EdFringe Theatre – Professional Companies

Jul 30 2019 | By Thom Dibdin More

Edinburgh’s Professional theatre companies at EdFringe

As the fringe continues to grow, so does the input from Edinburgh-based companies. This year there are an unprecedented 93 different productions in the theatre section of the Fringe programme alone.

That includes 21 productions from the professional sector, listed on this page, as well as the youth, student, grassroots and amateur sectors

A Game of Death or Chance, publicity image. Pic Peter Dibdin

In order to make things clearer, we have divided the listing up into four parts. On this page you can find an alphabetical listing of all the productions being staged by the city’s excellent Professional theatre companies.

The rest of the theatre productions are listed here:
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Amateur companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Grassroots companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Youth and Student companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Professional companies

These distinctions are sometimes slightly arbitrary, and professional companies also mentor youth companies so do look through the different sections. Also, don’t forget to look at what is on in the Musical Theatre, Children’s and Dance sections.

Professional Company Listings

A Game of Death and Chance
National Trust for Scotland
Gladstone’s Land (Venue 335)
2 – 25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19): Various times (45 minutes)
Step inside this 500-year-old tenement and encounter characters from the past. Hear tales of burning witches, riots, executions and more in this unique immersive and interactive experience. Book here.

Black Is the Color of My Voice
Apphia Campbell presented by James Seabright and Play The Spotlight
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26 Aug: 16:00 (1 hour)
Apphia Campbell’s solo show inspired by the life of Nina Simone. Direct from sold-out West End season. ‘Goes beyond impersonation’ Book here.

Breakfast Plays: The Future Is […]
Traverse Theatre Company
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15)
13 – 25 Aug (not 19): 09:00 (50 minutes)
Four new plays from four of the most exciting emergent women writers in Scottish theatre. Kickstart your day with these script-in-hand readings and enjoy a breakfast roll with your ticket. Book here.

Burns for Brunch
Theatre Objektiv
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
1 – 26 Aug (not 12, 19, 21): 11:30 (50 minutes)
Hungover, perhaps, but not yet hung out to dry, Robert Burns awakes in Auld Reekie 2019 sharing his thoughts, poems and songs, casting a satiric eye around his Scotland and ours. ‘Should be banned!’ (Hanoverian Press). Book here.

Crocodile Fever
Traverse Theatre Company in association with Lyric Theatre, Belfast
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15)
2 – 25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19): Various times (1 hour 30 minutes)
Northern Ireland, 1989. Fuelled by Taytos, gin and a chainsaw, Fianna and her pious sister Alannah confront their father’s hideous legacy. A black comedy celebrating sisterhood whilst reminding us that The Troubles are closer than we imagine. www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com Book here.

Dr Korczak’s Example
Strange Town
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
21 – 25 Aug: 12:00 (1 hour 15 minutes)
1942, the final days of an orphanage in the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw. David Greig’s play tells the tale of Korczak’s refusal to abandon the young people in his care in the face of injustice. ‘Powerful’ (AllEdinburghTheatre.com). Book here.

Drone
Harry Josephine Giles, Rob Jones, Neil Simpson and Jamie Wardrop
Summerhall (Venue 26)
31 Jul, 2 – 17 Aug (not 1, 12): 19:10 (1 hour)
A live jam of music, video and poetry, this multimedia theatre show tells the true story of a military drone’s life and fears. The bleak humour and tender fury of Drone sees the unmanned aerial vehicle as the technology of a neurotic century, asking how anxious people can live as part of systems of such astonishing destruction. Book here.

Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
The Scottish Literary Tour Trust Ltd
Outside the Beehive Inn (Venue 178)
1 – 31 Aug: 19:35 (2 hours)
Æ Review from 2013: ★★★★☆ Douce and dirty
Join the infamous Clart and McBrain in a brilliant and witty dramatic romp through the wynds, courtyards and pubs of Edinburgh on our 21st anniversary of this award-winning tour, performed by professional actors! Book here.

Enough
Traverse Theatre Company
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15)
1 – 25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19): 11:00, 13:30, 13:45, 16:15, 18:30, 18:45, 21:00 (1 hour 20 minutes)
The lives of two immaculate flight attendants unravel as the ground below shakes with an uprising. Stef Smith’s (Swallow) poetic, unpredictable journey into female friendship and what happens when you can no longer be the woman people want. Book here.

