Shay Mace
Fantasy, Thriller and Science Fiction stories have long been used to tell parables about moments, themes, and struggles in our own society, even when replicated in worlds that seem millions of miles away from our own. Universal truths abound, you might find some strikingly prescient topics in these shows headed to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August, in which the worlds they have created – ones of magic, might, and intrigue – might not exactly mirror our own, but at least, certainly rhyme.
Queer actor and director Joy Donze brings a world of subterfuge and spirituality to light in The Misfortunes of a Spy and Her Mystic (Olive Studio at Greenside @ George Street, Aug 7 – 29 (not 16 & 23), 18:20), which sees a woman working on the fringe of the health system in a curiously espionage-heavy job role begin to question her sense of perception when a mysterious client enters the picture. Themes of Mental Health, Queerness, deception and ethics aim to collide in this fantasy thriller piece.
On the topic of witches and mystics, Dog Complex Theatre bring their comedy physical theatre piece Nuns! (Studio Five at Assembly George Square Studios, Aug 5 – 31 (not 17 & 25), 20:45), where tales of autonomy, belief, sexuality, sin and desire are explored in Medieval Bavaria. We follow Sister Getrtude on a quest to stop sinful, shameful lustfulness from taking hold of her, meanwhile teaming up with mysterious Witch-Hunter Yarrow, and beginning to question all she knows.
Also taking us back to mythical aesthetics, Meadow Report’s The Boline Inn (Studio at Paradise in Augustines, Aug 24 – 30, 14:50) offers us the chance to escape the shackles of modern society (which, according to some listings, may include cassette tapes, shoulder pads and perms…) and enter a world run by mysterious, weird, and wonderful women. We follow Jane on a search for her uncle, who soon gets caught up in the uneasy, fantastical goings-on within the walls of the tavern.
Taking on the unusual premise of crossing fantasy worlds with the story of being a Chinese exchange student in the United States, The Beachcombers bring what they call a ‘gothic fairytale for the culturally confused’ in Cinderella and Frankenstein’s Monster Are Dead (theSpaceTriplex – Studio, Aug 7 – 29, 13:05). An exchange student (Zhao Lan) sees herself more in Frankenstein’s Monster than Cinderella, and when her High School puts on a performance of the latter, she auditions to prove herself, only to find (as the title suggests), that fairytales rarely offer the nuance to reveal the complex facets of reality.
Imploring the supernatural and absurd, acclaimed Fringe Japanese puppeteering company Book of Shadowz are bringing an (almost!) eponymous comic piece delving into conjuration and the occult in Book of Shadows (Underbelly, Cowgate – Big Belly, Aug 5 – 30 (not 19), 18:30). Teenage sceptic Vi is forced to live with her grandmother, who claims to be the 200-year-old mystic and spiritual guru Madam Blavatsky. When Vi’s friends begin to disappear, she reluctantly teams up with Granny to uncover a conspiracy of séances, unhinged cultists and suspiciously interested government agents. Expect beautifully crafted shadow puppetry and intrigue in equal doses.
Finally taking us out of this world, New Zealand-based, British-born playwright Luke Thornborough teams up with international Paris-based ensemble Alchemy Theatre in ALONE (The Box at Assembly George Square, Aug 5 – 30 (not 17 & 24), 13:35). Described as a heart-racing, feminist sci-fi thriller, two female astronauts (played by Courtney Bassett & Anthea Freya Hill) unpack the silencing of women in STEM as their ship fails against the backdrop of ecological collapse back on Earth.
