EdFringe22 – Grassroots Theatre
Edinburgh-made Grassroots Theatre at EdFringe 2022
Edinburgh’s theatre companies have come back strong after the pandemic with many new shows and a handful of returning favourites.
There are 77 pieces of Edinburgh-made theatre in the EdFringe programme, the majority of them – 42 all told – in the Grassroots Theatre section, listed on this page.
A scene from Our Boy in preview. Pic: Building Blocks Collective
In order to make things easier to navigate, we have divided the theatre 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 Grassroots theatre companies.
The rest of the theatre productions are listed here (click on the link to go to the page):
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Amateur companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Youth & Student companies
Theatre by Edinburgh’s Professional & Funded 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 & Opera, Children’s Theatre and Dance, Cabaret & Spoken Word sections.
Listings
1902
Saltire Sky Theatre Company
Leith Arches (Venue 324)
5 – 29 Aug (not Tue): 17:00, 19:30 (1 hour 20 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Explosive yet poignant
The multi award-winning 1902 takes an access-all-areas approach to working-class life in Scotland as we follow four young wannabe football hooligans in their quest to see Hibs win the Scottish Cup Final. Further details.
A War of Two Halves
This is My Story Productions
Tynecastle Park (Venue 547)
3 – 12, 14 Aug: 13:00, 15:30, 18:00 (1 hour 40 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★★ Resonant
The year is 1914. Edinburgh’s Heart of Midlothian Football Club have won 19 of 21 matches and stand on the brink of becoming Scottish league champions. In a remarkable show of comradeship and courage, 13 of their players volunteer to serve together in McCrae’s Battalion destined to fight in France. This is their story. Further details.
Art27’s From the Heart of the Incident
Art27 Scotland
ZOO Southside (Venue 82)
8, 9 Aug: 10:30 (1 hour)
The extraordinary story of Dr Issam Bassalat Hijjawi, a highly respected and much-loved Edinburgh medical doctor and Palestinian activist held in a Northern Irish prison for nearly 16 months and released on bail, under heavy conditions. Further details.
Art27’s Saber Came to Tea
Art27 Scotland
ZOO Southside (Venue 82)
6, 7 Aug: 10:30 (1 hour)
Saber Came to Tea is an entertaining short play with original music and magic that tells the story of one young woman’s defiant stand against the constraining social norms of her family. In Arabic with English subtitles with breakfast included. Further details.
Becquer’s Legends
Crested Fools
Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29)
5 – 13 Aug: 21:05 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Lingering frights
Ancestral spirits, haunted visions, sinister lullabies… Join us for an evening of other-worldly temptations inspired by the stories of gothic author Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. Edinburgh Horror Festival 2021 sell-out show. ‘A polished, creepy storytelling experience’ ★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com). Further details.
Bits ‘N’ Pieces
Saltire Sky Theatre
Leith Arches (Venue 324)
8 – 23 Aug (Not Thurs): 22:30 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Electric
Everybody takes drugs. Matty didn’t take them seriously. Follow the exploits of Tommy, Matty and Dougie as they ditch the day job for the disco in this immersive work by multi award-winning Saltire Sky. Further details.
Broken Funnies
Martin Bearne
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
15 – 29 Aug (not Sun): 14:55 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Worrying
A comedian walks into a therapist’s office… In this hour of comedy theatre, Martin Bearne (BBC Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland) jokes himself well. Struggling by, with only outrageous one-liners to show for it, can broken funnyman Martin make his therapist laugh? And what happens when a pull back-and-reveal joke, reveals too much? Further details.
Carnegie
Adam Smith’s Panmure House
Panmure House (Venue 305)
5 – 28 Aug (not Mons): 16:00 (Sat mat: 12:00)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Informative
Andrew Carnegie was the richest man in the world. By 1919 he had given it all away. Why? Spend the afternoon with him and discover why his plan for world peace ended in a total withdrawal from public life Further details.
Chicago, Chicago!
Name Pending Entertainment Ltd
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
15 – 20 Aug: 20:50 (50 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Promising
Continuously being treated badly by men, a group of women working at a strip bar put on the famed show Chicago in the hopes it will put the men in their place. Further details.
