Hitch (Mary Bijou Circus Theatre Company)
Cabaret circus and Hitchcock aren't an unlikely pair; both share a taste for mind games of the uncanny, vertigo-inducing type. 'Hitch' brings Hollywood thrills to the big-top in this beautiful shriek of a show, where the contortionist looks like Grace Kelly and the trapeze artist is in need of a good lawyer (spot the baroque double of the creepy housekeeper from 'Rebecca'). "Does anyone here have any phobias?" quips the ringmaster, whose style shifts unnervingly from camp, unhinged uncle-figure to maniacally giggling bloodsucker. Add vintage dialogue recordings – including an interview with Kim Novak, playing over a striptease reinterpretation of 'Vertigo', with a twist of such cerebral delight that I won't ruin it. Exquisitely spun, deliciously dark: 'Hitch' is one dreamy nightmare.
Big Sexy Circus City, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Sarah Murphy]

COMEDY

Joanna Neary: Faceful Of Issues (Joanna Neary)
Joanna Neary's show concerns a loveable character named Celia, a meek and demure woman who is fixated by her husband. Songs, games and interviews with minor celebrities (that is, audience members) make up most of the content of this show. Celia is accompanied by a musician whose contributions are accomplished but inexplicable, and the two have no tangible relationship. This piece falls flat because none of the jokes have a solid context or through line, and Neary is too witty and intelligent to convincingly play such a two-dimensional character, although she is undoubtedly charming. This show tries too hard to mock too many aspects of modern life, and the result is confusing rather than amusing.
The Assembly Rooms, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Vicki Baron]

Juliet Meyers: Through The Pigeonhole (Juliet Meyers)
Juliet Meyers takes a comedic look at the metaphorical boxes we like to put ourselves in, as well as the boxes we're put in by others. What labels do you give yourself? There is a shambolic quality to Meyers comedy that instantly endears her to the audience. Jumping from one anecdotal punchline to another, the comedian is easily distracted, but this only leads to more laughs. She looks back at her family's heritage, and how she fit in because of this, but the show also deals with bigger issues of forced identity in the United Kingdom today. She continues right up to the boxes she finds herself in today - with strangers at weddings judging her for not having children.
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]

Kelly Kingham: Inside Out (Kelly Kingham)
Kelly Kingham's show focuses on his memories of family members, his relationship with his wife and his struggle with depression. There are many aspects of Kingham's performance which win the audience over, and it's a mark of his talent that these topics are amusing as well as touching. His vulnerability, nervous energy and skewed perspective are all endearing, and his observations about life are impressive in their honesty and wit. His anecdotes (including a story about his father's lack of inhibitions on a family holiday to Brighton) are told with affection and good humour. Kingham has managed to make uncomfortable topics such as redundancy and marital issues accessible, relatable and entertaining. This is a thought-provoking and heart-warming show.
Just The Tonic at The Caves, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Vicki Baron]

Richard Brown: Art Is Easy (Richard Brown / PBH's Free Fringe)
Richard Brown wants to offend everyone in his audience - a fact he'll let you know right at the start of the show. This is the man from the Borders' second year at the Fringe and it's clear to see he's found his voice with 'Art Is Easy'. His passion is obvious from the very beginning and he holds the interest of his audience throughout. Though ranty at times, Brown is also often forthcoming in his apologies, confessing that the next bit may lose us – his live deconstruction of the show itself does make for some interesting moments. Overall, this afternoon show is a thought-provoking one - offensive in places whilst simultaneously challenging perceptions of offense itself.
Dragonfly, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Ben Shannon]

MUSICALS

Sunshine On Leith (Captivate Theatre)
It's dawn and the armed forces are singing: "I don't say it will be, I just say it may". A similar note of adorable hesitance runs throughout this courteous and charming musical, a love song to Scottishness and memories kept in real photo albums, rather than Facebook ones. Musicals don't tend to have much in common with the real world – that niggling tendency to break out into song every five minutes – but 'Sunshine on Leith' creates a world that is wonderfully, poignantly human. The title song consists of simply repeated words – not the most lyrically complex, but that's kind of the point: real sorrow is inarticulate, stuttering. I left damp-eyed, humming the tune to 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)'.
The Famous Spiegeltent, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Sarah Murphy]

