As we return to campus this fall, the remnants of Edinburgh Fringe are visible throughout the city center. Tattered posters line the walls, some forgotten fliers have somehow merged into the pavement, and if you ask anyone who took on the feet of putting on a show during the festival, they’re still probably nursing the fringe hangover.
However, theatre is a cornerstone of Edinburgh’s culture and identity that lives beyond the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and this October there are a few shows here to remind us all!
- A Play, A Pie, A Pint series at the Traverse Theatre
What makes a PPP show special is the fact that it takes up one lunch hour, and it feeds you (literally and metaphorically). These bite-sized 50-minute plays explore a variety of themes and stories and have transported audiences anywhere and everywhere, from a gay wedding in a small church in the Southern Borders (Daniel is Getting Married by JD Stewart) to the kitchen of New York’s wealthy elite in the 19oo’s (The Tale of Typhoid Mary by Marty Ross). The series’ vast offerings can quench any audience member’s appetite, while at the same time providing them with a delicious pie and pint (or soft drink, if that’s more to your tastes).
As part of their autumn season dubbed ‘Around the World in a Season of Plays’, The Traverse welcomes two new plays this month: He Who Opens the Door by Neda Nezhdana and Made in China by Alice Clark.
So, take a load off in between lectures and the library, for a play, a pie, and a pint!
He Who Opens the Door runs from Tues 4 to Sat 8 Oct at 1 pm and Made in China runs from Tues 11 to Sat 15 Oct at 1 pm. Tickets can be bought here.
- Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at the Lyceum Theatre
Isobel McArthur’s five-star, smash hit (and now, Olivier Awards’ Best Comedy) is finally BACK! This ferocious and hilarious retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has all the ingredients for a theatrical delight: beloved characters, a microphone for all the pop classics, laughs galore, and (how could anyone forget?) a dark and broody Mr. Darcy.
Tickets can be bought here, the show runs from Tues 18 Oct to Sat 5 Nov. And the 18th of October is Pay What You Can!
- Girl from the North Country at the Playhouse
For musical fans, the Playhouse is a staple as some of the biggest UK-touring musicals often make their Edinburgh debut here. This month Girl from the North Country will be making its way to this stage. Written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, and featuring the songbook of Bob Dylan, the play shows a kaleidoscope of stories from the depressed Minnesota town of Duluth (Dylan’s hometown) in the 1930s. Dubbed ‘piercingly beautiful’ by the Independent, this show is set to pull on your heartstrings and leave you gasping as you too, will be swept by the yearning of the play’s characters.
Tickets can be bought here and runs from Tue 18 Oct to Sat 22 Oct 2022.
Now, these are only some of the highlights but remember to sign up for The Traverse’s £1 ticket theatre program if you’re under 25. Just complete a registration form, create an account on the Traverse Theatre’s website and choose from their list of shows that offer the deal.
“Lyceum Ceiling” by marsupium photography is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.