Conflict in Court
Edinburgh Little Theatre
Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41)
5 – 28 Aug: 12:10 (1 hour 10 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Guilty pleasure
Come and take part in an immersive courtroom experience where you decide the cases outcome. Listen to the evidence and decide; with a free drink and pie included, Conflict in Court by Liam Rudden is fantastic entertainment. Further details.
Flat Pack Furnished Flat
Emyr Cooper and Co
Greenside @ Infirmary Street (Venue 236)
5 – 27 Aug (not Sun): 22:00 (50 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Strong performances
A shiny new flat. A mother and daughter. Delivery of furniture imminent. Lives (and chests of drawers) to be constructed and deconstructed. Intimate, playful, contemporary drama from Emyr Cooper (shortlisted writer, BBC Writersroom Drama Room 2021). Further details.
Frighthouse Presents: The Wheel of Misfortune
Tales From The Frighthouse
Laughing Horse @ 32 Below (Venue 442)
16 – 28 (not 23): 18:30 (50 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Comically disturbing
Frighthouse presents – The Wheel of Misfortune. Anthology of quirky horror-comedy tales. New writing, written and performed by local Edinburgh creatives. Inspired by iconic horror anthology shows. Further details.
Glass Slippers and Silver Bullets
Erstwhile Media
PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms (Venue 171)
13 – 28 Aug: 15:00 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★☆☆☆ Misses mark
After decades of negligence, the Fairy Godmother ruins Cinderella’s night out by accidentally making her a werewolf. Can she still seduce the Prince as a big, shaggy dog in a dress? Further details.
Green Knight
Debbie Cannon
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
6 – 14 Aug: 17:00 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Sensual
Christmas at Camelot: a monstrous green warrior issues an unwinnable challenge to Arthur’s finest knight. But what if the story was retold by the woman at its heart? ‘Superlative… storytelling theatre’ ★★★★★ (FringeGuru.com). Best Actress Buxton 2018. Further details.
High Five!
Encapulus Productions
The Royal Scots Club (Venue 241)
23, 24 Aug: 15:30 (1 hour)
High Five is an explosive, high energy, physical theatre production that explores the drug crisis with young people in Scotland. Filled with questions about identity, sexuality, addiction and friendship. Further details.
Make-up
NoLogoProductions
Underbelly, George Square (Venue 300)
3 – 29 Aug (not 15): 13:20 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Intimate
Step off the stage, leave the glamour and the costumes behind and get to know the person behind the make-up. ‘Noble and thought-provoking’ ★★★★ (TheWeeReview.com). ‘Gripping and intense’ (BuxtonFringe.org.uk). ‘Coruscating’ (Gscene.com). Further details.
Matt and Ben
Sue and Beth Theatre
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53)
22 – 27 Aug: 23:20 (1 hour)
When the screenplay for Good Will Hunting drops from the heavens, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck realise they’re being tested by a higher power. Written by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers. Further details.
Miss Lindsay’s Secret
Maria MacDonell
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
4 – 28 Aug, Even dates: 13:15 (1 hour 5 minutes)
Come in. Shut the door. Open the box. What’s inside? A museum curator finds hidden letters binding Glenesk to Canada’s Klondike gold rush. But should she tell their intimate secrets? Further details.
One of Two
Jack Hunter, in association with Birds of Paradise Theatre
Summerhall (Venue 26)
3 – 28 Aug (not 15, 22): 11:45 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Involving
Trapped in the bathroom with an evil tattie, Jack wrestles with the reality of living alone. Jack Hunter’s inspiring* debut comedy is full of heart and a half-empty bag of Weetos. A true tale of twins growing up with cerebral palsy. Jump aboard the “strugglebus” with Jack as he steers through the intersectionality of disability, whilst honking at societal attitudes and Eddie Redmayne’s career choices. Further details.
Our Boy
Building Blocks Collective
The Royal Scots Club (Venue 241)
9 – 20 Aug (not Sun): 13:30 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Engaging
Our Boy. Joe is autistic. His dad wants a normal son. His mother wants to protect him. When Joe is sexually assaulted, the fragile family shatters. Joe must pick up the pieces. Heartwarming tale inspired by real events. Further details.
