CHILDREN'S SHOWS

The Grimmest Of Grimm Tales (Avva Laff! Productions)
Most of us enjoy a good Grimm tale, like 'Cinderella', 'Snow White' or 'Rapunzel'. But when promised the "grimmest of Grimm tales," it's easy to get wary. After all, folk tales and mythology can be very dark indeed, when not softened by Disney's cheery adaptations. Avva Laff! Productions takes on some of the lesser-known tales here and, through witty staging, sense of humour and the occasional song, the unadulterated versions of these obscure stories become bright, fun and not scary. Using few props and lots of charisma, this troupe of four actors entertain adults and children alike. After a delightful morning of quality storytelling, maybe you'll place 'Hans My Hedgehog' above 'Snow White' in your favourites list.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Aida Rocci]

Opera Mouse (Melanie Gall Presents)
'Opera Mouse' tells the story of a little mouse and her dreams of becoming a great opera singer. With playful puppets, rollicking rhyming and outstanding opera, this forty minute show is a delightful way to spend a morning. Children giggled and sang along, and there wasn't a face in the audience that didn't have a smile on it – this is a show for children that the grown ups will enjoy too. Melanie Gall gives a confident, professional and, above all, entertaining performance in this one-woman, three-puppet show. 'Opera mouse' is a fun tale about following your dreams and supporting your loved ones as they follow theirs. Fantastic fun, and a fantastic way to introduce your little ones to opera.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]

COMEDY

Margaret Thatcher Queen Of Game Shows (Off The Kerb / Aine Flanagan Productions)
Ding dong the witch is back, and this time the Iron Lady is going for gold as she makes the audience battle it out for their benefits. With the promise of games, prizes and catchphrases, expect challenges including reorganisation of the NHS, Euro-zone assault course and a second referendum bonus round, plus booby prizes from the Wheel Of Misfortune. Bursting with political satire, this comedy musical extravaganza features cameos from the likes of Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Owen Jones, who have come to persuade Maggie to change her ways, 'Christmas Carol'-style. The jokes come thick and fast, and with a wonderful mix of song dance, this brilliant camp spectacle is nothing short of a comedy masterpiece.
Assembly George Square Gardens, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Daisy Malt]

Egg – Static (Egg)
Making a show feel organic and spontaneous, while maintaining a sense of coherence and structure, is not easy to do, but comedy duo Egg make it look easy. Emily Lloyd-Saini and Anna Leong Brophy have a rat-a-tat rapport that's zippy and infectiously fun, immediately endearing themselves to the audience. Throughout the sketches they weave an ongoing storyline that pays off really nicely in the finale, showing not just effective comedy chops but an eye for storytelling that elevates this hour above your average sketch show. The sketches are topical but not preachy or tired, in fact, the whole show feels very off-kilter and completely fresh. An egg-citing hour of comedy that promises even greater things to come.
Laughing Horse @ Southside Social, until 23 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Patricia-Ann Young]

John Robertson: The Dark Room (CatFace Talent)
Normally it's easy to go unnoticed as a reviewer, and I thought in 'The Dark Room' I would be safe. Oh, how wrong I was! John Robertson, the sinister gamesmaster in this live-action text-based adventure, knew I was there and I wasn't coming out unscathed. Pitted against two children whose ages added up to less than mine, we battled it out in the 'passive-aggressive co-op' round, taking turns to select an option in an attempt to escape the Dark Room. Alas, I succumbed after an ill-advised decision to Skype. But losers win prizes, and now adorning ThreeWeeks HQ is an inflatable Banana Of Shame. Loud, raucous and brilliantly daft, this is unrelenting fun that everyone will have a chance to take part in.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Darren]

Joe Hart: Internaut (Total Comedy)
Prepare for a journey through cyberspace, as Hart burrows down those internet tubes to find the funny side of growing up in the digital age. Perhaps resonating most with the 18-30 bracket, he reminisces about MSN Messenger, ridiculous first email addresses (find out yours if you didn't have one) and discovers the social media-fuelled pitfalls of sharing a name with the England goalkeeper. He doesn't stop there though: he's developed Fringe-themed video games that amusingly capture life at the festival. A 'Street Fighter' parody featuring comedian versus reviewer made me sink into my seat a little, but fortunately I don't need to be a real life baddie and crush his dreams. Hart is warm, quirky and makes geeking-out cool.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Daisy Malt]