THEATRE

As Is (Mice On A Beam)
Enjoyable, well-executed and skilful, 'As Is' strikes the right balance between humour and pathos to be almost universally appealing. Set during the HIV/ AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, the play follows Rich's journey after he is diagnosed with the illness. The play's shining glory is the complex relationship between Rich and Saul, the long term partner he left for a younger man, whose love never falters even in the face of extreme adversity. The supporting cast work together to ensure the success of the play as a whole: acting as a chorus they evoke the hysteria of the time, while individually they are responsible for providing the light relief, which allows the leading performances to achieve such emotional impact.
Bedlam Theatre, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

The Beanfield (Breach)
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Battle of the Beanfield, an incidence of police violence against new age travellers on their way to the Stonehenge Free Festival. In an act of commemoration, 'The Beanfield' incorporates live action with video to present a recreation of the event, paralleling it with modern day celebrations at the festival. Breach presents an unflinching portrait of a generation of modern youth, disconnected and jaded, taking for granted the historical and social significance of the free festival. However, the main focus of the piece is the phenomenon of police violence: the inevitability of brutality, if men are armed and put in a volatile situation against vulnerable opponents.
theSpace on the Mile, until 22 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Hamlet (A One Man Play) (Alfredo Padilla)
Alfredo Padilla's highly ambitious, energetic endeavour delivers mixed results. 'Hamlet' in under an hour and with only one actor was never going to be easy; tellingly, the other one-man 'Hamlet' at the Fringe this year is a comedy. Nonetheless, Padilla's performance achieves a lot in the short time available, conveying the depth and breadth of his acting range. While he has successfully chosen the most important parts of the text and has worked in the most famous lines, his adaptation feels overly condensed and would be too confusing for someone not familiar with the original. Ultimately, however, Padilla does what is most important - demonstrates a real feeling for the words of Shakespeare.
Spotlites, until 22 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Love In The Time Of Gilmore Girls (My Mate Dave)
Many of the audience came lured by the television reference in the title. References are the stuff this one-man play is made of, with Audrey Hepburn, Alain Delon and existentialism all managing to nab a mention in the same minute-long tirade. The audience laughed obligingly, knowingly, more to assert their membership at the esoteric film society than anything else. But shallowness is kind of the point here, in hipster heaven. Lucid, quietly enraged writing, delivered by that enduring species of hapless anti-hero we've seen bumble his way from 'Notting Hill' to '500 Days of Summer.' Best suited to 20-something veterans of Higher Education, or to any embittered coffee-drinkers with an elevated sense of their own cosmic significance (I certainly enjoyed it).
Just The Tonic at The Mash House, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Sarah Murphy]

Lungs (Paines Plough)
A beautifully crafted piece of alternative theatre, 'Lungs' is sure to be a hit amongst theatre lovers. Actors Sian Reese-Williams and Abdul Salis give winning performances as a couple arguing over whether to have a baby. Their reasons against it include the effect this would have upon the environment and upon a woman's body. By stretching the limits of this debate to such heights, the company makes the familiar strange and demonstrates the way that such a decision can have earth-shattering consequences for a relationship. Offering a truly candid look at heterosexual relationships, love and the hard decisions these can bring, 'Lungs' will leave you stifling your sobs and holding back your tears.
Summerhall, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Maiden: A Recycled Fairy Tale (3Bugs Fringe Theatre)
A grown-up fairytale covering incest, disfigurement and never-ending misery, 'Maiden: A Recycled Fairy Tale' is certainly not a cozy, cheerful tale. It's an engaging story, simply told, and the narrator's relaxed interjections are a nice touch. The staging is basic but effective, despite some unnecessary live music and dance scenes, which interrupted the flow of the piece. The actors do a great job of making the cruel, unlikeable characters sympathetic, and manage to portray childish innocence without resorting to caricature. The narrative, however, is almost unrelentingly bleak, with violence and deaths stacking up like a 'Game Of Thrones' finale. Based on a Portuguese fairytale, there are no beautiful princesses, no heroes and no happily-ever-afters in this grim tale.
Greenside @ Nicolson Square, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Gemma Scott]