Hamish Henderson: On the Radical Road
Theatre Objektiv
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
2 – 26 Aug (not 5, 12, 19): 20:00 (1 hour)
Æ review from 2018: ★★★★☆ Lively commitment.
Evocative, innovative shape-shifting drama sculpted from the poetry and songs of Hamish Henderson (the father of Scottish folk revival), 1919-2002. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of this revolutionary artist’s birth, presented in dynamic, dramatic fusion. Book here.

JRR Tolkien’s Leaf by Niggle
Puppet State Theatre Company
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
1 – 3 Aug: 16:00 (1 hour 15 minutes)
Æ review from 2017: ★★★★☆ Imaginative
Tolkien’s miniature masterpiece. The story of a struggling artist, written while The Lord of the Rings was emerging. Performed by Richard Medrington (The Man Who Planted Trees) with music by Karine Polwart. Book here.

Madame George by Keir McAllister
Gilded Balloon and Watch This Space Productions present…
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24)
31 Jul, 1 – 26 Aug (not 19): 13:00 (1 hour)
Madame George is a psychic in a slump. When finally there comes a message, will she want to hear it? A comedy about how far we will go for what we choose to believe in. Book here.

The Man Who Planted Trees
Puppet State Theatre Company
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
12 – 26 Aug (not 19): 16:00 (1 hour 5 minutes)
Æ Review from 2013: ★★★★★ Beautiful
Back by popular demand! Internationally acclaimed adaptation of Giono’s classic environmental tale. “Laughs, heartbreak, war, regeneration, scented breezes, sparkling wit and the best dog puppet ever”. Perfect for children and grown-ups. Book here.

Mouthpiece
Traverse Theatre Company
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15)
1 – 25 Aug (not 5, 12, 19): Various times, 21:15 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Æ review from 2018: ★★★☆☆ Political emotion.
The powerful Traverse hit about class, culture and appropriation returns. Frank and unflinching, Mouthpiece takes a look at two different sides of Edinburgh that exist in ignorance of one another. ‘A gripping, truthful play for our times’ ***** (Stage). Book here.

Nancy’s Philosopher
National Galleries of Scotland
Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Venue 46)
19 – 22 Aug: 18:30 (1 hour)
The forgotten story of the impossible relationship between David Hume and society beauty Nancy Ord was first performed at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe. Written for actor Kelly Burke by David Black. Book here.

Of Mice and Men
Fringe Management
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
31 Jul, 1 – 26 Aug (not 13, 20): 13:30 (1 hour)
Returning after its critical success in 2015, Nigel Miles-Thomas and Michael Roy Andrew again star as Lennie and George in John Steinbeck’s classic story of two outsiders striving to find their place in an unforgiving world. Book here.

Pat Hobby Stories
Fringe Management
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
31 Jul, 1 – 26 Aug (not 12, 19): 12:30 (1 hour)
F Scott Fitzgerald’s sparkling tales of Hollywood 1939 stunningly brought to life. Pat Hobby – script hack – who was hot when the movies were dumb, just avoids the abyss of unemployment and despair. Book here.

Svetlana
Ed Littlewood Productions
Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)
31 Jul, 1 – 25 Aug (not 13, 20): 22:35 (1 hour)
The War oan Terror? Whit’s it f*cking like?!’ The world needs a new kind of warrior – cold as ice, deadly as a cobra – common as muck! More Sauchiehall Street than deep-cover operative – meet Svetlana… Book here.

Tartuffe
Ed Littlewood Productions in association with Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
Assembly Rooms (Venue 20)
1 – 25 Aug (not 6, 13, 20): 17:00 (1 hour)
Liz Lochhead’s irreverent, rude, rhyming cut of Moliere’s Tartuffe. Trophy wife and cheeky maid must stop “religious” conman from bleeding gullible paterfamilias dry. A hilarious one-hour classic set in a Scotch livingroom Book here.

What Girls Are Made Of
Raw Material and Traverse Theatre in association with Regular Music
Assembly Hall (Venue 35)
1, 25 Aug (not 7, 12 19): 14:30 (1 hour 25 minutes)
Æ review from April: ★★★★★ Joyous
Based on her own diaries, the true story of Cora Bissett’s rollercoaster journey from 90s indie-kid hopeful to wised-up woman. Touring with Radiohead, partying with Blur; she was living the dream. Until she wasn’t… Book here.

Woke
Apphia Campbell presented by James Seabright and Play the Spotlight
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25 Aug: 16:00 (1 hour)
Æ review of Woke from 2017: ★★★★☆ Powerful
Fringe First winner returns for six shows only. Against stunning gospel and blues sung live, two women 42 years apart join the struggle for American civil rights. Both are faced with the same choice: fight or flee? Book here.