Lolly 2 (Mick Perrin Worldwide in association with Dawn Sedgwick Management)
Lolly Adefope's second Fringe show comprises immensely creative character and sketch comedy, weaving in surreal humour and weird jokes to make real points. She discusses and meta-discusses race, calling out critics for having the gall to suggest she was doing this wrong. This is juxtaposed with sketches highlighting just how dangerously clueless mainstream society, and we who participate in it, still is. Her political material is as hard-hitting as her surreal stuff is completely bizarre. If Adefope's talent knows any bounds, we've yet to come across any sign of them. Every moment of 'Lolly 2' is screamingly hilarious and inexhaustibly innovative: I never wanted this show to end.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Nina Keen]

Tiff Stevenson – Seven (Tiffany Stevenson)
From the feminist problems of female leaders, to a tongue in cheek discussion of how vanity is inescapable for women (it's a manifestation of the culture we're victims of, ya see), Tiff Stevenson possesses a rare level of insight. Effortlessly marrying the personal with the political by demonstrating their inextricable bond, a lot of Stevenson's material is of the sort where you have to laugh, because otherwise, oh boy, would you cry. Her routine on the violent sexualisation of young girls is particularly poignant, and her discussion of our failure to hold the perpetrators of violence to account effortlessly shows that you really can talk about anything in comedy, because look, comedy
can be used as a force for good.
Assembly Roxy, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Nina Keen]

Rob Auton – The Sleep Show (Rob Auton / PBH's Free Fringe)
Surreal comic poet Rob Auton is quietly, modestly unique. His absurd humour meanders along, hitting you with the occasional dad joke before rambling off again, and is framed this year by articles from a joke magazine he's made about sleep. He's immensely creative, and many of his jokes contain as much strange beauty as they do humour. The recurring theme, of preferring his sleeping self to his waking self, grows in its poignancy throughout the show. It culminates in a letter to himself about waking back up to life, which is so utterly beautiful and life-affirming that it had me in tears. As well as being completely hilarious, 'The Sleep Show' will fill your heart.
Banshee Labyrinth, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Nina Keen]

Nish Kumar – Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Unless You Shout The Words Real Loud (Phil McIntyre Entertainments)
One wonders how many more years Nish Kumar can keep up the seemingly impossible trend of continually upping his game. In his latest show, he moves effortlessly from discussing gentrification to racism to the Labour Party to Brexit, each phrase utterly loaded with insight and side-splitting humour. I've never heard anywhere near as frequent belly laughs and applause as I did at this show, yet Kumar deserves every chortle and clap he gets. His delivery is natural, his structure is airtight, and his gags seem effortless in their genius. They reflect their subject matter in their complexity, but manage to maintain their accessibility without so much as a hint of dumbing down. This show is simply outstanding.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Nina Keen]

DANCE

The Hogwallops (Lost In Translation Circus)
Invited into the home of the chaotic Hogwallops, we see the troupe perform acrobatics with great precision as they go about their lives. Baking a cake and hanging out laundry never looked so much fun, although if I had climbed on the microwave I don't think my mother would have appreciated it! My enjoyment of the wonderfully quirky performance was enhanced by the genuine delight of the young children in the audience – I think I must be softening in my old age. The gasps and giggles from tots, plus their utter belief in the display unfolding before them, was brilliant. It's perfect family entertainment, featuring what will probably be the only aerial acrobatic display with a Zimmer frame you'll see this August.
Underbelly Circus Hub, until 22 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Daisy Malt]

Attrape Moi (Flip Fabrique)
No need for drumrolls or ceremoniously performed circus acts. For Flip Fabrique, the stage is a playground where high-level acrobatics and parkour are the natural vocabulary. In a nonchalant way, with their casual clothes and childlike energy, these six performers show off incredible trick after incredible trick to the beat of pumping music, leaving the audience breathless. But it is not just acrobatics: it's their inventiveness and charisma. The show is presented as the reunion of a group of childhood friends – a setting that opens the door to some sweet nostalgia, playfulness and jokes that weave the acts together with humour. 'Attrape Moi' is thrilling and electrifying, probably one of the best circus performances I have ever seen.
Assembly Hall, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Aida Rocci]