Past Life
Simply Surreal
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
22 – 27 Aug: 16:00 (55 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Strong comedy
A washed-up television personality lives out a Dickensian nightmare when they are visited by the ghost of their past. Further details.
Red Alert – Cancer!
Allan Wilson
ZOO Playground (Venue 186)
5 – 13 Aug: 11:30 (55 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Real life
Meet the Wilsons, five children, three with red hair, who came to Scotland in 1959. The redheads, Iain, Heather and Allan, developed cancer in their 50s. There will be sadness and laughter as Allan tells their story. Further details.
Reservoir Knobs
Punch Monkey Theatre
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39)
15 – 19 Aug: 18:45 (55 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Unlawfully funny
Based on a wild and hilarious true story, Reservoir Knobs follows the aftermath of a botched supermarket robbery, as the hapless criminals gather in a warehouse to confront an injury, their dismal haul and ultimately each other. Further details.
Salamander
Pretty Knickers Productions
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
22 – 27 Aug: 20:45 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Great potential
Leith. 1983. A sex worker brutally murdered. Her killer never caught. The authorities have lost control and call for an unlikely alliance. But will it prove impossible to bridge the gap between prostitute and police? Based on true events. Further details.
Sandcastles
Brite Theater
Assembly Rooms (Venue 20)
4 – 27 Aug (not 16): 12:50 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Endearing
Beth’s moving to New York. Hannah should be happy for her. When Beth goes missing Hannah can’t reconcile her reaction with the fact Beth might be gone. A bold exploration of grief, friendship and growing up. ART Award winner. Further details.
SAY IF IT’S NOT OKAY
Angela Jackson
Greenside @ Infirmary Street (Venue 236)
15 – 27 Aug (not Sun): 19:55 (50 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Personal and universal
Darkly comedic one-woman show about our natural inclination to go with the flow. Award-winning writer Angela Jackson reflects on the havoc caused by her own unwillingness to speak out. ‘Dry northern wit. Brilliant storyteller’ (EdinburghFestival.org). Further details.
Scotland in 60 Minutes
Mark Stephen and Gill Bowman
Valvona & Crolla (Venue 67)
8 – 13 Aug: 18:00 (1 hour)
Broadcaster Mark Stephen and folk singer Gill Bowman look beyond the haggis and tartan to the real Scotland: stories, secret places and iconic songs. The essential guide to the greatest wee country in the world. Further details.
She Wolf
Isla Cowan in association with Assembly Festival
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)
3 – 29 Aug (not 15, 22): 13:50 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★★ Fierce
Winner of the 2022 Assembly ART Award and the Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize. A fierce, ferocious monologue about getting f*cked over and fighting your way back. When Maggie’s life falls apart, becoming animal is only human. Further details.
Silkworm
Pearlfisher and the Byre Theatre in association with Assembly Festival
Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)
3 – 29 Aug (not Wed): 18:50 (1 hour 15 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Empathetic portrayal
Omolade and Abidemi seek asylum from the UK Home Office based on their sexual orientation. Here, in a Glasgow tower block, these vulnerable, strong women await their fate. How will they prove their claim? ART Award winner 2022. Further details.
Swallowed
Frizz Theatre
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24)
3 – 28 Aug (not 15): 13:00 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Convincingly performed
A young couple are separated by an outbreak they cannot speak of. Desire to connect meets fear of touch. Phone sex. Air kisses. Drunken voicemails. What if this is all there is? Further details.
Sweet FA
This is My Story Productions
Tynecastle Park (Venue 547)
3 – 11; 19 23 Aug: 19:45 (2 hours 15 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★★ Sparkling
1916. Women’s football is fast becoming the most popular game in the land. One Edinburgh factory team fights to play the beautiful game. A play with songs exploring the remarkable popularity of women’s football in the early 20th century. Performed on a specially built stage in the Main Stand at Tynecastle Park. Further details.