Othello: An All Female Production (Smooth Faced Gentlemen)
Slick, polished and dynamic, Smooth Faced Gentlemen's 'Othello' brings a new dimension to one of Shakespeare's finest tragedies. While race is generally considered to be the main theme of 'Othello,' another important aspect of the play is gender – Desdemona is punished for being a strong woman by the patriarchal forces, represented by Iago, and is broken until she fits into a more passive mould. Having an all-female cast questions the concrete and opposing values which society often attaches to men and women, suggesting a more subtle and fluid definition of gender. More generally, the cast gel beautifully and really bring to the fore the Shakespearian humour, which can become lost in certain adaptations.
Underbelly Potterrow, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Pussy (Tight Theatre / Free Festival)
'Pussy' is an alternative physical theatre piece about feminism, the male gaze and the media representation of women. Possibly the most avant-garde show to grace the free festival circuit, this is definitely not for everyone (twenty minutes in audience members were walking out). The five young actors vehemently reject the notion that women should be "ladylike", with sixty minutes of onstage masturbation and shrieking. By attacking the Destiny's Child song 'Cater 2 U', the ensemble ridicules the way the media tells women to put the needs of men before their own, and the heteronormativity of chart music. However, the usefulness of 'Pussy' as a piece of feminist theatre is massively limited by the lack of discussion of intersectionality.
Laughing Horse at the Counting House, until 19 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Megan Wallace]

Reunion (Living Record Theatre Company)
As I watched this piece of new writing, I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn't some obscure Pinter play. 'Reunion' follows an elderly couple preparing for visitors and, as we watch them bicker over the state of the lounge, we are exposed to their odd obsession with playing out scenes from their past. This fantastic script by Neil Smith balances subtlety with exposition to tauntingly reveal this couple's secrets. At times they're filled with resentment, tension, passive and physical aggression, but their interactions are also laced with love. Actors Jill Rutland and Luke Barton both show their ability to play with dynamics and pace, engaging us in this fantastic new piece of realism.
Greenside @ Infirmary Street, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Stephanie Withers]

S.E.N (No Prophet Theatre Company)
This play is set during a Special Educational Needs session for two students. It covers complicated issues: interracial relationships, stereotypes and rebellion within the education system. It is, however, an enormous shame that not one of these issues is covered with any recognition of their complexity. The characters are thinly imagined and not written to behave the way real people would. There's an attention-seeking troublemaker, a troubled Muslim girl and an out of his depth teacher, who all clash with one another before performing fraudulent monologues about their personal lives. The entire play shows an ignorance of how S.E.N sessions work in schools, and an alarming lack of regard for the way teachers actually behave in front of students.
Bedlam Theatre, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 1/5 | [Vicki Baron]

Twin Primes (Chiasmus Productions)
Humorous theatre delivered in an unconventional format. 'Twin Primes' is divided into eleven different scenes, telling stories connected by the human desire to connect with others, and often the failure to do so. The play's snappy pace and the quick costume changes, accompanied by rousing music, make 'Twin Primes' an easy watch. The two actors work well together, have genuine chemistry and seamlessly blend from one character to the next. However, occasionally the play's attempts at humour fall flat, although this seems like an extended aspect of the play's theme – it demonstrates that even the actors' attempts at communicating and connecting can't always be successful, just like those of the characters they have created.
Greenside at Infirmary Street, until 15 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Megan Wallace]

We May Have To Choose (Emma Hall)
Beautifully simple and intensely clever, Emma Hall's 'We May Have To Choose' is billed as a show of 621 opinions, and it is just that. One hour of a person standing on a stage telling you their opinions - some of them you might agree with, some of them you might not. There is something captivating about Hall's performance, something mesmerising in her simplistic movement, and it would be hard not to become completely absorbed in this performance. Compelling in form and content, this show is definitely not to be missed. Ideas are quietly challenged and lessons are subtly taught. Intimate, funny, honest and unlike anything I have seen at the Fringe this year.
Laughing Horse @ Espionage, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]