MUSIC

My Ain Countrie: 17th-19th Century Songs Of Scottish And Northern Emigration (Border Ballads)
If you're footsore and far from home, step inside and be soothed by these folksongs of hard times and leaving home. Or perhaps you just have an interest in stories and songs? Either way, you'll like this. For me, it was an oasis of calm, with Elspeth McVeigh's perfect diction and gentle manner making it easy to connect with the poetry of earlier lives. Accompanied by fiddler Aaron McGregor, McVeigh touchingly sang unadorned songs about the vulnerable, with interesting historical introductions. My favourites were 'If I were I Blackbird' and 'Unquiet Grave'; so take the advice from these songs and "whistle and sing," as you resume your festival refreshed and ready to carry on with the adventure of life.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

Superwomen Of Science – Minerva Scientifica (Electric Voice Theatre)
This is an important work, but it's also fun. Frances M Lynch (soprano) and Herbie Clarke (sound design) put on a twenty-first century show, portraying notable but neglected historical women scientists, with music from contemporary female composers and an electronic soundscape. Lynch is an accomplished actor; she played eight different scientists convincingly in a mixture of plainchant, baroque and contemporary singing styles. Her portrayal of Karen Wimhurst in 'Bee-Mused' entertained, by showing the person who wrote the first world history of bee keeping unselfconsciously demonstrating her bee observations. 'Williamina – Astronomer Frae Dundee' gave me a glimpse of a clever, spirited woman, who rose from housekeeper to astronomer at the Boston Observatory. These women deserve recognition – come and meet them.
Valvona & Crolla, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

THEATRE

The Blind Date Project (Aurora Nova in association with Andrew Carlberg and Bojana Novakovic)
A blind date. Anything can happen. Most people can relate to that giddy feeling of meeting someone with the prospect of a happily ever after, but 'The Blind Date Project' reveals the voyeuristic pleasure of watching intimacy develop between two strangers. Set in a bar, Anna meets a new guest every night. Nothing is scripted, but the key to the show is the brilliant production, which guarantees quality and spontaneity. The show is directed live, the performers are incredible (including the cheeky but endearing bartender) and the characters are set up to entertain. The pace doesn't lag, there's humour and a surprising sense of realness to the evening. By the end, even the audience falls in love.
Zoo Southside, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Aida Rocci]

Every Brilliant Thing (Paines Plough)
With audience members crying from around 20 minutes into this show, I knew I wouldn't leave unscathed. Duncan Macmillan's script, about a young boy coming up with a list of "brilliant things" after his mother's first suicide attempt, is the perfect mix of big ideas and tiny joys. Jonny Donahoe is a wonderfully welcoming, engaging performer, with the audience standing in for the other characters. There's no need to feel nervous, however, as Donahoe's gentle direction makes this feel the safest of safe spaces. It's achingly sad in places, touchingly sweet in others and just hilarious the rest of the time. My list now includes: 124. incredible theatre. 125. crying and laughing in a room full of strangers. 126. 'Every Brilliant Thing'.
Roundabout @ Summerhall, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Gemma Scott]

Mercury Fur (Fear No Colours)
If blood, guts and gangs are your thing, this is the play for you. It's set in a post-apocalyptic fictional but parallel world, brought to life by this Glaswegian company of young adults who manage with nothing but talented actors and outstanding direction. The intimate but powerful performance leaves audiences in utter disgust, distress and discomfort – I see audiences grab each other by the hand, whilst my friend tells me she wishes she could stop the performance. If you're a fan of In-Yer- Face Theatre then this is a great representation of how it should be done – Philip Ridley would have been proud!
C cubed, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Lucrezia Pollice]

Angel By Henry Naylor (Pipeline Productions)
Watching 'Angel' by Henry Naylor make you feel as though you've been transported from plush, safe Edinburgh to a small, dangerous town on the border of Syria. We nervously follow young Rehana, as she endures the horrors of ISIL closing in on her and her way of life. Director Michael Cabot strips things back completely, letting his exceedingly capable actor Filipa Bragança carry this one-woman show, with only a barrel for a piece of set. Bragança is phenomenal as a brave young Syrian girl searching for her father. She makes Naylor's script wonderfully, terrifyingly vivid, in an incredibly moving performance. Important, frightening, and happening now, 'Angel' reminds us that the atrocities some of our generation are living through are not that far away.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Patricia-Ann Young]

