic song, famously featured in ‘Sex And The City’.

The final chapter, ‘Living Stone’, is a multi-sensory experience inspired by the aforementioned 400-year-old millstone found on my ancestral island of Lismore.

As I say, all three are performed alongside the stone itself.

Each show stands alone, but together they form a rich, reflective arc spanning four decades of creative life. Co-created with my wonderful director Kath Burlinson, the trilogy is a celebration of resilience, artistry and the enduring flame of creativity.

CM: How long have you been performing each of the shows?
MC: I played ‘Pulse’ for two years, 2016 and 2017, then ‘Auld Lang Syne’ was made in 2018 and ‘Living Stone’ was premiered in 2024 at the Fringe.

I’ve done a national tour with each show as well. This year’s Fringe marks ten years since the first outing of the first show of the trilogy, plus I’ll be turning 60 too!

CM: I imagine this might be a ludicrous suggestion but do you have a favourite from the three?
MC: I love them all, but ‘Living Stone’ is particularly satisfying as it’s very music led, almost sung through and it’s my most recent, so it’s quite cathartic to perform.

‘Pulse’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ take me back to my younger self and make me see what a journey I’ve been on.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about how you go about putting your shows together? What’s your creative process like?
MC: Kath Burlinson, Dave Gray and I have created all three shows – five actually, as there were two prequels to ‘Pulse’, one to honour my mother’s line and the other to honour my father’s line.

They all start with the music which Dave and I create in his studio. He’s a musician and producer, so most of the tracks have emerged from my solo improvisations, and he then adds guitars and drums and produces the tracks.

Dave also did some outdoor recordings and we’ve turned the stone into a playable pendulum which we recorded too.

The opening of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is him walking across the field behind his house! During those improvisations I am led down memory lane. The lyrics that emerge usually have a back story attached which forms the overall theme of the show.

Then I draw – dot drawings which simplify the themes. The last thing I do is write the script, which is hard for me. Word isn’t an easy modality for me.

Kath Burlinson as director and co-creator is amazing at helping find words. She is like a creative mid-wife, shaping up the personal narrative.

We choose a form and work with that. ‘Pulse’ is based on the hero’s journey. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is three braids interwoven. ‘Living Stone’ is a U shaped form in three acts.

CM: What made you decide to perform the whole trilogy at this year’s Festival?
MC: It marks the end of a decade-long cycle and I always saw them as a trilogy. It’s a challenge but I think the audience will find it a deep and satisfying experience.

CM: What do you love about performing at the Festival?
MC: I was busking at the Fringe when I was twelve in 1977. As the largest arts festival in the world, it seems mad not to make the most of it being right on my doorstep.

I love the opportunity to repeat performances and learn about stagecraft. The atmosphere in the Storytelling Centre is wonderful and I feel part of something really creative and fizzy!

CM: Do you go to see other shows at the Festival when you are not performing?
MC: I won’t be going to anything else until my run is over on the 17 Aug. I have to stay super focussed and treat my two weeks as a ritual. But I will then have a whole week to enjoy other shows!

One I have my eye on is an intriguing-sounding show at theSpace – ‘Deiseil: Dancing In Time’ – with Scottish dancer Alison Carlyle and musician Amy Geddes investigating how stepdance, Scotland’s percussive dance, was lost.

CM: What are your favourite things about Edinburgh, generally?
MC: We’ve been living in Portobello since 2000 and have the sea close by which is amazing. It’s just a beautiful city, the buildings and skyline. I love living in a place I know so well.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about your background. Did you always want to be a musician? How did your career begin?
MC: I went to the Edinburgh City Music School in 1981, studied viola at the Guildhall School Of Music in London, played in some orchestras for a while, until around 1990 when I moved towards folk music and singing.

Viola players are often maverick characters! They dig their own path, many become composers, which I suppose I am too.

Stage craft has been a more recent learning, although I did attend a mime class with City Lit in London in 1986. I’m a natural improviser. I love teaching and learning. Now I have an improv string trio.

CM: Who or what would you say has influenced your music and your career?
MC: I grew up a Quaker in Edinburgh and an hour of listening was a weekly ritual. This is my core influence. It’s guided me to teachers, situations and challenges.

CM: What have been the highlights of your performing life thus far?
MC: Last year playing ‘Living Stone’ and winning a Fringe First was a real highlight and I expect this year will be even more amazing!

CM: What aims do you have for the future?
MC: My aim is to repeat these shows for years to come. My work is done. That sounds dramatic but it’s true.

The shows I think will resonate with audiences for years to come. My aim is to earn as little as necessary and do as little as possible. I need time, space and loving relationships around me. I’m very grateful that I’ve found my voice and get to share it.

CM: What’s coming up next for you after this?
MC: A national tour of ‘Living Stone’ and then a rest!

I have a couple of collaborations coming up and next year I’ll be running four adult fiddle camps on the Isle Of Lismore, where I live for half the year.

I try not to get too busy; I really value my time and my space.

Mairi Campbell performed ‘The Pendulum Trilogy’ at the Scottish Storytelling Centre at Edinburgh Festival 2025.

Photo: Julia Fayngruen