Tam O’ Shanter, Tales & Whisky
Stolen Elephant Theatre
theSpace @ Venue45 (Venue 45)
15 – 27 Aug (not Sun): 19:10, 23:00 (1 hour)
Tam O’ Shanter, Tales & Whisky is a comic celebration of the gothic poems of Robert Burns. Spookily accompanied by Scottish folk tales The Witch of Fife and The Haunted Ships. Includes a dram! Further details.
The Beatles Were a Boyband
F-Bomb Theatre
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24)
6 – 13 Aug: 20:00 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Powerful
Violet’s scared walking home. Daisy fights to make it safer. And Heather? She’s just over it. Women’s theatre company F-Bomb follows their sell-out debut with a new play exploring the impact of male violence. Further details.
The Best Ideas Happen in the Toilet
Claudia Saavedra
theSpaceTriplex (Venue 38)
14 – 18 Aug: 18:15 (50 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★☆☆☆ Vacant
A frank, funny, irreverent story about the struggles of trying to live your dream in a world of dodgy landlords, dodgy auditions, and even dodgier boyfriends. Cláudia Saavedra’s debut play arrives at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe following hit premiere performances at London’s Etcetera Theatre. Further details.
The Collie’s Shed
Shelley Middler
theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36)
15 – 27 Aug (not Sun): 12:10, 20:35 (45 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Moving Drama
For the past we inherited and the future we built. Follow four retired miners as they discover how a review of the mining strikes in the 80s suddenly affects them, their friendships and their relationships. Further details.
The Grandmothers Grimm
Some Kind of Theatre
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
15 – 27 Aug (not Sun): 18:25 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Sinister comedy
Cannibalism, werewolf trials, deceit, murder: Marie Hassenpflug and the Brothers Grimm are editing the darkness out of old stories. But as they do so, the voices of the women who created these tales are lost… Further details.
The Intervention
Gilded Balloon and Watch This Space Productions presents
Gilded Balloon Teviot (Venue 14)
3 – 29 Aug (not 17): 15:00 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Support required
It’s been two years since Finn disappeared. His best friend Ally has questions. The only problem is, Finn just might answer them. A new black comedy written by Keir McAllister (The Bench) starring Gus Lymburn and Ray Bradshaw. Further details.
The Masks of Oscar Wilde
Matchmaker Theatre Productions
Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16)
5 – 27 Aug (not 14, 21) 14:00 (50 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Accomplished
Man of letters. Aesthete. Victorian moralist. Playwright. Oscar Wilde wore many masks. But as a well–meaning professor and his eager student trace the life of the legendary writer, it becomes clear there may be more masks waiting in the shadows. As they dig deeper, we begin to wonder. Are they hiding something? Further details.
The Richard Osman Fan Club
Warped Productions
Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29)
6 – 28 Aug (not 14, 21): 17:15 (30 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Pointless entertainment
The Richard Osman Fan Club is a farcical comedy featuring an elderly Richard Osman fan Greta, joined by a young jogger and Granny killer Adam who makes various futile attempts to end Greta’s life. Further details.
Thunderstruck
David Colvin
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30)
3 – 29 Aug (not 5, 12, 16, 18, 23): 18:30, 20:15 (1 hour 15 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★★★ Striking
Thunderstruck is an international award-winning production concerning the legacy and mythology of a Pitlochry bin man, who flew beyond the summit of his art and changed Scottish music forever by defying established tradition and pushing to the absolute edge of what was possible. Further details.
Tickbox
Lubna Kerr
Summerhall (Venue 26)
16 – 28 Aug (not 22): 20:55 (1 hour)
Æ review here: ★★★★☆ Personal story
Tickbox is a semi-autobiographical, one-woman play in English and Urdu. Combining theatre, storytelling and comedy; sharing the journey of a Pakistani family arriving in Govan, Glasgow and dealing with discrimination by using food and humour. Further details.
Whispers
Pat Zajac
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53)
22 – 27 Aug: 11:40 (45 minutes)
Æ review here: ★★★☆☆ Spooky
Story of a woman living in repressed Victorian times. Loveless marriage. Husband’s absence. An affair and cruel laws have driven her insane. Is her life just a series of wrong decisions or maybe a fight for her own liberation? Further details.
ENDS