At War With Love (Chiaroscuro Theatre)
Overwrought and overcooked, 'At War With Love' lays it on thick while trying to bring Shakespeare's sonnets to the stage. Set during WW1, four couples speak and write to each in other in the form of the bard's sonnets. This potentially nice idea is dealt with too heavy-handedly to be truly successful, with subtle-as-a-brick 'atmospheric' music playing almost throughout the full play, which is far more annoying than it is romantic. Director Gail Sawyer also tries to incorporate some physical theatre into the proceedings, but the actors struggle and it comes off stilted and awkward. Tales of romantic love become tales of woe in this well meaning, but disappointing, homage to Shakespeare.
Greenside @ Nicolson Square, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Patricia-Ann Young]

Wind Resistance (Edinburgh International Festival / Karine Polwart)
Karine Polwart's talent and voice are brought to another dimension in this magical mixture of different art forms. From a theatrical perspective, Polwart's ease and connection with her audiences draws us into her songs in a more profound and personal way, something of fundamental necessity especially now, "in this era of austerity, creeping isolation and individualism". Magical visual images are brought to life by live sound recordings, projections and stylistic but minimal set design. The intertwining of songs and spoken word reconstructs the landscapes and animals who live in the performer's home of Fala Flow, warming the hearts of those who are familiar with it, and inspiring those who aren't. Connection is survival, thank you for reminding us.
Rehearsal Studio – The Lyceum, until 21 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Lucrezia Pollice]

House And Amongst The Reeds (Clean Break)
This double bill of new plays puts centre stage the often-marginalised stories of BAME women affected by the criminal justice system. In 'House' by Somalia Seaton, a Nigerian mother shockingly denies her daughter's mental health issues, and the play explores the difficulty of rebuilding family relationships amid such secrecy and shame. 'Amongst the Reeds' by Chino Odimba depicts a friendship between two asylum seekers, whose lives are limited by fear and lack of legal status. Róisín McBrinn's direction brings out the resonances between the two plays, which both feature strong performances by a talented cast. Seaton and Odimba's plays deftly combine the domestic with the political: Clean Break's double bill demands to be watched.
Assembly George Square, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Hannah Greenstreet]

Life According To Saki (Atticist)
In the trenches of WWI, where shortly he will die, writer H.H. 'Saki' Munro regales fellow troops with sharp, satirical stories of upper-class Edwardian England. This ambitious adaptation is brought to life by a strong cast – Tom Lambert is superbly smarmy as mischievous anti-hero Clovis, while Caitlin Thorburn excels in the delightfully black story 'Esme'. These stories, displaying Saki's piercing satirical wit, are the most successful adaptations. Later, more serious stories are less assured, and a production crammed so full of ideas and devices (puppetry, dance, masks and more) might have benefited from excising them for a leaner runtime. As it stands, the show runs a little long, but otherwise it's a solid adaptation of the source material, bolstered to intermittent excellence by its performers.
C, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Jon Stapley]

My World Has Exploded A Little Bit (Natural Shocks)
Fair warning: you might cry. Lots of people did. It is a play about bereavement after all. Writer-performer Bella Heesom, with the aid of piano-playing assistant Eva Alexander and Microsoft PowerPoint, guides us through the 17-step process of coping with a loved one's death. The result is a show that's funny, energetic, profound and heartbreaking all at once. There's so much creative energy here, whether it's in Heesom's emotionally exacting retellings of her experiences, or the beautiful pencil illustrations that accompany them. It's a little long, a bit repetitive, and I don't agree with making audience members hug each other ("No-one likes this," whispered my designated hug-partner, accurately). But it's brave, and honest, and it makes an emotional connection that'll stay with you.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Jon Stapley]

Letters To Windsor House (Sh!t Theatre)
Dancing letterboxes, brass instruments and a (great) slide show all feature in Sh!t Theatre's hilarious new show about the housing crisis. Somehow it really works, brought together by magnetic performances from artistic collaborators and flatmates Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit. When they moved into their flat, Windsor House, they started to open past residents' mail, and this show speculates outrageously on these people's lives. It also considers what it means to blur the line between artistic practice and life, when one's life is making art. Amidst the laughter, there are moments of vulnerability from both performers and a searing critique of gentrification. 'Letters to Windsor House' hits uproariously close to home for members of Generation Rent.
Summerhall, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Hannah Greenstreet]

