FRINGE REVIEW: “Bloke and his American Bantu”

Bloke and his American Bantu – Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two – 11.30am IT IS hard for productions to get noticed at the Fringe in a crowded field of 3,300 – it’s rather like being a solo soprano in a multi-hundred populated Welsh bass choir. Combine that with being allocated the death slot…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “Taiwan Season: Light of Life”

Taiwan Season: Light of Life – Assembly George Square Studios – Studio One – 1pm IF YOU don’t know what a “diabolo” is, I’ll give you a definition: it’s an “hourglass-shaped top that is balanced and spun on a string stretched between the tips of two sticks”. Doesn’t sound that exciting and seems to offer…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “The Black Blues Brothers”

The Black Blues Brothers – Assembly Rooms, Music Hall – George Street – 4.45pm SET in an Art Deco bar and scored to the music of the Ackroyd and Belushi film The Blues Brothers, this is a show that combines circus tumbling, music, dance, and comedically-timed miming. It’s fast paced and furious. The five Kenyan…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “I’m with stupid”

I’m With Stupid – Gilded Balloon Teviot, Billiard Room – Bristo Square – 9pm JEEZ, where to start with “I’m With Stupid”? I suppose the first thing to say would be that if you are someone who listens religiously to Kermode and Mayo musing on films, then this will be right up your street. In…

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe begins in style

THE world’s biggest arts festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, kicks off in the Scottish capital today. Acts from 58 countries will mount nearly 50,000 performances of more than 3,100 shows between now and 29 August. The festival is marking its 75th anniversary this year, with previews of shows running over the past couple of days.…

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Langholm Moor buyout hits £2.2m target

THE South of Scotland’s largest community buyout will double in size after campaigners raised £2.2 million to buy Langholm Moor. The Langholm Initiative will buy the 5,300 acres of land and three properties from Buccleuch Estates. The Dumfriesshire town hit its fundraising target in time for last Sunday’s deadline. Nearly 3,000 people donated to the…

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University of Aberdeen Zoology Museum reopens

THE University of Aberdeen Zoology Museum is reopening, with a special history and heritage festival organised for September. The museum has featured in many school trips and family days-out since the 1970s. Refurbishment work and then the coronavirus pandemic led to the site being closed for several years. Having now reopened to the public, the…

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Jam today as Fingal picks Perthshire Preserves

FINGAL, the luxury floating hotel in Leith, is getting ready for “National Afternoon Tea Week” after picking Perthshire Preserves to supply a special jam. Iain Mackenzie and Kate Thornhill will provide a new strawberry jam for the promotion – which runs on 8-15 August – and hope to become a permanent feature on the ship’s…

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Edinburgh’s Christmas unveils plans

IT MAY only be August, but Edinburgh’s Christmas is today sharing plans for its festivities. Markets will return to the Mound precinct, East Princes Street Gardens, and West Princes Street Gardens. New sites are also proposed, with a “Scottish market” on Castle Street and an “artisan market” across High Street and West Parliament Square, both…

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Edinburgh Tattoo welcomes overseas stars

INTERNATIONAL performers have arrived in Scotland ahead of the start of the Edinburgh Tattoo on Friday. Among this year’s stars are the New Zealand Army Band, The United States Army Field Band, The United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team, Top Secret Drum Corps, Banda Monumental De Mexico, and Highland Divas. The theme for…

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