ED2011 Columns ED2011 Surveys ED2011 Week0 Edition

ThreeWeeks Survey: Sit back, relax, and read the reviews

By | Published on Saturday 6 August 2011

ThreeWeeks Survey

With so many shows at this festival, and so many reviews in ThreeWeeks as a result, how can you find the time to really discover the hidden gems at the Fringe?
Well, we suggest taking a step back from the hub hub of the main festival, and chilling out for an hour or so, so you can do the reviews justice. As to where exactly you should chill, we asked eleven Fringe veterans for their tips. So, grab a copy of the latest ThreeWeeks weekly and/or daily edition from the nearest venue, or, where WiFi is on offer, logon to www.ThreeWeeks.co.uk, or if you’re a smartphone user fire up iFringe, and sit back, relax a little, and read the reviews…

Craig Hill: The New Town Deli on Broughton Street
“I mainly like to read the reviews in September when I’m chilling, but since I live in Edinburgh it would still be in my favourite little cafe ‘The New Town Deli’ where no matter what the review says the sun always shines through their big sunny windows in their happy little yellow corner cafe – the perfect place to while the day away with the papers”. More at www.thenewtowndeli.com
Craig Hill – Blown By Fan…!, Underbelly’s Pasture, fpp62.

Alex Horne: The Meadows
“There’s an amazing sandpit on the meadows into which you can chuck your children then sit at the side and relax. It’s not just a pit with sand in; there are climbing frames, funnels and a sort of industrial digger which must be dangerous. It’s also close enough to the pitch and putt to act as a bunker. As I say, perfect for the kids”.
Alex Horne: Seven Years in the Bathroom, Pleasance Dome, fpp36.
Alex Horne: Taskmaster, Gilded Balloon Teviot, fpp36.

Pippa Bailey: Edinburgh City Library on George IV Bridge
“I like to go to the Edinburgh Library on George IV Bridge, it’s beautiful and far from the madding crowd. I take the papers and my computer for a browse through competing opinions. I don’t know if libraries are threatened in Scotland but this one is well worth supporting anyway”.
Biding Time (A Year In The Making), Pleasance Dome, fpp243.

Catie Wilkins: The Forest Cafe on Bristo Place
“I really like The Forest Cafe. It’s a really lovely, chilled out vegetarian cafe, that feels a bit like a mini escape from the madness. It’s quite near the action, so you can grab a ThreeWeeks (from the Bedlam across the road, or there’s usually a copy in the Forest Cafe itself), then sit back and read it at your leisure without people banging into you… which would almost certainly happen if you read it in the box office/corridor where you pick your copy up from”.
Catie Wilkins: A Chip Off The Odd Block, Udderbelly’s Pasture, fpp55.

Gareth Richards: Spoon on Nicholson Street
“My favourite place to go and read reviews in Edinburgh would be inside the body of a comedian having better time at Edinburgh than me. Failing that, trendy, kooky, spacious café Spoon, at 6a Nicolson Street, would be the place to go. They do great tea and lovely food which is pricier than fast food but worth it. I think people get put off Spoon, as they think they will have to actually spoon with someone while being there, but I’ve been on my own and it was actually fine”. More at www.spooncafe.co.uk
Gareth Richards: It’s Not the End Of The World, Pleasance Courtyard, fpp82.

Dan Antopolski from Jigsaw: Mezz Bar on Broughton Street
“This unassuming café in the New Town is far enough from Festival hubbub to be a quiet spot for an extended coffee session and a read. Also, they make a great carbonara – I had it about five times last year”. More at www.mezzbar.net
Jigsaw, Pleasance Courtyard, fpp98.

Lloyd Langford: Black Medicine Coffee on Nicholson Street
“I go to the Black Medicine Coffee Company on Nicholson Street. And if I start feeling down about my job, I go to the sex shop around the corner to put things in perspective. I imagine a bad review is easier to take than being gang-banged by eight moustachioed handymen”. More at www.blackmed.co.uk
Lloyd Langford: The Cold Hard Facts of Life, The Stand, fpp109.

Jay Foreman: Pleasance Dome on Bristo Square
“The best place to sit and read the day’s reviews has to be the Pleasance Dome. For a venue with so many shows going on at once, it’s surprisingly quiet. And if after reading something unpleasant you feel the need to stare into space, what could be better than green leaves, cartoons on the wall, and the occasional old folk dancing the tango?”
Jay Foreman: We’re Living In The Future, Underbelly Cowgate, fpp 96.

Rob Deering: Cameo Cinema Bar on Home Street
“So many cosy cafes and bars in Edinburgh, but my absolute favourite has to be the one at the Cameo cinema; comfy and cool, top movie decor, good drinks and snacks, and most importantly it always reminds me of Pulp Fiction. I saw the film for the first time at the Cameo, at midnight the first minute it was released, and now I always raise a glass and think to myself ‘you can walk into a movie theater in Amsterdam and buy a beer. And I don’t mean just like in no paper cup, I’m talking about a glass of beer’. I don’t think Vincent Vega would ever worry about his reviews”. More at www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Cameo_Picturehouse
The Rob Deering Experience, Pleasance Courtyard, fpp142.
Rob Deering: Beat This, Pleasance Courtyard, fpp142.

Catriona Knox: Stockbridge
“I’d head to Stockbridge and saunter along the Water of Leith, maybe sit on a bench. There’s all sorts of jaunty, wholesome goings-on to soak up there. A little dog fell into said water when I was there last year (don’t worry it was fine) so there’s plenty to perk you up and remind you there’s a world outside the Fringe”.
Catriona Knox: Packed Lunch, Udderbelly’s Pasture, fpp 55.

Amy Hoggart: My Aunt Fiona’s house
“My favourite place to read reviews in Edinburgh is Aunty Fiona’s house. It’s completely lovely. Seriously, if you are related to her I would really recommend inviting yourself round. She’ll give you a big cuddle and a cup of tea, and charge you for neither. Then you can sit on her sofa, and read the reviews while petting both her cats and screening awkward questions about extended family member relations and whether your boyfriend is inappropriately left-wing. Aunty Fi lives on the outskirts of the city so you can breathe either fresh country air or the over-powering stench of dung, depending on whether or not the farm next door are spreading. Time your visit around whichever smell you prefer while reading reviews, and say hi from me!”
Christmas for Two: Friends With You, Just the Tonic, fpp58.



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