By Caitlin MacLeod

Pictures: all rights reserved

Float 

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

“Join Astronaut Indra on a nine-month mission to the moon… but not all missions are successful. A new autobiographical solo show by Indra Wilson about the lonely, turbulent journey of experiencing pregnancy loss as a queer young person.”

The world premiere of Float was my top show of the Fringe this year. Through a beautifully executed metaphor of a failed space mission, it explores Indra’s experience of pregnancy loss, moving me to tears.

Beginning with the fear and doubt that comes with the choices made, the show takes us on their journey of pain and healing as we watch their strength build. Float highlights how the world can fail those who are in the non-linear process of grieving, underscoring the vital importance of support, regardless of its form.

I was blown away by the staging – the projections, videos and boxes perfectly elevating the story. I found the silent packing away of the planets particularly poignant, and the countdown scene demonstrates how the space theme is effortlessly woven throughout.

With raw honesty that refuses to shy away from reality, there is much to admire in Indra’s performance, which they’ve put so much of themself into. With visible non-binary patches on the shiny silver space suit, it’s refreshing to see queer stories that don’t focus on queerness but on the people we are beyond our identities. 

By donating money from each ticket sale to a baby loss charity and providing space for the audience to sit with their own emotions, Indra has created a show that has the power to truly touch people well beyond the hour we spend with them.

@indragwilson

@fbombtheatre

@madeinscotland_showcase

Celtic Roots

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .5

“Celebrates heritage through familiar classics and newer melodies that will evoke fond memories and connect us all to our own roots and the places we call home.”

Described as “a creative musical journey back home”, Celtic Roots is a blend of music, poems and storytelling. Whether you are familiar with the songs or hearing them for the first time, Kevin Littlejohn draws you in, and Kirsty McGroarty is captivating as she treats the audience to her incredible fiddle solos. 

As a Scot not currently living in Scotland, I enjoyed spending an hour being immersed in a show that demonstrates the power of music and how it connects us through generations and across the seas.

Celtic Roots reminds us that no matter how far you’ve gone or how long it has been, you can always find your way home.

@celticrootsshow

@kevinlittlejohn

What if they ate the baby?

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

“There are three rules every housewife knows: never return a dish empty, always have dinner ready on time, and some things are best kept under the table. After all, you never know who’s listening. An absurdist queer two-hander about surveillance, American womanhood, and bodily autonomy.”

After almost a decade of collaboration and recent award-winning productions, American duo Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland have brought a triple bill of sell-out shows to this year’s Fringe.

I didn’t know what to expect from What if they ate the baby? and came away in awe of their incredible performances and unique, thought-provoking commentary. This impressive show is a clever and polished piece of physical theatre, unlike anything I’ve ever seen – the music, costumes and props all impeccably adding to the overall atmosphere. Xhloe and Natasha are completely in sync throughout, flawlessly executing each cue in a way that seems effortless. 

With a run time of only 50 minutes, they use repetition to make us consider what is in front of us from a different perspective and ask ourselves ‘what is real?’, daring us to examine desire, expectations and acts of resistance. They have the audience entirely captivated from the first wordless, unsettling scene we are thrown into, as we realise all is not what it seems.

@xhloeandnatasha

@xh1oe

@nrollo

Alright Sunshine

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  

“When PC Nicky McCreadie responds to a mass brawl on Edinburgh’s Meadows, she finds herself face-to-face with a past she’d rather forget. A razor-sharp monologue dissecting gender, power, and who owns public space.”

Peppered with references and anecdotes of the Edinburgh I know and love (Cab Vol and ferrets included), we are introduced to a character consumed by purpose and responsibility, trying desperately to maintain her strength in a world where power and patriarchy are working against her. Alright Sunshine delves into the realities of being a woman in a profession dominated by men, and the double standards and unrealistic expectations we have to endure.

It is an exploration of how one moment can completely change your life, leaving you to wonder what you could or should have done differently. And how, as women, we’re taught to bury everything deep down… but there are inevitable disastrous consequences when it boils over and the pain and anger burst to the surface.

Alright Sunshine is proof of what Scottish theatre can be and achieve.

@wonder_fools_online

@isla_cowan

@pitlochryft

@mollytaguegeddes