The best immersive experiences at Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Edinburgh Fringe starts this week! But don’t worry there’s still plenty of tickets left :)
The schedule this year looks incredible and is packed with immersive art and interactive experiences.
We’ve picked out all the best looking (there were quite a lot) in the following categories - scroll through for what most piques your interest:
Theatre
Musical Theatre
Audio Theatre / Experiences
Walking Tours & Outdoor Experiences
Storytelling & Comedy
Music Experiences
Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus
Theatre
Bits ‘N’ Pieces
An immersive theatre piece about drugs, misinformation and stigma, looking at the height of Scotland’s drug crisis.
“Everybody takes drugs. Matty didn’t take them seriously. Follow the exploits of Tommy, Matty and Dougie as they look to ditch the day job for the disco… Temptation, tunes and terror from every angle in this assault on the senses by the multi award-winning Saltire Sky (BroadwayBaby.com’s Bobby Award Winner 2021).”
Bits ‘N’ Pieces will be at Leith Arches on various dates between 8-23 August. Tickets are £12 more info here
Conflict in Court
A courtroom drama by Liam Rudden where the audience decides the outcome of the case. Listen to the evidence presented (pie and free drink in hand of course) and see what you make of it.
“Join the cast as they lay evidence before you, you then get a chance to cross-examine the witnesses and decide for yourself: are they guilty or innocent? This cast bring a gem of a production to life as they get the audience to work out what is fact or fiction. Will you agree with the verdict?”
Conflict in Court will be at Hill Street Theatre on various dates between 5-28 August. Tickets are £15 more info here
Do Androids Dream of Electric Friends
A struggling actor and her friend sign up for a robot friend to earn money, what could go wrong?
“In this innovative media experience, the audience can both explore the virtual world and interact with the characters as Actor and Engineer work with the AI to question what it means to be human: the good, the bad and the electric.”
Do Androids Dream of Electric Friends? is on at Greenside @NicholsonSquare from 22 to 27 August. More info here
Our Field at Twilight
Baby cow puppets and an afternoon of immersive storytelling, with dialogue and themes based on the life of Vilma Kitula's grandmother:
“'In my dream, there were cows in a field.' An insomniac mother and an anxious pothead live trapped in a workers' cult in Northern Europe. Their milk turns sour when a stranger burgles their farmhouse, digging up the dirt from their past. Will they welcome her, or remain in their twilight state?”
Our Field at Twilight will 22-27 August at theSpace on the Mile. More info here
Temping
This is a hot ticket and sold out already but stay tuned in case there’s reserves!
“In a basement office somewhere in Illinois, there's a job waiting for you. Sarah Jane is on vacation, and you've been hired to fill in. In this interactive show for one, you'll explore her cubicle, answer her phone and receive her faxes as the story of Sarah Jane unfolds around you. Sit down, send an email and experience a meditation on life and death between the cells of an Excel spreadsheet.”
Temping is running from 9 to 28 August at Assembly George Square Studios More info here
Raves R Us
If you missed it at The Vaults festival… or Glastonbury this year, fear not, you can catch Raves R Us at this years Edinburgh Fringe at the Underbelly Tent.
“Toys R Us has closed down for good leaving Charlie and his mates unemployed, depressed and searching for any escape from this rundown bigot-lead society. Charlie's vision arrives fully formed. They have an abandoned warehouse, an abandoned nation... it's time to make a sanctuary, an escape... a Rave. Inspired from a true story out of Hounslow, London.
Raves R Us will combine all favourite Naughty Corner features along with an immersive setting and atmosphere to create the most energetic, original night of theatre you've ever been a part of.”
Raves R Us is playing 4-14 August at Underbelly Cowgate in the 10.10pm slot. Tickets are £7 and available here
The Smile Off Your Face
Warning: In this show you are tied up in a wheelchair and blindfolded. The rest is tbc. Possibly not for the faint of heart!
“There is no stage, no audience, no place where actors perform under lights. Actually, you don’t know where you are, but you have your suspicions. You are imagining something. Maybe you were here before. Maybe not. Let yourself be guided by us. You are safe. We'll take care of you.”