Lucy McCormick: Triple Threat (Soho Theatre in association with Underbelly)
On the outside, 'Lucy McCormick: Triple Threat' looks like a loud mess of a thing. Comedy, cabaret, performance, big contemporary dance numbers and sing-a-long ballads all rolled into one sweaty, high energy hour. But, if you look a little closer, it becomes clear that the three performers have created something a lot more refined than that. This darkly funny show is a retelling of the New Testament in three acts, each with Lucy McCormick playing the main characters. With twisted comedy in tow, the show is free to delve pretty much anywhere. From the intricate choreography and musical numbers it's clear these performers are seriously talented – they've produced a surprising and ultimately unmissable show. A definite must see.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]

Scorch (Prime Cut Productions)
"I'm an OK human, I think," declares the gender-nonconforming teen of 'Scorch', as they face a prison sentence of three and a half years and a place on the sex offenders' list. Inspired by a recent court case about 'gender fraud', Stacey Gregg's monologue 'Scorch' goes behind the sensationalism and homo/transphobia that marked press coverage to present the other side of the story. It is immediately clear why 'Scorch' won Best New Play at the 2015 Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards. The script is lyrical, subtle and morally ambivalent, exploring what society does to people who don't fit into a box. Amy McAllister delivers a consummate performance: sensitive, funny and incisive.
Roundabout @ Summerhall, until 28th Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Hannah Greenstreet]

The Surge (The King's Players)
There's been no shortage of debate recently about what political protest can realistically achieve, and this piece of new drama from The King's Players jumps headlong into that debate. The story follows newly elected MP Jessica Wiles as she takes her background of grassroots activism into Parliament, in an attempt to effect real change, and what follows is a frank examination of whether this is possible. The result is a slightly mixed bag: for instance, a scene in the Houses of Parliament provides amply amusing opportunity for the skilled young cast to mock the constant harrumphing and jeering, but it also goes on too long. The play as a whole wants tighter focus, but it engages with enough ideas to be interesting.
Greenside @ Royal Terrace, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Jon Stapley]

The Unknown Soldier (Grist To The Mill Productions Ltd)
Amidst the myriad of First World War plays surfacing at the moment, it's easy to feel unenthusiastic about the prospect of yet another but 'The Unknown Soldier' is one you should definitely feel excited by. Powered by a magnificent solo performance from Ross Ericson, the play looks at the men left behind to find and rebury the 'glorious dead'. Here, the war is personalised to one man's account. It stands as a stark reminder that, despite all the facts and figures of the war, it was a deeply individual conflict. The play soberingly questions our institutional memorialisation of the war, showing that whilst we do remember, a lot has been forgotten.
Assembly Hall, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [John Sampson]

Van Gogh Find Yourself (Walter DeForest / PBH's Free Fringe)
Meet Vincent. Or rather, meet Walter DeForest as Vincent. This 'true-life' show takes place in a small room in a cosy café, so you find yourself eyes to eye with the performer, who talks about the painter's life while he sketches portraits. Yet, despite these intimacy-inducing conditions, there was a remarkable lack of connection with DeForest. The monologue didn't feel directed at the audience, but more like a self-indulgent tirade about Van Gogh's hardships, which failed to maintain the illusion that we were with the artist. The portraits also didn't resemble Van Gogh's art and, contrary to what was promised, not everyone got a portrait. The whole experience had a patina of untruthfulness and disappointment.
Natural Food Kafe, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Aida Rocci]

xx (Poltergeist Theatre)
We let algorithms run so much already, it makes sense we'd eventually start letting them do theatre too. Jack Bradfield's 'xx' (pronounced 'kiss kiss') is an intriguing experiment: five actors, ten scenes and five monologues, the composition of which is randomised by algorithm. Who acts in the scenes, what order they come in – it's up to the machine, and there are 36 trillion variations. The scenes themselves mainly deal with love and relationships; they're sweet, funny and beautifully performed by a talented cast. The algorithmic concept seems more meaningful to the actors than the audience, however: appreciating the scale of the endeavour requires attending more than once, which at the Fringe is a bit of an ask. Still, it's an undeniable achievement.
Paradise in The Vault, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Jon Stapley]