The Smile Off Your Face is playing various dates between 4 and 28 August at C ARTS. More info here
Tuesday Night Sleeping Club (Home Experience)
Participate in the Fringe wherever you are in the world by dialling into the Tuesday Night Sleeping Club on ZOOTV:
“An immersive experience in your home inviting you to explore sleeping and dreaming as a space of interconnectedness, intuitive time and as an invisible political presence. Tune into the live-streamed radio channel... and off you go.
Small rituals prepare for entering sleeping and dreaming in an extra-sensitive state, and a specially composed sound blanket tucks us in. At seven in the morning, the livestream collects the nightly events and sends everybody into the day at eight!”
Tuesday Night Sleeping Club runs Tuesdays to Fridays from 9 - 26 August at 9pm GMT More info here
Musical Theatre
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart
Presented with support from The University of Edinburgh comes a show inspired by the original theatre production that promises anarchic theatre, folk music and maybe some karaoke:
“A wild session of anarchic theatre, haunting, authentic folk music and strange goings-on, created by David Greig and Wils Wilson who are revisiting their award-winning legendary original production in the extraordinary surroundings of the Playfair Library.”
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart will run between 4 and 28 August at the University of Edinburgh Playfair Library. More info here
Lighthouse: An Immersive Drinking Musical
An Irish-American musical with original music and step dancing! It’s about a pub owner who tries to keep her NYC bar open with the help of her punters and a world debut:
“Written by Emmy® Award winner Jacki Thrapp (Good Morning New York) with additional material by chart-topping composer Billy Recce (Little Black Book and Off-Broadway's A Musical About Star Wars) and orchestrations by Niall Vallely. Directed by Georgia Warner (Broadway's All My Sons and Law & Order: SVU). Free drinks included for attendees of age!”
Lighthouse: An Immersive Drinking Musical runs from 22 to 27 August at Greenside @ Infirmary Street. More info here
Audio Theatre
Darkfield - Eulogy, Flight, Sceance
Immersive 360 degree audio experience maestros Darkfield are in Edinburgh with not one, not two but three of their shows that take place in pitch black shipping containers.
You may have already experienced their psychological thriller-y wonder already with Flight and Sceance.
Edinburgh will be lucky enough to get new show Eulogy which is set in a dreamlike hotel. How you have arrived and why you’re there? It’s a mystery that will surely unfold.
Sceance and Flight are booking at The Pleasance through August for £8.50 more info here
Eulogy is booking throughout August at Summerhall for £12.50 more info here
Nyctophilia
Another show performed in complete darkness and (this time) set under the cover of a night sky.
It promises a sensory journey through time and exploration of imagination:
“One tree, one night, all of history. Nyctophilia is a show like many others, grappling with ideas of love, mystery and magic, but with one important twist. This time, your ears are your only guide.”
Nyctophilia runs from 5 - 13 August at Greenside @ Infirmary Street More info here
Walking Tours & Outdoor
Darwin in Edinburgh
Learn about Darwin’s Edinburgh and retrace his steps to explore the locations and characters that influenced his life in this blend of walking tour and immersive theatre:
“In 1825 Darwin arrived to study Medicine. In 1831, he set sail on HMS Beagle, a journey to change history. Retrace his steps to explore the locations and characters that influenced Darwin’s own evolution here in Edinburgh.”
Darwin in Edinburgh meets at Potterrow Underpass and runs 5 - 15 August more info here
The Pirate’s Riddle
In this escape-style, outdoor experiences you can explore the whole of Calton Island, working your way through the story and puzzles and enjoy some great views of Edinburgh:
“Embark with your team of sailors on an unforgettable adventure to solve the legendary riddle! Attention to detail, teamwork and creative thinking are essential skills to stand a chance at succeeding in finding the lost treasure.”
The Pirate’s Riddle runs 4-29 August and meets at Carlton Hill. More info here
Storytelling & Comedy
Crone
A horror immersive experience that sounds… funny? Come and get your fortune told by the crone.
Spells and rituals specific to the night’s performance will be carried out. Bring a “gift” (unsure what this is) and she’ll tell your fortune.
“Since the dawn of time, human beings have ventured into deep, dark, woods to gain supernatural knowledge and treasures from the creatures within… But be warned: such knowledge comes at a price...”
Crone will be at Just the Tonic at The Mash House on various dates between 24-28 August. Tickets are £9 more info here
The Ecstacy of Victoria Woodhull
Meet a budding clairvoyant and reach across the mortal plane to meet the spirit of Victoria Woodhull, a member of the Suffrage movement who was pushed out of the movement for “radical views” on free love, equality and justice:
”Victoria’s extraordinary story culminates when she becomes the first woman to run for President of the United States almost 50 years before American women could vote. Help our clairvoyant bring the story of Victoria’s life into the light!”
The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull s running from 5 to 27 August at theSpace on North Bridge. More info here
Music
Planetarium Lates - Dark Side of the Moon
What’s better than a Planetarium? A Planetarium with a show that blasts Pink Floyd’s legendary album at you while using the dome to show spell binding abstract projections, that’s what.
And that’s exactly what you get in this show.
Planetarium Lates - Dark Side of the Moon runs on various dates between 5 and 26 August. More info here
Playing Beethoven
“Feed your inner Beethoven with period and contemporary live music, costumes and ideas in an amphitheatre made entirely out of upcycled pianos.”
Need we say more?
Playing Beethoven runs 4 - 7 August at the Pianodrome at the Old Royal High. More info here
The Gods, The Gods, The Gods
A meeting of Greek mythology and our mortal realm told through four stories and fourteen pieces of music:
“A show full of big beats, soaring melodies and heart-stopping spoken word. Wright & Grainger, the creators of international smash-hit shows Orpheus and Eurydice, call us to the crossroads where mythology meets real life. The Gods are gathering, and you're invited.”
The Gods, The Gods, The Gods is playing between 4 and 27 August at Assembly Rooms. More info here
Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus
Shrimp Dance
“Shrimp Dance is a Butoh dance performance with live music and video art, based on research showing anti-depressants entering the sea through human waste are affecting the behaviour of shrimp. High levels of Prozac cause shrimp to abandon their shadowy habitat and swim towards the light where they’re often eaten. The humans are so sad that the shrimp are going crazy.”
Shrimp Dance is playing at Dance Base Studio 3 from 5 - 14 August. More info here
Death of a Disco Dancer
“Set over one surreal night of dancing and debauchery, Death of a Disco Dancer is a psychedelic, wild black comedy. During a fateful college reunion, four friends find themselves in a neon, nightmarish dimension. Twisted visions from the past and bizarre dreams of the future join them on the disco floor, and soon, a very present danger arises. As they dance deeper into the night, and this musical world swirls around them, these lost companions must fight to escape a labyrinth of their own design. When the sun rises, who will still be dancing?”
Death of a Disco Dancer is running 5 to 13 August at Greenside @ Infirmary Street. More info here
angel monster
“Enter a space caught in a cross-hairs: halfway between your bedroom floor at 3am and an otherworldly limbo. Inside a field of laundry, explosive choreography combusts as an army of dancers explore the dreams, the nightmares, the tremble and the limits of the female experience. Sex, consent, violence and empowerment crash-tackle together in a full-femme-full-bodied conversation where the agenda is equality, ownership and individuality. This is visceral, confessional, contemporary dance from one of Australia's most prolific dance-theatre artists. Angel Monster is a portrait, a requiem and a call to arms for angels and monsters alike.”
angel monster is playing from 4 to 28 August at Assembly Checkpoint. More info here
Brave Space
“Brave Space is the building of a blanket fort, sneaking under a hoop skirt, an impulsive congregation in the tiniest of tents. Starting as a puddle of fabric on the floor, it grows to encompass a wondrous world of circus. Intimate and low tech, the audience sits nose-to-nose with an all-female cast of bold physical artists to build the world we want to live in, even for only a few shared moments.”
Brave Space is on at Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows from 6 to 27 August. More info here
Dance of the Druids
“They should have been ridiculous. And perhaps they were', was Claire's observation of the circle of dancers, twirling in ritual under the moonlight. Recreation of Outlander's Dance of the Druids in St Cuthbert's Kirkyard is equally illogical, but undeniably magical. Suspend your rationality and indulge in an ancient ritual honouring the seasons of the moon, ourselves and Jamie Fraser. Limited to just 12 dancers in each session, we will learn and perform the Dance of the Druids in time with the celestial movements. Dancers are asked to wear white and advised to prepare for time travel..”
Dance of the Druids runs on Saturdays throughout August at St Cuthbert’s Church. More info here